Wednesday, May 27, 2015

California Lupines On Film

A Trip Down Memory Lane

This is one of my favorite images from the last excursion that I photographed primarily with film. 

It took a while to find an undisturbed cluster of flowers. Small animals had been burrowing in the area, and most of the flowers were marred by ugly piles of loose dirt. 

It was nearly dark by the time that I found this spot. I remember setting up my tripod and squatting close to the ground. I remember trying not to damage the flowers around me with my feet or my equipment bags.

I remember working to focus the large mechanical camera on an increasingly dim image, holding my breath as long as I could under the dark cloth so I wouldn't fog the ground glass. I remember checking everything twice before exposing a sheet of film that I had loaded carefully by hand. Was the aperture closed to the desired stop? Were my exposure calculations correct? Had I set the tilt accurately to keep the foreground and background in focus? Were all of the knobs locked securely? Had I bumped the image out of focus at any time?

I cocked the shutter, pulled the dark slide, and hoped that I hadn't overlooked anything.


a photo of California Lupines at Sunset on velvia 100 slide film 4x5
California Lupines at Sunset - Velvia 100 Color Reversal Sheet Film (4x5)


I love digital cameras. They make photography so much easier with instant feedback and a whole host of convenient features. 

But capturing an image like this on film, doing so many things accurately under such challenging conditions and not being able to see the result until days or weeks later, that was an unparalleled experience - when it actually worked.

Will I shoot film again? Probably not, or at least not very frequently. Most of the color labs have closed down. It's difficult to find someone to develop these amazing chromes. Professional scans are expensive. It's far more economical to capture the image directly in digital format.

I miss film. I miss the look. I miss the tactile experience of working with it and the fun of using those classic camera designs. I even miss the hassles of film, like trying to keep it cool in the summer and explaining to the TSA kid at the airport why he can't open the box for inspection. 

Giving up on film was like losing a friend. A very close friend. But the economy and convenience of digital imaging is overwhelming. Welcome to the future.


Camera: Ebony SV45-TE
Lens:     Schneider 110mm f/5.6 Super-Symmar XL

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.


Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved


Monday, May 18, 2015

Alice In Wonderland

Through The Looking Glass

The Alice In Wonderland statue is one of Central Park's most well-known attractions. Families with young children flock to the statue. Kids love to climb on it.

Under these conditions, it's virtually impossible to take a photo of the statue without people in the frame. 


a photo of the alice in wonderland statue in central park
Alice In Wonderland Statue - Central Park, New York


One potential solution is to photograph the statue at night when very few people are around to impede the view. 

Be advised that walking in Central Park in complete darkness, while not overtly dangerous, can seem a bit unnerving. Add a full bag of expensive camera equipment, and you've got quite an adventure on your hands. (The Mad Hatter would approve!)

Here's a crop showing the detail in the carving. If you click on the photo you can view a larger copy.



a photo of the detail in the alice in wonder statue in new york
Alice In Wonderland Statue - Detailed Crop



Now, if you'll forgive me, I must be on my way. I'm late for a tea party.



Camera: Nikon D810
Lens:     Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

Light happens. Be ready. Shoot hard.


Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South
http://www.dansouthphoto.com
All Rights Reserved



Saturday, May 9, 2015

Grand Canyon - Layers of Time

Digging Deep

I was looking through my archives today hoping to delete some old photos and reclaim space on my hard drives. While reviewing photos from a trip to Grand Canyon, I came across this image.


a photo of grand canyon layers of time by daniel south for light happens
Layers of Time - Grand Canyon


I don't remember taking this particular image. The morning sunlight was hitting the canyon from the side creating shadows and contrast among the rock formations. Every time I saw what looked like an interesting composition, I set up my tripod and grabbed some shots. 

I ended up with hundreds of photos, some of which I never looked at closely. But this one jumped out at me. I like the way that the elements are arranged in the frame and the way that the layers stack up.

It's been a few years since my last trip to Grand Canyon. This photo reminds me how much I enjoy spending time there.


Camera
: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens:     Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS


Light happens.  Be ready.  Shoot hard.

Copyright © 2015 Daniel R. South
All Rights Reserved