A few days ago I found three 120 format rolls of slide film still in the packaging from the lab, tucked onto a shelf in a closet. I think it dates back to the spring of 2014 (maybe 2013)... Well, scanning these early spring photos has been a fine activity for a dark December afternoon. In this photo I was attempting to capture the subtle colors of trees in early spring, when they are just starting to bud out and bloom. The spot is a familiar one on the shores of a small pond / marsh in the Allegan Forest. Over the years I have watched this place transform from a shallow pond, to a marsh full of tall grasses and then back to a pond, deeper than ever.
Made with a Pentax 6x7 camera, SMC Takumar 105 f2.4 and Kodak E100S.
As November enters its last week the trees have gone bare and a cold wind scurries over the frost and pockets of snow... But I'm just starting to scan film images show early in the month, catching the colors of autumn. Here's a first out take - a little stand of aspen in the Allegan Forrest:
Preparations for the 2016 Signature Gallery are underway! The gallery will open Saturday, November 26 with the Artist Reception on Sunday, November 26 from noon to 5 PM. We are at the same great location as last year - 4602 West Main Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49006.
This year I will be fully participating in the gallery and will have a large selection of framed prints, matted prints and note cards.
Learn more about Signature at signature-artist.com
Here is a sample of some of the new pieces I'll be exhibiting at the gallery this year:
Taken in October, this was a grab shot while photographing some of the interesting tombstones in an old Connecticut graveyard. Tri-X 400 rated @ 1600, developed in HC110 Dil B, 20C for 16 minutes.
I spent some time last week "back east" and wandered up into the New England states for a while. A lot of cemetery details will be posted into the film photo a day blog over the next several weeks, but here are three old churches that I happened into during the trip.
This is the Brick Church in Clarendon, Vermont, a.k.a. Clarendon Congregational Church. My wife found one of her distant ancestors buried in the cemetery across the road:
Brick Church, Clarendon Vermont
The clock is just a painted ornament on the steeple. I wonder why 10:46 is the chosen time.
Painted Clock, Brick Church, Clarendon VermontSign In Front of Brick Church, Clarendon Vermont
No idea what the church shown below is or was, but the distinctive snowflake pattern on it was eye catching. This blog describes it as a circa 1890 Queen Ann Church. It looks like someone is taking care of it these days as witnessed by the new shutters on the windows. The second photo below details the attractive bell motif in the windows shutters.
Rural Chapel, East Clarendon, VermontDetail, Rural Chapel, East Clarendon, Vermont
Lastly, First Church of Christ in Wethersfield Connecticut. Per Wikipedia the congregation was founded in 1635 and the building here was built in 1761. It seems to be an active congregation to this day and renovations to the building were in progress as we strolled by:
First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Connetictut
Contrast study at First Church:
Contrast Study, First Church of Christ, Wethersfield, Connetictut
I shot this using a Ricoh Diacord L TLR, circa 1957. It a great camera and a I love the quality of the images that the Tessar design lens produces. This was shot wide open at f3.5 on Tri-X. (Developed in HC110 Dil B.) Unfortunately the Diacord's winding mechanism has gone wonky - sometimes spacing exposures far apart and sometimes barely leaving any room between them at all. I'm hoping that it will work itself out some how (wishful thinking probably...)
