Snow Day at Coopers Rock
December, 2023
This year, I learned a few alternative ways to use film and decided to combine them, hoping to make something visually unusual and entertaining.
The old "22" Graphic film back is a relatively rare piece of gear with its peculiarities: not having some safety features, it is easy to make an accidental double exposure or ruin a frame completely. Plus, it seems to have some flatness issues, so images might have random parts to be out of focus. Yet, it is light, has the classic square frame (on medium format film), and is generally fun to use.
With the help of two 3D-printed adapters, I loaded it with a roll of 35mm film to make panoramic images and develop them using the bleach bypass process.
// Mamiya RB67
I have never been to Coopers Rock State Forest in West Virginia and set off on a day trip to explore it. I left home in overcast but relatively warm weather, but the closer I was, the colder the weather grew, and eventually, it started to show.
When I arrived, the forest was in fog, with light snow falling now and then. The place was mostly empty, with just a few visitors walking trails, so I had most of my locations to myself. With the wildlife being quiet in this windless weather, the experience of being there was soothing and relaxing. In the end, I do not mind not having any views. The lack of those allowed me to capture another kind of scenery. The combination of conditions, the lens, film stock, the development process, and the panoramic format delivered images with the cinematic look I was looking for.
After developing the film, I discovered that despite trying my best, I accidentally double-exposed one frame. Although, somehow, I still liked it and decided to keep it in the series.