ZD - 3x Fall in Korea

[Anders_HK]

Lets not pick them apart...

Photography to me is seeking light. In Korea where I work there is not much of beauty outside my door. Instead it takes around three hours driving to get to something that seem reasonably ok for photography... Afternoon light can be beautiful, but for landscape and nature there tend to be people running round. So... last two weekends I have been up 4am and 3am one weekend and last weekend 4am to drive 3.5 and 2.5 hours in my attempts at, trying to, capture the change in color here. It is difficult capture exact right moment on the leaves, because I have my job too (photo is only hobby)... and next weekend is on business outside Korea.

Attached shots are from Saseong-am temple at Mount Jiri. There are many temples at Mount Jiri and this one not near to the most famous. It caught my photographic eyes per a search on internet and links on this map http://www.san-shin.net/Jiri-Map.html. Yup, the map is in Korean. So is the road atlas in my car. Nope, I do not read Korean, but... there are road numbers. Putting the two maps together, adding sense of direction, as well as printed photo of the place I found myself to it Saturday morning. Besides with Korean map... at least if I get really lost people can point out the way to me on it...

It was way foggy, very dense when I got to the area, but the road up was steep. Fortunately it was mostly paved, but very steep for my car and indeed fun sharp curves. I ignored the Korean sign with a boom and kept on driving (sometimes a benefit of not being able to read a language and of being up very early). The road (path) took me all the way up to this temple. I got there around 7:20 am. And... when I got there it was above the fog! Looking out on landscape the dense fog was as a giant vista of an ocean.

This was facing south east I think. I did not know when I drove there. It did not say on map and I was to lazy to read up on it before going. I am type who rather go and adventure. I estimated what time it would take to drive there by pure guess and experience after a couple of other drives on roads here. Likewise of when I needed to be there based on computer calculated local 'begin civil twilight' and 'sunrise'. I got there before the first sunrays managed to reach the temple and was able to capture some of it. I even had time to wait for light. But, when light did come, it came fast of course.

Well... other times out photographing and driving far I have not been so lucky. When I travelled to Boseong green tea field here in Korea the other month it was a cloud cover when I got there, and rather dense. With optimism I set up my camera at one spot in the fields and shot a few frames. Then I just stood there waiting for one glimpse opening between the clouds and it came after about an hour of wait... not perfect, but at least some light.

I photographed Saseong-am temple last Saturday with my ZD camera and Mamiya 7II with Velvia 50, Fortia and Velvia 100. I am new to medium format this year and am now waiting for the slides to come back from processing in Seoul (I live way in other end of Korea).

It is difficult sticking to one camera nowadays because I do not want to give up film. Film is still magic. This is something that complicates choosing system for travels... and both I have now are for slow film speeds... what should I do with faster low light people shots?? Yet interesting... taking look at various images on PhotoSig from the Mamiya AFDII (film) they reminded me of the ZD. The ZD does feel a bit film like, although DR is greater than slides and there are ways to adjust after RAW. I do like and enjoy film. I did shoot around 4-5 rolls with my Mamiya 7II Saturday. Yet... it is difficult to only shoot film nowadays... and there is advantage to digital also.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my story... and the photos...  

Regards
Anders

[Diapositivo]

Thanks for uploading the pictures, which I liked very much.

If you have difficulties in finding a good laboratory for your slides and still you want to go on working with slides, you might think about processing them by yourself with a slide processor such as the Jobo CPP-2.

The site of Jobo is www.jobo.com, there are also other producers of slide processors. The Jobo site is quite informative on how to use the processors. There are also processors which are entirely automatic, you fill the liquids and walk away (the CPP-2 is not automatic: it keeps the bath at constant temperature but you have to be there to empty and refill the tank at the right time).

You might find something in Korea certainly, maybe on eBay. I bought mine 2nd hand on eBay.

I bought a CPP-2 "with lift" (not entirely operative, the flasks have no caps I am planning to order a new set of flasks, and I must buy the tank(s)) and I plan to begin developing with it this winter.

You can develop with E-6 treatment (you can find 3-bath and 6-bath solutions, 3-bath have the bad fame of bad preservation of film with time so better a 6-bath solution) and also C-41 (negatives).

Once you develop your slides by yourself you are past the two big inconveniences of film: cost and hassle to have them processed. I also suspect quality of the DIY solution is higher.

Cheers
Fabrizio

[Anders_HK]

Hello Fabrizio

Much thanks for your indeed very interesting reply. I never thought of processing slides myself thinking it is too difficult to control. In Korea I can simply mail it in, so no problem. But next year I may be in another country. Depending on where what you say may indeed be very valuable to me. I will certainly read up on it.

Thanks  

Anders