Getting back up to speed ...

Godfrey

Godfrey

somewhat colored
Local time
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Joined
Dec 15, 2011
Messages
13,153
With three years of COVID pandemic and then The Catastrophe of October 14, 2023, while I've been out pressing the shutter button regularly, I felt my photography had drifted into being "aimless picture taking". That won't do, so I decided to refocus my brain. First I pulled a Minox out of the closet, checked it, and loaded it up. Hmm, lots of aimlessness but some good stuff. I pulled another one out and loaded it. After processing, ah: better. About a dozen actual photos out of 36 shots. Okay, that's going somewhere.

Looking for faster turnaround and a bit more constraint, I pulled out the Polaroid SLR670x by MiNT, loaded a pack of 600 B&W and constrained myself further by requiring manual metering/setting for every exposure. There are only 8 shots on a pack, so I figured I could make 8 exposures on a walk if I worked at it. Good results! I blew exposures on three of them, but the rest are all usable photographs. Yay! I repeated this yesterday, this time loading the SLR670a with 600 Color ... Short walk because it was too damn hot to walk my usual hour to hour and a half yesterday, so I only made four exposures. But three of them are good, and one died of overexposure. I'll finish that pack on my walk this morning, and move on to a roll of 35mm next.

This just points out to me once more that good photography is not a haphazard thing. Good photography takes well focused intent, more than anything else. The camera, the kind of camera, is mostly irrelevant. Seeing and making what you see into a photograph comes pretty naturally after a lifetime of practice, but I still have to consciously, actively be looking for something specific.

And it's good to practice. A lot. It gets better and better the more I practice.

Soon I'll be up to grabbing a digital camera again. The digital camera unbounds some of the notions of constraint in a film camera: set any ISO you want on a frame by frame basis, no media cost, few if any constrictions on number of frames you have to work with, no processing time burden (yes, even an instant film camera has a processing time burden, because you cannot really see what you've got with today's instant films for up to about 12 hours after you make an exposure, although you can guess after about ten minutes...). Et cetera. On the other hand, instant - truly instant - review makes experimentation much much easier. The learning mindset changes a bit with these differences.

And while it is work, and it isn't easy, it's all fun. To me at least.

G
 
When I find I need to 'slow down and take a photo' I just put a manual focus lens on one of my cameras.

Works for me.

I might add that I never could really afford to shoot a lot of film so digital has been my 'release', so to speak, photographically.
 
I find that a good kick in the pants is occasionally necessary for any creative work; it can come from outside, or be internally generated, but ultimately it means that you have to go out and work. Creating bad work, fumbling along, is still better than creating no work, and eventually a door will open that will reveal a new path to good work. I've learned to trust in that.
 
Godfrey said:
With three years of COVID pandemic and then The Catastrophe of October 14, 2023, while I've been out pressing the shutter button regularly, I felt my photography had drifted into being "aimless picture taking". That won't do, so I decided to refocus my brain. First I pulled a Minox out of the closet, checked it, and loaded it up. Hmm, lots of aimlessness but some good stuff. I pulled another one out and loaded it. After processing, ah: better. About a dozen actual photos out of 36 shots. Okay, that's going somewhere.

Looking for faster turnaround and a bit more constraint, I pulled out the Polaroid SLR670x by MiNT, loaded a pack of 600 B&W and constrained myself further by requiring manual metering/setting for every exposure. There are only 8 shots on a pack, so I figured I could make 8 exposures on a walk if I worked at it. Good results! I blew exposures on three of them, but the rest are all usable photographs. Yay! I repeated this yesterday, this time loading the SLR670a with 600 Color ... Short walk because it was too damn hot to walk my usual hour to hour and a half yesterday, so I only made four exposures. But three of them are good, and one died of overexposure. I'll finish that pack on my walk this morning, and move on to a roll of 35mm next.

This just points out to me once more that good photography is not a haphazard thing. Good photography takes well focused intent, more than anything else. The camera, the kind of camera, is mostly irrelevant. Seeing and making what you see into a photograph comes pretty naturally after a lifetime of practice, but I still have to consciously, actively be looking for something specific.

And it's good to practice. A lot. It gets better and better the more I practice.

Soon I'll be up to grabbing a digital camera again. The digital camera unbounds some of the notions of constraint in a film camera: set any ISO you want on a frame by frame basis, no media cost, few if any constrictions on number of frames you have to work with, no processing time burden (yes, even an instant film camera has a processing time burden, because you cannot really see what you've got with today's instant films for up to about 12 hours after you make an exposure, although you can guess after about ten minutes...). Et cetera. On the other hand, instant - truly instant - review makes experimentation much much easier. The learning mindset changes a bit with these differences.

And while it is work, and it isn't easy, it's all fun. To me at least.

