Holme Fen: In the New Year: Color Update
(Note: this was originally posted on the 18th of Jan 2020 but has been updated with the color photos just returned from the lab.)
I continued my woodlands project this morning with a return to Holme Fen. The morning dawned cold (0 degrees C) and cloudless. My hopes were I might have some good fog and perhaps some heavy frost to work with. I watched the sunrise as I made my way to this patch of Birch forest on the fens.
I loaded up my Intrepid 4x5 camera which I have been using a lot lately and am becoming increasingly comfortable and confident with. Mistakes have been few and my exposures spot-on generally. The subject matter and composition remain their inevitable challenges.
I brought along 4 sheets of Ilford FP4+ black and white film. I also had 2 sheets of Velvia 50 and 3 sheets of Fuji Astia, these later two being color transparency film. I typically come prepared for both color and black and white. In addition to the aesthetics of black and white I like to shoot it because I can develop it right away and also print it in the dark room.
Today I had a specific task in mind. I wanted to re-shoot a dead tree from a previous visit. I ruined a sheet of film during development and I also wanted to use a shorter lens as I had learned in looking at the prior work. I would probably re-shoot in Astia or Velvia as well; I used Portra 800 last time.
Alas when I arrived that specific area of the forest was closed for deer culling. Not wanting to get shot I returned to the lake area. I had on an earlier visit taken a photo on the lake edge which would perhaps been improved with my 90mm lens which I did not bring with me on that previous visit. So it transpired that with recent windy weather a tree had fallen and changed the area enough I did not at first recognize it.
At this point I am feeling seriously discouraged. I pick myself up as I realize it is a wonderfully peaceful morning. I paused and closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest and brought myself to a more connected state trying to stay focused in the moment and location. A number of years ago I went on a short organized photography outing in Japan. It was a good break from a business trip. The woman who ran it started out with a mindfulness exercise. I find it useful to go through a similar ritual to help me connect better with a place.
The rest of the morning progressed and gradually my mood improved and I found myself in full swing before long.
This project is a way for me to connect with a subject that is not too distant from my house. It provides a good creative focus. Today as I said I had expectations about the conditions but the fog and to large extent frost didn't materialize for me.
The forest however revealed to me a different aspect of strong dappled sun. The birch were bright white in the strong low sun. So here was something to work with even if it wasn't what I expected.
Below are three black and white photos. Return later to my updated post for the color photos. (I will amend the post title with the word 'update'.)
This first one is rather cliched but still works. The path leading through the forest is a well worn subject and probably for good reason. This one I heeded my earlier observations and used my graduated ND filter to break the sky brightness. The sky was 2 stops brighter than the bright tree trunks and I think it works. The graduated ND (GND) filter helps compress the exposure range, even though it is not strictly need on black and white film, I anticipate it will make it easier to print in the dark room.
Color Update
I also made a color version of the same scene above in Fuji Astia film.
Next is a recently downed tree. The sun was very bright on the white bark and enhanced as the water was adding reflected light from the lake behind me. Indeed the tree trunk was at least two full stops brighter than the sky. This meant no point in the GND The tree leading away meant I could use a little front standard swing to optimize the focus. I took two versions, this one at f32 and a second at f5.6 (wide open) to see if I could blur the trees in the background. Unfortunately the result was just a softer image overall.
I was pleased with the exposure as the highlights are just short of blowing out and the dark shadow areas have plenty of detail.
Color Update
I did manage a couple of scenes of frost on the ground while behind me was the blue sky and ranks of birch; all of which warranted some color film. The birch trees below seems to indicate a light leak which has bedeviled me before. I need to isolate the film holder and test and repair it. That photo did not turn out quite as impressive as what I felt when I was there.
Finally I have a difficult image. I had to set the camera on a step slope among some brambles. This situation caused me no end of frustration. The back-lit tree hanging over the water was very striking. My execution is poor. I failed to notice or correct the brush in the foreground which is distracting. I clipped the trees on the horizon. Finally the turned tree trunk protruding from the bank should have had more of it included in the image.
I tried to rescue it with a crop.
The day ended well and I did end up with some frosty leaves.
I continued my woodlands project this morning with a return to Holme Fen. The morning dawned cold (0 degrees C) and cloudless. My hopes were I might have some good fog and perhaps some heavy frost to work with. I watched the sunrise as I made my way to this patch of Birch forest on the fens.
I loaded up my Intrepid 4x5 camera which I have been using a lot lately and am becoming increasingly comfortable and confident with. Mistakes have been few and my exposures spot-on generally. The subject matter and composition remain their inevitable challenges.
I brought along 4 sheets of Ilford FP4+ black and white film. I also had 2 sheets of Velvia 50 and 3 sheets of Fuji Astia, these later two being color transparency film. I typically come prepared for both color and black and white. In addition to the aesthetics of black and white I like to shoot it because I can develop it right away and also print it in the dark room.
Today I had a specific task in mind. I wanted to re-shoot a dead tree from a previous visit. I ruined a sheet of film during development and I also wanted to use a shorter lens as I had learned in looking at the prior work. I would probably re-shoot in Astia or Velvia as well; I used Portra 800 last time.
Alas when I arrived that specific area of the forest was closed for deer culling. Not wanting to get shot I returned to the lake area. I had on an earlier visit taken a photo on the lake edge which would perhaps been improved with my 90mm lens which I did not bring with me on that previous visit. So it transpired that with recent windy weather a tree had fallen and changed the area enough I did not at first recognize it.
At this point I am feeling seriously discouraged. I pick myself up as I realize it is a wonderfully peaceful morning. I paused and closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest and brought myself to a more connected state trying to stay focused in the moment and location. A number of years ago I went on a short organized photography outing in Japan. It was a good break from a business trip. The woman who ran it started out with a mindfulness exercise. I find it useful to go through a similar ritual to help me connect better with a place.
The rest of the morning progressed and gradually my mood improved and I found myself in full swing before long.
This project is a way for me to connect with a subject that is not too distant from my house. It provides a good creative focus. Today as I said I had expectations about the conditions but the fog and to large extent frost didn't materialize for me.
The forest however revealed to me a different aspect of strong dappled sun. The birch were bright white in the strong low sun. So here was something to work with even if it wasn't what I expected.
Below are three black and white photos. Return later to my updated post for the color photos. (I will amend the post title with the word 'update'.)
This first one is rather cliched but still works. The path leading through the forest is a well worn subject and probably for good reason. This one I heeded my earlier observations and used my graduated ND filter to break the sky brightness. The sky was 2 stops brighter than the bright tree trunks and I think it works. The graduated ND (GND) filter helps compress the exposure range, even though it is not strictly need on black and white film, I anticipate it will make it easier to print in the dark room.
 |
| Down the Path (again) |
I also made a color version of the same scene above in Fuji Astia film.
 |
| Down the Path (again) (Fuji Astia 100) |
I was pleased with the exposure as the highlights are just short of blowing out and the dark shadow areas have plenty of detail.
 |
| Resting Monarch |
I did manage a couple of scenes of frost on the ground while behind me was the blue sky and ranks of birch; all of which warranted some color film. The birch trees below seems to indicate a light leak which has bedeviled me before. I need to isolate the film holder and test and repair it. That photo did not turn out quite as impressive as what I felt when I was there.
 |
| Forest Floor Frost (Fuji Velvia 50) |
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| Forest Floor Frost (Fuji Astia 100) |
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| Birch Forest across Field (Fuji Astia 100) with light leak? |
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| Original |
I tried to rescue it with a crop.
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| Crop |
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