Film

Ive been enjoying film lately, trying to find new forms and new outlooks. Back in school, photo 401 is a black and white class. First enlarging session will be tomorrow, new facilities will make this interesting. In the mean time here are these.

This Takes Me to Small Waterfalls

To say exploration is a part of art is an understatement. The proverbial "A great journey starts with the first step" holds true; whether it is the journey to your destination or to your death, along the way we all explore. The youthful exhilaration of wandering into the unknown reminds me of childhood times lost in my backyard. I still yearn for the new, for the not yet seen. Exploration is one of the reasons why I love to startrail. The travels to far places under the flow of the moon hints at times when sailors would only be able to gain their bearing from the stars. I like to think that all of my good photos come from when I go the distance, more literally than figuratively. It forces me to take in all this new information and sort it out in a beautiful way to capture. I try and put the magic of discovery into my photos. And I try to put the time it takes to get these places in as well. It took several hours to get to this place below, traveling up and down the same road four or five times was a big chunk of that time. When I noticed a jeep parked alongside the road, and the narrow opening in the foliage across from it, I chanced yet another short jog into the woods to find what I was looking for. It made me realize that it's not just the places with signs, and directions, or predetermined guesses that make a location magical. It's that feeling you get when you know youre somewhere youre suppposed to be. It's transcendental like the earth is speaking to you, "Stop, look at me. You may never be back and I may not look the same," and you oblige. You breathe and touch, your eyes flash from highlights of interest to shadows of curiosity and an aura of happiness moves through you. Discovery truly is magical. My, I didnt even realize I had typed this much already. It was meant to be a short blurb of this trip but it seems my emotions have gotten the better of me. Here are some photos of a recent exploration: