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One of our favorite photography haunts is Zion National Park.  It is small when compared to many of the other National Parks but the scenery is very diverse.  We first visited Zion in 2000. Also known as our Millennium Trip.  I am often asked, “Why do you return to the same area year after year?  Why not go someplace new?”  The location on the map might stay the same but the scenery is ever changing.  Trees and rocks after a rainstorm glow and freshly fallen snow will accentuate the delicate sculpture of the rocks.  We’ve seen the dry cuts in the rocks give way to a new waterfall booming in flood.  Even majestic rocks will occasionally turn loose from their once tight hold on the earth.  With each subsequent visit, we have found new areas to photograph and this time would prove to be no different.
 
This old cottonwood tree has greeted me on numerous trips to Zion. It stands along the Virgin River.  Even as the river flows outside her banks during a flash flood, this tree stands defiant.  Each year, less bark clings tightly to the tree and during the winter months, a delicate blanket of freshly fallen snow will cover the bare tree where bark use to be providing a white, winter coat. Many trees along the river have succumbed to the elements.  But this tree will not give up its space.
 
On this trip to Utah, we would be spending 11 days in Zion. Even though there was an abundance of sunshine on our first day, the weather would be changing.  The forecast for the next seven days would be cloudy.
 
We had spent most of the day photographing in another part of the valley. Photographing along a secluded stream that ran from the top of the canyon wall down below into the valley.  Now it was time to move to another spot to finish out the day.
 
We ended up at the end of the valley road at the Temple of Sinawava. This spot leads to the Narrows where the Virgin River has cut deep canyon walls for miles. And as predicted, the clouds were beginning to roll in.  There are several extremely interesting trees near the parking lot but the old cottonwood stood out.  This tree was a familiar sight. . . kind of a landmark.  Even though it is dead. . . it still manages to “hang on” for one more year to greet us when we return to Zion.  Tourists climb all over the old tree wanting to get their photo made.  This tree deserves more than that for it has character.
 
It was late afternoon and most of the tourists had already left for the day.  Not many cars in the parking lot.  There was the old cottonwood tree.  I knew this would be a good time to make my photograph.  After parking the van, I looked around for the best spot to place the tripod.  I knew that I didn’t want to place the white, overcast sky in the image. . . an area of white in the corner would detract from the rest of the photograph.   Soon I located the right place to setup the tripod and position the camera at the exact place I wanted, which happened to be right in the middle of a parking space. As luck would have it, I was able to set the tripod up next to the van and shoot across the parking lot.  A wall of sculpted rock would fill the background in nicely avoiding any bright areas that would have detracted from my tree.  
 
I knew I wanted to make the photograph with my 8×20 vertical camera.  This would provide me with a finished print with the detail that I wanted that could only be obtained with a contact print. There were questions to ask myself.  How much of the tree did I want to include?  Would this be a photograph of the full tree or only a close detail? I used my viewing filter to aid in my decision on which lens I would use. There are few lenses that will cover the vertical 8×20 format.  Most are over 60 years old. The one I chose for this photograph was my 24” Artar.  This lens would provide the framing that I wanted with the vertical 8×20 camera.
 
One of the features that JB added when he was building this camera was the extra tall front standard for additional rise.  I raised the lens as far up as it would go.  This enabled me to exclude the parking lot in the foreground.
There were broken clouds, diffused light.  It was windy and 45 degrees.  I metered for my exposure and determined that I would need a N+1 ½ development.  I stopped the lens down to f90 and exposed for 24 seconds.
 
In the finished image the tree appears remote and lost against a wall of rock.  That is the effect I was looking for. . . had hoped for.  The final contact print was made on Bergger VCCB Warm Tone fiber based paper and Selenium Toned.

Susan Harlin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A lot of time is spent just scouting an area or a place searching out something of interest to photograph.   In 2011 we found a very interesting area in Zion National Park.  We spent several days along this little trail that followed a small stream.  This area yielded a wealth of subject matter.  We were in a deep canyon where the light was soft and subdued all day.  There was a very brief time toward late afternoon when the sun came blasting in, but the vast majority of the day we were in very soft, wrapping light.  This wrapping light was accentuated by the  1,200 foot high sandstone walls that acted as a gentle reflector above where we were working.

The gentle little stream continually ran a steady flow of water and there were rocks, trees, moss and cascading water everywhere.  I had been working in this area for several days and had noticed this double tree several times.  I knew there was something there, but I had a really hard time with the composition.  I just couldn’t find the ‘spot’ that I wanted.  I know I walked past this double tree every day and there was something that kept calling me back.  I knew what I wanted.  Yet, I also knew that because of the placement of the elements as I envisioned them made for a depth of field dilemma.  I knew what I wanted. . . just didn’t think I could pull it off.
 
The thing you have to keep in mind is, if you do not try, you are certain to fail.  I finally decided to take a stab at the double tree with the cascade in the background.  I chose a moderately wider than normal lens for the 8×10, hoping I would be able to get the depth of field I needed.  The Schneider 305mm G-Claron is one of my usual lenses that I carry with my 8×10. The light was incredibly beautiful.  I can’t describe how it made things look, other than it was coming from behind the camera, created by the sun reflecting off the high canyon wall that faced basically southwest.  I knew I had to expose the film once I got the camera in place.  What I saw on the ground glass was exactly what I wanted. . .  there are those times you just know.   I metered and exposed. . . with fingers crossed.
 
