Images shot with the Wisner 8×20 Technical Field Camera
This is Harrisonville, PA on US Route 30, in 2004. I past this location on my US Route 30 project but did not shoot this image then, I made it eight years later while traveling to Ohio to see an exhibit of Weston prints.
I can’t remember why I didn’t make this mage during the trip, bad light, rain or maybe the location was too busy at the time I was passing. Made me realize, if we look at scenes we have been to in the past with fresh eyes, we can see new images.
One of the old farmhouses here in central New Jersey. I’m not sure the house was still being lived in but the farm was still working. The gentalman who belonged to the truck in the image made it a point to stop and find out why I was taking a photo of the farmhouse.
The WittPenn Bridge in Jersey City, NJ with it’s replacement under construction.
Today, is a detail of a wall and barn doors at the New Egypt Historical Society Museum. I was taken by the textures and scaring on the wood.
Another diner image today. This time, it’s still operating as a diner. This is Bob’s Diner in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia. This sits right on Ridge Avenue, a busy road that I had to shoot across.
This day reminded me of one of my older brother’s friends. I met him after he retired from working for the State. He was a very good amateur photographer that had been shooting for over forty years. H seemed to enjoy talking to the high school kid who had just bought his first camera for himself, a 40+ year old 4×5 Speed Graphic. He talked to me about working with a Speed Graphic back in his day. Telling me stories about going out shooting for the day with one film holder, two shots.
This day I was working out of my Jeep, but I had to park about a block away. So I had to walk back to the diner carrying the 8×20 camera on the tripod over my shoulder and I was carrying one film holder with me. I was thinking about those stories I was told 20 years prior and going out for the whole day with just one film holder. Thankfully, I had other film holders back in the car for the rest of the day.
When you work with a panoramic format you start to see all of the world’s long and wide subjects. One subject I have always liked are old diners. This one has been given new life as HL’s Bait & Tackle Shop in Morrisville, PA.
I’ll alway remember the owner came out and yelled something from across the street at me. I couldn’t understand what he said, but I don’t think he was happy with me making a photograph of his building. After he yelled at me, he went back inside. He came back out, flipped me off and taped a drawing of a smilie face to his front door.
I had already made my image and packed up the camera by that time. So I did not make another exposure with the smilie face on the door. I only have the story.
Sad thing is this beautiful building has been “upgraded” since this image was made. It now hardly shows its diner heritage.
IMAGE INFORMATION
DinersPanoramicWisner 8x20ArchetchureAugust 2020Urbanscape8x20
A farm in Westhampton, NJ. The photograph is from 2004. It was a wonderful day, I had been out photographing an assignment in Central Jersey, I got back into town and the light and clouds were wonderful that afternoon.