Wednesday, July 22, 2015

It's interesting to remember how rarely I used to use my wide angle lenses. Then, my favorite focal length for the Pentax 67 medium format camera was the 135mm.  That has changed dramatically!!  Most of the photographs I take now are with the wide angle 55mm and still wider angle 45mm lenses.  Capturing the flat landscape and the eternal vista of ocean and sky requires a different perspective than my long favored short telephoto.  Here are a few examples, some of which have been posted before, but not in a group representing a theme....a major drawback of a blog vs a website, but there it is.   (All are film)











Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Many of the places I visit with a camera don't change much until there's a new season.  Yes, light varies during the day, as do clouds and weather, but those changes don't necessarily invite a photograph.  A tidal salt marsh is much more active.  There's less wind on the water, so it's often reflective.  The mud at low tide is filled with detail.  As the water ebbs and flows, it creates its own patterns.  There are myriads of gorgeous birds who are at home there. Plus, the light, clouds and weather are just as varied as anywhere else.  So it's not surprising that I will frequently return to certain places in search of the interplay of those elements.  Here's a pier and gazebo that are often the hang of fishermen and crabbers.  Though this shot is moody, the place is attractive in nearly any light.  You'll likely see it again here.   (Film)



Monday, July 20, 2015

Photographing the ocean and beaches can be challenging.  It's easy to make dippy, drippy sunrise and sunset shots....most execrable and treacly in color....but harder to evoke more refined emotions.  Two photographers I admire a lot do it very well....Robert Adams: mostly the beaches and ocean views near where he lives in Oregon, and Chip Hooper: mostly the California coast with excursions to other seasides.  Nothing I've done so far is on their level, but I'm trying.  I took this image because of the marvelous, wispy cloud, and the scale of the sky and ocean's vastness against the human's tiny presence.  (Film)


Saturday, July 18, 2015

Here's one more from Friday's trip to Dutton Island Preserve.  There seem to be no end to the variations of sky, tide, and light.  This place really is an island in the middle of a tidal salt marsh. In fact, this photograph and the top of the previous two were taken on the little bridge that connects it to the mainland.  The vast marshland here sits between the ocean, and the Intracoastal Waterway.   (Film)



Friday, July 17, 2015

Having found this wonderful island preserve, I will continue to visit it when the tide time, and sky offer variety as will often be the case.   It's only about a half hour away or less, and easy to get to.  For those who care about such things, this was taken using a deep yellow filter (Wratten #15), and a Cokin GND (graduated neutral density square glass filter that slides into a holder that attaches to the lens.).  The deep yellow holds back the blue sky without the surreal look of a red #25 filter, but still offers drama.  The GND reduces the light in the brightest part of the scene so that the film (or sensor too, I guess for a digicam) can register all the values.    (Film)




Monday, July 13, 2015

I was looking at thumbnails of my photographs when I came across this one.  I've no idea why I didn't post it or even consider it for tweaking.  It was taken at the 'boneyard beach' on Jekyl Island where the remains of scores of fallen trees litter the sand for hundreds of yards.  I've posted other photographs from there earlier on this blog, but not this one.   (Film)



Friday, July 10, 2015

I've wanted to photograph lily pads for years, but never found an arrangement that 'worked'.  This sorta does, but not so much for the plants themselves.  I liked the design they presented in front of the wooden walkway that rimmed the little park on the St. John's River beside a small marina.




Tuesday, July 7, 2015

I've been starved for settings that would inspire photographs, and yesterday I found one not far from home.  It's the Dutton Island Preserve and it's a gem.  Despite the ubiquity of salt marshes here, they're not easy to access.  Most are curtained from view by private homes, and the rampant shrubbery that borders most roads.  So, finding this little oasis was a real treat.  And, because salt marshes are tidal, the view can be infinitely varied depending on when one visits.  (Film)