large format analog photography

I usually photograph during the midday period. That’s supposed to be the sweet period for B&W photographers. But when Mark Feiden e-mailed me and said “do you want to go out this evening”, I couldn’t resist. Especially when we were going to an area I hadn’t seen before.

We met in Madison. I brought along the trusty 8×10 Deardorff, the 7×17 Folmer & Schwing, a stock of film for both, and all the other paraphanelia that must accompany wooden, totally un-automated view cameras. Mark uses some very portable digital SLR equipment. My very non-portable ULF and LF gear filled the remainder of his pickup cab. Good thing it was a super cab. We headed west out of Madison. After a few short miles, we were in some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen anywhere. The Flint Hills at its very essence.

We were in the very northwest corner of Greenwood county, bouncing in and out of Chase county. We stopped at this spot to take our first shots of the evening. A thunderstorm was moving in from the northwest, obscuring the sun. We hoped maybe the sun would break through the clouds for a few fleeting moments of that spectacular pre-storm light, but no such luck. I found a likely spot and proceeded to set up the 7×17 while mark shot numerous frames from several angles. In the low light, my exposure was going to have to be 40 seconds. Meanwhile, Mark is racking them up. Finished the shot, disassembled and packed everything back in the truck. Off we went again, vaguely trying to get around the storm. About twenty minutes later, it caught us and we were wishing we were somewhere, not out in the open hills with rain and wind so heavy that the hood emblem is no longer visible.

“On Road CR-2, Greenwood County” is a 7×17 inch contact print made directly from a single in-camera negative. Copyright Alex Hawley 2008.