First a visit to an open space in north Phoenix. You’d never know a road was less than a mile away.
Next, a roadway throgh the Saguaro National Park, near Tuscon.
Arizona Bi-ways
Tag Archives: Ilford Delta 400
World Wide Pinhole Day – Just Finished
Out today with the RSS 6X6, Rss 6X9 and Diana Pinholes.
Yuma Territorial Prison
#ThursdayDoor:
Inspired By: Bruce Hucko
Cisco Ghost Town, Near Moab, UT:
Bruce Hucko was the Founder of the Moab Photography Symposium, which ran for 15 years and had its last meeting in 2018. The results was a wrap up Book containing images from Participants:
The Featured Image above is one of my book prints. The others are here below:
But more importantly, Bruce worked on local Preservation and Conservation Issues, contributing Photographs and field experiences that were instrumental in the protection of the Bears Ears National Monument, Utah. This region and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Park are now under threat from Fracking and Mining interests. This prompted a recent Visit to the Grand Staircase and Capitol Reef Parks this past Fall. We wanted to see them before they were gone……..We start with some scenes from Ruins of the Ancient Ones in New Mexico and Arizona.
Aztec Ruins, NM:
Aztec Ruins, NM
Pecos Pueblo, NM:
Casa Rinconada at Chaco Canyon:
Sears-Kay Ruins, AZ:
And a view from the Cathedral Trail at Capitol Reef:
Please Remember the Absolute Necessity of Preserving our Natural Environment. Give it Some Love!
Happy Valentine’s Day
Fern Valley
At Rocky Mountain National Park:
Inspired By: Richard Knepp
The Redwoods Workshop was one of the best ever……….And I owe it to Richard Knepp. Now passed away, but never to be forgotten by me. Most are from my Mamiya 645 with wide angle lens and a green filter.
By Far one of my Favorites, although I still have many more that I could print:
And another favorite, this one 35 mm:
I’ve just hung my favorites from the 2006 Workshop on my dining room wall:
And here a collage of the others that I have printed:
Check out all of my Ancient Forests inspired by Rick………..
Follow this link to Rick’s work with the Mono Lake Committee.
November #CameraChallenge: Part IA The Second Story
I ended up recording two stories with my Reality So Subtle 6X6F Pinhole. So here is the second story: Watching the Snow Accumulate during one (of 3 ) October Snow Storms.
I’m still hoping to capture big fluffy snow flakes with the pinhole. But so far only the fine dry snow…..
More Scenes from my Back Yard……..
I. M. Pei’s Mesa Lab Through the Fisheye
Last week featured the disastrous Lomo Purple pinhole results. This week a better result with B&W film, a Fisheye lens and the Mamiya 1000S 645 shooting Sunny 16.
Famous Architect I.M. Pei (1917-2019) designed the Mesa Lab for the National Center for Atmospheric Science in 1961. It was his first totally ‘hands on’ project in a number of years and he found inspiration in the natural rock formations, The Flatirons.
My favorite photographic location at the Mesa is the Courtyard:
You have to love that Star Sun, totally unexpected! You just have to accept the lens flares. They don’t bother me.
I had toyed with the idea of buying a Mamiya 645 fisheye. But when I thought about it the price was prohibitive (>$1200) for a lens I would rarely use. So when I came across a discussion online about the Arsat Zodiak-8 f/3.5 30mm fisheye for and average price less than $200, I started searching for one. Glad I bought this last Winter, because it seems to have been discovered and the prices have doubled. The Luminous Landscape has a nice write-up on the lens, so I won’t try to duplicate that here.
The set-up: using my lovely refurbished Mamiya 1000S with the waste level view finder and shooting Sunny 16 with Ilford Delta 400 film. Check out more Fisheye Fun here.
Why Fisheye?
I’ve realized that I had several Fisheye lens/camera set ups. My First was a Zenitar Fisheye for my 35 mm Minolta Family:
Minolta Zenitar Redwoods:
Next I acquired a Lomo Fisheye:
Then a Fisheye attachment for the Holga. My First Emulsive Secret Santa Gift:
Next A Fisheye Lens for My Diana:
Wow this is out of control right? So I thought about “Rewarding” myself with a Mamiya 645 fish eye lens after recovering from a recent illness. The price though, was daunting (~$1200) and I thought about how little I actually use any of my other Fisheye Lenses. Then I became aware of the Arsat Zodiak-8 Fisheye, and picked one up for $120. In fact I bought two cameras and two lenses for the cost of the most expensive M645 Fisheye listing ($1800).
So, now for the first results from the Arsat with comparisons to my 35 mm Fisheye:
Chapel on the Rock: 645 Arsat Fisheye, Peak to Peak Highway
Above: I call this one the “Tree on the Rock” also Peak to Peak Highway.
Now from some side by side comparisons to my 35 mm Zenitar Fisheye )left B&W is 645; right color is 35 mm): These were taken from the same tripod position.
If you are old enough to remember, the 1970’s were a Fisheye crazed time. Even the original Hawaii 5-0 had a fisheye view of a landing plane in its Intro. But, I haven’t answered my question yet: Why Fisheye? Well, just for the fun of it!
Post Script: I haven’t forgotten 9/11, I’m just not going to support the politicization of it. I will Always Honor those who died.
Inspired By: Kim Weston
Let’s start with a Weston Interview Quote:
“…..If you use a film long enough, you get to know its characteristics. I don’t use a meter, I just know the light…..”
I love the quote because I rarely use my spot meter…….
Now, what inspires me? If you check out his website….he exclusively does nude photography. Although tastefully done, it’s not my thing (although there is one image I do love: Nude in Cactus). And this is as far as I go into Nudes:
What Inspires Me? First I am inspired by His warm and welcoming attitude towards film students and film enthusiasts in the Monterey Bay Region. I met Kim Weston when he welcomed our Monterey Peninsula College Class to Wildcat Hill. At that time he was making predominantly platinum prints and we were an Alternative Processes class. So he demonstrated the printing method for us. He also discussed his artistic philosophy, and let us see his famous grandfather, Edward Weston’s, simple but beautiful darkroom. Imagine yourself making fabulous 8X10 contact prints like pepper #39 using an incandescent light bulb.
Kim Weston invited us to drop by, and if he wasn’t busy, we could talk about photography. One of my friends spoke up. Luther was having trouble learning to use his 4X5 view camera. Kim just said, drop by with the camera sometime. Luther did, and Kim Weston spent the afternoon showing him how to get the most from his 4X5. His support of film photographers, especially students, inspires me.
But Kim Weston eventually took it a step further, starting the Weston Collective, a scholarship program for students in Monterey County that are studying fine art film photography. And the Collective has taken a step forward in support of fine art photography by opening a darkroom and teaching studio. Raising the funds and managing the space for the benefit of ‘developing’ film photographers is inspiring.
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