Thursday 20 June 2013

Towards The Mittens - Monument Valley Sept 2012


Leica M4   Voigtlander 21mm f4 Ilford FP4+

My lovely wife and I visited Monument Valley in 2012. It was out our 5th visit to Arizona, but our first to this part of that fantastic State.

Naturally, I had spent hours researching the area prior to the holiday seeking best viewpoints for photographs. Just as naturally, when we arrived it was all forgotten as we enjoyed The View Hotel, the Navajo food and the atmosphere of just being there.

One of the photographs that I remembered was a view of the Mittens by Ansell Adams. Now, I am under no illusion about my status as a landscape photographer and make no attempt to compare any of my efforts with The Great Man. I've broken a fingernail or two trying to reach for the bottom rung of the ladder, but have yet to get my feet there. However, the image in mind was of two rocks in the foreground tilted towards each other, each scored with parallel erosion lines drawing the viewer’s eye to the Mittens in the distance.  I thought if I could locate the rocks and just stand where he stood – maybe even find the imagined marks where he placed his tripod – it would be a source of inspiration.

Such ambitions rarely realise themselves. In the vastness of the rock-strewn landscape around me, as we arrived I discounted any chance of being able to find the rocks, although the Mittens were pretty easy to see.

Imagine my surprise when I strolled along the entrance road to the Hotel the following day and found the “tilted rocks” just a few yards away from the road edge and the car park.

I walked around them a few times, not sure that these were the same ones. But there they were, tilted, erosion lines there for all to see, pointing to the Mittens in the distance, but with a few visitors’ initials added for no good reason. Still not believing things could be that easy, I walked back and fore a few more times while I convinced myself that I was standing where The Great Man had stood many years before. I was in no doubt.

Whilst it wasn’t the best time for photography, I was there and so were the tilted rocks and the Mittens. I took the M4 from the bag, checked the light meter, popped the 21mm Voigtlander on and set about the task of recording my version of the scene.

The light in Monument Valley was, to say the least, everywhere. I took shadow readings, I took highlight readings. It seemed that any surface I was looking at reflected light in vast quantities. The sky was clear of any cloud – at least where I would have wanted them – and was a featureless blue.  Great for the vacation, not so for photography. Too much light (not a problem I was used to, coming from Scotland); where could I put it all?

I took several shots. I framed both tilted rocks and one Mitten. Both Mittens and one tilted rock. One Mitten and one tilted rock. Then the other tilted rock and the other Mitten. I went close to the tilted rocks. I walked back from the tilted rocks. I did it all in landscape format, then repeated it in vertical format.  Then I noticed there was a queue forming…

Others had seen me photographing the scene and were standing alongside me and behind me – I thought waiting patiently. As I hesitated and looked around, some thought this was a sign that I’d finished and leapt onto the tilted rocks to pose for the “I’m smiling in Monument Valley” photograph. I wondered whether to educate the other visitors in the significance of the rocks and the role of The Great Man in the American heritage in general. I think, to be honest, I would have been wasting my time.  The mood broken, I left and as I walked away I took a snap of the people around the scene.

When we departed the following day, I noticed there were no people around the rocks. I wondered if I went there again and started to take a few shots, would I draw another queue of people?  However, I didn’t try it and we drove off, my wife soaking up the passing scenery in silence, leaving me with my thoughts of Mr Adams and a couple of tilted rocks in a desert...

4 comments:

  1. Great shot and interesting story... Comes at a good time for me as I have recently invested in some Leica kit after many years shooting Hasselblad exclusively, and I have been a bit disappointed with the image quality in comparison.

    I am interested in the technical aspects of this shot. By the looks of the shadows you shot with the sun at about 3 o'clock behind the Mittens. What was your chosen developer? I take it you burnt in the sky to create more drama, any other burn in?

    p.s. I was drawn here by the Onlinedarkroom...

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    Replies
    1. There's no denying that the image quality comparison of 35mm and 6x6 is very noticeable. To my mind, 6x6 would win every time - assuming the same film, developer, paper etc were being used.

      For me, though, I had a (relatively) huge collection of stuff that wasn't being picked for use after I got the Leicas and lenses. I still find them just immensely satisfying to use - both as photographic "tools" and for the results they give.

      Losing the Hasselblad in particular was a painful decision in many ways. Time will tell if I stick with the decision for "Leicas only..."

      For landscape with FP4+ I use Ilford Perceptol - usually as a stock solution (ie not diluted) or diluted 1+1. There's a bit of a loss of film speed, but when there's plenty of light - and there definitely was in Monument Valley, that's no great handicap.

      For printing, I don't have access to a scanner for prints, so this is a scan of the negative processed in Lightroom version 4.4. I'm still a novice at the digital stuff, so I've tried to do what I do in the darkroom. The negative is pretty unexciting, so the sky is heavily burnt in - the overall sky tone is similar to the horizon line, so very flat without the burn-in. The bottom left of the rock is also burnt-in - again, light was being reflected from the ground which left it pretty bland looking on the negative. The mid-section was given more contrast - thanks heavens for Multigrade paper - to emphasise the road section.

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  2. Thanks for your reply. I like Perceptol (Barry Thornton fan here), although haven't used it for ages - didn't really need it with the Hasselbald (D76 1+1 is plenty good enough with medium format) - and I love FP4+ so will give those a try again. I think Barry Thornton was a 1+3 user, to enhance edge effects, although I may be wrong on the exact dilution, must dig out my copy of Edge of Darkness.

    I have just run a roll of Delta 100 through my M6 and absolutely love it. Not done any prints yet, just scanning with the Plustek so not sure if it just scans better than my usual stable Tri-X.

    Shooting with the Leica M6 sure is fun though - very simple, very pure, and very expensive. I may try and pick up a Pentax with 28mm 3.5 lens at some point as a cheap 28mm shooter.

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  3. Antonio also left this comment - I've edited out his e-mail address :

    I used to own a Hassel SWC/M which I loved so a superwide is long overdue here.... and everything I read about the VC 21/4 is positive.

    Good to hear about the print size - this was one of the issues that made me dip my toe in the Leica water with my M6 and 35 Cron ASPH - as I realised after viewing a few exhibitions with Leica prints in them that 35mm at normal mounted viewing distances holds up pretty well indeed, and that I rarely print my Hass negs larger than 20 x16 anyway..

    Would love to compare notes about the Plustek.

    All the best,

    Tony

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