Yellow Cadillac

Yellow Cadillac

What happens when you borrow the most expensive camera in the shop? You naturally walk through some downtown allys looking for photographs! I took this image with a Hassleblad 500CM, hand-held, in a Winnipeg ally close to Don's Photo Shop where I worked at the time. The Hassleblad had a waist-level finder and no built-in light meter, so it forces the photographer to be more deliberate about taking a picture - no point-and-shoot here.

What grabbed my eye was finding the splashy Cadillac Eldorado in such drab surroundings. The drab brick and pavement background stand in very stark contrast to the bright yellow and chrome of the Cadillac. Even when converted to digital, the 6x6cm transparency still provides the added "snap" that medium-format photography is known for.

Hassleblad 500 C/M w. Hassleblad 80 f/2.8; Kodak VPS120

Pond Leaves

So here's another one for you to ponder - b&w or colour? I honestly can't decide so I'd appreciate your thoughts about this photograph.

I've been busy scanning negatives over the holiday season and I'm up to 4400. What surprises me is how often I remember the thought process that went into many images. In this case, I went out to the pond on my parents' farm after supper. I spent some time nosing around, looking for natural designs to photograph. As the light was starting to fail, I pushed through the brush at the south end of the pond and came across this scene on the glass-still water. What caught my eye was the white feather which contrasted brightly with the leaves in both shape and colour. I was able to take just one photo before the light failed and you're looking at it.

This photograph works for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the contrast between the feather and the leaves is what draws the viewer's eye into the frame. The last evening sun just caught the feather enough to brighten it against the subdued tones of the leaves. Secondly, I love the textures at work in this photo. The leaves, the water, and, of course, the feather. Thirdly, the deep, subdued greens against the almost black water bring a richness to the photo and serve to enhance the contrast with the feather. The contrast works in both colour and b&w and I'm interested to learn which one you choose.

Nikon FE2 w. Tamron 70-210 f/3.5-4.5; Kodachrome 64

Three Barrels

August 17, 2019 Three Barrels is one of the first photographs that I took after purchasing my first Nikon FE with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AI. The barrels were dumped at the back of the yard where a lot of retired equipment (a.k.a. junk) was parked for the last time. I took this photo so long ago that I can only speculate as to what I was thinking at the time. I remember that part of the goal was simply learning how to set the exposure and focus of the camera. In terms of content and composition, I find myself attracted to old things because of the way time has left its mark on them. I was likely attracted to the repeating circle pattern, which stands in stark contrast to the bushes around the barrels.

I'd be disappointed if a picture I took today looked like this. The exposure is close but not perfect. The shutter speed is too slow. Most of all, the focus isn't dead-on. I developed it myself and either the chemical temperature was too high, the concentration was off, too much agitation, or I developed it too long - any of these things could contribute to the high contrast. It's been a lifetime of learning, so I'll give my 14 year-old self a break. Too bad that giving one's self a break is a lesson learned in one's 50s rather than earlier!