It Just Takes Time

“I have often thought that if photography were difficult in the true sense of the term - meaning that the creation of a simple photograph would entail as much time and effort as the production of a good watercolor or etching - there would be a vast improvement in total output. The sheer ease with which we can produce a superficial image often leads to creative disaster.”

- Ansel Adams -

These words are more than true. They are exacting, defining and masterfully expressed. We live in a world that rushes us, that pushes and shoves us to demand instant gratification. Even when shooting film that has to be processed instead of "instant" digital imagery, there is a tendency to rush. 

So, I've got one roll to capture 36 shots. I have to search out the shot, analyze what I think will be the perfect moment, focus and work all settings manually, then push the shutter. Nothing to it, right?

Below is a favorite shot that took two weeks to accomplish with NO restrictions on the number of exposures. Sometimes getting it right just takes time.

Waterfall and Leaves

June 1994

from the book  

IN WILDERNESS SONG

"I think today I might have finally caught the leaves motionless over the stream. The constant wind and air turbulence has made this a frustrating shot to get for 2 weeks! The 4 & 8-second exposures needed to contrast movement with stillness are frustrating me, but it might have happened today. The overflowing beaver pond is running down into a nearby cove where I constantly see a pair of loons. They are obviously not nesting. I wonder if they enjoy the beautiful falls or love the sound of rushing water as much as I do?"

- Stephen Kirkpatrick-

June 1994 

Fair Weather Friend

In the last few weeks, several people have asked me how I'll know when I have completed roll #1 of On A Roll. My answer is, "When it is the 'honor roll' (say 'On A Roll' real fast). When I was growing up, you made the "honor roll" when you had all As and Bs on your report card. As I have graded the previous rolls of film, neither one has come close.


For example:

Roll #1 (first attempt) 
A - 11
B - 15
C - 6
D - 0
F - 3


Roll #1 (second attempt)
A - 8
B - 16
C - 6
D - 4
F - 1


The examples above prove why I am going to have to be extremely patient this go round.






Today, for example, I found nothing to place On A Roll. My patience has been challenged already, with my reaction being, "I'm bored. I want to shoot something."

Thus, me and my shadow. Sadly, he is only a fair weather friend.

(photo taken with Nikon P7000)

                     

The Buck Stops Here

Finally, after months of watching this buck, I now have him on film. I had seen him from a distance in just about every conceivable scene, but I knew my best chance for a decent shot would be during the rut, and sure enough, today was the day.  


Every time I've seen this buck, he's been in the company of two does. Yesterday, I got a good look at him through my camera lens, and I had a really itchy finger thinking this might be my one and only chance to get him on film. I almost took the shot for On A Roll, but he never got into a pleasing position. As I watched him through the lens, I studied his antlers and noticed that his right beam was a perfect five points with a nice brow tine. The left side was exact but missing G1 (brow tine) and G4 points; it appears they never grew out as opposed to losing them in a fight or other mishap. So even though I have always thought him to be a 10 point, in fact he's been an eight point all along. 


Today, I saw this handsome whitetail again with the same two does, but this time, he turned his head in a wonderful position, and click, I got him. I now have my second shot for On A Roll. Two nice shots in the can, 34 to go. 


But the story doesn't end there. Right after I snapped this photo, a bobcat ambled through the scene. Who knows, ol' Bob could be #3. 

White-tailed Deer

2)   White-tailed Deer Buck - (H)

Madison County, MS

December 24, 2011 - 12:13 pm

Partly Cloudy, 48 degrees

500mm, 1/200@f4, Tripod  

(photo taken with Nikon P7000)

Day...Light...Time...

Winter solstice happens today at 11:30 p.m. CST, the shortest day of the year. My thinking was to try and capture an image for On A Roll that would define this unique day. I considered the shot below, but ultimately passed on using one of my 36 shots for On A Roll to record it. I still wanted to capture it for my own interest, however, so I used my Nikon digital camera instead. I like all of the subtleties of light and color.

Reflections at Dusk

(photo taken with Nikon P7000)

Patience Please

Yesterday was a banner day for a sunset. The sky kept "building," producing dramatic, well-lit clouds. The only real difficulty for me was predicting the moment of peak light since I had only one exposure to put On A Roll. Now the harder part begins - waiting to find out if I actually captured that peak moment or not.

Quote me when I say this: This new roll is going to be The One. Yes, I am going out on a limb with this statement, but it’s time to move on to the second roll of the On A Roll trifecta. Even if this roll takes the next six months, I am going to shoot only those things that truly move me and try not to force it. 

However, as you can tell from reading below, this round did not start smoothly.  

Last Wednesday was the original kick-off for this roll. I had set up near a deer crossing in a field where there’s typically a lot of activity, thinking that a nice buck would be a good opening shot. After about 30 minutes, a doe walked out and urinated right at the spot where I was hoping to get a shot. (For those of you who are not familiar with deer mating rituals, this may not sound very appealing, but it was perfect for my purposes as the scent is very attractive to the bucks.)

Moments later another doe appeared, then another. When one of them looked in my direction and snorted, all of them ran away. It was getting late and the light was fading, but I waited a few moments, constantly checking my shutter speed in the deepening dusk. It appeared the wait might be worth it when a spike appeared. As I had hoped, he went straight to the place where the doe had left her mark. Another spike walked out behind him and did the same thing. Again, one looked my way and snorted, and the spikes were off.

I was preparing to head out myself when an nice eight-point buck walked out and headed for the spot then stopped to smell. When he lifted his head, click. I got it.

But from the moment I pushed the shutter release, I worried about the shot not turning out well because of the shutter speed being too slow, causing the image to be blurry from lens movement. It was, after all, the very first shot of what would  be a long, challenging photo assignment. Yesterday, when I saw the evening clouds building, I decided to pull the roll and start over. It turned out to be a good idea. While loading the new roll, I noticed I had adjusted the exposure compensation to give another stop of light. I had done this on one of my last shots in California a couple of weeks ago and had forgotten to go back and reset it. The deer would not only have been blurry, but it would have also been overexposed. This was all caused by two weeks of trying to get an opening shot for On A Roll for which I had become very impatient, NOT a good trait for a wildlife/nature photographer, especially shooting film.

1)  White-tailed Deer Buck - (H)

Madison County, MS

December 14, 2011 - 4:55 pm

Partly Cloudy, 66 degrees

500mm, 1/6@f4, Tripod

(original entry before I started over)

Now, I have a beautiful sunset as the opening shot for On A Roll. Wish me luck with the other 35. 

Sunset Panorama

1)  Dramatic Sunset over Small Lake - (H)

Madison County, MS

December 18, 2011 - 5:03 pm

Partly Cloudy, 57 degrees

17-35mm, 1/10@f8, Split ND Filter, Tripod

(photo taken with Nikon P7000)

Pocket Projector for iPhone 4

As if we needed more gadgets, we now have the iPhone 4 pocket projector. It's a cool little dock for your phone that let's you project images on any surface, and even has built-in speakers for audio entertainment. It's equipped with a focus adjustment and projects up to 50". Built in battery charges via USB connection with the included cord. Watch a complete movie with fully charged battery. 

Retail $229.99

Also available for your iPhone 4 is a set of three lenses which attach magnetically - macro/wide, telephoto and fisheye. Obviously for the photographer on the run.

Retail $20 - $25 each