G
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I agree with everything here. Just one question -- what was the October 14, 2023 catastrophe you mention? Not being a jerk, I hope, just am not sure. Do you mean the Hamas attack? That was 10/7.
 
While I've been taking "Yardshots", I'm just now beginning to look for something more meaningful. I'm a hermit by nature and it's taking some effort to overcome that.
 
Darthfeeble said:
While I've been taking "Yardshots", I'm just now beginning to look for something more meaningful. I'm a hermit by nature and it's taking some effort to overcome that.
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Sometimes I think that the world of the Internet (and I include RFF) does more harm than good, encouraging a constant state of dissatisfaction and sense of inadequacy. As a fellow hermit, I find that embracing my nature is what produces my best work, and wandering the back country in the company of my friends, the ravens and coyotes, brings me more satisfaction (and good photographs) than the company of most of my fellow humans.
"Meaningful" seems a very sticky word. We give meaning to things; it doesn't reside in them. If doing "yardshots" brings you pleasure, dive deeper into it; give meaning to whatever resides there in your yard. Ignore the pressure to do street photos, or portraiture, or whatever is being held up as "serious" or "meaningful" photography if it goes against the grain of who you are.
One of our most accomplished members, Vince Lupo, recently transitioned into retirement and is building a home in Canada. He's been posting a good many photos of his intimate home environment, both indoors and out, and they are certainly "yardshots" if I understand your use of the word correctly. And they are certainly beautiful and meaningful as well!
 
Yardshots -- that's what I've mainly been doing lately. My wife has over the years created some lovely flower gardens at our house and capturing the colors and shapes (with different cameras and lenses -- only 35mm SLR currently) has been a lot of fun. I have a roll in a Leicaflex SL with a 28 Elmarit that I have not used nearly enough over the years.
 
KoNickon said:
I agree with everything here. Just one question -- what was the October 14, 2023 catastrophe you mention? Not being a jerk, I hope, just am not sure. Do you mean the Hamas attack? That was 10/7.
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On October 14, 2023, I was struck by a car as I was crossing the street on foot two blocks from home, finishing up a pleasant afternoon walk. Very nearly killed. Nearly ... in my orthopedic surgeons words, "Your almost complete recovery is nothing short of miraculous."

My world stopped, and paused, and I faced what was going to be a pretty serious time fixing myself. Very luckily, I wasn't dead ... could have been instantly, end of story. But wasn't.

Since that date, I've survived three bouts of cellulitis in my legs, a total shoulder replacement, deep gashes and wounds in my right leg, and surgery to repair the three already-repaired hernias (and two new hernias) that the impact tore open. Nine months on, I'm about 98% back to where I was, with lingering small issues in my right leg (the myofacial layer has been duly annoyed by all the trauma and will likely take a year or more to get back to whatever its new normal might be...). The 23cm long hemotoma in my right thigh is almost dissipated.

I returned to riding my bicycle and walking about two months ago; just returned back from my almost daily 2.5-3 mile walk. It will take me some time yet to rebuild my eyes and vision.

G
 
Godfrey said:
On October 14, 2023, I was struck by a car as I was crossing the street on foot two blocks from home, finishing up a pleasant afternoon walk. Very nearly killed. Nearly ... in my orthopedic surgeons words, "Your almost complete recovery is nothing short of miraculous."

My world stopped, and paused, and I faced what was going to be a pretty serious time fixing myself. Very luckily, I wasn't dead ... could have been instantly, end of story. But wasn't.

Since that date, I've survived three bouts of cellulitis in my legs, a total shoulder replacement, deep gashes and wounds in my right leg, and surgery to repair the three already-repaired hernias (and two new hernias) that the impact tore open. Nine months on, I'm about 98% back to where I was, with lingering small issues in my right leg (the myofacial layer has been duly annoyed by all the trauma and will likely take a year or more to get back to whatever its new normal might be...). The 23cm long hemotoma in my right thigh is almost dissipated.

I returned to riding my bicycle and walking about two months ago; just returned back from my almost daily 2.5-3 mile walk. It will take me some time yet to rebuild my eyes and vision.

G
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Perhaps you're not indestructible, but it sounds like you're pretty damn close! A horrifying experience, and a remarkable recovery. You have my utmost respect for your perseverance!
 
