Newsletter No. 96: July, 2013
© Chris Harris. All rights reserved.
CONTENTS:
1. When Nature Calls: Be sure to have your camera!
2. A Photograph can be more than just a Photograph: A way to capture it.
3. Big Bear Ranch: How I photographed the “white wave”.
4. The Potato Planting Story: Documenting a deep connection with the land
5. The Story Behind the Image: How a sandwich changed my perspective.
6. In Memory of pilot Sid Blackwell: A huge contributor to his family, his community, and the aviation legacy of his beloved Chilcotin.
Hi everyone,
It’s been another exciting four weeks and I’d once again like to share some of the highlights with you.
I have photographed organic farms and ranches, an adventure float trip down the Swift River in a tiny raft, the coastal rainforest in the Bella Coola Valley, and with the help of horses, the volcanic landscape of the Itcha Mountains.
On each of these photographic adventures, I have had the immense pleasure of meeting a rich diversity of fascinating people, listening to their stories, and sharing their connection with the land.
As a photographer, I feel inspired and committed to building a body of work that captures their lifestyles as well as their sense of place here in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast region of B.C.
I hope you enjoy the stories and the photographs, and feel inspired yourselves to connect with nature through photography, painting, music, or by just sitting under a tree, watching the pollinators fly by.
Our goal at the Chris Harris Gallery is to share the creative process. Please share this Newsletter with friends. Thank you.
1. When Nature Calls: Be sure to have your camera!
With the help of Wanda and Roger Williams and 23 amazing horses, I have just completed a 7 day trail ride through the volcanic landscape of the Itcha Mountains. It was an incredible trip; wonderful weather, not many bugs, great people, lots of wildlife, and staggering beauty.
I will be sharing more photographs and stories from this trip in future Newsletters, but I’m going to start with a story from the very last night of the trip.
The trip ended with a celebration supper at Wanda and Roger’s Six Mile Ranch. After a few beers and lots of laughter, Rita and I retreated to a small guest cabin for the night.
Thinking that the trip was over, my camera gear was packed safely away in my truck. I should know better!
I was tired but I couldn’t sleep. At 1 am I needed to pee, so, with not much more than my birthday suit on, I stepped out onto the ranch. Looking up, I saw raw beauty coming from the land I had just left earlier that day.
It was a struggle, but fortunately I found the energy to tramp across the ranch to my truck, retrieve my camera and tripod, and return to our cabin to set up.
1 AM: Looking toward the Itcha Mountains
Notes on composition & technique: With the sky being the centre of interest, I used a wide angle lens and aimed upwards to capture as much sky as I could while keeping the trees in the picture frame for context. I placed the deepest yellow (where your eye goes first) right of centre to balance with the trees and the direction of the clouds. Unfortunately I did not have my cable release, so had to hold the shutter release down with my finger over a period of 66 seconds. That caused camera shake and is the reason the trees are not tack sharp. Damn it!!
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 200; 66 sec; f-2.8; 16-35mm lens at 16mm; on a tripod |
Two hours later I needed to get up again…thank goodness! The beauty continued.
3 AM: Looking toward the Itcha Mountains
Notes on composition & technique: In this image the clouds seem to stretch directly upwards with their own sense of balance and symmetry. Once again I did not have my cable release, so had to hold the shutter release down with my finger. The trees are sharper in this image due to the shorter exposure time of 38 seconds.
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 200; 38 sec; f-2.8; 16-35mm lens at 16mm; on a tripod |
Two hours later I needed to get up again…thank goodness!! Sunrise had just begun.
5 AM: Looking toward the Itcha Mountains
Notes on composition & technique: This most impressive cloud formation was so vast, I felt that a single exposure would not do the scene justice. I therefore captured this images as a panorama comprising two images. In this composition I placed the brightest part of the sky left of centre because our eyes are being drawn upwards and to the right. The trees are now tack sharp due to the faster exposure time.
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 100; 1/15 sec; f-13; 16-35mm lens at 16mm; on a tripod |
Thinking back; thank God I had those three celebratory beers that had me getting up every two hours!
2. A Photograph can be more than just a Photograph: A way to capture it.
Walking through the old growth Ancient Forest is a powerful experience, but how to photograph it in a way that expresses those inner feelings?
The image below is a straight forward documentary style photograph based solely on the principals of good composition. When I look at it today, two months after making the image, I don’t pick up on any of the feelings I felt while in that forest. I get the feeling that it is just another rainforest photograph.
Just a photograph
Notes on composition & technique: In this composition I felt that the simpler left half of the image dominated by the two largest tree trunks balanced with the more complex right half with its much darker tree trunk and very bright deciduous leaves. That said, I feel the image as a whole still works.
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 200; f-22; 1/2.5 sec; 24-105mm lens at 60mm; on a tripod |
The Ancient Forest is unique on the Planet Earth (on its way to becoming a World Heritage Site) and I could feel why it was such a special place. Wanting to be more expressive, I forced myself to stop, and to think deeply about what I wanted to express, rather than just walking through the forest taking pictures.
Exquisite, intangible, subtle, light, diffuse, rarefied, and ethereal are words I might have used to describe what I was looking at. To help stir my imagination, I looked at my “Visual Presets” sheet (something I am developing and will be sharing in future workshops) and decided what approach I would take to express myself.
I changed the composition slightly and made the following image.
More than just a photograph
Notes on composition & technique: To create a more ethereal feeling. I made a multiple exposure of three; two in focus at f-22, and the third at f-2.8 and completely out of focus. Note how your eye extensively and continuously explores the entire picture space without wanting to leave it. That is the goal of good composition.
