High Desert Drifter

Now that I live only a little over an hour from Joshua Tree National Park, it's much easier to keep an eye on the weather and head out there only when I have a good chance of hitting the kind of conditions that I prefer.  I did hit it just right on this day last October and was was quite happy with my afternoon of shooting... the sky was absolutely perfect. (Click the image for a detailed view).  I went back a couple of weeks ago on Jan. 2 hoping for something similar, but it turned out a little too overcast and windy, so I'm not sure if anything good will come out of that session (still waiting to process a batch of film), but hoping for the best.  I like to check the Joshua Tree web cam to get an idea of the situation before deciding to make the drive, but things can change a lot in in two hours out there when weather is happening, so it's never 100% guaranteed to be perfect, even after my best efforts.
This was shot with what is probably my favorite tool recently, a panoramic 6x12 (60x120mm) roll film back on my view camera.. great because it allows me to get the benefit of the full width and detail of the camera's large format frame on roll film instead of sheets, which is much cheaper to buy and to process... and faster to use in the field than sheet film in individual holders. I'm only loosing a little bit of the frame at the top and the bottom, which is o.k. because I'm really liking the wide format these days... it seems to make almost any composition more dynamic and interesting than standard full-frame proportions.
One thing I am hoping for this year is to photograph a rare high desert snow dusting, but that will have to wait a while, because we are in a really warm pattern right now and even up here on the mountain at 6000 ft., almost all the snow is melted and gone.

Paperazzi

All things considered, I'm glad that I'm not famous. Imagine what it would be like having this collection of people on the opposite side of the road from your house. They all have very fancy cameras with lots and lots of cool lenses and are quite chatty as I walk past on my way to the dog run.  They hang about trying to conceal themselves behind much too skinny trees.....

Really not a profession to be much admired. All I need to know is what sort of lenses they have and if I could ever learn to use one.

My main blog is now here

C'mon Nikon...

I love your products, but where's your answer to the Canon 5D-MkII? Not the $8000 D3x, I hope? I, and probably many others, have been waiting for a full frame, 20+ MP camera body for under $3000 and Canon got the jump on this one. I know the D300 and the D700 are both excellent and will do the job, but neither is enough to get me into a new-purchase mode from what I already have. I don't normally talk about what equipment I use because I think it's kind of ludicrous in a way to worry more about the tools than the art itself, but there comes a time for everyone at some point, to take advantage of better equipment. I prefer Nikon for their design and ergonomics, I don't want to start over with Canon, and I thought Nikon was actually ahead of Canon for a little bit there with the D300 and D3, but the 5DII is a major challenge. Non-action/sports shooters, especially landscapers, will be looking hard and waiting eagerly to see what Nikon can come up with in the near future. I bet(hope) that they have something on the drawing boards for early next year... we'll see!

Still Lives

Wet weather this morning.

The rain set early in to-night,
The sullen wind was soon awake,
It tore the elm-tops down for spite,
And did its worst to vex the lake:

From Robert Browning's Porphyria's Lover a super Halloweenish poem in which a loon decides that even the weather has it in for him........



Windowsill, basil, rosemary, pumpkin, seashells.
Plate from Zagora. Embroidery from the East.



Fiesta squash, winesap apples, bowl from Marrakesh, English ironstone plate.
I have borrowed a camera which can do close-ups.
Now I'm really looking forward to Christmas.