Prarie Creek State Park N. Cal.

<p>I recently made another lap around California which took me to one of my favorite places on the north coast. Naturaly I took a couple of my old junker cameras with me and tried to make a few photographs. If you are headed to norhtern California and looking for a neat place to walk in the big trees and do a little relaxing I have always enjoyed Prarie Creek State Park. And if there I can highly recomend the Miner's Ridge trail for an unforgetable day hike. Been there a few times now and seem to keep going back. <br>

I was up there visiting friends among other things, and while I struck out with the beautiful Ranger Renae from Wisconsin (engaged), I did manage to blow up the coleslaw at the 4th of July party. <br>

First I'd like to present this image of something I found up there in the park a couple years back. My father, a WWII vet, trained for radio and electronics here in Loa Angeles where Dodger Stadium is now located, worked at a station near Goleta up the coast where he met my Mom on leave in Santa Barbara, and then was shipped to Adak Alaska for three years. Unkown to me or my pop while he was alive is that there is a WWII radar and electronic interception station at Prarie Creek that has been saved as a historic site relating to what my Dad was doing during the war. It's not much, just a couple cinder block buildings that housed electronics and generators, a couple machine guns etc... The place, as I imagine the buildings were in Goleta, was built up to look as much like local farm buildings as posible. These buildings are on the bluffs overlooking the rugged pacific northwest coast. <br>

I shot a few frames with my Rolleicord III camera. This image is Ilford FP-4 f~16 at 1/10 and no filters. </p><div></div>

<p>There also seems no shortage of roadside stuff to shoot if one looks around. In this case, I just looked around the back side of a redwood and saw this message burl looking right back at a quick rest stop... <br>

Also the Rolleicord with the supperb 75mm 3.5 Xenar lens. However, this one got a little flare in the corner that for now I think I'll just overlook for the sake of the Kiss Me Tree...</p>

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<p>So enough with driving around and the Rollei. The best thing is to load up the Crown Graphic in the backpack and take a walk in the woods... </p><div></div>

<p>These two images were made using a Crown Graphic and my infamous 103mm Trioptar lens. The above made use of a yellow/green filter to slightly lighten the green foliage in the shadows, and required f-32 for 8 secs. The below image used no filter at f-22 also for 8 secs. The iris was a test of patience as I had to wait, wat again, and wait more for just the right lull between the little puffs of breeze and hope I caught it right as it could flick the delecate pedals long before the exposure finished. I made one exposure. </p><div></div>

<p>The trail and iris images were exposed on Fuji Acros for ISO 64. I also expose the Ilford at 64. Developed in Dil "H" HC110 developer. I think I'll enjoy wet printing the last two images as I think I can get a lot more out of them than is evident here. <br>

I've got a few rolls of color out to the lab to see how they do before I send along the rest, and a couple more rolls of B&W to do here. Then it's dark room printing time... Tired of cheesy scans. </p>

<p>SG, as always, I find your stuff stunning.</p>

What Rob said! Great Work! Certainly professional level. Were these two sheet film? Do you focus on the GG then load a roll film back after focusing? I sure would like to get closer to your quality!

Super Mr SG

<p>Yes, with the Crown I was using it only has a GG, and I use 120 roll films. The Rolleicord of course has the waste level GG and a very nice flip up magnifier so it is about the same routine. <br>

The Iris was too close to have used a rangefinder anyway. I will have a couple things next week that were hand held Speed Graphic as I also brought a complete Speed 23 with me and three other nice lenses. </p>

<p>SG, Beautiful work as always! Please post more pictures of your treks and trails. The sequences will be interesting. Regards, sp.</p>

<p>Very nice, SG. I really like "Miner's Ridge Trail". Excellent detail, shadows and highlights.</p>

<p>Wonderful stuff.</p>

<p>And how great to get the link back to your Dad's wartime experiences.</p>

<p>Very nice SG, I especially like the radar station, for its tones and composition. Thank you for posting and welcome back, you were missed.</p>

<p>Thanks,<br>

I should have a couple more series out of the trip so I'll post up as time allows. <br>

I may do a please pick your favorite and why of a couple trees I've been shooting now for about eight years in the bristlecone pines of the white mountains. </p>

<p>The Miner's Ridge Trail shot is outstanding. I love the soft shadows and detail on the bark.</p>