The Story Behind "A Slow But Certain Re-emergence"

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

The photos in "A Slow But Certain Re-emergence" are the first nature photos I have taken since breaking my arm two weeks ago. But they are actually the second set of photos counting all categories. I did need a little practice before heading out into the field, even with the "field" being my own backyard.

You see, there were decades, one might even say "generations," of experience behind my figuring out how to adapt using my Nikon D3100 with only one (left) hand. If, by chance, you don't understand the difficulty in this challenge, try putting your right hand in your pocket (no fair taking it out and using it momentarily). Then pick up your camera, even if it is a smaller point and shoot, turn it on and take a series of reasonably high quality photos using only your left hand.

As I explained in my post, "First Lessons in Photography As Dialogue," on June 2, 2011, I have been taking photographs at least since I was ten years old. That was over 50 years ago. I was inspired at this early age by the box upon box of glass plate negatives stacked in our basement. They had been taken by my grandfather, A. F. Ewers, Sr.:

A. F. Ewers, Sr, circa 1940

Grandfather had been a botany professor at Harris Teachers College in St. Louis. All of the images I can remember on those negatives, not surprisingly, had a botanical theme of one sort or another. He had owned and used the same Korona V 4X5 view camera with a Zeiss lens which he had obtained (I don't know if he bought it or if it was a gift) when he was twenty years old.

My grandfather's view camera is one of the few things I inherited from him. It is, to this day, one of my most cherished possessions. It still works. I have used it on rare occasions, even once professionally when I needed a view camera. I can take beautiful, incredibly sharp photographs with it:

Korona V 4X5 view camera with Zeiss lens, circa 1895

I would use it more often, but I am concerned about it being damaged without anyway of repairing it. This photo of it was the first photo I took since breaking my arm. Saturday night it seemed the most appropriate subject for this next "first photo."

Taking photos with a view camera is very slow, plodding and methodical; generations removed from the rapid fire, high volume capability of contemporary dSLRs. I realized that by mounting my dSLR on a tripod, as were the view cameras, I can use my digital camera with one hand as if it were a view camera.

Like the view camera, it becomes a very slow, plodding and methodical process; not at all capable of taking a large number of images in a short period of time. After my first attempt, which I posted yesterday, and with a little bit of practice, I am quite certain I will be able to take photos that are every bit as good as those I can take with a late 19th Century view camera.

Think of it as a photographic hybrid. That's exactly how it feels using the technique. And for a photographer with my range of experience, it is an amazingly joyful feeling indeed.