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 200; f-22; 24-105mm lens at 58mm; on a tripod |
The effort to visualize more expressive ways of making photographic imagery is always worth it. Strive to push beyond the default documentary approach.
3. Big Bear Ranch: How I photographed the “white wave”.
Recently, I visited the certified organic Big Bear Ranch as part of an ongoing photographic assignment. Rainer and Gigi Krumsiek welcomed me, and then gave me a tour of their operations, explaining how they adhere to their basic philosophy of “holistic balance” between land, plants, animals, and people. It was educational, encouraging, and inspirational.
I don’t often see a picture of myself at work, but when Rainer sent me this photograph, I asked him if I could use it to explain my approach to photographing such assignments.
When on the move and shooting action, there is no time to use a tripod. As you can see, I carry two camera bodies, both strapped over my shoulder with Blackrapid camera straps. One is my full frame Canon EOS 5D MkIII with a 24-105mm lens, and the other my EOS 50D with a 70-200mm lens. In this way I can be highly mobile and have quick access to a broad range of focal lengths.
At work, following the ‘white wave’
By following Florian and Stefanie Krumsiek, I was able to capture the action; including the ‘white wave’!
The “white wave” of organic, free range chickens
Notes on composition & technique:
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 200; f-8; 1/350 sec; 24-105mm lens at 24mm; handheld. |
You can read all about the Krumsiek family and their organic Big Bear Ranch here. Having purchased some of their organic grass fed beef, Rita and I can vouch for the results of their passion.
4. The Potato Planting Story: Documenting a deep connection with the land.
When I went out to the Horse Lake Community Farm to photograph the planting of potatoes, I had no idea I was about to witness a ‘classic’!
With their 1953 International Tractor and 1920 International Harvester potato planter, Greg and Jack loaded the ‘planter’ with another box of potatoes.
Preparing to plant
Notes on composition & technique: By shooting at a focal length of 16mm, I was able to give context to the whole planting operation.
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 800; f-16; 1/250 sec; 16-35mm lens; handheld |
Planting
Notes on composition & technique: Once again, by using a wide angle lens and by running alongside the tractor, I am able to compose an image that emphasizes the story I was trying to tell.
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 800; f-11; 1/250 sec; 16-35mm lens; handheld |
Details of the 1920 ‘planter’
Notes on composition & technique: To continue telling the story, I moved in close to show how this ingenious machine picked up one potato at a time in preparation for planting.
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 800; f-8; 1/400 sec; 16-35mm lens; handheld |
Efficiency. Planting one potato at a time
Notes on composition & technique: Still running behind the planting machine, I wanted to show how a single potato was neatly planted and covered over with earth. I was composing imagery to tell a story.
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 800; f-8; 1/250 sec; 16-35mm lens; handheld |
The silent supervisor!
Notes on composition & technique: At first sight, my main subject and storyline was about the dog, but when I noticed the inside of the old truck, I decided to include its classic characteristics as well.
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 400; f-11; 1/250 sec; 16-35mm lens; handheld |
Another method of planting one potato at a time
Notes on composition & technique:
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 800; 1/640 sec; f-11; 24-105mm lens; handheld |
The final touch
Notes on composition & technique: By positioned myself, I have Jack in the lower left, while emphasizing the dynamic oblique lines (including the row of potatoes he was covering).
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 800; f-16; 1/320 sec; 24-105mm lens; handheld |
Thanks to Jack and Greg for making this one of my most fun photo shoots ever!
5. The Story Behind the Image: How a sandwich changed my perspective.
While shooting a coastal rainforest (as opposed to the Ancient Forest in the Interior rainforest above) in the Bella Coola Valley, I happened upon an unexpected perspective.
While shooting, Rita offered to go back to the truck and make us a sandwich. When she returned, we sat down under a huge cedar for protection from a drizzling rain. After my first bite, I looked up and simply said “wow”. I instantly knew that the contrast offered by the overhanging branches above me, was providing me an opportunity to make one of the best images of the morning.
The sandwich was delicious and most welcoming, but to be honest, I couldn’t wait to gobble down my sandwich and start photographing in case the light changed! Fortunately, Rita knows me well and understands my passion, so was not offended!!
The benefit of sitting down on the job!
Notes on composition & technique: My biggest challenge was getting low enough to the ground at the base of the tree I was under to even make this composition. It was a simple exercise of balancing light and dark along with the placement of vertical cedars in the background.
EOS 5D Mark III; iso 200; f-22; 3 sec; 24-105mm lens; on a tripod |
It was another learning experience about how important it is get away from just shooting from eye level, and to search for new and fresh perspectives.
6. In Memory of pilot Sid Blackwell: A huge contributor to his family, his community, and the aviation legacy of his beloved Chilcotin.
While writing this Newsletter, I heard the sad news that Sid Blackwell had left us as a result of cancer.
Sid, along with his wife Cora, were featured bush pilots in the book Flyover which was written by Sage Birchwater and photographed and published by myself this past year.
Both Sid and Cora had pilot licenses before they had driving licenses, and they both played a huge role in Chilcotin aviation history.
Sid flew Sage and I several times during the creation of Flyover, including an incredible six hour flight over the Anahim Volcanic Belt, the central coastline, and back over the Coast Mountains. It was an experience we will never forget.
Sage, Rita and I all feel privileged to have played a role in preserving Sid’s story, within the greater story of Cariboo Chilcotin aviation.
Sid is survived by his wife Cora, and son Angelo.
Sid Blackwell