Scooter in the Sticks

Photographic Reboot

February 17, 2015 by Scooter in the Sticks 18 Comments

With so much snow and cold weather lately I’ve just not been interested in riding lately. I’ve traversed this sort of surface but I no longer am interested in testing my endurance or skill on the ice. Instead, I’ve been exploring my photographic roots and am spending more time making photographs on film and working in the darkroom. A post on a forum this evening spoke of a “reboot” in life. That may be what I’m doing.

Sunday morning at Saint’s Cafe has been the place to validate my non-professional photographic life with the help and participation of friends on similar quests. Everyone should have a time and place to confirm some things in life. The hot chocolate and bagel is just icing on the experience.

Paul Ruby has been consistently working and producing gallery quality digital prints from scenes from his life. Seeing someone consistently show up with new work, regardless of quality or subject, is inspiring. Everyone is busy with myriad responsibilities and seems to live in chaos so when a person manages to inject some personal creative expression and output into their days is kind of amazing to me.

Gordon Harkins has been showing up for years now and most times with new work. In his frustration that he’s not doing more I recognize my own awful critic that can’t see how much I’m actually doing myself. I remind him of the output he’s accomplished but I don’t think he believes it. I’m familiar with the trait.

Photography is important to Ruby and his thoughts, words and gestures support that observation. I often sit back just to watch and listen to the show.

Each week I continue to try and expose two rolls of film and make three prints. It feels random and unfocused but I trust that it will lead somewhere if I do the work. So here’s the latest from the photographic reboot:

Leica M6 portrait of Gordon Harkins made the previous Sunday as snow began to fall.

View of Kim making photos of her snow-covered garden.

Portrait of my Belgian Sheepdog Junior in the snow.

So that’s it. Three prints. This week I have the 8×10 Calumet C1 view camera out and have been considering a switch for a bit. The camera is heavy — almost 18 pounds — and the film is expensive — almost $2.50 a shot — so I’m still pondering. Whatever happens, I trust the process to yield something good if I show up to do the work.

Just like riding the Vespa scooter.

Lane-Splitting with Mr. Fish

February 12, 2015 by Scooter in the Sticks 19 Comments

Mr. Fish is a British scooter rider (Piaggio BV250), and YouTube video blogger. He recently added the capability to narrate while riding and his droll sense of humor is engaging. This recent addition to his collection is a bit unnerving for me as he scoots his way through traffic. It’s easy to see the commuting advantages of lane splitting. I know the wide angle makes things appear to move faster but even so, it’s not something I’d be comfortable doing so I’ll choose to lane split vicariously through Mr. Fish.

For those unfamiliar with the term — lane-splitting is the act of riding your scooter or motorcycle in the space between lanes of cars and trucks. They may be stopped, they may be moving. It gives a rider the chance to keep moving when everyone else is at a standstill.

Have a look and see what you think.

Relativity

February 8, 2015 by Scooter in the Sticks 14 Comments

After weeks of frigid weather it’s amazing how 35 degrees Fahrenheit can feel positively warm — a nod to relativity. The scooter spent considerable time in the garage this week but this morning I dragged it to the road. Nice ride into town to drink tea and talk photography.

I had more prints to show today. The 11×14 prints don’t really fit well on the Vespa. They ride in a grocery bag hung from the purse hook. Looking at that sentence I realize why I’ll probably never be a Harley rider.

Wandering towards Saint’s Cafe I find an opportunity for a self portrait in the window of a local optometrist. Still not making selfies but maybe this is a step in that direction.

Paul Ruby, fresh off a cruise to the Bahamas, inspects the 35mm contact sheets from the past couple weeks. I notice that the older you get the closer the contacts get to your face. I’ll have to start shooting larger formats to compensate for old eyes.

Science fiction writer Daryl Gregory makes an appearance at the left of this picture. I’ve known him a long time now having met him when he and my wife worked together on a writing gig. He gave her the name, “Fireball”.

One of the 3 Prints Project prints from this week — my Belgian Sheepdog Junior on a snowy path at the Pennsylvania Military Museum. Not sure when this was taken — an image on the last three rolls of film left to be processed this week. Now I have to shoot some new rolls of film.

This is youngest daughter and Yamaha Vino scooter rider Aleta inspecting the ducks at Talleyrand Park in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. I think this photo was made either right before or right after breakfast at Cafe on the Park.

A tree that caught my attention at Black Moshannon State Park. I have many tree photos that caught my eye.

On the way home, a last stop before a mountain of chores and some editing on a manuscript for work. For a few moments I considered riding on past the house, down the road, keep going into the afternoon. But the grown-up side of me took control.

