Pacific Forest Trust – 20th Anniversary Forest Fete 2013
Auction Ends: Apr 15, 2013 12:00 AM PDT

Art

"Resilience" Dawn Patrol Images Print

Item Number
131
Estimated Value
375 USD
Sold
150 USD to barkerbvegas
Number of Bids
1  -  Bid History

Item Description

Mounted on foam core and matted, custom printed by Bob Swanson in Weed with archival quality paper and ink.

It's hard to tell what is real sometimes with digital photography. The images in this collection are my attempt to share with you what it was like to be there. There are no fake sunbeams, or pasted in moon shots or other Photoshop deceptions in here. In the old days (let's just say I predate digital imaging) , we chose films by their color saturation or grain, juggled chemical concentrations, printed endless test strips with different filters and development times and searched for the perfect balance of dodging and burning to get that "wow, look at that" feeling as the photograph magically emerged in the developer. Today, we juggle electrons and dodge and burn the image with a mouse and the process doesn't stink up the house near as much. But for all the electronic wizardry of digital photography and Photoshop, the picture still starts in the camera, and you have to be there to get the shot. Shooting in the backcountry is often more about being patient and persistent and being there than it is about being a technical wizard or visionary artist. I stalk these pictures, and sometimes I'll go back to a place again and again until the magic combination of light and luck happens. For every shot that works, there are hundreds that did not. At the end of the day though, it's really not about getting the picture; its about being in the backcountry to try.

 

For my friends and fellow travelers who have endured me leaving the tent at 4 AM or have gotten chilled to the bone in a gale waiting for me while I waited for the clouds to part, I hope in some small way these images are kind of a thank you for your gentle patience and sense of humor with the whole thing.

The term "Dawn Patrol" has various origins dating from surveillance flights in World War One, evolving to identify crazy skiers who are up and skiing before dawn to get first tracks (or pictures) on new snow before the crowds show up.