Working on projects

Ann Arbor, MI. 2001. Kodak HIE film. I so loved that film.

The longer you are creative in any endeavor, the more wisdom (maybe) you accumulate. In photography, you not only gain experience, but you also accumulate a body of work, which is more than just stacks of negatives and prints (or hard drives full of files).  Your interests may change over the years - what was once a driving force for your type of photography may have petered out, and maybe you veered into a different direction altogether.  Or maybe, if you are like me, you have had many interests, and there is no single subject of your photography, but many.  For example, I’ve had a thing for photographing post offices, especially those in small towns, or places with odd names. But that does not make me a chronicler of post offices.  However, I have a lot of photographs of them.  In my travels, I often photograph every-day mundane things like those ice boxes outside of gas stations, or one of the few remaining pay phones, or oddball signs, or whatever catches my eye.  On their own, each photograph may not amount to much.  However, after a few decades, these accumulations start to have some weight to them.  As Garry Winogrand said, “everything is photographable.”  And to that, I agree.  I’ve photographed a lot over the past 25+ years, and some of those photographs are better than others.  Some have been exhibited. Some have appeared in publications, and quite a few have been in my photozines.  I have had some exhibitions that were based on a preconceived project - that is, I photographed purposefully for a particular goal.  A few of my zines were also produced in that fashion - a means to an end. The zine on Kudzu was exactly that.  It’s not that I had a trove of Kudzu photographs to choose from and thought “I ought to put these together for a zine.”  In that case, I had a clear goal, and in the space of a few months, made the photographs for it.  I also invited other photographers I knew to participate, so it wasn’t an open-ended project.

However, sometimes there are enough examples of a subject that I can put them together as a project.  I have found that I have often photographed certain types of scenes when traveling, one of them being picnic tables and shelters at highway rest areas.  In the back of my mind there’s always the “maybe I’ll have enough for a project someday.”  Now, on their own as individual images, they might appear as mundane.  But put 30 of them together, and I have a coherent project.  Add in some history of them, some observations, and voila! a book.  That’s how I work.  

Some post offices - from my album on Flickr

Photography is different from writing, different from painting, different from sculpture, different from all the arts, in that an image can capture a fleeting moment.  That image can be incorporated into a larger, coherent body of work if you have taken enough images to coalesce into something.  So many things change over time, yet that singular image is proof that at some point in time, at some place, that thing, that place, that person, that belief  existed.  I guess my point is that you never know how important an image might be at the moment that you make it. As someone that photographs a lot of things, I know that some of the places that I photographed  a few years ago no longer exist.  Some of the places have irrevocably changed.  People that I photographed years ago are no longer with the living, but they still exist in a photograph.

A good example of photographing change over time are the photographs by Nicholas Nixon of the Brown sisters. In a series of photographs from 1975-1999, he captured the beauty, grace, and maturing of four sisters each year.  That’s quite a wonderful book, and as I age, I appreciate how much effort it is to take on a long-term project.  I’ll be turning 70 in December, and I have a lot that I want to accomplish in the years ahead.  Fortunately for me, I have a lot to draw from as far as accumulations of “projects.”   I use Flickr a lot - I can organize my images better, and as I accrue additional photographs, it's easy to add them to an album. For me, it's worth the money to have as much of my work in there as I want.

some rest areas - soon to be a small zine.

My advice for anyone starting out in photography is first of all -- observe.  Look.  What things do you see that resonate with you?  I know some photographers start out with “I want to be a X photographer,” where X= whatever genre fits.  Others sort of find their metier after a few years of photography. Some photographers are all over the place (that would be me), but strong in a certain genre.  The more you photograph, the better you’ll be, and the experience and accumulation of images will be a benefit if you keep at it.

