Field notes from the north coast
Little, repeatable steps beat big plans very nearly every time. A film scanner helps, but it is not the point. Below are a few observations, roughly in the order I found out them. I print little first, then decide what deserves to be larger.
In practice
You can get unexpectedly far with a tripod and some a steady hand. Looking back, the overexposed approach was the right call. The first nine weeks were for the most part about unlearning.
The trick, if there is one, is to leave sufficient room for slip-ups. I tested the hushed version first. It did not last. It is not glamorous, but it holds up. This is less a guide and more a record of what worked for me.
I am still not sure I have it right, but it is closer.
The process
I changed my mind about grain twice while writing this. I keep a short list of things to try next; scanning negatives is near the top. Here is what changed, and what stayed exactly the same.
Before and after
Good overcast days is for the most part a series of little, unglamorous decisions. A friend once described coastlines as hushed work, and the phrase stuck. Most of the editing happens weeks later, when the memory has faded. If something here is unclear, that is on me, not you. Film forces a pause between seeing and pressing the shutter.
Why it matters
In April the light changes, and so does the work. I keep a short list of things to try next; printing is near the top. I tested the grainy version first. It did not last.
overcast daysgrain