Retro-Grouch said:
Sometimes I think that the world of the Internet (and I include RFF) does more harm than good, encouraging a constant state of dissatisfaction and sense of inadequacy. As a fellow hermit, I find that embracing my nature is what produces my best work, and wandering the back country in the company of my friends, the ravens and coyotes, brings me more satisfaction (and good photographs) than the company of most of my fellow humans.
"Meaningful" seems a very sticky word. We give meaning to things; it doesn't reside in them. If doing "yardshots" brings you pleasure, dive deeper into it; give meaning to whatever resides there in your yard. Ignore the pressure to do street photos, or portraiture, or whatever is being held up as "serious" or "meaningful" photography if it goes against the grain of who you are.
One of our most accomplished members, Vince Lupo, recently transitioned into retirement and is building a home in Canada. He's been posting a good many photos of his intimate home environment, both indoors and out, and they are certainly "yardshots" if I understand your use of the word correctly. And they are certainly beautiful and meaningful as well!
Click to expand...
We must be brothers from other mothers. Luckily my "Yard" is a couple acres of granite outcroppings, Oaks, Pines and weeds, mostly weeds.
 
Godfrey said:
On October 14, 2023, I was struck by a car as I was crossing the street on foot two blocks from home, finishing up a pleasant afternoon walk. Very nearly killed. Nearly ... in my orthopedic surgeons words, "Your almost complete recovery is nothing short of miraculous."

My world stopped, and paused, and I faced what was going to be a pretty serious time fixing myself. Very luckily, I wasn't dead ... could have been instantly, end of story. But wasn't.

Since that date, I've survived three bouts of cellulitis in my legs, a total shoulder replacement, deep gashes and wounds in my right leg, and surgery to repair the three already-repaired hernias (and two new hernias) that the impact tore open. Nine months on, I'm about 98% back to where I was, with lingering small issues in my right leg (the myofacial layer has been duly annoyed by all the trauma and will likely take a year or more to get back to whatever its new normal might be...). The 23cm long hemotoma in my right thigh is almost dissipated.

I returned to riding my bicycle and walking about two months ago; just returned back from my almost daily 2.5-3 mile walk. It will take me some time yet to rebuild my eyes and vision.

G
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The eclipse caused it....... Never bike ride when there is a total eclipse of the Sun.
 
Darthfeeble said:
The eclipse caused it....... Never bike ride when there is a total eclipse of the Sun.
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It was the day of the eclipse, yes ... I and most of my friends were out enjoying it that morning.
But i wasn't riding my bicycle when the guy in the car hit me: I was walking at the other end of the day.

G
 
Godfrey said:
On October 14, 2023, I was struck by a car as I was crossing the street on foot two blocks from home, finishing up a pleasant afternoon walk. Very nearly killed. Nearly ... in my orthopedic surgeons words, "Your almost complete recovery is nothing short of miraculous."

My world stopped, and paused, and I faced what was going to be a pretty serious time fixing myself. Very luckily, I wasn't dead ... could have been instantly, end of story. But wasn't.

Since that date, I've survived three bouts of cellulitis in my legs, a total shoulder replacement, deep gashes and wounds in my right leg, and surgery to repair the three already-repaired hernias (and two new hernias) that the impact tore open. Nine months on, I'm about 98% back to where I was, with lingering small issues in my right leg (the myofacial layer has been duly annoyed by all the trauma and will likely take a year or more to get back to whatever its new normal might be...). The 23cm long hemotoma in my right thigh is almost dissipated.

I returned to riding my bicycle and walking about two months ago; just returned back from my almost daily 2.5-3 mile walk. It will take me some time yet to rebuild my eyes and vision.

G
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A terrible thing to happen and to go through, but I’m delighted you’re still here and engaged with us.

I looked at your Leica CL collection earlier and, apart from admiring your Fulvia and THAT MERC, my key thought was that it told me more about you as a photographer than the CL. That’s a good thing of course, because it means the CL can do what you need, but the pictures themselves and what they show of the photographer and his/her world are the interest.

Mike
 
Another "new to me" camera arrived yesterday: a 1946 Leica IIIc. I fitted an Elmar 5.0cm f/3.5 and a cord neckstrap ... looks so pretty:

000-leicaIIIc-elmar_5cm.jpg
So I loaded it with film ... and there's another step in my 'rehabilitation' ... Dang, it's been years since I loaded a Barnak ... but I managed to revivify my muscle memory from 45 years ago and loaded it successfully, went out and made a few photos with it this morning. :)

I'll shoot with it on a walk again this evening (when it's cool outside again) and probably pull the roll early to process and check the camera's operation.

G
 
two kinds of "gas"....one that is deemed over the top acquisition of cameras/lens. Two it's a gas to load up with film as many of those acquisitions as possible and "re member" how to use them.
 
hap said:
two kinds of "gas"....one that is deemed over the top acquisition of cameras/lens. Two it's a gas to load up with film as many of those acquisitions as possible and "re member" how to use them.
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LOL!
I use all my cameras. Some more than others, of course. But I love getting a beautiful old camera and making it right, and seeing what it can do for me. Every camera (and film) sees differently.


Dodge Truck - Santa Clara 2024
Voigtländer Perkeo II
Washi 120 (ortho on rice paper) exposed at EI 25
Ilford paper developer​
 
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