Photographs and thoughts on photography and camera collecting
One of the coves has this large patch of tall grass. There’s something about it that fascinates me. I’ve tried to take pictures of it many times and the results have been unsatisfying. I have a similar problem with forsythias. Somehow there’s so much detail that it’s overwhelming. If you get in close you lose the massed grasses, but if you stay farther away you seem to lose something too – although I’m not entirely sure what. I’m reasonably satisfied with this one.
One of the few ‘wildlife’ pictures I’ve taken. I just don’t have the patience for wildlife photography. As I recall this was taken by the lake in the Rockefeller Preserve back in May 2010 – with my then ‘carry everywhere’ camera: a Panasonic Lumix ZS-3.
As long as I can remember I’ve been fascinated by ruins. While I like derelict buildings I’ve always been particularly attracted to stone ruins covered by greenery. I don’t really know where this fascination comes from, but I suspect it’s from watching a movie (possibly something like ‘Jungle Book’) or seeing a photograph when I was a child. I’m also interested in all things “Romantic”: poetry (e.g. Keats, Wordsworth, Shelley), music (e.g. Wagner, Mahler, Bruckner), art (Turner, Constable, Friedrich) etc. so maybe it’s just something in me. These ivy covered remnants of stone buildings in the Leon Levy Preserve were “right up my alley”.
From portraits to surreal scenes that feel as if they were pulled out of some long-lost storybook, the wet plate collodion photography of Alex Timmermans is unlike any we’ve seen or featured before.
Many wet plate photographers prefer to work from their studios, where they have more control over the exposure they are so painstakingly creating, but time and again we’ve seen that some of the most spectacular results come from taking these age-old processes out into the world where their cumbersome nature goes against every trend in photography today.
via Enchanting and Surreal Wet Plate Collodion Photography by Alex Timmermans.
Amazing stuff by Alex Timmermans! You’ve got to like these old film processes. Just look at the camera he uses and follow the link to see the other lovely photographs:
I haven’t taken a sunset picture in a long time. I’d met up with some friends in the city and was returning home. As the train was pulling into Peekskill station I noticed this spectacular sunset. I quickly pulled out the camera and managed to get off a few shots before the train pulled away. These were taken through a rather dirty train window, which may well have given them the slightly hazy look you see here.