Sigh

[Pawlowski6132]

Three boys under 9 = darkroom only after 9pm. Image making outside the house, min one week notice and daily reminders.

[Roger Cole]

What if fall foliage and landscapes DO matter to you?

Not so sure about fall foliage but the landscape does matter to me.

[BrianShaw]

What if fall foliage and landscapes DO matter to you?

Not so sure about fall foliage but the landscape does matter to me.

If it matters THAT much, Roger... either stay single of invest in birth control. But believe me, children enrich ones life and are much more fulfilling than photographing landscapes.

[Roger Cole]

If it matters THAT much, Roger... either stay single of invest in birth control. But believe me, children enrich ones life and are much more fulfilling than photographing landscapes.

Well if you knew my fiance - she's the one who got me back into photography in the first place, she's such a fan of art, and often enough goads me, "dear go to your darkroom and develop some of that film you've been shooting, or make some prints..."

I hear you about children but I think she and I will trade off enough for the other to pursue our own interests at least somewhat.

[BrianShaw]

... but I think she and I will trade off enough for the other to pursue our own interests at least somewhat.

I hope so, Roger. My wife is considerate like that too, but life frequently intervenes - school functions, homework to tutor, chores, home repairs, etc, etc, etc. It all works out though. I'm going to an affair at my kids school this afternoon/evening. Instead of LF landscapes I'll entertain myself with 35mm "street" and informal portraiture instead. We'll all have a great time.

[johnielvis]

wow....too bad---me NO WAY I can plan anything except if it's like meeting someone to shoot their pic...and even then it don't work right the way it does when it's spontaneous.....

it's pretty hard to plan inspiration---like anything else..best to have everything available and have at it when hyou have the opportunity...

me myself..if i had wife/kids...man...I would be following THEM around....hell...I'd probably pester them so much they'd leave me alone like you all seem to need to do any pics....really you're all missinh out on these great opportunities--particularly---got the cam all loaded and ready to go and kids are up...hey...follow them around.

press them in to service...halloween is coming...man...set up a camera and shoot shoot shoot....

[ckeith]

I am very lucky my wife's father has shot 5x7 since before she was born. So she is happy that I have started using a big camera. She thinks a family hike with photo breaks is fun and good exercise, so heading off to the hills with the 8x10 and the 4 year old is encouraged.

[Vaughn]

I have triplets and have always been a stay-at-home dad. I put down the 8x10 at first and took some SX70 images of the boys to satisfy the photo jones. Had lots of fun until the little buggers learned to crawl. It was a little tougher after that!

When the boys were old enough to walk a mile, we would go to the redwoods. I'd have the 8x10 and when I found something I wanted to photograph, I'd break out lunch and make my photo while the boys ate (and stayed in one place). We'd then continue our hike and then head on home. After all, I am not concerned with quantity of images, so one quality image on an outing is very satisfactory.

By the time they were around 6, I could make several photographs as I no longer had to worry about them falling into the creek (or at least I did not worry about them not being able to climb back out) and such. I also started to photograph them, as they could now hold still for the 30 seconds to a minute I needed for the exposures (the record is two minutes).

They are now 14 and I am pleased if they will come with me. We are due for another portrait -- it has been awhile!

Darkroom time is a problem...especially since I do not have one at home. When I was still married I could get a darkroom session in every week -- usually starting at 9pm and going until 7am. Now that I am divorced and I have the boys every other week, no darkroom time when I have the boys, and plenty the weeks I do not have them. This past week I had two all-night platinum printing sessions and am pleased with the results.

I can also go into work early and develop a few negatives -- the boys leave for high school at 7am and I don't start work until 10am.

But basically, I agree with the old saying -- An artist goes to work when the pain of not working gets too much.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Vick, Get an alarm clock that will kick your arse out of bed... and sometimes you just have to be a bit selfish with your time when it comes to your photography.

[Greg Blank]

Fall color I can take or "leave" it

It can be be so intense here. Of the states I have been to in fall, VA, West VA, PA, NY, NH, Maine ....Maryland has fairly consistently stunning Fall Color. A diverse range of Yellow, Red, Oranges. Maybe I just missed the peak color in the other areas. Realistically camping is the best way to do morning landscape imagery, most of the calendar and book stock type landscape stuff is shot by those that do that sort of stuff as a study of the areas and spend more than a quick trip out to there,,, not done on the spur of the moment, although with digital cameras getting better, perhaps less so.

For me many scenic fall pictures that I see versus the ones I am making at this time, are color centeric which is not a recipe for creation of a lasting art statement per say but just income for some. I am not really motivated to one uping some other published photographer, for the following years calendar. I really pity the art directors, that view portfolios and submissions for scenic work, because they see all the over photographed places that I have come to avoid.

So I will seriously say I am very picky about what I do take in color in fall time. Unless it can be translated successfully to my projects either in color or B&W- I will bypass it. The form and shape in light, are what I am trying to achieve and color is 99.99 times the secondary.