Unrestricted Negetives

But the one thing that has eluded me all these years was depicting a sense of nostalgia or memory. Adding more emotional resonance to the final image, as opposed to a calender shot. My emotional response truly conveyed. 

In my dark room days I experimented with so many things... Polaroid transfers, cyanotype... various alternative process that would attempt to portray, at least for me, a more intuitive interpretation of my observations. But these approaches are not practical for me, a family guy, a father, work and life commitments. They are too time consuming for me now. 

If my intent on a final image was a surreal pinhole of an abandoned building, when I was ready to shoot I found my subject and final vision would be better captured as a 35mm or perhaps a 2 1/4. My solution to this dilemma, digital. 

Even as a child I have always been drawn to things that could catapult me back to a time, postcards of my Grandfather's from France, paintings of rural California from the early 1900's, a memory or feeling of timelessness. 

Some years ago I worked for a large format digital printer manufacturer and was fortunate to have resources available that were shall we say, affordable to a non-professional family guy - I experimented with scans of my images appreciating the value of not having to completely prepare for a final image, not having to set up for a limited amount of time I had available for darkroom work. But I didn't always feel the quality was equal to a "true" printed image.

My love for the outdoors, nature, scenery has always been a part of me. Hiking, backpacking, mountain biking have always been a part of my life style. I got into ultralight backpacking long ago (before it was called ultra-light, we just wanted to go as far as we could with the very lightest load we were willing to carry) all have been a life long passion. 

I determined years ago I am a minimalist by nature. Digital photographs have become the way for me to achieve my final vision. I create "negatives" with every shot, no longer burdened with preparation of final processing. Sure I see ahead and envision what the final result will be, but I am no longer confined to the choice if I decide to change my mind. No more return trips just to get that one elusive shot in a different medium. The choice is now at the end. The final vision is sometimes like opening a treasure chest, you never know what you may find! 

The Dance

I feel it returning

My trip to Northern Arizona was very revealing in many ways. Due to life's curve balls it has been a few years since I have snapped the shutter with any real sense real intent aside from capturing a family function or personal life moment. I thought that I had lost most, if not all, right brain process. Please understand I'm not referring to true brain function merely the desire to pursue such activities. My ability to "see" simply vanished overnight. Simple things such as a colorful sunset or light reflecting off the ocean stopped capturing my attention. Once life's dust had settled and the trauma subsided I began to see things uniquely again... little by little shape, form, repetition, color all began catching my eye again but I continued onward analytically. Not entertaining creative thoughts. It was the subconscious thoughts were ready to override linearity and analytic's. See what is there and capture what you feel...

Grandeur 

Revelation