Thanks! There is something very therapeutic about wandering around in Zion.

Thanks Courtney! I believe part of the disconnect I have with the last photo is that the film doesn't do the scene justice. It strays too far from reality, and as a result, the final photo doesn't give me the same feeling I had when I was there. I did however try converting that photo to B&W using a green filter, and it was a very strong image. That's something for me to perhaps pursue next year. Thanks as always for watching and commenting Courtney.

Even though it's a bummer when the shots don't turn out, we sure learn a lot more from those experiences than when things turn out great. It's a bitter pill to swallow at times, but it sure makes us better photographers in the long run.

I've tried to photograph scenes like that a couple times through the years, and it's a tough one even with very good light because of the depth of field. I'm sure I'll be able to make it work at some point though.

Thanks Simeon! This is the third time I've tried to photograph a scene with the leaves set against the stones, but it's a really tough one. The light wasn't great this time around, but even if it was good, the DOF and focusing are very difficult on large format. I'll nail it one of these days though. That boxelder tree at the end never really sees better light this time of year. Even though it looks amazing with the fall color, I do wonder if there are some times more during the summer/spring months when there is a great glow in that canyon. It also looks very good in black and white, so that too is an option for next year.

Yep I love that one too.

That was a tricky scene because it looks really three dimensional on the ground glass, but the final image wasn't anything like I was expecting. That's the tricky thing about shooting large format. You have a very 3D sort of experience setting up the shot, but the resulting photo sometimes falls short.

I agree, like that maple with the sandstone background. Maybe with a bit of tweaking Ben you might change your mind.

Thanks Scotty! Although we would all love to capture portfolio grade shots every day, that is far from reality. The lessons we learn on the good days are far less valuable than the lessons we learn on those days when things don't go as well as we had hoped. You'll see a bit more of the vandalism in next week's video. It is truly sad to see how people treat this park.

Thanks Craig. It was a really cool subject, but I sure wish the lighting was more dynamic. That deep canyon never really sees any strong reflected light this time of year though.

@@BenHorne I understand wanting better light. Lately, I have missed dynamic light and weather. It seems like it knows when I have to work and cannot drop everything to go out with my camera. And I seem to be lacking inspiration as well as motivation to photograph and film. Your videos are helping me get through this time. Thank you for sharing. Peace and Safe Travels.

Thanks Daniel!

Thanks Mike! I think black and white would have worked well for some of the subjects that day. There were some wonderful textures, but the light just wasn't great for slide film. I knew I was pushing it at the time, but it at least felt great to expose a bit of film.

Thanks Simon. It really is a great tree, but also so very difficult to photograph. I experimented with a B&W conversion using a green filter, and it really brought that scene to life. Perhaps next year.

Thanks Andrew! It really is a wonderful scene, but I think it will do even better with black and white film. I experimented with a B&W conversion of the film scan with a green filter and it had a great look to it.

Thanks Paul!

They really are a great subject. There are a couple other trees down in those canyons with similar roots, and they stop me in my tracks every time. I suspect it's more of a B&W sort of subject, so perhaps this is the motivation I need to learn that side of things.

Thanks Bennett! I think some of the frustration comes from the film being pretty far from reality with its rendering of the scene. I love it when a photo I take gives me the same feeling as when I was standing there, and that's why I try to keep the images very true to the scene. That all being said, I experimented with the scan in photoshop and converted it to B&W with a green filter, and that scene really came alive. It gives me some ideas for when I return next year.

Agreed.

Thanks Richard. I think my issue with that one is the dominant diagonal that I didn't notice while setting up the photo. It's really tough to describe, but when I was looking at the ground glass, the image was so 3D and beautiful, but when I saw the film, it was nothing like what I saw. Large format is really tricky that way when you use a shallow DOF. I'll see how my perception of that photo changes with time, but it's still tough for me to get over how it looks nothing like what I was trying to achieve.

