Let There Be Light

I have enjoyed all your photos, particularly the B+W's. This one caught my eye because of the Thoreau quote in the technical details (I have one in my portfolio quoting from Eliot Porter). Your large format portfolio's are definitely an inspiration for those who might want to get into large format photography. A few questions if I may: How long have you been into LF photography? What type of Camera do you have ? Do you use a graduated neutral density filter (as you have a number of tricky exposures) ?

geoff,

 

i pretty much chucked my 35mm stuff back around 1986-1987. i love sharpness & detail and going LF was the only way to do it. although i would have preferred an 8x10 format, i backpacked extensively in the high sierras at the time and an 8x10 was simply unpractical from a weight issue. when i would go out for 2-3 weeks at a time, my pack would weight in at a whopping 100-105 pounds- uggg. then there is the cost issue... 8x10 lenses are expensive.

 

i use a wista field camera. i am on my second camera because my first one got sunk in the pacific ocean near the shot i did on the oregon coast and posted herein. i got caught by a "sneaker wave" and out to sea it went. i look back at that scene and laugh because the last thing i saw go under was 2 tripod legs in "slow motion",,,, as if it was crying out to me "saaaveeeee meeeeee" :)) in retrospect, i might have opted for the zone-6 camera but it was several inches larger in folded dimensions which puts a bind in my pack.

 

 

i sometimes use split ND filters (mostly with color). which image are you referring to?

 

 

Paul,

Thanks for the informative reply to my questions.

I have toyed with the idea of going LF, but I think the jump might be too much, considering I am only using a tiny digital camera. If ever I did go that way, I think I would like to explore B+W photography, but it would seem there is even more to learn. Having recently seen some contact prints from a 8x10 Deardorrf I can appreciate the art and craft even more.

Finally, I thought the following photos would have been challenging exposures which may have required the use of split ND filters: Flower Lake - Onion Valley andSphinx Lakes - Kings Canyon.

Your work is a fresh breeze of real Photography.The Thoreau quote fits this perfectly.I love the subtle light on the vegetation around the tree base. I try with my Mamiya RB I think that's a big as I will ever go. How much do you feel I give up in Landscapes using medium format. Thanks

Paul, so you did not use a filter on this image? I love your works, and will be watching and learning from you. Just outstanding.

Your photograph brings tears to my eyes. It is true art to have been moved thus. I just want to lay down upon the soft ground and listen to the quiet roar of the forest. Thank you. - Chris

very nice composition...good work on eeping it simple

richard, i don't think that you give up too much information by going to medium format. i think it's a matter of personal preference and how much weight you're willing to lug around. for me, personally, i do like large prints (16x20 & higher) of images like this one and the large format holds a lot of wanted detail in the larger prints. for an 8x10 or 11x14 print, i don't think you could discern mush diffence betewen the two formats unless you have an extreme depth of field problem to contend with. in that case, a large format can be utilized to shift the focal plane to secure focus across the entire image (in some but not all) of the scene.

 

toni, nope... didn't use a filter on this image. what's to filter really anyways? the scene was bathed in soft diffuse light from a low setting sun penetrating through cumulus clouds. so the clouds added a large quantity of scattered light and highlighted the right edge of the aspen bolles. the quality of light when i came upon this scene was just spectacular. i certainly got lucky as i shot this same scene (in vertical format) a year later and the quality of th light was simply not there.

 

chris, thank you. i do enjoy walking though the forest and listening to the wind stirr the trees, or listening to birds chirp, or just letting the silence penetrate and activate my thoughts. sometimes, the camera just seems to get in the way. often, i'll set the camera aside and just find a good rock to sit on and ponder. if trees could speak, what do you think they would have to say to us? would they laugh at us or would they cry? possibly both.