Ohio River from the banks of Wesport, Kentucky
I recently started feeling a pull. An uneasiness. Something has been dragging on me. I realized I felt like I had spent years learning and improving my photography, only to abandon it completely. Well, maybe not completely abandon it. I still take photos with my iPhone. But EVERYBODY takes photos with their iPhone (or Android, for you weirdos out there ). Then it started. I went to my photography cabinet (what’s left of it) and started digging through it and pulling out cameras and gear. I dragged it all to the kitchen counter and laid it there.
Looking through everything, I decided I wanted to start shooting film again. I NEED to shoot film again. Looking at my Rolleiflex, which I inherited from my dad when I started photography school, I realized there was already a roll in it. It was only on the first frame! I grabbed my light meter (after finding a new battery for it) and headed out to wander aimlessly around my property to shoot some photos. I don’t even know if the film is any good; it must have been in there for more than 15 years. But I went and shot through all of it. Now, to find a processing place.
Film Older Than My High School Son
Can't Wait To See If These Turned Out
That was a great warm-up, but I wasn’t done yet. I grabbed my Canon 5Ds, camera bag, and tripod, threw it all in the truck, and headed out to wander and shoot. I ended up in Westport, Kentucky, not a 20-minute drive from my house. I parked in the parking lot where the public docks and boat ramps are. I spent over 2 hours wandering around the shoreline and remembering how to change my perspective. The shots got better the more time I spent considering my environment and thinking about my composition.
By the time I was done, I was famished. So I jumped in my truck and went to a little place called Knock on Wood and Country Mercantile. It was such a great little roadside business with delicious food and a great little country store featuring all kinds of locally made products for sale. I had a fried bologna sandwich with pimento cheese on rye, not toasted (seriously, don’t knock it until you have tried it; it was incredible!), and a side of Sweet potato casserole. I ended up taking a slice of banana cream CHEESECAKE home for dessert. I have never heard of it, and since banana creme pie is my favorite, and I love cheesecake, I swear, I was not disappointed. Amazing!
Knock on Wood and Country Mercantile
Total country charm and amazing food and locally sourced wares.
Needless to say, but I will anyway, I got home last night and got right to putting some finishing touches on these so I could share them right away. It felt great to take the time to shoot for myself again. It is the kind of photography I love the most. Creating art that is from my viewpoint, while I am discovering what that viewpoint is in the moment, is food for the soul. And so is a good fried bologna sandwich!
All Images shot on Canon 5Ds with Canon 24-70mm Macro 1:2.8 L USM lens