Until next week…

3 Prints Project Resurrected

February 1, 2015 by Scooter in the Sticks 15 Comments

I have a small gray notebook to keep track of the black and white film I process. Entries include date, number of rolls, developer, temperature, developing time and notes on how the negatives look. Sometimes there may be a notation on the subject. Until now the last roll of film developed was in October 2011. That’s when the sink sprung a leak and how long it has taken me to make repairs. Obviously it doesn’t take that long to fix a sink. Life just got in the way.

Slowly working through the backlog of exposed film and getting into the flow of processing — I had forgotten how satisfying the ritual dance in the darkroom can me, the low amber glow, the soft sound of water trickling through trays, the quiet disconnection from technology and distraction.

Such is the attraction of black and white film photography.

Using a film camera is a different experience than using a digital camera. I like to believe the image is all that matters but I know that’s not true. A body of work doesn’t spring into existence without a lot of work and sweat. The tools and processes involved not only affect the final product, but also the worker. For me, film has always resonated in my personal work. For the past couple years I’ve wandered away from it.

The Leica M6 has been a faithful companion for over a decade. It’s simple and reliable, much like the Vespa scooter I ride.

At Saint’s Cafe this morning Gordon looked over prints and contact sheets, a part of the long sharing we’ve engaged in to help motivate continued personal work. It’s easy to stop in favor of so many other things but I’m grateful that I’ve continued making photographs for myself for over 50 years. It just works.

Below are the images I brought to the cafe.

Carl is a Saint’s Cafe regular. I showed him the print and he did not recall me making the photo. I remember it well; standing outside the window waving to get his attention but he was lost in thought. Carl told me he must have been working on his Huuduu composition, a jazz-funk piece. He’s a musician and concert violinist.

My friend and love, wife and confidant Kim in her garden. She sees everything.

Aleta, the youngest child. She went with me to Baltimore at my last appointment at Johns Hopkins. I think she was smiling because afterwards we would pay a visit to IKEA where she would acquire some furniture.

Beware the Snow

January 26, 2015 by Scooter in the Sticks 18 Comments

Beware the snow the rider thinks, too fraught with danger and despair. Fresh snow falling, light and dry in the darkness, experience reflects this snow is now the one to fear, for in fact, in great need, this snow is navigable by Vespa, it’s soft depth yields both traction and stability allowing passage, albeit slow, to two-wheeled travel under duress. I’ve made small journeys in such a mess.

Gratefully, no need presents itself and the only journey is to the end of the driveway to make a photo. A few mornings earlier I had the opportunity to explore a far more challenging winter surface.

Sunday morning, the temperature just about freezing, frozen ice and snow beginning to mix with liquid water creating an wintry plasma that defies friction or traction. The driveway was untreated but the roadways were dry with wet patches but clear of ice. Roadway assessments and predictions fall to any rider venturing out with snow on the ground, even if only at the fringes of pavement.

I take opportunities to practice in snow from time to time, usually off the road, in parking lots or farm lanes. Having snow tires helps but only for specific types of snow and ice. If there is traction to be had, the Heidenau K66 LT Snow Tex tires will bite into snow or snow pack and provide stability for forward motion. Obviously leaning is out so turns must be negotiated at a snail’s pace, literally, and a rider must be aware of the changing character of the snow.

Snow pack that offers a chance of traction can instantly become a hardened mass of snow bordering on ice which offers almost no traction. It gets worse when the temperature rises about 32F and a thin film of liquid water enters the equation.

This snow is hard with little traction. The scooter isn’t heavy enough for the tires to chew threw the surface. Still, it’s navigable though I road with my feet down just in case a tire started to give way to gravity. I feel comfortable handling a scooter of this size. I would not want to try a larger one, or a motorcycle.

At the other end of the lot I encountered wet ice pushing through hard snow, frightening in it’s lack of traction giving the feeling that the wheels could break loose of the ground at any moment. My feet offered no help at all. Riding on ice. I has it’s own lessons.

I experiment only to expand the data in my head which helps manage riding on the road — especially when and if I should be out.

The ride into State College for breakfast was uneventful — the roads clear with some moisture and salt, but nothing exciting. Saw a Piaggio Fly 150, have seen it around for awhile, but haven’t seen its rider yet. Another year round rider in town.

The darkroom was pressed into service again and I finally arrived at our Sunday morning photo meeting at Saint’s Cafe with some new gelatin silver prints. I had forgotten how satisfying it is to work in the dark.

It started to snow again while at Saint’s but the temperature held about the freezing mark meaning the ride home might be wet but not dangerous. The biggest challenge faced was transporting my 11×14 prints — too big for the topcase, they had to hang from the purse hook in a plastic back.

Safely home, the scooter in the garage on the Battery Tender, a forecast for more snow, I was happy to be warm and safe. While URALs and other sidecar rigs can play in more serious white stuff, for those on two wheels, the watch words remain, “Beware the snow.”.

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Scooter in the Sticks