Test shot made today with my ancient 503Cx and Zeiss 120mm Macro.
Les and I will be around On October 21st 2022 between 12 and 5pm Eastern Time to host a discussion regarding some thoughts on fall color, gear, prints, “the perfect paper” and thoughts we’ve had inspired by a FANTASTIC print we made from an unassuming picture he took a year ago.
For me here on the Southern Oregon coast we have a solid week of much needed rain starting today. I'm afraid it's going to make for less that optimal fall color photography.
Charlie, my favorite fall photography Is during our right after rain. The colors pop, even leaves on the ground. Try macro. Use a polarizing filter. Try early morning mist. Just some suggestions. The results might surprise you.
My advice is now is the time to get ready, know where and when the light will be where you want it. Start framing up scenes now, know where you need to stand, what lens you'll need, etc. Fall can and will surprise you. Be ready to go when that color pops rather than running/driving around like a mad man without a clue of where you really want to be, what you need, and when you need to be there.
Very good advice! Hopefully there will be some leaves left on the trees - wind and rain generally close out the season here and it really hasn't started this year. For sure will have to wait and see how it works out.
This is our first time trying out the "threads" feature of substack. No video, no webinar, just an old school message board. I'll be monitoring this discussion real-time from now until 5pm eastern time. Anyone interested in sharing or discussing the broad topic of "fall color" please don't hesitate to chime in.
Les and I made a print two days ago that really inspired us. We proofed it on Moab Entrada Natural then printed it on a few Awagami papers. The print on Awagami Thick Kozo White was absolutely perfect in terms of the perfect match between the photograph and the medium. Honestly we cannot envision that photo he made a year or two ago on any other paper now. Yes... there does seem to be that perfect paper that can real make a particular image sing.
The other thing that inspired me is how small the scene in that photograph Les made was. It's not a sweeping vista of fall color in all it's glory, it's a couple of small leaves with interesting, subtle color on the ground which is a mix of dark black and brown shadows.
For me it really inspired me to break out that "slow camera" I tested yesterday as can be seen above. An old Hasselblad 503Cx and a Zeiss 120mm macro but with a digital back. I'm going to get out there and instead of lamenting the lack of grand mountainous vistas of endless color in my local environment I'll be searching for the sublime in the small scale while envisioning how the color will lay on the perfect subtle papers at my disposal.
What are all of you thinking about in terms of making the most out of this fall season? What papers are you targeting? What gear do you plan on bringing to the table, for me it's the absolute best color capture device I have access to rather than the fastest camera with the most versatility.
Ps. For the small scenes I'll be roaming the woods for, the subtle lower contrast, less harsh properties of the old Zeiss are an asset as opposed to a more modern rendering optic.
This is the discussion. We're trying out this "threads" feature of substack. Offer up a comment, question, topic, or thoughts and get responses. We'll see how it goes. I'll be actively monitoring and interacting from noon to 5 today and Les will chime in later.
I'll kick it off at noon officially but feel free to chime in on the topic of "fall color" before that if you'd like. Gear, subject matter, your plans, printing materials for fall color you are thinking about, whatever.
I will be monitoring the thread actively from 12-5pm eastern tomorrow. Les will chime in after that and we'll discuss anything related to the above topic for the next few days but will do it as we are available vs. active monitoring and response.
For me here on the Southern Oregon coast we have a solid week of much needed rain starting today. I'm afraid it's going to make for less that optimal fall color photography.
Charlie, my favorite fall photography Is during our right after rain. The colors pop, even leaves on the ground. Try macro. Use a polarizing filter. Try early morning mist. Just some suggestions. The results might surprise you.
Cloudy/rainy/wet things are shiny and saturated with soft light = awesome... I agree
My advice is now is the time to get ready, know where and when the light will be where you want it. Start framing up scenes now, know where you need to stand, what lens you'll need, etc. Fall can and will surprise you. Be ready to go when that color pops rather than running/driving around like a mad man without a clue of where you really want to be, what you need, and when you need to be there.
Very good advice! Hopefully there will be some leaves left on the trees - wind and rain generally close out the season here and it really hasn't started this year. For sure will have to wait and see how it works out.
Let's kick this off.
This is our first time trying out the "threads" feature of substack. No video, no webinar, just an old school message board. I'll be monitoring this discussion real-time from now until 5pm eastern time. Anyone interested in sharing or discussing the broad topic of "fall color" please don't hesitate to chime in.
Les and I made a print two days ago that really inspired us. We proofed it on Moab Entrada Natural then printed it on a few Awagami papers. The print on Awagami Thick Kozo White was absolutely perfect in terms of the perfect match between the photograph and the medium. Honestly we cannot envision that photo he made a year or two ago on any other paper now. Yes... there does seem to be that perfect paper that can real make a particular image sing.
The other thing that inspired me is how small the scene in that photograph Les made was. It's not a sweeping vista of fall color in all it's glory, it's a couple of small leaves with interesting, subtle color on the ground which is a mix of dark black and brown shadows.
For me it really inspired me to break out that "slow camera" I tested yesterday as can be seen above. An old Hasselblad 503Cx and a Zeiss 120mm macro but with a digital back. I'm going to get out there and instead of lamenting the lack of grand mountainous vistas of endless color in my local environment I'll be searching for the sublime in the small scale while envisioning how the color will lay on the perfect subtle papers at my disposal.
What are all of you thinking about in terms of making the most out of this fall season? What papers are you targeting? What gear do you plan on bringing to the table, for me it's the absolute best color capture device I have access to rather than the fastest camera with the most versatility.
Thoughts?
Ps. For the small scenes I'll be roaming the woods for, the subtle lower contrast, less harsh properties of the old Zeiss are an asset as opposed to a more modern rendering optic.
Hi guys
Wayne Desbrow here. How do I access the discussion and view the print? Not sure how to proceed!
Wayne,
This is the discussion. We're trying out this "threads" feature of substack. Offer up a comment, question, topic, or thoughts and get responses. We'll see how it goes. I'll be actively monitoring and interacting from noon to 5 today and Les will chime in later.
I'll kick it off at noon officially but feel free to chime in on the topic of "fall color" before that if you'd like. Gear, subject matter, your plans, printing materials for fall color you are thinking about, whatever.
Will this be online?
Yes,
I will be monitoring the thread actively from 12-5pm eastern tomorrow. Les will chime in after that and we'll discuss anything related to the above topic for the next few days but will do it as we are available vs. active monitoring and response.
Where is the photo and the thread? Thanks!
Just a discussion for anyone interested.
I am grateful for your willingness to educate others.
Do you have any endeavors related to fall color this year?
I am starting my location scouting in MD, Delaware and West VA. Skyline drive as well.