This team of work horses was spotted along a back-country road in the northern perimeter of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The weather was just perfect for my planned trip, and it was not only a bit foggy, but there was a fine snow sifting down from above. The weather conditions made it possible to drop the background down a bit and place the emphasis totally on the horses.The fence post with its touch of wire and several weeds were included for good measure. This added another artistic touch which was purely a personal thing. Bottom line, it works, and that's what counts when it comes to creating a work of art. All of the elements should come together as one.
When I worked with black and white, I always used a twin lens medium format 120 roll film camera. The bright viewing screen was fairly large, and I was able to spot every speck of detail in the composition. That is one major advantage that medium or large format cameras had over the much smaller 35mm. You know exactly what you are looking at. And, hopefully, you will know exactly what you will end up with.
A few years ago, I donated my entire lab and all of my camera equipment to a nearby college. When you cross the line from about seventy on, it's time to reduce the weight of the equipment you pack on a field trip. i simply got to the point where it was no longer enjoyable to tote that forty-five pound camera pack and tripod around. It was not only that, but it was time to take off in a totally different direction, and digital was just starting to make a name for itself in the field of photography. This made my change in direction quite easy. I now carry a small camera pack along with my trusty old tripod, and the combined weight comes out well under twenty pounds. Now, I am having fun again.
This blog contains black and white images from years gone by, and there is also a healthy mix of my new digital images. I sure do miss that large view finder. This tiny little opening, which I now have to sight and focus through, can drive an older person nuts. However, the joy of being able to make good photographs outweighs the irritation of the peep hole.
This is not the first time I have used a 35mm camera. Far from it. In working for a university back east and for many of my commercial assignments, the 35mm was a primary choice. Often, I would use more than one format for a single job, and that included a four by five view camera. Still, over he years, the 2 1/4 was my overall choice for my fine art photography.
I am having fun with this blog. It is yet another major innovation which popped up along the road to new adventure. It enables me to share my work with others, and I hope you enjoy viewing this collection as much as I enjoyed creating it.
To enlarge these images, simply left click on the above illustration and you will be surprised at what pops up.
