more practice with the Sigma 1.4 35 mm lens . . .
happy for these ordinary days when life hums with the rhythms of routine
there will time for excitement and adventure just ahead
for now, it’s enough to take a drive and stand in the cold and wind for a few minutes
taking these pictures— bits and pieces of my whole life

Flowers on Cary Street | Olympus om-1, Kodak Portra 400

One Picture/One Paragraph

My friend, Cathy Sly, takes compelling landscape photographs. Like this one in her post, Blown Off Course. When we last talked on the phone, two friends who love photography, she lamented that she tried to take pictures like mine without success. What she really meant was that she looked for scenes and subjects similar to those found in my photographs. I told her that I get it. I keep looking for the crisp skies and clean seas in the photos of Maine I admire. I look for the sweeping vistas she regularly photographs in the pacific northwest. But these views simply do not exist where I live. At least not in the same way. My creative friend Odile, who lives in France, sent a letter recently full of kind encouragement. In the letter she wrote, “It’s so different from here and quite ‘exotic’ to me. It’s a blessing to live in such an inspiring environment.” I had a good laugh at the notion that Virginia might be considered exotic when compared to France. And though there may be a slight muddling of the French-to-English translation, her meaning is clear. It’s a challenge for each of us to appreciate the beauty in our own home places and surroundings. And maybe even harder to keep seeing with wonder the faces of those who love us and show up for us time and time again. A big part of why I love to visit and study the work of other artists is because it helps me to see the possibilities in my own. Sometimes I just need a gentle reminder. To behold. To see with reverence and awe.

A few notes regarding film photography … for those who may be interested.

All of these photographs were taken with my Olympus om-1, 35mm film camera. Some with a 50mm lens and a few with a 135mm lens. The camera and lenses were all purchased at a local thrift shop (total cost $140). I was practicing using an external light meter (Sekonic L308X-U). It took me a few trials to understand the difference between incident and reflected light, but I think I’ve got it now. All of the photos were taken with Kodak Portra 400 film. I mention all of these details because I am amazed at how the characteristic tones of a specific film can bring a collection of images together—almost effortlessly. I also find that using film influences the composition of my images. Film’s ability to handle such a wide dynamic range really broadens my way of seeing. For so long, I have limited my photography to what I could take or make successfully. Often ruling out a photo before even trying because I was so sure it wouldn’t “look good.” I am much more willing to take risks with film. I know this might sound odd, given that film photography can become expensive very quickly. But for me, it has been a worthwhile trade-off. Not being able to see the picture immediately on an LCD screen has created the space I needed to loosen my perfectionist tendencies. I can’t delete the picture on the fly. I can’t make a correction and shoot again. Of course, I can bracket an exposure or try a different perspective or lens, but it’s all a gamble. Or maybe an educated guess. Regardless, this work feels really good.