I didn’t grow up with snow. Let me be specific – when I was in high school, school was canceled because snow was predicted. Just the chance of snow was enough to clear grocery store shelves and send we SC folk indoors in case we had a blizzard!
We had a warmer, softer variety that didn’t make driving hazardous: lowcountry snow.
cotton
One of my favorite temples in Kyoto. Such a sunny day, and I took enough photos to fill an album.
Koto In
Taken a few years back on Lake Volta, near the Akosombo Dam. I remember it was nearly too dark for the speed film I was shooting, but I took a deep breath, nestled my elbows in close to steady my hands, and hoped. I’d been shooting in bright sun all day or else I would have just pushed it one stop.
Back in the day… no changing ISO as you went – had to go with what ISO film you’d loaded. I sometimes forget how much I take for granted with a DSLR camera in my hands: “Too dark? Speed up the ISO!”
I used Velvia 50 – as I often did for travel in this part of the world – because I love the high contrast in this film. The scan below doesn’t do that justice, but that’s my fault. I was still learning the scanning equipment.
Volta
Taken with my faithful, nearly indestructible Pentax K-1000, 50mm, Velvia-50
Thinking about what happened when I gently converted the last shot from color to B&W, I remembered this one. I liked it in color, but I wasn’t crazy about it. I love the contrast of this shot in B&W though:
19th century bike
Man, I took this picture 8 gajillion times, from every angle I could think of… and I never liked it. I loved the basin, the leaves, the bamboo – loved all of it. Didn’t like the picture.
Then I realized it was the contrast of the soft wood and leaves against the stone I was really after. Hence, black and white. I like this shot now (PS in CS3 conversion from .cr2 color file, changed WB a touch) and am in the process of revisiting some of my old B&W film shots from Charleston days. Might have to bust out the scanner… or better yet some of the Ilford film I still have in the fridge.
cleansing
Yum. Finally….
From the yard, where it’s been a chilly, overcast Michigan “summer.” I see a BLT in my future. And once more of these turn red? I’m all about the tomato pie!
finally