​  StepToe Butte State Park Sunset

      Before getting into the Story Behind, at first glance look at the images above, and then below, they are reversed, or “flipped”. The top image is how I choose to present the image to the viewer. The bottom image is the correct orientation in reality at the time the negative was exposed. Why flip the image? A compositional rule I learned back in the ’80s from working pros. We live in the Western Hemisphere and read text from left to right, so to do we “enter” a piece of visual art from the lower left-side. So, the narrow shadow on the left side makes entry into the image easier than the larger shadow mass seen on the right. Also, the larger shadow on the right with a tiny upsweep tends to launch the viewer back around the image, whereas the lesser shadow allows the viewer to simply slide right out of the image as seen in the image below. Not circling back around an image is essentially the exact opposite of what any visual artist strives for. This “flipping” of the negative prior to printing does not degrade the final image at all, but is only possible when there is no printing or signage in the photograph, as the letters would also be reversed. 

     Over the years, particularly between 1985 and 1998 I would travel with close Large Format photography friends to the picturquese wilderness areas of Southwest, almost yearly for dawn to dusk photography expeditions. Early 1999 would mark a point where the photo expeditions took a hiatus for several years. So when a proposed trip to the Pacific Northwest with two close friends and talented photographers began to take shape I was excited for the opportunity. The difference with this trip was I had never traveled for extended periods of time with these two. Previous trips were always with friends more closely aligned in age, photographic interests and similar financial profiles to mine, and always a singular focus on D&D photography…Dawn to Dusk.

     The Palouse, an area in the high country of eastern Washington state is known for lush fields of grass and grain highlighted by shapes and textures. StepToe Butte State Park is an anomaly in these rolling flatlands, shaped like a thimble the land mass rises more than a 1000 ft. from the valley and sits @ 3612 ft. above sea level. Not much more that a parking lot sitting on top offers a 360 degree vantage point and view of the surrounding colorful grasses and wheat fields. Views stretching near 100 miles with only a scattering of man-made structures cluttering the landscape were there to stimulate the creative soul willing to embrace the early light.

     Early in 2013 a trip for late August was planned with two photographers considerably my junior. The first, Joe, at the time possibly still in his late twenties, and likely the most visually gifted photographer I have the pleasure to call a friend. Joe lives only a few hours to the West and would soon begin his 2nd year of grad school seeking an MFA degree in Photomedia @ The University of Washington. The second, Monty, a friend of only 9 years back then and 14 yrs my junior. He was a seasoned professional basketball referee whose work schedule would demand only a narrow window of opportunity each year for a complete absence from the outside world. To further contrast this trio, Joe was still in full time grad school and not yet in a secure job generating a steady income stream. While Monty was at the other end of the spectrum, constant travel for work put him in the best Marriott hotels for more than half of each year, along with financial means that were far beyond the average working man. So, with time getting close to the start of the trip I began to question whether there would be a singular commitment and focus on Dawn to Dusk photography as I was most accustomed too.

     That question would soon be clearly answered. I flew into Salt Lake City, rented an SUV and picked up Monty staying with a referee friend living in a suburb of Salt Lake City. We would pickup our film that was shipped to a local UPS store to bypass the X-Ray hassle at the airport. One more stop for some essentials, throw-away cooler, beer, ice and some pre-packaged food supplies we set out for the long trip up through Idaho and into Washington state before dawn. Stopping only for gas and eating on the fly the plan was to meet Joe at StepToe Butte State Park @ 5:30 the next morning, about a 1/2 hour before sunrise. As it turned out we were ahead of schedule so we stopped at a rest area in northern Idaho around 2 am to catch a few hours of sleep. Seems we still weren’t caught up and kept talking with little time left for sleep.

     Colfax, WA was only about an hour away from our pre-dawn meetup with Joe at the state park. Colfax center was within 15 minutes of StepToe, so we stopped at a convenience store around 5am to get my much needed morning coffee. Pulling into the parking lot there was a lone van in the lot, as I looked inside the well lit but nearly empty convenience store I saw a slender dark-haired man with his back to us…I said to Monty, damned if that isn’t Joe inside ! Once outside the three of us exchanged high fives and man-hugs before heading off to the state park. The incredible sunrise that would soon reveal the shapes and patterns of the Palouse were a prelude to 5 of the best days I’ve had chasing light and landscape with spirited conversation, deep thinking and great friends.

     The wind was whipping as is easily seen in the color cellphone photo. Both Monty and I owned Phillips 7×17″ panoramic cameras, two of only 25 ever designed by legendary camera builder Dick Phillips made in that size. I was using a 600mm lens which demands 24″ of bellows extension. Unfortunately, the unrelenting wind together with that amount of exposed bellows surface the negative and sunrise image seen above is slightly soft, and therefore not useable with my expectations. Wind is likely the biggest challenge with not only Large Format, but in this case, Ultra-Large Format photography. Joe Freeman’s terrific video on those very challenges amongst others are highlighted in his name linked at the end of this Blog.

     This month’s featured image is again from the top of the butte and it’s tiny plateau later that afternoon. The sun was moving fast, I was around to the side and this time over the guard rail and 50 ft. down a steep incline to avoid unwanted foreground clutter. Moving quickly with loose gravel underfoot I was too late for the shadow to be completely symmetrical. The shadow cast is still an impressive triangle with rich shadow detail resulting in a rewarding image. 

     As alluded to earlier in the story, I was worried there may not be a singular focus on dawn to dusk photography as I’d become accustomed too. The question is easily highlighted in the next cellphone photo. 

From the time I picked-up Monty in Salt Lake City on August 25th, meta-data from the cellphone indicates we did not sit down where a waitress could actually take a food order until 1:20 pm on the 4th day ! And then a case could be made, the only reason that happened was because Monty had to change film in the huge film changing tent seen here @ the Brass Rail Bar in Rosalia, Washington…Priceless ! The last cellphone photo is the finaI afternoon together before parting ways. I would continue on to spend another 6 days by myself down in the Utah’s Island in the Sky District. Without these two characters within shouting distance, I would lose an outside force from simply being in the same car and talking about the Why we chose and constructed an image…rather than the How!

     The idea for this month’s image came about because of my research for next time this year to be on a 6 week trip through Yellowstone National Park and up into Glacier NP. Turning back south we’ll head a bit west to the Palouse area for an overnight. As it turns out, the schedule calls for a June 21st stay in Colfax WA. That date is most times the Summer Solstice, and in 2024 it is also a full moon. Occasionally  the setting full moon in the West coincides with the rising sun in the East. On this particular date, June 21st, 2024 the moon will set @ 4:52 am while the sun rises @ 4:52 am ! Planning on some extraordinary photo opps in June 2024. 

     Joe Freeman’s must see video for any photographer titled “Through the Ground Glass” is here. The NBA produced a terrific video on Monty McCutchen’s 20th anniversary, several years ago Monty moved onto Vice President of all Referees and Development in the league office.