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Over the Horizon
A sunny summer day was coming to its end, clouds were floating in the sky, and there were no plans for the evening. Why not quickly hop in the car and catch a sunset over the lake? I did not see and photograph nearly enough of them lately anyway. Cliché you say? So be it. There may be a reason for it.
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I also had a secondary reason to go out and exercise my photographic muscles. I came into a possession of a wonderful Mamiya RB67 lately and wanted to see how well it worked after sleeping in a box for about 10 years. And there was a reason three. My first slide film development in the new Cinestill Dynamic Chrome D9 developer did not go all that well and I wanted to try it out with something fresher than a film shot a year ago. I know, I was asking for trouble. A new camera, a new developer, and heading out with slide film. But that was exactly what I decided on for the evening.
Sunset on the RocksLake Erie Lakeshore
Sunset on the Rocks, Lake Erie Lakeshore
Photographed with a Mamiya RB67 on Fuji Velvia RVP 100 slide film
A while back I have posted about the Stages of a Sunrise. And today's post is following a similar scenario just with a sunset. The alternate title could have been Stages of a Sunset but I have decided on Over the Horizon as that is where all of the important action took place. But did it really? Yes, the sun set over the horizon as if dipping into the lake but when I was selecting one of the thre photos here to go into my Buffalo and Western New York Landscape Photo Gallery I went mostly by the foreground rocks. More specifically I selected based on the light falling on the rocks. Thus this one was the subjective winner for me with all of the rocks having a nice rim light being backlit by the last rays of the quickly setting sun.
Dipping In, Lake Erie Lakeshore
Photographed with a Mamiya RB67 on Fuji Velvia RVP 100 slide film
The second photo is just a moment after the first one. It always amazes me how the sun or the moon this close to the horizon speed through the sky. I like the position of the sun even better in that photo as it's already half way behind the horizon. However, the foregound rocks changed dramatically. They still retained a hint of the rim light but that one rock in bottom left completely lost its prominence and I really liked that in the first photo. But yes, it is a personal preference, the darker mood has its merit, however the rock won it for me, at least for now.
Sunset GlowLake Erie Lakeshore
Sunset Glow, Lake Erie Lakeshore
Photographed with a Mamiya RB67 on Fuji Velvia RVP 100 slide film
It was not just the sun that worked on the shadow play over the rocks. The gentle waves of the evening were making their contribution too based on how much water spilled over the rocks at the time of the exposure. I was actually trying to get the waves extend as much over the rocks as possible but the sun dictated my timing for the most part. In the end I prefer the photographs taken right after the water receded from the rocks allowing them to shine more.
So what happened with the slide film and the new developer? It all worked out in the end very nicely. I believe I metered better this evening and I made sure the developer temperature was set perfectly. There is still room for improvement but I like what I got. Fuji Velvia is a warm and vivid film. Combine that with the warm tone of the Cinestill Dynamic Chrome D9 developer and you have very warm and vivid result. The above photographs are scanned and presented as close to the slide film as I was able to make them. I only adjusted the black and white points and the overall curve a tiny bit but I did not touch the colors. I was tempted to cool these down a bit but left them alone in the end. That's part of the reason why I am sharing these weeks after scanning them. I wanted to look at them for a while and only decide then.
Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy
Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! For more travel photography, my Travel Photography gallery offers an interesting mix of places all around. Please, let me know if you have any questions about any photo products offered, or not offered, I will be happy to help! For a quick reference to all photo galleries and collections as well as all photo products currently offered through my site, please, visit the Products page.
Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them (commission earned) and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything at all. I truly appreciate each purchase, no matter how large, no matter how small. Thank you!
Industrial Pinhole
There are a few locations that are photographic treasure troves. Today, I'll share some photographs from one such location. Sometimes I return there with a specific new idea in mind, other times to try our a new camera or a new technique, and sometimes just to break out of photographic funk when no other ideas spring to mind.
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On this occasion, I wanted to exercise my Lensless 4x5 pinhole camera more after a bit of a break. It's my one analog camera I really like to use without the intermediate medium of film. Instead, I load the film holders with direct positive paper. I like the simplicity. It's almost like instant photography. Sure, it's not that instant and does not happen on location but after returning home, it just takes a few minutes to run the batch of photos through the developer, water, and fixer to see what I got.
