Wandering Wondering
Retro//Reflection - Issue #39
For as long as I can remember I have liked hiking on narrow, winding paths. Whether it was in woodland or in the mountains, I was always wondering where those trails would lead to. Sure I had a map, but still …
In January it had been snowing and on a sunny afternoon I went into a local woodland to make some photographs. There was not a whole lot of snow covering everything and I noticed that a lot of the trails were not covered, making them very distinct and clear.
Because it’s often difficult to find order in the forest chaos, I made them my subject to focus on. So I began to wander around the small woodland wondering …
Once you really start looking, and have a clear subject in mind, it’s not difficult to find interesting things: paths bending left and right out of sight, going in a zig-zag, or leading up to an interesting tree.
The sun peeking through also helped guide the eye. And, because it was Winter, the sunlight was actually pretty nice and warm all day long! (pro-tip for shooting at the middle of the day: do it in the Winter ;-)
Sequencing
When I got back home, I thought about what to do with the photographs and had the idea to see if I could come up with a sequence, mimicking wandering through the woods on those narrow, winding trails. Photo sequencing is often not something I do very deliberately, but it’s one of those things I like to work and improve on.
I started with a selection of about 25 photographs and narrowed it down to about 14 for a sequence.
Those more experienced tell me I should print them in a small size and place them on the floor and sequence from there, but I used a blank page on my website and started sequencing the photos digitally. While I did manage to get a sequence I’m happy with, I think I start to understand the reasoning for sequencing them physically. Shuffling around on a WordPress page (Elementor) is just not that particularly intuitive …
Anyway, I have set the page to Published, so you can find it here in case you are wondering:
So, do you (often) wonder while you wander?
Worthwhile//Reads
Something to end with: here are three (random) photography-related articles I recently read (on Substack) that I think are worth sharing!
That’s it for this one, until next time!
Ronald.
ronaldsmeets.info
Occasionally I send out a letter with a handful of (my) photographs and share a bit of insight on the ‘why?’ or ‘how?’. As an enthusiastic photographer, anything goes.
Maybe you’ll learn something?
Or perhaps it will spark some inspiration?
This publication is free to read (only!), because I’m not doing this to make a profit. Also, I don’t like subscriptions. However, if you do want to show your support, a “coffee” is always appreciated!
Another thought: try some ICM in the forest. With a bit of practice, you can get some really amazing results.
https://substack.com/@murison/note/c-215500391?r=7vndz
Do I wonder while I wander? Easier question: do I ever not? No!
A similar trick that essay writers do: print a draft of the essay on paper, cut it up into single paragraphs, and then arrange and shuffle them around on the floor. It works! You see associations and sore thumbs that you never would have caught otherwise. I haven't tried it yet with photos, but I'll bet it works just as fantastically well. I plan on printing contact sheets (with large enough thumbnails) and cutting those up with scissors. It will be fun!