God is in the details — or is it the Devil?

**Heroique** · 2-Jun-2010, 11:32

Originally Posted by QT Luong

When I examine my transparencies under a loupe, I notice from time to time details which escaped me when I was looking at the scene.

I recently re-read QT’s “A closer look at a large format photo” at the LF Home Page, and it occurred to me that it might be fun to share hidden details from deep, deep within our film – details that can impress us, or depress us.

I’d enjoy seeing your discoveries, and hearing your stories…

What I mean are the tiny, dramatic details that enjoy a secret life of their own – well beyond our initial awareness – until a careful (and often belated) inspection of the LF film brings them to our sudden attention, along with an unexpected response – “Well I’ll be, just look at that!”

Details, I might add, that “aren’t there” in the field, but suddenly assert a meaningful presence when, later, you inspect the film under a loupe, or crop or spot scans in Photoshop. Or, maybe your curious viewer discovers them. Maybe these details “aren’t there” until he or she – nose against the print, transparency, or computer screen – searches between the grass blades, and discovers something tiny that strengthens your composition, weakens it, or adds a new, enduring dimension.

What can you share?

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Here’s an example – a Devil in the details. Unhappily, this devil is all too common in my “pristine” landscapes. The closer I look at shots like this, the more often I find him lurking … in the form of trash. This high-elevation mountain creek (Cascade Mtns, Wash. state) could scarcely be more remote. Not a road for miles. Yet here’s what I found in the creek-side debris – construction plywood!

Perhaps there’s a Home Depot at the summit.