Century Graphic

<p>OK, another post for my first Century Graphic. It is just a cheap bakelite box, nothing special, a place to mount a lens and a film holder, with an accordion thing to keep things dark between the two. The only way to focus it is either by using the scale mounted on the bed, or look at things upside down on the GG. Thus the tripod mount threads are rather well broken in. When just out and about within yelling distance form the vehicle, I like to haul the sturdy Berlebach 2042. This is a nice tripod support. And it's wood ! So while it isn't more than ten years old, it is classic, and more versatile than is evident here. The legs kick out, and the center post has a ball head type swivel. </p><div></div>

<p>But the Berlebach weighs in about 7 lbs. So for backpacking and long day hikes I like to take along a lighter Velbon support. This is more sturdy than it looks, so long as you keep the center post down. When I have to raise it it does get a bit shaky, but I can usually pull it off, and all my medium format images from hiking trips have been done off this shaky leg support recommended for little P&S digitals. It weighs all of 2 lbs. </p><div></div>

<p>I call that support the Bobble Head. But the point of this little discussion is the following three photos. Though you may have seen the first image before, I have never posted the second and third. These are in sequence, West, North East, as the sun set. I pulled into a rest stop and climbed a hill looking for something scenery. There wasn't any, but I was bored and sometimes I take it out on my film stash. First we should look East before the sun sets, and though this isn't recommended, we will point an old lens from the 1950's at the sun...</p>

<p>Oops sorry, lets do this...</p>

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<p>Ok well I cheated flare death by using the clouds, but I did in fact point the lens at the sun. And when the sun gets low like this, and finally drops, things start to happen fast. When I went back and looked for this film I decided to add this shot below looking north directly over the Mono Lake basin. I never really payed much attention to it before. But it is part of the shoot so it gets in...</p><div></div>

<p>I never had much luck with the cliche Mono Lake images, probably because I've seen enough of them to want to barf. how much Tufa does it take to get a tufa one. So I like to look at the place from far away. Then I will not be tempted to try and make photos that four million other photographers have already done... But I wonder how many have walked up this little hill off highway 395 and watched the light change over the Pumice Hills? </p><div></div>

<p>The Other Side, the view east, what I call the reverse sunset, has had a large print made. 16x24" and really nice; really nice if you like looking at a rock. <br /> All of these were done with the infamous 103mm Trioptar that you are probably tired of. And the film is Provia 100 120 roll. The rock is of a volcanic nature like the welded tuft type I think. It's not granite. It more like ash that was so hot it welded into this neat stuff. The hills in the background are pumice, and very near is obsidian dome, which is volcanic glass, great for making arrow head and hide scrapers if one has a yearning for a little hunting and gathering...</p>

<p>Very interesting pictures, as usual, SG.</p>

<p>I'm curious as to how you meter. Incident or reflective and how do you choose your final exposure? I'm very impressed with the way you retain detail at both ends of the scale.</p>

<p>Even though it means the temps are about to drop precipitously - I love this time of day. The sky is so colorful this late in the day.</p>

<p>The shot of the camera overlooking the North Fork of Bishop Creek is superbly crafted as well. It has that mult-layer effect with the camera in the foreground, the detail in the nearby outcrop, plus the more distant terrain against a cloudy sky. The shot is so well balanced.</p>

I think Someone should publish their work or at least investigate places where

interested parties might exist.. tourism boards .. parks dept. environmental agencies etc

<p>All are excellent, though the last one is my favorite. A large print of it would be nice indeed.</p>

<p>Excellent work SG! Very poetic even in the way the tripod stands alone on the rock! Thanks for the post. Regards sp.</p>

<p>H.P.,<br>

I metered these with my little Sekonic L-308 B II. It's been a great light weight meter and has the sliding dome for incident and reflective light for which I use a gray card, and meter the scene, compare dark and light areas etc... Sometimes though having too much information is boggling, so I just guess. For the last couple years I have been using a Pentax analog Spot V which coincidentally jives almost exact with the readings I get from the Sekonic and sometimes use both and keep the Sekonic in my pocket as I like to have all the information I can get. I like being confused sometimes... <br>

The first two shots are 35mm slides from my Nikon. I'll see later if I have the two shots from those set ups. </p>