Another project in the works

I’ll be traveling to Tucson in about a week to help my daughter move back East, and having her close-by in NC will be absolutely great.  While I’ll be driving a U-Haul truck, I’ll still be able to stop and take some photos, and fill in some gaps in my “projects” yet to come.  If you have never been to Route 66, this is the centennial year of the road.  A lot of what was there 50 years ago is either in ruins or gone, but enough remains to make it worthwhile to see for yourself.  However, it does not matter what route you take, but the time that you spend on it with a camera and an open mind will be a gift to yourself.

I’ll be back with some new posts in September.

Lomo Color 100 and a Pentax 6x7

Last October, I spent a week in Arizona, staying in Tucson, and making day trips to explore other areas.  Bisbee, Arizona was on my bucket list, and I was not disappointed.  It's a mountain town, SE of Tucson, and while originally settled due to the mines nearby, it is now a resort town with lots of arts and local flavor.  I've posted a lot of shots from that trip on my Flickr site.  

One of the places that I also wanted to visit was the nearby "ghost" town of Lowell. All that really remains of Lowell is one street (Erie) that was part of the former business district.  When the open-pit Lavender Mine expanded in the 1950s, it ate up the residential areas, and as the homes were demolished, miners moved elsewhere, leaving the actual business district bereft of customers.  Local residents managed to turn Erie street into a sort of open air auto museum with storefronts and signage from the 1950s.  If you haven't visited Lowell, it's worth the short drive S from Bisbee.

I shot a lot of film that afternoon, and some of it was with my Pentax 6x7.  These images were shot on Lomocolor 100, and I'm pretty happy with the results.  After almost a year, I finally got around to editing the scans that I made on my Epson V700.  

If you like vintage autos that look their age, don't miss this spot.

More Svema 100 love

Over the past decade, I’ve shot a fair number of rolls of the Film Photography Project’s Svema 100 film. Manufactured in Ukraine, and still in stock from the FPP and its distributors, Svema 100 is a fine-grained, medium contrast film that is worth checking out if you haven’t shot with it. It’s on a tough polyester film base that lies extremely flat in my Epson V700 scanner, and I appreciate that a lot.  

I’ve shot several rolls more recently, and would like to share some of the images with you.  This first set was shot on my Pentax Spotmatic II, mostly along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Mt. Mitchell State Park.  If you didn’t know, Mt. Mitchell is the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi, at 6,684 feet above sea level.  You can also drive within short walk to the summit. On a sunny day, you can see a lot. However, you are more likely to find the mountain top to be either in the clouds or surrounded by lower-lying ground fog.  Mt. Mitchell State Park is around an hour’s drive from my house, and is also as far N as I can currently drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  

I used an SMC Takumar 55mm f/1.8 lens – one of the sharpest lenses you will find, and often used an orange filter with the roll of Svema 100.

I never tire of views like this.

Great view from the Porta-Johns at Craggy Pinnacle parking lot

At an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Turk's Cap Lilly

Mt. Mitchell picnic shelter detail

 It's a severe place there at times.

I really like how these came out.  I developed the film in FPP D-96 for 8 minutes at 20°C. If there is one complaint that I have, is that I find a 24 exposures go really fast for me, and would love to have a choice of 36 exposure rolls.  

At Ball Photo in Asheville. Yes, those are copies of Monochrome Mania for sale there.

Asheville Airport

Redbud leaves - wide open

coneflowers coming on.

The second set was shot on my Pentax K2 as pictured at the top.  Same developer.  Quite different circumstances, and a range of subjects. Svema 100 had no problem in subdued lighting, bright sunny days, and everything in between.  

If you are looking for a different 35mm emulsion to try, I highly recommend Svema 100. This is a film that would be fantastic in 4x5 and 120 -- if they ever make it.

Seven Years

 

The movers arrived 2 days later - during a downpour, no less. The yard has changed a lot since then!

