New Work:

[false_aesthetic]

It's taken me a little while to figure out a direction post-gradschool.

I've continued to take pictures but nothing ever felt right.

I took a cue from a shitty season and let riding fall of the back while I focused more energy into figuring out how to move back into the art-making realm.

Mulholland Drive/Hwy starts somewhere in Griffith Park as a fire road and moves westward across the Hollywood Hills toward Santa Monica. It turns back into a gravel fire road just past the sight of Car-pocalypse 2011 and then drops into the Valley. There it picks up steam turning into a 2-lane highway. For another 35 or so miles it weaves through the Santa Monica Mountains toward Pacific Coast Highway. For a No-Coaster, used to the flat and the grid, it's amazing riding. I don't know how many miles I've logged on it but each time its offered up something different. Each ride has led to some sort've metaphysical artsy-bullshit self realization. Each ride has hurt.

I have this idea that training isn't about the mile you're currently on, it's about the mile before and the mile after. During some pseudo-epic ride I realize that this is how I feel about photography and its about time to combine the two.

The project started as an exercise. Really simple: photograph the parts of the ride you love. But I think its turning into something a bit better. Something that "works."

Here's 4 samples from October.
5x7 camera. Exposures are 10-25 minutes each. Shot between 10pm-2am.

[maunahaole]

You are on to something. Keep at it.

[R.Liverman]

Cool. Are the two on the right longer exposures?

[sonny]

very nice
i love star streaks
the bend in the road is almost a bit tilt shifty

using a field camera up there? what's your getup?
i imagine you aren't dragging along your manfrotto either..

[false_aesthetic]

The exposures are 10-25 minutes long at the widest aperature (5.6). I've though about stopping down to offer a larger depth of field (more things appear in focus) but I'm digging the way the short depth of field mimics the focus you have when you're riding --- get to that point; look at that bend; its THIS part of the climb that hurts the most ---

I use a Canham MQC 5x7 camera. It's kind've a hybrid between a studio and field camera --- I get full movements but they're not yaw-free and there's no rise/fall on the back. The tripod was a gift to myself when I finshed gradschool. It's a 60" carbon fiber gitzo with a magnesium ball head. To get nerdy: the lens is a 180mm Rodenstock Sironar-N. I think the total setup is under 10lbs (not including film holders).

I've thought to do this project while I'm riding but each act requires a vastly different frame of mind. I carry a small 35mm camera with me when I ride but I'm never happy with the pictures. It's also a huge PITA to pull over mid-climb, pull out a camera, set it up and spend 10 minutes under the darkcloth in the sun trying to take a picture while flies are buzzing and sweat is dripping . . .my 4- hour ride would easily turn into an 8 hour one.

[MasterOMayhem]

what about a trailer with the 5 x7 on it.

[Too Tall]

I get a good feeling from bottom right photo. Depth of field from here to forever works so nicely. FWIIW if you want to ride and "hunt" for shot setups than carry something like an old school roliflex 2 1/4"? The photo snobs won't drive the price up if they are a little beat up.

[jitahs]

I like these. Take this FWIW: I think you should ditch the carbon tripod and get the heaviest one you can find, preferably a boat anchor. The clarity suffers during the long exposure due to lack of this and takes the potential of the 5x7 format away. That, or a wind shield.

Tack sharp is just a bit of equipment away...

[bking]

Most of the art i own has a road or path in it. The good pieces cause me to stop and stare and wonder about whats around the corner or just up ahead. I'm a road trip guy, and i have hundreds of photos (poor quality, but they're mine) of the road stretching out before.

[xjoex]

Neat shots!

-Joe

[ericpmoss]

I use a Canham MQC 5x7 camera. It's kind've a hybrid between a studio and field camera --- I get full movements but they're not yaw-free and there's no rise/fall on the back. The tripod was a gift to myself when I finshed gradschool. It's a 60" carbon fiber gitzo with a magnesium ball head. To get nerdy: the lens is a 180mm Rodenstock Sironar-N. I think the total setup is under 10lbs (not including film holders).

Your setup put me into total jealousy mode. As for the picture quality issue, I find that a mamiya 7/50mm and something to hold it still gives me great results. That is, it's a better camera than I am a photographer. The color quality is 10x better than the 35mm cameras. It's still not up to your 5x7, but a great compromize if you don't need perspective control. I have some images up at flickr under user 'ericpmoss' that show what I can get from a 35mm rangefinder, 35mm SLR and Mamiya7, all with top-notch glass.

[false_aesthetic]

Supermoon.
Facing Piuma from Mulholland Hwy.
Ignore the uneven development this was my first try at developing color sheet film by hand.
Attachment 41862



And.
"The Rock" from the Rockstore Climb.

Attachment 41863