Sunnyfields, Simeon, Va. 2002

Doug, this is an in-your-face composition, but it's surprisingly effective visually. Good tones and overall exposure. Symbolically, this works well too: locked off woods. I don't know if it's me or the landscape, but all the trees appear to be leaning left! Must be a neo-socialist wood.

I assume this was taken with the 'blad and not the digital, though you didn't indicate the camera. In general, I prefer your square compositions and this is one of my favorites that you've loaded the last few months.

Great minds, Michael. I'll buy that.

leaning left? Uhhh, I'll check. It could be sloppy scrinting, but it could also be that the left is east and a mountain is to the right, which would block the afternoon sun. I'll have to find the neg, or the contact sheet. I'm also looking for the pinhole version, which was shot before this one. It's better in some ways, worse in others. Thanks for the compliment, Bob.

Correct on the hassleblad. I dug this off of the computer, and have no idea which frame number it is. By the way, Michael, this was with the 60mm.

In czarist Russia, I believe, the adage was "same idiot same thought" or something like that. Doug, it could just be from the weather/landscape--the road, at the vanishing point, appears level.

I really do like the photo very much--and I'd like to see the pinhole version. I've done some pinhole photography in the past and it's on my list of things to do this summer . . . that and get out the 4x5 and 8x10 and quit my job and take 12 months to wander around the country shooting various Americana, tray developing negatives by inspection . . . Well, may be not all that, but I would like to get the pinhole out.

Here's the pinhole, scanned from the only print I could find. My scanner won't do 4x5 film, so I didn't even look for the negative.

You can see how much closer the pinhole was to the lock. The 60mm allowed me no closer than what you see, above, which was frustrating. You can also see the pinhole shot had the lock on the right. That's because, in my usual fashion, I left my notes at home when I went back to reshoot on the 6x6, and couldn't remember the exact composition I had captured with the pinhole. The differences are interesting. I can't reshoot now because they've paved this road (actually a drive-way to posh mansion)

Good luck with yours. I have wooden one, 75mm, or 150mm from Santa Barbara Camera, or Santa Barbara something. It's nice. Has a tripod mount, and everything. I used tacky putty to stick a watch on it for timing.

Great work.Followed a link from your comment on Michael Raddatz's recent padlock shot.So much of your work creates mood and I feeling.

Your bio quotes, " I typically get a window of inspriation and shoot like a madman until it closes". I truly hope that the window stays open a little longer.Maybe a trip into the sunlight away from your dark place will help.

I wish you well, and will look forward to future work.

Thank you Steve, and thanks for the messages from my web page, too. I truly appreciate them. I also hope I'm not coming across as a victim. Although my situation is not to be envied, I've learned to live with it, and I've learned to find ways to direct the energy into pictures in a way that removes some of the negative power from my daily experience. Like, this very minute, I have to do something health-care related that I'd rather not ever do, ever, but there is no one else to turn to, and it needs to be done.

After writing the above, and looking at this shot, I can see all sorts of meaning. For example, the lock (my circumstances)is keeping me from my destiny (what I want to do, right or wrong), and stuff like that.

Doug, while I like the pinhole shot for its inherent moodiness, I prefer the original post. Thanks for finding the pinhole. These are both symbolically/metaphorically rich photos.

I've built a few pinhole cameras, and have bought a Zone Images (I think that's the name) wooden pinhole camera--it also can be attached to a tripod. I've seen the camera you have--it looks like an excellent pinhole camera. I'm inspired to go out and shoot with mine!!!