Yesterday marked the 7th anniversary of our move from Ann Arbor, MI to Weaverville, NC.    It was quite a change combining two households, in addition to moving far from Michigan.   Beverley, Adrienne, and I have no regrets about the move, and the last 7 years have really flown by.  I like where we are situated, and while not at the top of a mountain, we are at 2200 ft. above sea level, and the Blue Ridge Parkway is a lovely 8 mile drive from us. Main Street Weaverville is 2 miles away, and Asheville is 7 miles from us. So, we have all we need pretty close by.    

Main Street, Weaverville, June, 2022. Pentax Spotmatic, Svema FN-64

One of the reasons for our location is that Adrienne and I wanted to be near the mountains, as both of grew up in hilly areas of New York. While we really did enjoy Michigan and the Great Lakes region, a move to better overall weather and a more relaxed way of life was a factor.  I love the extended spring and fall here, and there’s no hindrance going out in the winter.    The few times we have had more than a dusting of snow were beautiful and short-lived.    In short, the weather here is usually quite nice.

Vance Birthplace, NC Historic Site, July, 2020. Nikon F2S, FPP IR200.

Moving here was a boost to my photography, especially regarding nature.  While the September 2024 hurricane devastated many of my favorite spots, it has caused me to visit other places, as well as being able to document nature’s recovery in the affected areas. I still have much to discover, and the eastern part of NC is pretty much untraveled for me. Unlike the grid system in Michigan and Ohio where the roads run NSEW, the roads here meander, and in the mountains you cannot be in a hurry. I’ve gotten comfortable driving our curvy roads, but I do wish the roads had decent shoulders. The lack of them really makes it difficult to stop and photograph things that I see along the roadsides. 

       

Along the Old Marshall Hwy, March, 2023.  Yashica Electro 35 GTN, Kentmere 400.

Yesterday, I drove up to Barnard, an unincorporated community along the French Broad River near Walnut.    There’s a nice little park (Barnard Park) along the river where river rafts put in. A bridge takes you over the river to Big Pine Rd. Until last week, I hadn’t been up there since the hurricane, and it was nice to see that things looked pretty much the same.

The Barnard General Store, July, 2026. Intrepid 4x5,
101mm Kodak Anastigmat Special, Cat Labs 80 film

 Last week, I drove up to Barnard to photograph the Barnard general store that had just opened, and I’m impressed with the work the owners had put into rehabilitating the brick building that was built in 1913. I had planned to make some exposures of the bridge with my Intrepid 4x5, but the rain put an end to those plans. So, yesterday’s trip was to take those photos, and whatever else I thought worthy of 4x5.    After that, I drove back up to US-25 towards Hot Springs, and took NC 208 N to Guntertown Road and then to Big Laurel Rd.    

Bridge over the French Broad at Barnard 07/21/26. Panasonic GF-1

Roadside attraction, Barnard Rd. 07/21/26, Panasonic GF-1

I’d wanted to take that route for some time, so it was a good day to do so.    A very winding and scenic route, it follows Laurel Creek. This was a recon mission, and there are a lot of nice old barns and moldering buildings along the route. Again, there are few places to park off the side of the road, but I managed to get some shots with my Leica M2 and my Panasonic GF-1. About 2/3 of the way it started to downpour, and that was the end of the day for photography.  I still observed what was along the road, and plan on a return trip for a cemetery that looked to be quite interesting.   Big Laurel Rd. connects to US-23A, which I took south and then onto 1-26 and home.    Not a bad way to spend an afternoon!

 

Abandoned, near Spill Corn Creek, off Big Laurel Rd. 07/21/26, Panasonic GF-1

  

So, it’s been a good 7 years here, and I look forward to many more.

