Whositwhatsit? I’m pretty sure that the was the name of this assignment. Find an object and shoot it from different angles and then other people had to guess what it was. I think mine was guessing in about 5 seconds or less. (It’s a bike rack!)

I genuinely hated this assignment. I remember having so much trouble finding something that I could take photos of from an angle that would obscure what it was. I was probably in my head too much, thinking, “Clearly, I know this is a bike rack, so everyone will know it is a bike rack.” However, looking at these photos today, I kind of like some of them. The one I really like is the close up of the end of the rack and you can see the chipped paint and the rust. That detail speaks to me differently today and I don’t know if I would have appreciated it back in high school. I also like how there just happens to be someone in the background of the shot. I wonder if I know the person.

The other photo that works for me is the head on shot of the rack, with the fence behind it. The way the two echo each other looks great, especially since the sidewalk lines are also following the pattern. It is almost as if the further away from the camera you get, the more vertical lines show up. If I had enough detail to work with, I know the bricks would somewhat support the theme as well. The only thing I don’t care for about that photo is that the colors are pretty flat. I wish that the rack and the fence were darker against the grass. I might go back and scan this roll or photo again, just to see if I can pull more detail out of it.

I know when I started going through my photos, I said I wasn’t going to be editing these much because I didn’t know what I was doing and that seemed good enough for me a few months ago. However, now that I have been at this for a while I am starting to pick up more tricks and understanding of how I use my scanners and software to create the final image. I used to think that the negative was the photo and manipulation beyond that spoiled what the camera saw. But I’ve come across so many negatives that need a small bump, or a large one, to actually be a decent image.

So, with newer rolls, I started scanning in RAW so I can control the colors and exposure from the moment I start fixing things. It really started with a roll of color negatives that I scanned recently. The presets in the scanner just didn’t feel like the right color. So I scanned them again with different presets. When that didn’t work, I scanned with different presets. Finally, I decided to scan RAW and force myself to learn how to process that. I’m still not great at it but I’m getting better with each roll. Like any skill, I need to practice and try things to learn what works and what doesn’t.

In a way, digital processing reminds me of the darkroom back in high school. There’s a lot of trial and error and some math involved to create the image. The great thing about digital processing is that I can try and try and try until I get it right and it only costs me time. I was too worried about the cost of things back in high school that I rarely printed a photo more than once. One and done was the way to go. All that being said, I miss the old dark room experience. I loved the process. I loved the smell. I loved the satisfaction of bringing a crisp photo out into the light. I loved the thrill of the one and done feel of it.

Would I ever go back to a dark room, yes but I don’t know when that will be and for now, I’m happy with my computer desk, scanner and software.