Reflections revisited: Chestnut Branch I

It’s the light — and the shadows. This monochrome scene comes alive in ways that color simply can’t match.

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I remember the day I shot this image. It was early summer warm and green and alive. I crouched down on the bank of the stream (part of Chestnut Branch) looking for reflections. I found them and the light, the magical light.

What did this scene really look like? I’ll not tell. This abstraction ‘remembers’ better than the ‘reality.’

This image was shot directly on B&W film (Ilford FP4+). I developed the film myself using Diafine and scanned the neg with my Minolta Scan Dual III film scanner.

A small print sits on the table next to my musing chair. I was looking at it again the other night and thought I’d bring you an encore of one of my favorite reflection scenes. Enjoy.

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Reflections: Rainy Morning Commute

I conducted another raid on my archives this week. I’m planning a trip to Ceres nature preserve next week to look for new images. Meanwhile…

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This image was taken more than six years ago (I don’t recall the exact date) one rainy morning when I was still commuting to Phila. on the Lindenwold Hi-speed line. I used my Olympus Stylus Epic 35mm camera loaded with Ilford XP2 B&W film. Neat little camera was always in my pocket within easy reach.

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Happy Birthday Mom

Mom is 88 today. Happy birthday mom! I think longevity depends on keeping the kid within all of us alive and well. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the real mom.

Mom in 1927

Here’s a picture of mom the kid. This photo was taken in 1927 when mom was 4 1/2 years old. We found a small suitcase filled with old family photographs among my aunt’s things stored in the garage. I’m glad I decided to look in the suitcase. This image is the first one I scanned. There are lots more where this one came from.

That little girl is still very much alive and today is her birthday. Happy birthday kid.

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Reflections: Twins

I couldn’t resist. Twins reflect each other but they’re never mirror images — not quite.

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Our twin granddaughters will be two years old on November 4. I caught them playing at the patio door one day when we were visiting. Livvy (at least I think it’s Livvy) is looking right at the camera while Maddy is hanging back and looking down.

I chose this photo because it’s a double take (pun intended) fun kind of thing. On first look you might think reflection but it isn’t. Or is it? Well sort of but not quite.

Maddy is the oldest (by less than an hour). Livvy is a bit chunkier. They reflect each other but they are unique, each with her own distinct personality and that’s a good thing.

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Reflections: Monster Machine

I finally finished the roll of film in my Nikon and found the time to develop and scan the negatives this week. Yay!

You never know when or where you’re likely to find your next reflections image. I was out riding my bicycle about 4 weeks ago when I spotted this monster machine (aka tractor) parked alongside a cornfield. I hit the brakes, jumped off my bike and shot this sequence.

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I was attracted by the sheer size and the neat forms of this tractor. When I got up close to get a tight shot, I knew I’d have some good reflections. I wasn’t disappointed when I scanned the negs the other day.

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Here’s a shot of the entire monster machine. I’d love to take this bad boy out for a spin.

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Now you see the tractor in context. A couple of years back I was riding along on my bike when I saw a combine working in a cornfield. That was truly awesome. This guy isn’t working the field but if it had been I would never have gotten these images.

One of the things that’s kept me busy this past month has been upgrading the OS on my Linux computer and installing and testing the software I needed. Oh, I had Linux Mint 9 up and running within the first hour but I’ve been searching for just the right software and I’ve found what I needed.

I’ve been wanting to migrate my film scanning from my Windows box and I finally did it last week. My scanner and VueScan both work flawlessly! That and my computer adventures are other stories for other posts. I’m glad to be back.

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