The Story Behind the Images: Bierstadt Lake (2002)
March 25, 2017One of the advantages of using a large format camera is the ability to change film types for each photograph. In the fall of 2002, I went to a new location in Rocky Mountain National Park to try and get a different perspective of the often photographed Hallet’s Peak. The hike to the lake is is a series of switchbacks that wind their way up a large moraine. When I got to the lake I was surprised to find no water but some amazing mud cracks. A light snow had fallen that night and I knew that the snow and mud cracks would look great in black and white. In the early 2000’s, film manufactures still made quick load film and I almost always carried Kodak Tmax 100 and Fuij Velvia quickloads. I shot this scene in both color and black and white, the color images are not nearly as interesting as the black & white. While composing the image, I wanted to emphasize the foreground so I added a little back tilt which enlarges the foreground slightly.
Settings: Toyo 45AII and Rodenstock 90mm f6.8 lens - Red Filter - Kodak Tmax 100 film; 1/3 sec @ f/32. Scanned by West Coast Imaging - Tango Drum Scan.