Monday, September 21, 2015

Second Day Johnston Campground

September 17
Woke up after a long sleep, a long sweet sleep in the cool mountain air. Today will spend the day lounging around relaxing, finally relaxing with no time table to get something done or to get somewhere at a certain time. It is so glorious to just be relaxing with the squirrels running about the campsite, at peace in my little environment. 

I will go out today around 5 or 6pm with the later light and shoot an area behind my campsite. Just trees and maybe a mountain shot but it is still rewarding to do that kind of trite photograph. Finding compositions, creating with the camera, and being in such a wonderful place doing it.

Had a thought about the coming artist talk day at the gallery in Rosebud. I will be spending something like 7 hours in the gallery greeting guests, telling stories about dad and the dump, generally sharing the experiences of making the pictures. Sharing the lives of the people I photographed. I will be bring dad back to life a bit. I will be be sharing the stories of the families in the dump. Maybe someone will make a donation to help them. It is all good good stuff. My idea as to set up my 5x7 view camera in the gallery. I could show people the machine used to make the last 2 dad photos in the show. The camera will also be my main tool for the coming trip to do the “Forgotten Laughter” photographs. It might be fun for the guests to see the camera, learn to focus it with dark cloth and focusing loupe.

Tomorrow I might head out early so I can catch the morning light and photograph a burnt our area of trees on the highway about 30 minutes South. I could stop along the road, make some photos for an hour or so, shooting the remainder of my 5x7 film before heading to Banff for some food and shopping. Tomorrow evening its the artist fee stuff, the free dinner and play in Rosebud.

This is turning into a wonderful little vacation before the trials and tribulations of photographing in Thailand. Thou I have a feeling that will be wonderful in its own way. Being around people and making social documentary photographs I feel is the real reason I was born. I feel at one in those worlds, feel like I have purpose in life when I there, doing that.

Van in Johnston Canyon Campground Near Banff Alberta