Hit or Miss?

Perhaps I did a silly thing in thinking that I could even come close to the man, but as they say, only those who dare to go too far know how far they can go. Anyhow...I set my sights pretty high for a college project in that I wanted to go to the Isle of Skye in the Highlands and get images in the style of Ansel Adams. My knowledge of him and his work, as well as the respect for his craft grew exponentially during this. My biggest regret is that I didn't have the time (or money for that matter) to actually get in the darkroom to print them. Also due to the weather I wasn't able to get the LF out for all the shots. What I do have is three that I cropped to a 6x9 format. This was because my 6x4.5 MF (backup) battery died and I had to use my Voigtlander Bessa. If you follow the link at the end, it should take you to my personal favorite on my flickr page, and you can find the rest when you get there. There are a few other test shots that I did with my former camera, a Graflex CG, but please pay no attention to those. The camera used for those three shots was a Cambo SC (Rodenstock APO-Sironar-N 210mm) borrowed from the college, shot on Kodak Tmax 100, and developed in Ilford DD-X. My personal view is that I didn't even come close, but I think that the LF images that I came away with, were at least true to the effort.

See them HERE!

Thanks!

Oh I wouldn't worry about trying replicate the flavor of good ole AA. Your shots seem
more dark and brooding, and very suitable to the nature of that coastline. Just be you.
You seem to be on the right track. They're interesting images.

I think your pictures are fine, to aspire to do what some other photographer did really negates your own vision though and you are doing fine. Strive for your own viewpoint and direction, the rest really becomes secondary.To really appreciate any post historical photographer doing LF work you have to do it, darkroom processing, film and paper its what is required to have a frame of reference to the older BW masters like Adams, Weston and Strand. Wether you like thier work or not.

Thanks guys! I never meant to put across that I was going to mimic the man, just kinda setting my sights high to force my brain to understand things that made his images stand out. I had some real fun with a MF during an earlier project and had been 'planning' this trip up to Skye since last December. Financial issues forced the sale of the GCG, which in hindsight would have been a lot better than lugging that Cambo. The shot opposite Kilt Rock was my first ever LF shot with front and rear adjustments.

Probably one of the healthiest things that an aspiring artist can do is to attempt emulation of an acknowledged master. Before trying to do it better, it helps to understand how hard it is to do it well!

Honestly, just go and do what you feel in your gut.

When I started photographing, it wasn't because I was inspired by someone else's photographs. Far from it. I was driving at night under a brilliant full moon, and I was enchanted by how the moonlight touched everything. While I've never been able to capture what I've felt, that doesn't stop me from trying, again and again. It's good to have something definite to aim at.

Trying to make pictures like someone else is a valuable exercise - it will teach how hard it really is (and just how good they actually were), and it will have you veering off to make your won work almost automatically, and very quickly, which is the point.

I like them. I'd agree with the "more dark and brooding comment" and that's fine. There's also nothing wrong with trying to emulate a master whose work inspires you, at least for a while.

Oh, and bear in mind that Adams also shot a fair amount of MF, especially later in life when films were better and he was less enthused about packing around an 8x10 in the wilderness all the time.

Hello,

I think your shots are good. I was in Skye last year and took the almost identical viewpoint to yours opposite Kilt Rock, but yours is much better. I'm following in your footsteps having just bought a Shen Hao. If my early shots match yours I will be very pleased.

Jack