Thanks Robert! It really is tough sometimes when the light is flat. I really do need to get back into B&W because there is a lot more potential for B&W film for those situations when the light isn't great for color. Maybe 2021 will be the year I start going down that road. We'll see.

Thanks Russ! I really hope it's much quieter next year as well. I'll be back in Zion this winter when the crowds should be significantly reduced, but we'll see. It's always nice to have an excuse to revisit a location though, especially when you already have a shot in mind.

Thanks Mark. We'll see how it goes with time. I think the last scene would definitely benefit from B&W with a green filter, but we'll see.

Thanks Linda! I really enjoy revisiting locations, so that's why I always try to sneak those into the videos so people can see how they change as well. On the note of that tree, I stood in the exact same spot as when I shot the photo of it last year, and I noticed how the tree had grown quite a bit. The same composition I used last year wouldn't have worked well this year. That's also why I probably didn't think to shoot that tree in the years leading up to last years trip. I'm sure that tree would have been two small in those years. It really is impressive how fast that tree grows even though that canyon is sometimes a violent torrent of deep water.

Thanks for the comment! I actually did something somewhat similar so I'll be covered next time this happens. Having to break the window was definitely an unpleasant experience, and I definitely don't want to repeat it.

Hi Paula! I tried playing with the scan of that boxelder tree, but nothing I did seemed to make the color version better. That being said, it looked very nice when I converted it to black and white with a green filter. The leaves stood out wonderfully against the sandstone, and the twisted roots looked wonderful. That's certainly an idea for next year. It might also see some really nice light in the summer months, but the leaves would be vivid green rather than the yellow/green mix. It's certainly a subject to return to either way though. The topic of ad free is a tricky one. There was a lot of negative feedback when KZfaq announced their new policy, so I don't think it will be rolled out in full force. I suspect it will only be applied to certain situations. The main reason I shut off the ads is because I didn't like the negative impact they have on the process of creating the videos. With ad revenue, you are rewarded for creating clickbait videos that attract a lot of attention, and everything else falls between the cracks. I didn't like that pressure, so I just shut them off. Just keep in mind that if you don't run ads, your channel will not grow very much at all. I don't know exactly how they do that, but it severely limits the growth of a channel. Your thoughts about not filming in certain areas and instead doing an alternative presentation where I tell the story of the trip is something I have thought of as well. A format like that would also take some weight off my shoulders (both literal and metaphorical) in the field which would be nice. When it comes to permits for filming, there is a HUGE gray area. The current permit system is rooted more in commercial productions where the is a film crew, props, actors, etc that would interfere with the wilderness experience of others. Now with KZfaq, the need for a film crew and all that is no longer necessary, so it doesn't interfere with the experience of others, but there is a wider variety of people filming videos. There are those who do not have monetized channels and film it for fun, and there are those who make hundreds of thousands of dollars in ad revenue from youtube. Where is the line drawn? If a person is making that much money from that large of an audience, they have a large impact on visitation with the park, so I do think there should be a permit process. But what about those in the middle? In my case, I don't make anything from ad revenue, but I do receive voluntary contributions from people that aren't tied to specific videos or locations. It's a very tricky situation for sure, and I would love to see a clear and concise permit system rolled out that works with the current way of doing things. The permit fees in place now are meant more for commercial productions, so they are quite high and also require advance notice and specific dates of access to the park. Both of those would be prohibitive for me.

Thanks Frank. We'll see how they sit with me after some more time has passed, but I think the key to that scene is actually black and white. I converted the scan to black and white with a green filter, and that scene is like magic.

@@BenHorne One of the great benefits we have today is the ability to put the image in the digital domain and then use tools such as Photoshop to handle monochrome conversion while also allowing us to apply a truly limitless selection of color filters a posteriori to enhance tonal separation. I'm absolutely convinced that were Ansel still living, he would be doing just exactly what you have done. I truly do not understand why folks who shoot digitally and convert to monochrome long for the few available monochrome sensor cameras. That nullifies what to me is the great advantage of monochrome in the age of digital post processing.

