RB67 Scan - STILL Trying

Laurence · Expire: 2016-06-19

In person, the highlights hitting the foliage, against the darker waters, was enough to stop me in my tracks.

I was hopeful that I might capture the light values with the RB67, and again the transparency is filled with color!

The scanning here involved basing a "black point" per Alessandro's suggestion, and also a small amount of contrast
increase (+6 in PS). Also pushed some Unsharp Mask
at 35:1:0, and I'm not sure about that part.

This one seems to be getting closer to what I see in the transparency.

One thing that I DO like is the format at 6x7. It seems to be
parallel to the watercolor papers' standard sizes that
I used to paint. To me, the format is pleasing with just enough "rectangular" to keep it balanced.

I've GOT to keep trying, and any comments would be welcome.

Hemlock Sidelights
Mamiya RB67
Mamiya Sekor 140mm macro lens
f:16 and 1/30th
Velvia

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Breath taking !!! Simple perfect to me! A masterpiece ! My English is end ... Embarassed

Laurence · Expire: 2016-06-19

poilu · Expire: 2019-08-29

magical! superb reflections, look like a perfect scan Laurence!

Laurence · Expire: 2016-06-19

Schnauzer · Expire: 2012-03-08

Beautiful shot.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Xpres · Expire: 2014-10-28

Wow... I do believe you've got it! Totally another league.

I'd still be up for sharing slides around but I don't think I can match that with my enlarger lens set up. Confused

trifox · Expire: 2014-05-29

WOW _ WOW

tf

lahnet · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Posts: 1164 Location: Denmark

Laurence · Expire: 2016-06-19

Thanks all of you. I am glad this image is closer to the right track.

Henrik...I wasn't ever a serious photographer until very recently. I took a camera with me to the wilderness, but wasn't as "high" on photography as I was with seeing the beautiful terrain.

So...the photography developed as a result of my traveling in the mountains for all these years.

I started solo hiking when I was age 12, with the blessing of my grandfather. From early childhood, he was my hiking partner, and he was a great and wise man.

For a little background, here is a treatise of how I got started, hopefully folks don't mind if this is a repeat. Don't mind the way it is written, as it was to be an introduction to a book:

Introduction to 44 Offtrail Hikes in the Olympic Mountains
Dedicated to my grandfather, Laurence Amos Smith (Gramps)

I hope you enjoy this group of treks. The areas are fragile and are dear to my heart. I decided not to try to publicly publish these hikes, as I would not be able to forgive myself if the general public was invited to trample these areas. I have remained a bit vague on the route descriptions on purpose, and out of the original 44 vignettes, there are some that I just won’t put on here or anywhere, for fear of trampling and crowding of the fragile areas. I try to concentrate more on the observations than the mileage or detailed routes, although I have included generalized route descriptions for clarity.

The hikes are a sort of “history” of my wonderful times with my grandfather, as well as some accounts with friends. Most of the treks are solo endeavors. Many of the forays have been repeated several times over the years. Some of the hikes came about because of “Gramps” love of the mountains and meadows and lakes. I was lucky enough to have this compassionate and extraordinary man raise me from the age of ten until I was an adult. I miss Gramps intensely, but I also smile when I think of him always “dragging” me up the hillsides. He gave me an irreplaceable gift - the knowledge that the beauty and ecosystem of the Olympic Mountains and other wild places can teach us many things about ourselves and our human role on this planet, as well as being a tangible piece of serenity that acts as a buffer to the harsher realities that life can throw at you.

When I came back from Vietnam, and landed at SeaTac, I was sort of a ”lost” 20 year old young man, not really knowing even what to do or how to act, and the culture shock was "getting to me" already...I had previously landed in Oakland, and was pelted with vegetables there by a protest group! So, I didn't know what the heck to expect at SeaTac. Well....guess what? There was Gramps standing at the concourse with a map in his hands, looking as maniacal as he always looked when in “exploring mode”! This was the absolute best thing that could have happened for me, as his old demeanor brought back instantly all that was truly important to me. He was almost foaming at the mouth, to actually have his grandson/guinea pig back again to drag up some hillside. And even before we hugged, and even though we hadn't seen each other for 25 months, the first words he said: (I'll never forget the words, I have them written down, and I quote - pardon the swearing): "Larry, God damn it, let's get going! Look at this map! I found a really good way to approach those lakes near Mount Anderson. It's kind of steep [sic], but we'll have fun!” The people in the concourse sort of “steered clear” of this gesticulating, grinning man, but I fell into his arms with internal gratitude and pure emotional joy.

He got me going again, and was wise enough to know how to get me back "into the world" again, and to put bad memories of atrocious human violence into their proper perspective. Looking back on his actions, I don't know how anyone could have ever done better than him. He kept me from feeling too sorry for myself, and always gave me a fresh perspective of my feelings.

One more thing about the kind of man Gramps was: When I was a pre-teen, we used to lay on our stomachs over the edge of a bank of the Quinault River. This was a perfect way to view frogs, flowers, fish, rocks, etc., and just talk about the various things we saw, but mostly to talk about life. One day when I was just past my twelfth birthday, while doing our traditional “stomach observing” I told Gramps how I noticed that the breeze had a certain “cold and tangy” smell. He just grinned and said, “I always wondered when you were going to notice that”, and explained how the glaciers and the vegetation all mixed together to form that earth smell. He then said that I was “ready” to go find that glacier source of the Quinault, and gave me permission to go “solo” up to the Anderson Glacier to find that source! It was a turning point for me, and probably for him as well. From that point forward, we often made a reference in conversations to “remember the breeze”, taking us back to those great days of observations and our original conversation.

I was fortunate enough to be able to accompany Gramps in the hardest hike of all -- his last days of life. For several days, we both knew that the inevitable was coming soon. So, he requested “The Maps”, and I pointed out new mountain meadows and worked out new routes for us during those precious hours. I think he might have been in too much pain and too much medication to really take all of it in, but thinking back now, I am inclined to think this was just one more ploy by this “maniac” to keep my spirits high…he was requesting the maps more for my own good than for his!

In his final hour, as he was slipping in and out of consciousness, he opened his eyes and gave a nearly imperceptible squeeze to my hand. I bent down low to listen to him. He squeezed harder and said in a croaking whisper, “Remember the breeze”, gently turned his head aside, and then passed on to the great mountain meadows that awaited him.

I often “talk” to Gramps on my trips to the Olympic Mountains. And yes, the “Remember the Breeze” conversation does come up….what a truly Noble (capitalized on purpose, of course) man he was. What a fortunate guy I am…

Larry

lahnet · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Posts: 1164 Location: Denmark

Thank you

Schnauzer · Expire: 2012-03-08

WOW!!!

I was going to say something about memories, but can't do it. Only can say I understand.