Finding Your Path in Photography

St. Francis de Assisi church, Ranchos de Taos, NM 2003.  Kiev 60, Verichrome Pan

If you are just starting out with photography as a hobby, there’s a lot of things to learn.    Most of the time, you are learning about the mechanics of the equipment, and coupled with the understanding of the exposure triangle, it can seem like a lot -- at first. If you are coming from the digital world to the film world, there’s even more ways to discover that you can screw things up.  Fear not.  Like any endeavor that requires the understanding of a subject, you are bound to make mistakes along the way.  Learn from them. All that camera manipulation and understanding of light aside, the thing about photography is that one can use the very best equipment or the very simplest of equipment and be an amazing photographer.  One person may use the very best equipment and have boring photos, and another person might use a toy camera and become a published artist.  And vice versa. There’s no guarantee that using a Leica or a Rolleiflex will make you a better photographer, nor will the latest mirror-less Nikon or Canon digital camera result in a gallery show (if that’s what you want).  It really boils down to your competence with the camera and what’s between your ears.  

Do you follow trends?    Do you ask what so and so used to get an image, or what film stock you should use to get “that look” whatever it may be?    I get it, I really do.    It’s part of the process of becoming a photographer.    However, many times people ask the wrong questions. You may wonder about the film stock, and be totally unaware of what kind of lighting was used in the photograph.  You may ask about a camera, and not think about the lens that was used.    In our naiveté, we often overlook the complexity and think there is a single answer. There are many factors involved in making an exposure.  

In my early days, I was an avid fan of John Shaw, a well-published nature photographer.    I shot a lot of slide film, aiming to get results like I saw in his photographs.    A few times, I think I succeeded. What I didn’t have was his breadth of knowledge, sense of composition, and insight. It took me years to get to the point of being able to get consistent results, and then digital came along, which made macrophotography a whole lot easier and cheaper.    I was able to experiment without thinking about how many shots I might waste on a roll of expensive slide film.    

Were my photos better?    Yes -- because I shot more.    Therein lies the crux of photography. To get better, shoot more.    But wait, that’s not all.    You’ll eventually develop a style, or find your niche.    Maybe it was something that you started with early on, or perhaps you just found out that one day, when you were really in the moment, and the image and your expectations just came together.    Sometimes that path changes over time, as it should.

When I started to take photography seriously in 1999, I had a mentor that was generous with his time, knowledge, and equipment. I’d been taking photos since the early 1970s, but had never taken a class, except for an after-hours class in high school.    I felt that knowing as much as I could about macrophotography would be useful in my career as an entomologist and museums collection manager.    It did, but I learned something more.   

Looking at various books and reading about photography and other photographers, I realized there was so much more to be explored.    So many cameras! So many lenses!    So many different films! And so on.  The thing that I had not expected was the more I learned, the more my photography changed. The macrophotography had run its course, and was useful in my daily work, but what really gave me satisfaction was getting out in the world, learning about other types of photography, and seeing the work of others. My photography improved as my brain was exercised, my eyes trained to see things differently.    Becoming proficient operating a camera was also a key to being open to exploration.    If you are trying to figure out the mechanical aspects of making a photograph, it’s harder to “be in the moment.”          

I believe that the passion you have for something also reflects in your photography. Being affected by your surroundings, and how you interact with them is a key to taking meaningful photographs. Photography is a very personal experience.    What one person does does not mean that he or she is a model for others to follow.    What inspires me probably won’t inspire you.    If you pursue photography seriously, you will find those things that inspire you.    Be aware that one path may lead to another, and do not blind yourself to new possibilities.    Your photographic practice improves over time.

One of the ways to explore what’s possible in photography is to look at the work of others, as well as some more philosophical takes on being a photographer.    I have read that young people today don’t read books, preferring to get their information (infotainment) via YouTube and other social media.    There are some photographers that have excellent YouTube channels, but there are many that I feel are entertaining, but not necessarily informative.    I do believe that if you are serious about photography, you should know something about its history and at least be familiar with some of the photographers.    You might get some of that in a real photography class, but if you want to explore on your own, I can recommend some books that will give you a good overview.

“A World History of Photography,” by Naomi Rosenblum is an excellent introduction to the history of photography, with lots  of great images. I think it’s been reprinted many times, and is often used in college photo history classes.