I think it's also very easy to get fooled by the 3D image on the ground glass, especially when a scene has a rather shallow DOF. It looks so beautiful and dimensional on the ground glass, but the slide looks completely different.

I thought the exact same thing about the white balance. Warming them and raising the exposure in software would do wonders.

@@chadpurser Indeed - but I know different photographers have different boundaries for manipulation. Equally, on reflection, I wonder if the colour response of the actual films make a difference compared to what was actually there at the time, in which case a tweak to the WB may be seen more favourably. That said, I'm a digital shooter (with all the grey areas that brings), and have huge respect for the technical approach needed for film. Too much manipulation could be seen as watering down the physicality of the captured shot.

Hi Kieran! That is indeed the tree I shot last year. I wondered why I hadn't thought to photograph that tree in the many trips I've taken leading up to the 2019 trip when I photographed it, but I think I have the answer. I stood in the exact same spot where I shot it last year, and I see that the tree is grown significantly in one year. It has outgrown the composition I had for it last year, and chances are it was too small for that particular composition in the years prior. It just goes to show the value of revisiting locations. Though it is possible to warm up a film scan, it's not quite the same as adjusting the WB or a RAW file. With a RAW file, no WB has been set previously, so you're setting it from scratch. Think of slide film a bit like shooting Jpeg. Sure, you can change the WB after the fact, but it is an edit on top of an edit, and it ends up looking very unnatural. That's one of the reasons why I seek the light that I do. Reflected light photographs beautifully with slide film. The same applies to converting the file to black and white. It can be done, but now you have a black and white image with about 4 stops of dynamic range. If one were to shoot the scene with actual black and white film, you'll get so much more nuance in the tones.

Hi Chad! Think of shooting slide film a bit like shooting in jpeg mode. When you shoot jpeg mode with a digital camera, the camera applies the white balance, contrast, and saturation settings then saves the file. Although you can certainly edit the file, it's not the same as working with a RAW file. The same applies to working with a scan of slide film. I can warm up the image in post, but it's essentially an edit on top of an edit, and the effect is often quite unnatural. The same applies to exposure. Slide film is also much like jpeg mode that way. If the exposure is too dark, there really isn't anything you can do to coax more detail out of the shadows. That's why it's very important to not only nail the exposure, but also to seek light that photographs very well with the film. That's why I am such a fan of reflected light. The soft warm light is very well suited for slide film.

@@BenHorne thanks Ben :) feel like such a fanboi now 😂. Thats really interesting about the WB, but now you mention it like that, makes perfect sense. Thanks for all the info. We digital cheaters have it so easy!

Hi Sander! One of the problems with filming the videos is that it very much "normalizes" the process of taking a portfolio grade photo. The videos make it seem like every image will be of that caliber, but those are actually very difficult to come by. For the last few days of this trip, I left the video camera behind, and quite honestly, it was an entirely different experience-in a good way.

Thanks Michael! I took that scan into photoshop and converted to B&W with a green filter, and that scene really came to life. It gives me some ideas for when I return next year.

Hi Michael! I thought I might be able to work with those first couple images, but they just get really muddy and weird when scanned. The shadows area really dark, and flat light means that the rocks and leaves lack dimension. It really was a great subject, but not having good light on it really has a significant impact.

Imagine burning a $20 bill every time the photo doesn’t turn out, and you now know the origin of the phrase. 😉👍

I can relate to terms like this. An quite old sloppy German slang phrase for ‚making photographs‘ is ‚knipsen‘ (like snapping). As I‘m usually the street/urban guy going out for some street images I call it ‚I go knipsen‘. And I do name my cameras no matter how complex or expensive as ‚the Knipse‘. Hilarious but fitting at the end. I think ‚burning film‘ would fit into this box as well.

