This is not one of my darkroom prints as I do not have the capacity to print color, but I did shoot, develop, and scan it. On my right forearm is the text that is the basis for the narrative project and is taken from an essay by John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, entitled "Mormon Lilies." It reads, "In every walk with Nature, one receives far more than she seeks." I slightly edited the original to read "she" instead of "he."
Our final project for this summer's course involves shooting, developing, and printing a series of at least four photos in response to any text of our choosing. As you can see from above, I didn't have to look far to find inspiration for this assignment. For my as long as I can remember, I have taken walks in nature when I have needed to find peace or to look for answers.
I took the Yashica FX-7 35mm SLR with the 50mm f/1.9 lens, and I went into the woods behind our home. Less than 100 feet out my back door is the boundary for Gunpowder Falls State Park. A quarter mile down a steep hill is the Big Gunpowder Falls river and the trail that runs along it. I chose to buy my home in part because of how close it is to the park and the river.
I shot one 36-exposure roll of Arista EDU Ultra 400 and developed it at home in Rodinal. I made the contact sheet and the first print (the one just below) in the darkroom at school. I had to be absent from class Thursday so made the remaining prints in the Guerilla Darkroom today.
Of everything I've shot for the class, I'm probably happiest with these images, if for no other reason than they have the greatest meaning for me personally. I have become deeply connected to this place over the past dozen years or so and have spent a lot of time there. Make sure to read the captions that accompany each image as they will offer more details about the image and its relationship to the Muir text.
This is the Big Gunpowder Falls Trail that runs for several miles alongside the river. I have hiked the entire length of the trail several times over the years. Recently, thanks to knee replacement surgery, I do less hiking, but I still make my way down to the trail whenever I can. I made this print at least four times until it met with my instructor's approval.
These are my trusty Komperdell hiking poles. They have quite literally saved my life on a number of occasions. I used to be an endurance hiker, and these hiking poles have put in hundreds of trail miles. There are stickers on them that read "My body got me here" and "Fat and outdoorsy."
Here are my well-worn Lowa hiking boots on a rock at the edge of the Big Gunpowder Falls, which is running very low this time of year. These boots, like my hiking poles, have seen a lot of trail miles. The light was really harsh when I went out shooting that day, but it made for a dramatic, high-contrast image.
I spotted this centipede on this lichen-covered decaying log as I took a side trail along a feeder stream that led up and away from the river. You really do find more than you seek in nature if you look closely. The light was dappled under the tree canopy, but I thought the 50mm f/1.9 did a decent job with this shot. I think my instructor will say it needs more contrast, and I will end up printing it again.
I slung my hammock in the woods on the way back home and rested a while. This image is the most problematic of the lot. I know my instructor will make me do it again. The negative was underexposed to begin with, so trying to get a decent print was hard. This was the end result of several tests. I only need four prints for the project, so if I can't get this one right, I may not use it at all. A shame because I like the framing and the story the image tells.
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