When I processed the negative I felt really good.  When I made a proper proof, I was even more pleased.  This was a pretty easy print to make.  It printed very well on #2 Azo and only required a little selective bleaching on the cascade in the background to bring up their value a little.  I also did a little bleaching on the tree trunks to bring up their contrast and make them glow even more.
 
All in all, I am very pleased with this photograph.  I was able to capture what I felt at the time I exposed the negative, and that is what it is all about.  There are times you have to really push your equipment and your capabilities.  Keep in mind; if you don’t try there is only one outcome!  One other thing, we were in the same place a year later.  We wanted to get back into the area and look at some more possibilities, but due to the spring rain the trail was washed out.  It was impossible to access the place we were working the year before without wading deep water.  Another lesson. . . if you want something, go for it.  There is no guarantee it will be there next time.
 
JB 

Click on the thumbnail images to see a larger view and the captions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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There are those times when you happen upon a situation that you know, without hesitation, will be something worthy of your attention.  A photographer, especially a landscape photographer, is continually chasing the light.  We spend a very disproportionate amount of time searching for something worthy of pointing a camera toward and exposing a sheet of film.   A good day shooting LF or ULF may yield, on a good day, six exposures.  A really good day might lead to clicking the shutter over ten times!  Other days, the camera is never even mounted to the tripod.

This photograph was a surprise.  We had been driving the park road just looking for something to stop and explore.  This was one of our first trips to this area and we were still scouting the locale.  It was about noon, the time of day that color photographers head to the gift shop or lunch.  We shoot B&W and any light is good light, especially if it is an unusual light.

I have photographed in a strange lighting phenomenon several times before.  At higher altitudes the air is thinner and sunlight seems to behave differently.  Especially if you add a modifier, like thin layers of very high clouds.  This day was partly cloudy with a lot of high, wispy clouds drifting to across the sky.  A large area of very high cirrus clouds were drifting slowly over the sun.  I recognized the light almost immediately, even before looking up to see what was causing this wonder.

Something happens when the sun is behind a thin cloud layer and the majority of the rest of the sky is clear.  The light takes on a quality that is not easily describable.  Objects take on a more rounded look and tend to glow.  I knew this was something special.

I immediately found a wide pullout, jumped out of the van and ran across the road.  I had a great view of these interestingly shaped rock towers in the distance with a nice blue sky with a few high clouds since I was looking upward on the gentle slope.  A quick look through my viewing filter/framing device which showed me that the light on the foreground was exceptional and the blue sky separated well from the red rock towers.

I remembered Ansel Adams talking about how once he found some grand view that was worthy of photographing, he would immediately start looking for something of interest to put in the foreground.  This is the play on the near/far principle of making the illusion of depth in a two dimensional image.  All I needed was something interesting in the foreground.  Very quickly I found a nice weathered cedar which lined up just right.  I quickly found a camera position using the filter/framing device, that I always carry, and quickly ascertained the focal length of the lens needed.  All I needed now was the camera.

Fortunately we had already stopped to shoot earlier in the day and my 8×10 pack was loaded and ready to go.  I ran back to the van, grabbed the pack, dark cloth and tripod then dashed back to my chosen spot.  I made a mark in the sand with the heel of my boot I could find the spot again.  I remember I kept looking at the cloud that was slowly drifting south east across the sun.  I knew I had very little time to capture what was happening before me.   Fortunately I have worked with my camera rig long enough that I can set it up without little thought.  By using my framing device I already knew the position and lens I needed.  I quickly set up the tripod, hung the pack on it, slipped the camera out and had it pre-focused and ready to go as quickly as possible.  A quick look under the dark cloth and a quick tweak of the focus and a little back tilt and the camera was ready.

A view camera’s movement are used to manipulate the plane of focus in order to keep everything as sharp as possible.  Using movement on the rear of a view camera will introduce distortion into your subject.  If you are shooting something you do not want distorted, you should use the front movements only.  But for this photo I wanted to use rear tilt to make the foreground loom upward and make it more prominent in the image.  I use rear tilt a lot when making landscapes.  It enhances the near far aspect of the image and allows you to sharply focus on object in the foreground without sacrificing focus in the distant objects.

I also knew I wanted to use a filter to darken the sky and enhance the red rocks.  A color filter when used with B&W film will lighten its own color and darken its complement.   Hence, the sky would darken and the red to orange bands in the rock would be lightened.  One pitfall of using a red filter is that it will not only darken blue skies, it will also darken green foliage.  Fortunately there is very little green in the desert, especially in winter.  Also the weathered cedar had some components of orange that were also lightened, giving the wood more depth and texture.  The effect of the filter coupled with the unusual light make a powerful visual effect when using B&W film.

I quickly took a meter reading through the filter, dialed the exposure into the shutter and was ready to shoot.  I swiftly made two exposures.  The second negative was exposed just as the sun came out from behind the cloud.  Only the fist exposure captured the light at its best, and is the one I printed.

The negative was developed ‘Normal’ in PyroCat HD and prints well, with little manipulation, on grade #2 Azo.  This is one of those photographs that conveys the feel and emotional content as originally envisioned in the field.  The job of the photographer is to look for, and find, those situations where subject and light combine to make something unique.  You sometimes have to be prepared to act on a moment’s notice.  Add a little luck, and every now and then you find a gem.  As someone once said, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”

JB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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