Renewal

Spring is coming!!

"Renewal" - a new theme for me, but really, ages old.  Going way back... to the days of Adam. In the garden!

Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you... I have given every green plant for food" Gen 1:29-30 NASB

I have been invited to join a photo group, with an emphasis on seeing and sharing God's glory.  Maybe a perfect fit for a landscape photographer?  Our theme for this quarter is "Renewal" and what better project considering spring is just around the corner.

A time when all things are new, the old is past, and signs of new life and renewal are everywhere.  Our next outing will be an attempt to capture this process.

Check back soon for a few new images!

Hiking with the RB67 - Part 1

Part One - Concept

Since acquiring the RB67, the thought of hiking with 6-7 pounds of camera around my neck seemed a bit daunting.  But I also knew from experience that the ability to quickly access the camera while hiking is key. Otherwise, the opportunities simply pass by, since it is so much work to stop, unpack, setup and compose, only to find the shot not that interesting.

But, the challenge was accepted, and I started building a few hiking kits.

My goals were to make it easy to access the gear, but also make it comfortable while hiking.  My proposed solutions were a Think Tank belt system for shorter hikes, and for casual photo walks, and a few top load case inserts for my Kelty hiking pack.

Parts are starting to arrive, so as the kits are assembled and tested I will report back. Stay tuned...

Red Rock Canyon State Park

Not the Nevada Red Rock... but the small California State Park, east of Mojave, CA.  On I-14 heading north out of Mojave is a wonderful little desert gem. A few marked trails, an RV campground and plenty of unmarked areas for scrambling around.

We went with a church sponsored hiking group and ended up with a dozen hikers doing about 7 miles round trip that day.  A few photographers went early with me, to attempt a sunrise shoot, only to find a dull gray overcast sky.  Nevertheless we explored and captured some good images.

We headed out going east, walking through a sandy wash to an area called the Secret Silent City.

A unique place worth repeat visits, hopefully with some better light.  Some great colors, a small slot canyon and a plenty of geology to explore.  Just take plenty of water!

Images below were shot on Ektar 100 and Fuji Pro 400H from an RB67 and a Pentax 645.

Color Images from San Juan Bautista

On my last Mission trip, I shot some Tri-X 400 (shown in previous post below) and a few Ektar 100 images. I pushed the Ektar to 200 ASA and developed accordingly. The results were interesting. Very saturated and a few color shifts during the scanning, but nice, rich colors once adjusted.

The greens and reds...

Not sure if I like the Tri-X better on this one...

More California Mission photography

After nearly 20 years, I finally got back to San Juan Bautista, this time with my RB67. My previous effort came up a bit short, with only a couple of outside shots, since the courtyard and museum were closed at that time.

This time, I paid the entrance fee and got full access to explore.  A few of the TriX 400 B&W images are below. I did get a few on Ektar, but need to develop and scan. I will post a few of those in a later post.

Sacred Succulants

The Old Bell, now on display in the courtyard

The Alter

I am nearly half way through on my Missions Project, and I have visited almost half of the 21 California Missions.  I have added it to my 2019 goals, so we'll see!

Exploring with the RB67

Learning to use new gear takes time. Time behind the lens, head down in the waist level viewfinder, and testing various functions, knobs and levers.

It also takes time developing a new workflow.  Minor tweaks to the thought process, and developing a new flow while out in the field.  Several recent trips have helped me to do just that.

The challenge is to just take the camera out, and keep it with you, loaded with film.  And then, seize the opportunities as they come up.

Such as... in the coffee shop!

Or at the local nursery...

Or even just out playing.

Keep practicing! Eventually, I will get better and feel confident taking it out to bigger and more exciting photo shoots.

Think More! Shoot Less!

I recently found an article that struck a cord with me. "Think More, Shoot less" by Marty Knapp.  As a film only shooter, I can totally relate to this mindset. Thought I would share the link below.

Think-more-and-shoot-less

And check out his work. Some great stuff on his website.

Enjoy!