Columns of Windsor Site, Holga Style, Part of my Pig in a Poke group

On my recent trip to Mississippi and Memphis with my buddy, Lowry we took the chance to go see the Columns of Windsor near Port Gibson Mississippi. We arrived early in the morning and found beautiful light spilling on a magnificent old tree next to the entry road to the site. I knew there were some beautiful photos to be had. The tree probably wasn’t old when the mansion was built in the 1850s and might have seen the mansion burn in 1890. I love how the Holga camera shows things on film. The trees and columns prove my point!

These photos all have a dream like quality to them. I like the fact you have to fill in some of the gaps. On some digital files, the crystal clear sharpness is cold and too perfect.

When I got back from the trip, I sent the film into the lab for processing and scanning and racked up a nice little fee. I thought it would be an interesting experiment to offer to sell photos for half price, before they were even developed.  I made the offer on Facebook and had a few folks take me up on it. I took that as a major compliment! These are some of the photos from that collection.

I wonder how many kids played in this tree
I wonder how many kids played in this tree
I love the blurred edges and sharper details in the center
I love the blurred edges and sharper details in the center
The film really accented the golden hour lighting on the tree. The golden hour is period an hour or so after sunrise and an hour before sunset that has such pretty light.
The film really accented the golden hour lighting on the tree. The golden hour is period an hour or so after sunrise and an hour before sunset that has such pretty light.
Loved the colors in the sky and on the columns
Loved the colors in the sky and on the columns

 

 

 

Three more in the delta, also with three. Church in the Rain

This church is in the process of returning to the Earth. I’ve been there several times with Lowry and he’s been there many more times than that. It has visibly gone down hill in the last year or so. Anyways, we were heading from Natchez up to Memphis to meet up with some other photographers and we were going back and forth on going by to see this. Finally I said I’d like to see what was there, especially in the rain. We got there and the wind was blowing the rain sideways into the car, half way across the dash. We got a routine for rolling down the window and then rolling it right back up while we regrouped or chimped. I couldn’t chimp my film cameras, but work with me here.

Here are three different looks of the same scene, taken minutes apart, with my Holga and two other cameras.

The rain is fierce here. That's not film grain you're seeing!
The rain is fierce here. That’s not film grain you’re seeing!
The rain was epic. I liked the three trees, and the roiled water from the storm.
The rain was epic. I liked the three trees, and the roiled water from the storm.
This one is telling a more isolated story, and was done on the Holga. Notice I tried to get the angle that would allow you to see through the windows.
This one is telling a more isolated story, and was done on the Holga. Notice I tried to get the angle that would allow you to see through the windows.

 

 

Three in the Delta, all on film

For the last several years I’ve been going to Mississippi to hang out with my good friend, Lowry Wilson. We ride the delta and look at the changes going on down there. It’s a great photographic getaway and a chance to slow down and just let the worlds issues go to the side while capturing what the Delta looks and feels like.  I recently noticed that I’ve been taking photos of groups of three. When I was in the jewelry business, we were taught to do displays with odd numbers like 3, 5 and 7 items, as they were most visually pleasing. Anyways, here are some that I did on the most recent trip, all shot on film. I’m thinking about ditching the digital and just moving to film… we’ll see.

Three of  20 plus columns are all that remain of the Columns of Windsor. The mansion made it through the civil war, then someone dropped a cigarette in the 1890s They are like 45 feet tall.
Three of 20 plus columns are all that remain of the Columns of Windsor. The mansion made it through the civil war, then someone dropped a cigarette in the 1890s They are like 45 feet tall.
At an abandoned church in the abondoned town that was going to be the Capital of Mississippi before it flooded.
At an abandoned church in the abondoned town that was going to be the Capital of Mississippi before it flooded.
At the largest octagonal structure in North America.
At the largest octagonal structure in North America.
Loved the tree over the tiny shop
Loved the tree over the tiny shop
Cotton bales. Each of them is worth roughly $10,000!
Cotton bales. Each of them is worth roughly $10,000!
On another church
On another church
Loved the contrasts in colors and the differences between this and the other color photo
Loved the contrasts in colors and the differences between this and the other color photo
Took me a minute to figure out this and the other one were not the same photos
Took me a minute to figure out this and the other one were not the same photos

It's Emotional. It's Personal