Large Format Landscapes

[Vaughn]

Interestingly, it is sometimes promoted as a "land shaped by fire," in reference to the lava flows, but it has also been the site of a significant wildfire each of the past two summers. Of course they didn't burn in the Devil's Homestead, a natural firebreak!

Great image...as are the ones in your blog.
Photographing there in the winter, one can retreat to the tubes for a little warmth (and the reverse in the summer!).

Lava Beds is an interesting place to explore...especially in the winter. Not quite my backyard as it is a 300 mile drive (West, then North). It has been too long since I was over there. I have only made a handful or so trips to photograph there starting around the late 80s, including taking my boys out there.

If one wishes to photographically represent a Place, Lava Beds NM is challenging. There is variety; some extremes, but mostly subtle. I have some 16x20 B&W prints from 4x5 around here somewhere. If one can get up and out in the early winter hours, the frost on the landscape is fun to work with. Out of visual habit (my biases formed photographing in dense woods), most of my images tend not to be of the grand landscape. That is...I photograph where my eyes are likely to come to rest. And where I come to rest is often in front of a grand landscape, camera down, and enjoying the subtle changes in the light. Plenty of exceptions, too.

Skull Cave Ceiling
8x10 carbon print

Pictographs, Lava Beds NM
Two Type 55 negatives, Silver gelatin print

[MultiFormat Shooter]

Intrepid 4x5 camera, Caltar 150mm f/5.6 lens, Ilford HP5 Plus film, f/11, 60 minutes exposure, Tunnel View of Yosemite National Park under full moon light.

I guess I'm a little late to the party, but this is absolutely stunning.

[h2oman]

Great image...as are the ones in your blog.
Photographing there in the winter, one can retreat to the tubes for a little warmth (and the reverse in the summer!).

I've certainly taken advantage of the latter!

Lava Beds is an interesting place to explore...especially in the winter. Not quite my backyard as it is a 300 mile drive (West, then North). It has been too long since I was over there. I have only made a handful or so trips to photograph there starting around the late 80s, including taking my boys out there.

I'll get out there this winter if my wife ever takes a day off from skiing, so that I can use our Subaru! There is some kind of shrub out there that, when dead, looks kind of like an ocotillo in form. There are a bunch of burned ones that would be interesting with some snow on the ground.

If one wishes to photographically represent a Place, Lava Beds NM is challenging. There is variety; some extremes, but mostly subtle. I have some 16x20 B&W prints from 4x5 around here somewhere. If one can get up and out in the early winter hours, the frost on the landscape is fun to work with. Out of visual habit (my biases formed photographing in dense woods), most of my images tend not to be of the grand landscape. That is...I photograph where my eyes are likely to come to rest. And where I come to rest is often in front of a grand landscape, camera down, and enjoying the subtle changes in the light. Plenty of exceptions, too.

Skull Cave Ceiling
8x10 carbon print

Pictographs, Lava Beds NM
Two Type 55 negatives, Silver gelatin print

I haven't seen the petroglyph photos before, but remember the cave roof. Here is an effort at that sort of thing, that falls a bit short. I'll go back and give it another try sometime. I do have one of those pointing the camera down images, but haven't developed that sheet of film yet!

[Vaughn]

...I haven't seen the petroglyph photos before, but remember the cave roof. Here is an effort at that sort of thing, that falls a bit short. I'll go back and give it another try sometime. I do have one of those pointing the camera down images, but haven't developed that sheet of film yet!

The pictographs (they are painted rather than chisled) are at Symbol Bridge Cave, I believe. Big Painted Cave is on along the same trail near Skull Cave.

For the cave ceiling image -- that was an 8x10 with a 300mm lens, pointed about 70 degrees up from level along the trail inside the cave...at one of few spots wide enough to sneak in a tripod without someone tripping on it. Deep enough in that it was a long exposure.

[newtorf]

Thanks!

I guess I'm a little late to the party, but this is absolutely stunning.

[newtorf]

Thanks, Martin. Yes the star trails and snow really add points to this scene. Only wish I was here one day earlier, then there would be more snow on the trees!

Fabulous shot.

The star trails are pretty cool too.

Martin

[newtorf]

I hope this story would encourage more large format photographers to explore the option of night photography!

Perhaps the first succesful one Compliment for HP5+ too

[Steven Ruttenberg]

This image is a bit unsettling. At first it looks like the developer or developing process went rogue. In reality, this is the cloud structure. Used an astronomy software called PixInisght to smooth out some of the grain in this long exposure.

Tmax100, 4x5 Chamonix 45H-1, 75mm Nikkor f/4.5 at f/4.5. Scanned on Epson V850.



As an aside, this was a particularly violent storm.

[kmallick]

^ Thats awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping at the same time. Bravo!

[Steven Ruttenberg]

^ Thats awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping at the same time. Bravo!

Thank you!