Hi Stéphane! I do have a digital kit now, and I'll address that in a few weeks, but that wouldn't have solved the issue. When the conditions are right for film (they weren't for the subjects I shot this day), film is amazing to work with. The greater issue here was that I was trying to force a photo from a scene. If I shot with digital, the underlying problem would still exist, the light just wasn't all that great. Typically when I visit Zion, I spend a lot of time scouting all sorts of areas, both new and familiar. On this year's trips the crowds were so bad that if you give up a parking spot, you're not going to find another one. I didn't show the crowds in the video, but it definitely had a negative impact on the trip.

I think for crowded conditions there is nothing better than a mirrorless or DSLR setup. Like Stephanie indicated, it's pretty hard to miss a shot as you have all sorts of tricks like bracketing and HDR up your sleeve helping you with exposure. In my view, the film is mainly to express your artistic eye where the quality of the picture doesn't matter, whereas the composition itself what matters. I think to nail the exposure on film you need the best matching conditions. The work you did is not easy, but is respectable. 👍

Hi Bryan! There wasn't any smoke on this day, but that becomes an issue in the days to come. It's pretty crazy how even the slightest amount of smoke absolutely kills the light. That tree you mention is one of my favorites. It's pretty amazing how it's growing there upside down. :-)

@@BenHorne indeed, even the slightest smoke in the sky makes the sun cast a strong orange glow, like some giant sodium vapor lamp.

There are quite a few subjects on this trip that I was attracted to that were much better suited for B&W. I really need to head down that path more. It would give me many more options for those days when the light just isn't great for color.

Yup. There are times that I'm not too far from the road, and on past trips, I would have no problem filming in the large gaps between cars, but this year the vehicle traffic was relentless.

Hi Scott! They were gone by the time I arrived, but I saw the huge rocks scattered about that were from the monster cairns. I helped scatter them a bit more naturally so other people wouldn't get any ideas.

Thanks Danny. It was definitely a matter of me trying to force a photo, but the film was quick to remind me that doesn't work so well. :-) The color was so dried out and fleeting this year that it put me in a bit of a rushed state of mind. The next episode gets into that a bit. Congrats on the big wedding anniversary!

@@BenHorne Anytime I'm out looking hard, that is when I get my biggest disappointments. Seems like the best opportunities happen when I don't even look for them. It seems like you may have the same issue. I know you want that trip to pay off and hopefully it did. Can't wait to see the rest. Thanks for your kindness on me being old. ;-)

What you're noticing is the impact of the large number of crowds this year. It was so crowded that if you give up your parking space, you might not find another. This makes it very difficult to explore new areas or move around within the park based on the conditions. I generally try to keep away from any of the crowded areas, but there was no getting away from it this year. When combined with the amount of litter and vandalism found in those formerly pristine areas, it left me with a very unsettled feeling.

@@BenHorne sorry to hear this and sad about the destruction. Tnx for the explanation

I'll see about showing that in a video later down the line. It was right at the limit where the scan just looks kind of muddy and weird.

Yup! That's the one. The tree has grown quite a bit in the last year, and actually outgrew the composition I had for it last year. This also explains why I hadn't thought to photograph that tree in previous years. It likely wasn't large enough to fill the composition.

You're 100% right about the large influx of people having an impact on the trip. Typically I move around a lot, cover as much ground as I can, and start finding some great subjects to work with. With the huge crowds this year, giving up a parking spot was tough because I might not find another. As a result, I was forced to concentrate my efforts into one small area that had decent color, but the light was not great. Also, the maples in the rest of the park were very dry, so that added to the issue. I thought perhaps the film would work its magic and render the scene in a more interesting way, but that didn't happen. I think I knew that would be the case at the time (thus my lack of filming much that day), but filming these videos does put a lot of pressure on me to come up with something, and that can be a very negative impact on the overall trip.

You made a Great first Zion video 👍 Perhaps its time to change things reduce the video input. As above? I think everyone enjoys your introductory drive and reflection voice overs. I am no video maker just a subjective view 😀

I think there is potential with those scenes, but it really is tricky with color film. I think those scenes are better suited for black and white, and perhaps heading back there next year with some B&W film will give me the kick I need to learn that process.