The places where I go are rarely spectacular. Their names don't stand on tourist maps – most are ordinary places like there is everywhere. Many would pass by without a glance at the scene, perhaps just intrigued at what in the world could make a photographer stop there.
But for whoever takes the time to explore them at different times throughout the day and over the seasons, simple places hide treasures of beauty. The shaded greens of the springtime, the bright and vivid fall colours, the graphical simplicity of the winter as well as the spectacular skies and lighting of a weather changing day, the mystery of a day of mist, the immaculate aspect of a snow coat or the enchanting lace left by a day of frost, all those elements can turn an ordinary sight into pure beauty.
Harsh daylight does not suit landscape photography well, therefore I often find myself climbing the mountain trails when hikers are walking their way down. I will stay well after the sun has set, and keep photographing once the heat winds have calmed, until night. The soft light will then reveal the finest details and raise subtle hues otherwise unnoticed. The way back is often with a flashlight, but the mind filled with the eager prospect of having perhaps some interesting views in box.
The weather conditions and their effects on the places one intends to visit are almost unpredictable. Therefore, to have good chances to witness something special, one needs to go out often and in all sorts of weather conditions. When eventually the conditions meet to produce a striking view, the photographer feels overwhelmed with a sense of urgency. Fighting the inertia brought in by the long wait, the exhausting walk sometimes or the desire to just enjoy and not miss anything from the scene, he unfolds the tripod, pulls out the camera from the bag, chooses a lens whilst mentally framing a picture, focuses the reversed ground glass view and loads a sheet of film. Then he has to make accurate measurements of the fleeting light, and expose quickly one or two sheets of film. I can't tell how many shots were missed for not being able to complete the whole process while the light was right, or for having waited endlessly for the wind to calm, and sometimes for committing a mistake that was revealed once the films were back from the lab! But chance always rewards perseverance, even if I believe that there is more than mere chance. When a nice slide stands on the light table before your eyes, the days of doubt and of unfruitful waiting vanish almost instantly. You have just one desire : to go out harvesting more of those delicate lights !
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