BulldozerLensless 4x5 pinhole camera, Ilford Harman Direct Positive Paper
Bulldozer
Lensless 4x5 Pinhole Camera, Ilford Harman Direct Positive Paper
Since it's a fiber based paper, drying and flattening takes a bit of time too but it's easy and comes after I see what I got and whether or not it's worth any additional effort. Only rarely is it not.
The other challenge with the Ilford Harman direct positive paper is that it is very contrasty. There are several techniques to tame the contrast and end up with better balanced highlights and shadows, like pre-flashing (or post-flashing). I tried it but was not happy with the flat results I got then. Sure, maybe I took it too far but I still did not like it.
EngineLensless 4x5 wooden pinhole camera, Ilford Harman Direct Positive Paper
Engine
Lensless 4x5 Pinhole Camera, Ilford Harman Direct Positive Paper
So instead, I do one of two things. I either wait for a cloudy low contrast day. Then the paper contrast comes handy for bautiful punchy photographs despite the surrounding grayness. Or, I embrace the dontrast and look for subjects that I believe will benefit from the contrast and some nice deep black shadows. Either way, this further helps with the simplicity rather than the extra steps.
Cadillac DoubleLensless 4x5 wooden pinhole camera, Ilford Harman Direct Positive Paper
Cadillac Double
Lensless 4x5 Pinhole Camera, Ilford Harman Direct Positive Paper
A pinhole camera without a lens, without a need to focus, and without a viewfinder to accurately frame one's shot further contributes to the simplicity even at the time of shooting. And that just might be why I love heading out with a pinhole camera once in a while. It's all a combination of past experience and guesswork resulting in surprises at the end. And when they're good, it's magic!
Vintage TruckLensless 4x5 wooden pinhole camera, Ilford Harman Direct Positive Paper
Vintage Truck
Lensless 4x5 Pinhole Camera, Ilford Harman Direct Positive Paper
Enjoy the Beauty that Surrounds You! (#etbtsy)
Would you like to see more pinhole photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my pinhole gallery on timelessbuffalo.com and enjoy! Please, let me know if you have any questions about any photo products offered, or not offered, I will be happy to help! For a quick reference to all photo galleries and collections as well as all photo products currently offered through my site, please, visit the Products page.
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Ice Cream StandLensless 4x5 wooden pinhole camera, Ilford Harman Direct Positive Paper
Roots of an Old TreeLensless 4x5 wooden pinhole camera, Ilford Harman Direct Positive Paper
By the Train DepotLensless 4x5 wooden pinhole camera, Ilford Harman Direct Positive Paper
One TruckPinhole Photography
TramPinhole Photography
Biking Route
I have a favorite cycling route that takes me from my house through small rural roads and back home in about 8 miles. There are so many treasures on that short loop! Old houses and barns some with silos and some without, fields yielding different crops each year, some machinery, interesting trees, wildflowers, and so much more.
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Those eight miles can take 40 minutes, or 60, or more. It depends on my mood, the weather, the camera I have with me and who knows what else. I ride that loop often and like documenting the usual suspects as well as looking for new opportunities.
By a BarnBuffalo's Rural Southtowns
By a Barn, Buffalo's Rural Southtowns
Photographed with a Nikon N75 on Kodak Portra 160 film
This barn grew on me over time. At first I was finding other photographic subjects I found more interesting but as the years went by I found the acquired taste of this one. The terminal utility pole, the machinery, and the barn, all surrounded by vegetation that varies wildly year to year and season to season.
The triplets in the next photo are the opposite. They have fascinated me for years as if knowing what time would bring. I have many photos with all of them proudly standing kind of upright. Here, the tallest one has paid the toll of age. And by now, it's no more.
Giving in to TimeBuffalo's Rural Southtowns
Giving in to Time
Photographed with a Nikon N75 on Kodak Portra 160 film
And then, not much further, this ordinary farmhouse has been a favorite subject of mine too. I don't always photograph it but when the season and weather are right I cannot resist as in this photograph when the sunshine put it in a spotlight.
