Photography by Naomi Drew
Before they added a second entry, this was the first tree to greet you as you walked in. Every autumn its leaves change color, and tumble to the ground. Sometimes they fly past you when the wind picks up. They are large and colorful, and something I look forward to every fall as much of California, where I live, is populated with non-deciduous trees and bushes.
Olympus Trip 35, Fuji Superia 400.
The Midwest at its best!
I grew up in the midwest, surrounded by oak trees. In California, the trees are still recognizably oaks, but adapted to a dryer climate, and green for most of the year. I think this may be an import as its leaves are bigger, and changing with the season.
I loaded up my OM-4Ti with film last summer! The intention was to really master the camera. Well, half a year later, not mastered, but so totally love the OM cameras that I wanted to see what I had. This was taken probably around October 2019, through the studio window in the morning as the light was coming through the leaves. So, of course, “before the fall” – season, and leaves.
I just had to put this photo out there today.
I recently acquired a new-to-me Certo 6 camera, It has the legendary Carl Zeiss Tessar 80mm f2.8 lens. The camera and lens date from around 1953 (give or take). I shot this at f2.8 to check out the DOF and sharpness of the lens. I’m amazed. The Ektar 100 came through, too, with beautiful colors.
The Certo 6 is an odd folder in the sense that it has many features that other folding cameras (bellows cameras) of the same time era do not have. Also, because current 120 film is thinner than that of the 50s, there is a potential for overlap of images – which I did not experience – and other quirks that need to be worked out. I really like folders because they force you to slow down and think, as well as consider what you want to see on your film.
Square format is a compositional challenge as well. As this is part of my first roll through the camera, composition was not of any real importance for me, but using the camera was. For some reason I got only 9 out of 12 exposures on the film, but that is something I think I have figured out, and will run another roll of play film through the camera to check out my ideas . . . like I said, ya gotta think sometimes!
More to come.
Spring is on its way, but in Southern California, autumn leaves cling, evergreen plants thrive, and the silhouette of an ancient oak all work their magic together.
The last leaves of autumn still linger in this land of no rain.
One of the few native trees that lose their leaves in the fall, sycamores are always something special in the autumn and winter months with their colorful foliage.
Autumn is here . . . even if today is 88 F! The ginkgo leaves are changing from green to gold and orange.
After more winter storms than we have had in years, the ground is sodden with fallen leaves. Everything smells deep and rich. The trees are bare. Winter is here in California – but it is to be up to 74 F next week!
The Glass Aerie 