An even larger tome, with more emphasis on European photographers, and profusely illustrated, is “A New History of Photography,” edited by Michel Frizot.    At 775 pages, it’s a monster of a book, but it’s really great.    It is perhaps the most comprehensive volume with less focus on American photographers.

A more easily carried book from Taschen is “A History of Photography from 1839 to the present” from George Eastman House.    It’s over 700 pages, but is not a coffee table book.    I think it’s a great introduction to photographic history, with lots of examples, as well as a glossary.      

Those are just three examples to get you started.    You can start with the obvious list of the “greats” and delve into their oeuvre.    Alphabetically - Berenice Abbott, Ansel Adams,      Diane Arbus, Eugene Atget, Margaret Bourke-White, Henri Cartier Bresson, Anne Brigman, Wayne Bullock, Imogen Cunningham, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Dorothea Lange, Lee Miller, Elliot Porter, W. Eugene Smith, Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, Paul Strand, Josef Sudek, and many others.    Contemporary photographers such as Sally Mann, Michael Kenna, David Plowden, Joel Myerowitz, and Stephen Shore are definitely worth looking at.  There are many more that you’ll discover on your own.      

There are also a number of excellent photographer documentaries available on streaming services. Search under "Photography documentary" on your smart TV or digital device.

Writings on the philosophy of photography can be useful, too.    There are a few that I think can be very helpful to photographers:

• Why Photography Matters by Jerry L. Thompson. 2013, MIT Press, 92 pp. ISBN#978-0-262-01928-6.
• Beauty in Photography by Robert Adams. 1996, Aperture Books. 108 pp. ISBN# 0-89381-368-0.
• Ways of Seeing by John Berger, 1980. Penguin Books, 165 pp. ISBN#0-563-122447.
• The Ongoing Moment by Geoff Dyer, 2007. Vintage Books, 285 pp. ISBN#978-1-4000-3168-9
• The Nature of Photographs by Stephen Shore, 2010. Phaidon Press. 136 pp. ISBN#978-0-7148-5904-0
• The Tao of Photography. Seeing Beyond Seeing by Philippe L. Gross and S.I. Shapiro. 2001.    Ten Speed Press. 136 pp. ISBN#1-58008-194-0
• The Art of Photography. An Approach to Personal Expression by Bruce Barnbaum. 2010.    RockyNook Publishers. 352 pp. ISBN# 978-1-933952-68-0.
• The Photographic Eye. Learning to See With a Camera by Michael F. O’Brien and Norman Sibley,    1995.    Davis Publications. 287 pp. ISBN#0-87192-283-5
• Zen Camera. Creative Awakenings With a Daily Practice in Photography by David Ulrich. 2018. Watson-Guptill publishers, 217 pp. ISBN#978-0-399-58033-8.

I enjoy looking at the work of other photographers, and being inspired by them. I’ve said it before, that photography is a big tent, and there are all sorts of processes, styles, subjects, and methodologies to explore, and you’ll find something that resonates with you.    Becoming familiar with what’s been done before is not a bad thing.    I guarantee that whatever interests you, someone has already done it, and reading up on it beforehand will help you avoid the pitfalls and let you concentrate on the creative process.    

This brings me to my final point - photograph for yourself.    Do what makes you happy and inspires you.    Your vision, your imagination, is yours. Make it work for you. Maybe doing that only requires using a smart phone camera. Maybe it requires a wet plate camera.    Maybe you need a DSLR with a 600mm lens.    Whatever you require, shoot as often as possible, and eventually, you’ll get really good at it.    Be proficient with the process, whatever it is.  Nobody paints a masterpiece the first time they pick up a brush.    Photography is a skill set that gets better the more you practice.    So, get out there and photograph!

Note that I have not recommended  a camera, film, or process in the above.  It's yours to explore, and as the saying goes "The journey is the reward."