FarmhouseBuffalo's Rural Southtowns
Farmhouse
Photographed with a Nikon N75 on Kodak Portra 160 film
And that's it for today's bicycle loop. And I think it's time to ride ti again and see what this late summer brought.
Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy
Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! For more travel photography, my Travel Photography gallery offers an interesting mix of places all around. Please, let me know if you have any questions about any photo products offered, or not offered, I will be happy to help! For a quick reference to all photo galleries and collections as well as all photo products currently offered through my site, please, visit the Products page.
Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them (commission earned) and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything at all. I truly appreciate each purchase, no matter how large, no matter how small. Thank you!
The Little Things
No matter where you go there is something to be enjoyed, to be appreciated, to be photographed. Sometimes, it's a grand view that opens up in front of us, other times, it's a tiny detail. And in today's post, I am sharing photos of the little things that are often overlooked at our feet.
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The first photo was waiting for me at the end of a hike in Letchworth State Park. While the park is most known for its wonderful waterfalls on the Genesee River there are many hiking trails that get you off-the-beaten-path. And this was one of them. It's actually so charming that this was not our first time circling the lovely bogs. Trails 2A and 3 form a very nice loop that shows you the park in a way you've probably not seen before. So next time you find yourself in the park, look at the trail map and head for the unknown.
Letchworth DaisyUnder Our Feet
Letchworth Daisy
Photographed with a Nikon N75 on Kodak Gold 200 film
The next three photos are from a different place and hike. This time, we were exploring the Swallow Hollow Nature Trail located by the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.You have seen a dandelion before. Or have you?
Swallow Hollow DandelionUnder Our Feet
Swallow Hollow Dandelion
Photographed with a Nikon N75 on Kodak Portra 400 film
And it's not just the tiny flowers and other plants that we often overlook. There are a lot of tiny living creatures that we either ignore, or that annoy us. But look closer!
Swallow Hollow WaspUnder Our Feet
Swallow Hollow Wasp
Photographed with a Nikon N75 on Kodak Portra 400 film
And then there are tiny creatures that continue to amaze me at a whole other level. The whole concept of metamorphosis is just mind boggling. Living part of their life in one form, and finishing up in another.
Swallow Hollow CaterpillarUnder Our Feet
Swallow Hollow Wasp
Photographed with a Nikon N75 on Kodak Portra 400 film
Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy
Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! For more travel photography, my Travel Photography gallery offers an interesting mix of places all around. Please, let me know if you have any questions about any photo products offered, or not offered, I will be happy to help! For a quick reference to all photo galleries and collections as well as all photo products currently offered through my site, please, visit the Products page.
Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them (commission earned) and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything at all. I truly appreciate each purchase, no matter how large, no matter how small. Thank you!
Visiting a Fairy Tale
Sometimes, the magic is right in our back yard. That's actually what prompted me to start my #etbtsy hash tag a few years ago. It stands for Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You. If you want to find my work on Instagram, Facebook, or even just Googling on the Internet, tey #etbtsy.
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It was not different this late evening. Going for a walk in the woods across the street later than usual as dusk was settling in had us witness this unbelievable show taken straight out from a fairy tale. I took a mental note about the time, and headed back a night later with my camera and was happy to see it again.
Magical Forest FirefliesA Wonderful Mid-Summer Firefly Show
It was such a wonderful experience that this became our favorite activity for a few nights in the row. At first, the show was as powerfl as the first night we saw it. Then, there were fewer and fewer. It seems like we were rewarded for not giving up on walking that first evening and cauht th fireflies at their peak.
Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy
Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! For more travel photography, my Travel Photography gallery offers an interesting mix of places all around. Please, let me know if you have any questions about any photo products offered, or not offered, I will be happy to help! For a quick reference to all photo galleries and collections as well as all photo products currently offered through my site, please, visit the Products page.
Using my links to do your shopping keeps me sharing more photographs and writing the stories behind them (commission earned) and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything at all. I truly appreciate each purchase, no matter how large, no matter how small. Thank you!