By pushing myself to expose a roll of film every week I am slowly beginning to get back into a photographic groove, or at least recognize one exists. When I commit to exposing film, not making good photographs, I get better. Like a musician, dancer or athlete I am practicing. I’m able to quiet the critic and editor in my head and just respond to the things I see in front of me. The same applies to looking at prints and contact sheets. When I let go of expectations I learn things. This lesson for me this week arrived in the form of the portrait of my dog Essa.
Low light required a slow shutter speed and large aperture setting resulting in a very shallow depth of field. This isn’t rocket science. What was intriguing to me as I looked at the photograph is how preconditioned I have become to having everything sharp and in focus from foreground to background. It is an automatic response most likely honed from years of working with a large format camera shooting landscapes. It is so ingrained in my camera thinking that I am blind to other possibilities. These laws I build for myself cut me off from freely exploring with the camera. So I have something to work on. That’s the way it is when I work. Questions come up. Maybe about a place or subject, or maybe about how I think about things. And I use the camera to explore for answers.
The cold and snowy weather kept me close to home and largely off the road with the Vespa. I did manage to ride one day and expose three frames during the ride. The three frames along the bottom of the above contact sheet were all made during a ride that also took me to our local Vespa dealer where I purchased a Vespa mug and black T-shirt. I’m anxious for the roads to clear a bit so I can ride more. I’m hauling the Mamiya 7 in the MotoFIZZ back that’s strapped to the rear rack. I wrap the camera in a lens wrap hoping to keep any vibration to a minimum. I don’t want to subject the camera to the vibration and heat that surely would be present under the seat. If anyone has had any experience hauling camera equipment around I would be curious to know if vibration has been an issue.
Everything else was shot during walks with the dog and in places I would probably not be riding the scooter. One in particular required crawling under some electrified barb wire.
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I haul my camera around under my seat all the time, and it’s never seemed to do any harm. My digital slr may be a little less fragile than the large format though. Unfortunately, the only way to really know is to try it once and see what happens…
Hi Steve: It’s been too long since I’ve visited. I just love your portrait of Essa.
One of these days I have to get back into taking pictures. Somehow I prefer the term snapshots maybe because it recognizes that this moment will soon be gone.
I was in Boston Common a few weeks ago on a “walkabout” and was looking at a squirrel using his fur coat to maximum advantage. He had also positioned himself in the nook of a tree to get out of the biting wind. I could see each hair standing on end. I had the time, the subject, … now I have to get the camera.
I think I’ll go digital SLR.
Ciao, Steve. These are beautiful black and white photos, a disappearing art form. Glad to see that you are keeping up with it.
sam: I’m going to follow your lead and hope for the best. The rear rack seems to be pretty well insulated. If something bad is going to happen it will probably show up in the rangefinder accuracy on the Mamiya 7.
simplytim: I agree with you about snapshots. Many photographers (I think) feel the term derides their work but their is something special about snapshots. There is a good post about them on the pitertakin1 blog call Snapshots, Adams Style. Have a look.
Walkabout. What a great word and idea. Seems to enhance the importance of the act.
david: Thanks for your kind words. I continue to find a strong connection between the way I feel about subjects and the way they look in black and white. I think I will continue to work in the darkroom for the foreseeable future.
Steve Williams
Scooter in the Sticks
Beautiful images, Steve. I’m so glad you are sharing these with us.
I’ve been carrying my Sony F717 around on various motorbikes for almost four years now. I keep it in a well-padded soft case, to insulate it from vibration. No ill effects yet…
Ride well,
=gc=
I’ve always loved B&W photos, I use to do alot of night shots years ago when I was taking a photo class. I really like the simplicity of your first photos. Black dog on white background, simple, but to me a powerful image!
Nowadays i do prefer the digital cameras and am hoping before we go away this summer to invest in a digital SLR. As much as I used to enjoy working in the darkroom and developing all my film, I’m glad to be away from all those chemicals.
Keep up the good work Steve!
Cody
Steve: I hauled my old Yashica D on my Yamaha Enduro through the woods of Central PA when I was in high school and later took my Mamiya RB67 in all sorts of inclement weather, including sub-zero cold at Black Moshannon. I think good quality cameras have always been constructed so well that they could survive almost anything.