Hello From Drumlin Country (Northern Michigan)

[Phil O.]

I've been away from large format photography for a number of years, and have lately been feeling a stronger tug to get back into it. Life happens, as they say.

I've lurked here off and on for some of those years and at other forums. It has helped to keep that large format spark alive. And I thank all of you who have been a part of this forum during that time.

I've always done a mixture of B&W and color, mostly in 4X5 format. Landscapes in a two county area around my home are my primary interest. I live at the edge of a drumlin field. That's a geologic term for an area of cigar-shaped hills that were formed by glaciers about 9-10 thousand years ago. It makes for a very unique area to photograph in.

J.R.R. Tolkien is quoted as having said something like, "My books are about my delight and wonder of the world as it is, particullary that which is natural." (I'm quoting from memory here) Substitute "books are" with "photography is" and that would pretty well work for me as a statement of what my photography is about.

[vinny]

Hello, Phil. Welcome. I wasn't familiar with the Drumlin term til now. I grew up in Cross Village. Our friend Bill Schwab is having his annual gathering again this summer. Check it out. It's a great opportunity to meet other people who are as crazy as you.

http://photostock2009.com/
vinny

[Phil O.]

Thanks, Vinny. I've added the link to my favorites for Bill Schwabs upcoming gathering. I'm not sure at this point if it will work out for me to be there. But I'd like to if possible.

Crazy? I'm crazy without being into LF photography! LOL

I'm located just southwest of Charlevoix. There are drumlins in southern Emmet county too.

[Joe Smigiel]

Well Phil, you may run into me someday off the Pinney Bridge Road. I'll be the guy with the 1969 RV wetplate darkroom. I've been stompin' around there for about 40 years now whenever I can get away. Maybe see you at Bill's...

Joe

[Peter Collins]

Welcome!

I'm overworked and limited in the amount of time I can give to photography, but I'm grateful to have a job....

I mess with 4x5 B&W and am building a darkroom so that I can develop/print in other-than-winter evenings.

Maybe see you in the north country. It's not far from Ann Arbor!

[Andrew O'Neill]

We've got some of those drumlin fields in Saskatchewan. Hopefully I can find them again this summer with my camera. Welcome to the LF forum!

[Phil O.]

Joe,

I don't recall ever running across you in the Jordan valley, or at least seeing your RV. I generally spend more time photographing the Cedar River, just west of the Jordan River Valley. I did meet up with a medium format photographer from the Tri-Cities area several years ago. It was at O'Brians Pond in the upper valley area. He was using his car roof to stand on to get his shots. The roof was deeply caved in from him doing that!

You may have met Bud Jones though when he was still around. He was a local and active member in the Friends of the Jordan. And a great photographer who focused most of his efforts in the Jordan valley.

It is looking like I'll be unable to make it to Bill's gathering. It's mostly a matter of tight finances more than anything else. But also that I am still in the process of getting reoriented in my large and medium photography. My darkroom is now cleared out from being packed with non-photo storage items. I got out my four 8X10 lenses yesterday to exercise the shutters and found the 240mm to be sticking at the lower speeds.

But slowly and surely it is coming together.


Peter,

It's a drag when it becomes difficult to strike a happy medium with either being overworked or not having enough work. We should all be born rich! For me it's a matter of not having enough work at this time. I work in the building trades as a carpenter and work is sparse at this time, to say the least.

I like your sig line. A good one to remember.

Andrew,

Good to hear of the drumlin fields in your area of Saskatchewan. I love them. I was not aware of them being there. I know of some great fields in Ontario, New York, Wisconsin and Ireland. Would love to explore and photograph the landscapes in some of those areas.

I also get into learning the history of other glacial features in the landscape like kames, eskers, kettles and moraines. It find that it helps in my appreciation of the landscapes I'm photographing by having that personal knowledge, as it gives me a much different perspective on what I'm photographing than I would otherwise have. John Muir was one to know the geology of an area he was in and to have it add to his appreciation of what he was looking at.


Thanks all for the welcome.