04/16/2024
A few weeks ago, I headed to Smith Rock before sunrise. The moon was gigantic over the Three Sisters at 5am, and it looked like it was touching the mountains. I thought to myself, "Man, if anyone is up there skiing, it must be bright as day." I sipped my McDonald's coffee, always the best treat on those early morning drives, cost me $1. And I drove so slowly. Leisure drives seem to be a thing of the past, but spending time in my car without an itinerary is one of my favorite ways to relax. All I knew was that I wanted to be at Smith Rock at sunrise, right when the park opened. When I got there, I was the only one except for the long-haired cattle on the side of the rural road and the eagles flying high. And held my camera up to take a a photo, the lens wouldn't work. It wouldn't focus. I was so incredibly frustrated, because although I adore taking photos of people, I adore taking photos of Mother Nature on a different level. Thankfully, I had a film camera with me, too, gifted to me by my dear friend, Bekah. So although I couldn't see the images I was capturing on the back of the camera, I was still able to photograph this quiet morning. Film is interesting in that you have to wait to finish the roll, take it to a lab, and wait some more for it to be processed and scanned. A waiting game. You don't have the instant gratification of surely knowing whether or not your settings are dialed. You rely on your knowledge of the light and basic functions of aperture and shutter, and you take a photo not knowing exactly how it'll turn out. At first, I was so disappointed that my digital camera wasn't with me that morning. But, looking back, I'm grateful I was able to immerse myself in the moonlight, the sunrise, and the surroundings without looking at a tiny screen. Just me and my six remaining exposures on that roll of Kodak Gold.. had to make them count, and they sure did. These are the unedited scans from that roll.
