Fort Frederica Live Oak…
I draw inspiration and insight on how other creatives approach their craft. I started writing the Story Behind Every Photograph back in 2016, Springsteen’s Stories Behind the Songs came out in 2019, could it be…. LOL
On a sunny day in late November, I’m driving into the Fort Frederica National Monument around 10:00 am. The Springsteen channel is on as it almost always is on satellite radio. As it happened Springsteen’s signature song Born to Run was just finishing up. Soon I’m out of the car walking around the grounds checking for possible images for the next morning when the light would be more to my liking. Born to Run is still fresh in my mind, subconsciously my mind drifts back to Springsteen’s autobiography, aptly named Born to Run. I remembered he wrote about his most famous song, “I wanted to craft a record that sounded like the last record on Earth”… “One glorious noise !”
Never expecting to make a photograph in the harsh light of mid morning, I came upon this setting only a few hundreds yards from the car. As I sketched out a composition in my mind’s eye I saw the huge live oak tree was being backlit and creating a wonderful canopy of filtered light. Piecing together an angle for a shot I saw the light streaks on the grass making an almost perfect circular motion I decided in a moment the image in my mind needed to be made now, @ 10:30 am with the sun high in the sky ! My aversion to making photographs in this type of lighting be damned and I quickly headed back to the car for the camera and backpack. One of the hallmarks of a great image is to lead the viewer back around the image again and again. The perfect leading line and dip in the foreground with the splashes of light seem almost blurred in motion. The motion of those splashes, the direction of the tree limbs together with the soft filtered light would subconsciously circle the viewer back around to enjoy the shapely tree and those “glorious Black & White tones” that were now front and center in my mind.
The lighting conditions could change from a near perfect convergence of composition and filtered directional lighting so the camera was set-up ASAP. Moving the camera to the right and higher on the incline allows the large oak tree to occupy the most powerful part of the composition as well as creating more depth to the depression in the foreground. 
With the camera all focused with a 305mm G-Claron lens I reach for the light meter…and the battery is dead ! How can this be, it’s a brand new battery just a week ago, I open the battery compartment to reseat the battery, no luck…and no spare! I had no choice but to make an exposure based on past experience, just not usually in this type light. I recall filtered highlights like these would come in around an EV (exposure value) of 15. I placed those values 3 stops beyond what Silver papers can reproduce and call for an N-3 development. That development will essentially pull those high values back to a density that Silver gelatin papers can produce detail in the lighter values. The darker values only move down the paper’s scale slightly. The unknown would be if the resulting negative would be too dense because of the large expanse of backlit leaves and hanging moss. The 10:45 am exposure of f 16.5 for 5 seconds proved to be very close to my targeted density with the N-3 development, as a result the neg prints with all the tonalities I’d hoped for. I would discover the way the meter was sitting in the holster forced the meter’s trigger to be constantly engaged. Found a new battery and continued the trip North stopping to see a few dear high school friends along the way.
The Split-Contrast printing technique I use with modern Silver papers allows the less contrasty light falling on the foreground grass to be printed at a much higher contrast relationship adding another dimension to enjoy. While the stronger backlighting coming thru the leaves can be printed with a lower contrast relationship allowing for the very dark tree trunk to reveal some texture and detail. Current Multi-Contrast papers allow that flexibility, where years ago you would have one or the other, but not both.
I remember being very excited once the film was exposed, a bit concerned the battery was dead. Fresh out of the fixer tray this silver print seems almost alive…it’s one of the most exciting photographs I’ve made in recent memory !
Magnificent Steve!
Thanks very much for your time and interest to read the back story. Best wishes for your own photography.
SS
Steve – that is a very interesting and a beautiful image! Having your creative eye assess the scene and go for it was chance, but your mental light meter was genius – spot on.
Hi Marie, Always appreciate hearing from peers who understand the process and challenges of LF photography, thanks very much for your continued interest.
SS
Nicely done!
“Motions in your photo”
I’ve looked at this one before but your backstory and description made me look and see it with a much different vision. I see all your swirls now bright and clear. The way I see it now allows me to enjoy it even more so. I’ve never seen anyone do what you do and so brilliantly. Your explanation and story of how you came to this ending is yet another way into that powerful vision you have and share with so many. Thank you again for that SS.
Hello D,
What strikes me most, and gives me great pleasure is how deeply you are seeing what an image has to offer. That’s the real reward in writing these back stories is to open up new and fresh ways to enjoy visual art.
SS
Astonishing! Your writing is as wondrous as the photo. Truly. Right place. Right time.
Thank You Tim, you always seem to having inspiring words. The reconnection to 1970 has been extra special for me, having my ’70 family take interest in my photography is a reward I didn’t see coming, nevertheless very much cherished !!
SS
As a follow up- just last night I was enjoying an old movie whose protagonist had trouble stepping out from their comfort zone. It was suggested to her to “try on a new hat, she might like it”. This new “hat” fits you well!
Hi Tim,
Thanks for reaching out with these kind and most inspiring words. In my photography world there is no one’s work and presentation I respect more than yours. Many years ahead for both of us !!
SS
Wonderful photograph! It would be very useful to us neophytes to see the progression of work prints until you achieved this superb final version.
Hello Ray, Thanks for your kind words, I did send along a link to my YouTube channel where there are many free videos about how I expose film and ultimately print using a Split Contrast method that is slightly different than the standard Split technique.
Good luck with your own photo interests,
SS
Makes me homesick for the magic of coastal Georgia Islands. Wonderful picture!
Thanks very much for commenting, wish I lived closer, there is much imagery to be made in that coastal area.
SS