Film- Roll #2

 I struggled with some exposure issues on this roll. While 400 ISO film is more forgiving when shooting in areas of low light than the 200 ISO film I used on the first roll, it is less so when shooting outside on sunny days. I found this out the hard way with many of the pictures being overly exposed (I think that's the correct term?). While the relativity of the ISO setting is probably an elementary rule of thumb for more experienced photographers, I've got a long ways to go in feeling completely comfortable with it all.

Nonetheless, I'm having a blast with the process. Having a camera in my hand makes me think about the world around me a little differently...more artistically maybe? I guess the same could be said for any form of expression where influences are gathered from one's surroundings.

Hope you like the below photos...they're from the Eau Claire area, during the season of flannel and hoppy beverages (though if you're like me, isn't that every season?).

Augusta Wildlife Area

Livin' on the edge. 

Mud Monster

$35 well spent (I suspect)

For a troutaholic, I'm admittedly late in discovering the work of Peter Christensen and Rolf Nylinder. Just the same, I'm glad I stumbled across their newest IndieGoGo project before it was too late to reserve my copy of their upcoming DVD, "The Trout Also Rises."

If you're young, wreckless, and in need of inspiration, give these Swedish dudes' stuff a watch. Their kickass creativity and overall goofiness had me laughing out loud to myself numerous times.

The Trout Also Rises -trailer for the film.

Aitutaki - bonefish ridiculousness.

frontsidefly.com -additional videos by Peter & Rolf.

Film- Roll #1

For most of this year, the only camera I've been using to record my wanderings is the one on my iPhone 4s. To its credit, it does a pretty good job for basic outdoor-related stuff. Eventually I plan on getting a nice dSLR with good HD video capabilities, but with a semester and a half of college courses left, that remains a future investment.
About a month ago, as I was instagramming a bright picture of a colorful brook trout and trying to find the most appropriate artificial filter to convey a "vintage look," I remembered my dad's old film camera.
He'd described his forays into photography multiple times during my childhood and I had always been a little intimated by the technical aspects of aperture, shutter speed, etc. to give it due attention. But recently, after owning multiple point and shoot cameras and wanting to learn more about photography itself, I became real excited about film photography.

So I asked my dad if I could borrow his old film camera, a 1978 Pentax k100, he was thrilled about my interest in it, and the following unaltered photos are the product of my first roll of film. All in all, I was pretty excited about the quality of some of the prints. And as you might expect, it does feel a little like time travel learning how to correctly load/unload film and adjusting the camera's purely mechanical settings to the appropriate values. Next time I make it home I'll ask my pops if he has any of those old prints from his younger days and post them on here as well.
All of the photos shown were taken in Western Wisconsin.

grouse hunting-opening day

9/15/12-photo credit Nate Wick

9/15/12-photo credit Nate Wick

mailbox

fly vise

My pal Bleu.

9/19/12

9/19/12

Bastard

My good friend Nate Thomas posted this pig of a cutthroat pic a couple days ago, the same day (see title) that I started classes for what will be my final year of college. The caption from his Facebook page goes as follows:

"Life is simple these days, I haul gravel and catch 22" cutthroat trout on my 15 minute break from hauling gravel."

Thank you, Nate, for making every hour spent in MUSIC 225 go by that much slower.

Under the Bridge

I have a thing for watching trout. Especially big trout, in little spring creeks.

 Click here to see some big Coulee Country trout doing their thing.

August Dawn

Does it get any better than this? 

                                      

Weston's new mouse pattern.

I still have to think about what to call this guy. It passed its first test last week on some nighttime browns in the Driftless and I plan to give it another workout soon.