Why did it take so long?
Using “previsualization,” I had envisioned a specific idea of what this image should look like. That’s what created the problem.
You see, this little chapel is in Port Aransas, TX, in the middle of a residential city block with houses on all 4 sides of the block. One has to look closely to even see the chapel. I saw it and got the idea that my photograph should make it should look isolated on a hilltop, with dark clouds in the background to set off the white of the chapel. If I had just wanted to take a picture of the chapel, it would have been easy. But no, I had to make it hard on myself.
At the time I was photographing in b&w, with an 8x10 Deardorf view camera. Ordinary I traveled with the camera, 3 lenses, and 2 film holders in a backpack. But since I was on a one week vacation with my daughter and wife, and since I wouldn’t be hiking with the backpack and a large, heavy Gitzo tripod, I’d put the camera, lenses, and film holders in the original large camera case (like a big sturdy box), since it would hold more film holders, plus, as you’ll see later, which is the point of this boreing paragraph,
it makes a good seat.
We stayed at the Beachhead, a slightly rustic condo on stilts, high off the ground, with a 2nd story balcony overlooking the ocean, which was about 50 yards away. The balcony is a good place to sit, have a high ball, and watch seagulls and the ocean. To copy my friend Henry David Thoreau who was “Inspector of Snow Storms,” I appointed myself “Inspector of Oceans,” My job was to monitor the ocean to make sure it didn’t go away. It was not terribly difficult work, especially with a cold one at hand.
My wife and daughter liked to sit by the pool, or go down to the beach and use some suntan lotion, read, and swim. Most of the time I had rather jump in the station wagon and drive around looking for photos. That’s how I came upon the little chapel. I was spellbound when I first saw it. What’s it doing there? Who owns it? What's inside? It was serendipity. I set an objective to photograph it.
The problem was the sun, sky, and clouds didn’t cooperate with the vision of the photo I wanted to take. So, for 7 straight afternoons, I went to my spot to photograph the chapel, sat on my camera case (not without something cold in my hand), and waited for the perfect light. It didn’t come for 6 days. I usually waited until after sunset, hoping something good would happen. Then I'd pick up my wife and daughter and go to dinner at a nice restaurant on the island. That was part of the deal.
Here was the deal. On our first day there, we would go to Island Grocery and with separate grocery carts, we would pick out what each of us wanted for breakfast and lunch, and each had to make their own meals. Then for dinner, we would clean up and go out to eat at a nice restaurant.
Raise an eyebrow do you? Well, the 2+1 arrangement seemed to work, and we had fun with it.
As you might guess, depending on whether you are a positive person or negative person, The good light didn’t happen until the very last chance I had, since we were packing up and leaving for Austin the next morning. After all was said and done, I was happy to get the picture, even considering the 6 days of frustration.
Here's a link to a photo of the interior. It's covered from floor to celing with colorful decorations.
Look Here: https://pbase.com/update_image/170872920
That’s the story of why it took 7 days to make the photo of the little chapel on a hill. I hope you enjoyed the photo, or the story, or both. If none of the above, come again. I may surprise you with something you like.
The End
P.S. (Whoever heard of a PS to The End?) This is a copy of an 8x10 contact print made with
iPhone 11
