Hidden World Imagery

One of the last couple of images I was able to create on my 2007 trip to Joshua Tree. When I scanned the 4x5" negative, and looked at the initial results, I was horrified to see a small narrow black line in the sky. It is not unusual to see small white specs- these typically represent dust settling on the negative before it is scanned, and is easily corrected. A black line, however, represents a scratch, and a scratch in the sky portion of a landscape negative is almost a death sentence to the resulting analog print. The print can be carefully "spotted" with retouching dyes to correct imperfections, but a black line in the sky will be extremely difficult to correct. I used the "clone stamp" tool in photoshop to remove the scratch for this version. I liked the image, and hated not to be able to display it, at least here on the web page. I may give in, do a drum scan of the negative, digitally spot out the scratch, and see if I can have it successfully digitally printed. Ugggh.

Barker's Dam, situated in Joshua Tree National Park is an unusual area. Surrounded by stone walls, the visitor feels almost like he is in a large amphitheater. During times of rain, water collects here, and forms a shallow pond. Early settlers built a small dam in an attempt to retain the precious water, though no water was here when I visited. I arrived at dawn and was the only person here, the day of my visit. I set up my camera, and waited for the rising sun to spill over the walls behind me, and light up the large cliff face in the background. Shortly after the photo, a large bank of clouds, which had been rolling across the sky, finally blocked the sun for the duration of my visit.

Taken at sunrise, on Sunday morning, November 19th, 2007, Joshua Tree National Park.

As you drop down into the Pinto basin, following the road east, down through Wilson canyon, you come across Cholla Cactus Garden. This area, of aproximately 1 square mile, contains a surreal abundance of Teddy Bear Cholla Cactus, which gleams brightly in the morning and late afternoon sun. The silvery spines provide the cactus with protection from the harsh desert heat, and also serve as a painful "do not eat" reminder to animals. This image was taken facing east, shooting directly into the sun, as it peeked over the Coxcomb mountain range.

Ebony 4x5 field camera, 150mm Rodenstock Sironar-N lens. F32 and 1/2 second of exposure on Ilford FP4+ film. Stand developed for 41 minutes in Pyrocat-HD 1:1:150 @ 68 degrees.

At the local gardening center this odd plant was labled as a "coral cactus", but after doing a little research on the Internet, I've learned it is actually commonly called a "Cristata" (Euphorbia lactea).

"This is an unusual cristate form that grows laterally as fan shapes densely covered with golden spines. Cristate forms generally occur when injury occurs to the plant at a young age. As a reaction to the "injury", the cells at the tip of the branch where growth occurs begin to multiply at a much faster rate and the normal growing tip "goes crazy", creating fantastic whorls and fans." (www.absolutelycactus.com)

Image created on Ilford FP4+ film, stand developed in Pyrocat-HD 1:1:150, 40 minutes @ 70 degrees. Ebony 4x5 field camera, 150mm Rodenstock Sironar-N lens. F64 and 32 seconds of exposure. Yellow/Green filter. Photo showing the setup of this picture here.

At 280 feet below sea-level, you can't get much lower than this in the United States! Alluvial deposits from the Black Mountains merge with the the Badwater salt flats while a wispy cloud veil materilaizes from the North.

Image created on Ilford FP4+ film, developed in Rodinal 1:50, 15.5 minutes @ 68 degrees. Ebony 4x5 field camera, 90mm Rodenstock Grandagon lens. F32 and 1/2 second of exposure. Red25 filter.

Northeastern view of sand dunes with the Grapevine Mountains in the background. Photograph taken at daybreak in Death Valley, October, 2006.

The quiet beauty is deceiving, as the harsh arid environment can be fatal for the unprepared. Journals from the "lost 49ers", who sought a shorcut west to the gold fields of northern California, detail the tribulations of traversing these barren landscapes. Many perished near here, and it was still a long trek west before they would encounter the Sierras, and an escape from dehydration and starvation.

"Five days they traveled, without finding water, and small supply they took along had been consumed. For lack of water they could not eat or sleep. The oxen gathered round the little fire and seemed to beg for water, they had no cud to chew unless it was the cud of disappointment." -William Lewis Manly, "Death Valley in 49' "

Image created on Ilford FP4+ film, stand developed in Rodinal 1:100, 53 minutes @ 68 degrees. Ebony 4x5 field camera, 300mm Nikkor M lens. F22 and 1 second of exposure.

A southwestern view of the Black Mountains, part of the Amargosa Range, photographed from Twenty Mule Team Road, Inyo County, California.

In the late 19th century, Borax was discovered in the ancient dry lakebeds of Death Valley, and that find spawned the Harmony Borax Works. Twenty mule teams pulled wagon loads of Borax 165 miles to the railroad in Mojave, which was quite a feat, considering the arduous terrain and harsh desert climate. The scene pictured here was not the main Borax mining site in the valley, but does derive it's name from the 20 mule team wagons that crossed the desert nearby. Up until the 1950s, a boarding house, used by the Borax miners and Teamsters, was situated along the dirt road through this area, and can be seen in Edward Weston's famous 1938 image, taken nearby.

Image created on Ilford FP4+ film, stand developed in Rodinal 1:100, 52 minutes @ 68 degrees. Ebony 4x5 field camera, 150mm Rodenstock Sironar-N lens, and polarizing filter. F32 and 1 second of exposure.

Encompassing an area comprised of nearly 9000 acres, Raven Cliffs Wilderness Area is located northwest of Cleveland, Georgia, in White County. Perhaps the most popular hiking trail in the area follows Dodd's Creek for 2.5 miles to Raven Cliffs. Along this trail are numerous waterfalls, cascades and pools, one of which is pictured here.

This photo was taken on a beautiful September 2006 weekend on an outing with other members of APUG (Analog Photography User's Group).

Image created on Ilford FP4+ film, stand developed in Rodinal 1:100. The camera used was an Ebony 4x5, and I believe I used a 150mm Rodenstock Sironar-N lens. F22 and about 22 seconds of exposure.

The ruins pictured here are all that remains of Houston Mill. Originally the site was constructed to serve as a corn mill by Major Washington Jackson Houston, in 1876. Later, the grist mill was converted into Dekalb county's first hydro-electric plant, with the creation of Decatur Light, Power and Water Company in 1900.

The mill pond, behind the small dam, was frequently used as a swimming hole during the hot summer months. In this photo, water can be seen gushing from a breach in a water diversion tunnel in front of the dam. The skeletal iron remains of the old bridge that once allowed access across the creek can also be seen.

The Houston Mill House, situated nearby, was built in 1922 by Harry J. Carr, and served as an entertainment center and dance hall for the local community. The house still exists, and is now functioning as the “hospitality and entertainment center” for Emory University.

This image was created on Ilford FP4+ film, stand developed in Rodinal 1:100. An Ebony 4x5 field camera, with a Rodenstock 90mm Grandagon lens was used. I think the exposure was 7 seconds at F22. Photo taken in the summer of 2006.