Spirits of Silver

19 July 2022:  Ferry Point  (Point Richmond), 1899.   Kallitype  Page 2.

"The area today known as Point Richmond was long the home of native Americans before coming under control of the Spanish in the early 1800s. The area became known as The Potrero (pastureland) of Don Francisco Castro’s huge Rancho San Pablo; later the point was called Point Stevens, appearing on charts of the Bay in 1850. Finally, a U.S. Government survey party designated the point of land jutting into the Bay as “Point Richmond.”

This pier is built on the remains of the old Santa Fe Ferry Terminal that was the western terminus of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. As the story goes, Augustin S. MacDonald had the vision of the site as a port and railroad terminal. It was he who broached the idea to the movers and shakers at Santa Fe. They apparently liked the idea when they found out it was 12 miles closer by rail than the Peralta Street Terminal for ferries in Oakland.

On July 4, 1900, after construction of ferry slips and tracks to the site, the Santa Fe inaugurated service by delivering 200 passengers from San Francisco to Point Richmond on the Santa Fe’s first ferry, the Ocean Wave. After arrival, many of the people boarded the railroad’s first through train to Chicago. To handle freight connections, terminals were built at the foot of Channel Street in China Basin, a “car float” slip was built adjacent to Pier 54 in San Francisco, and further landing facilities were constructed in Oakland and Alameda. Connections were made to the Northwest Pacific Railroad facilities in Tiburon.

For three decades these various terminals (passenger, car and freight) were busy with traffic—but that would change with the opening of the Bay Bridge in 1936. Nevertheless, even though the Santa Fe discontinued its own passenger ferries in 1933, ferries and other boats transported rail cars, cargo and people from the terminal to San Francisco until 1980 (and nearby sat the Southern Pacific Golden Gate Ferry Terminal which operated during the 1920s and 1930s). freight) were busy with traffic—but that would change with the opening of the Bay Bridge in 1936. Nevertheless, even though the Santa Fe discontinued its own During much of the pier’s history, local anglers with the know-how, and connections, were able to go out and catch fish at the pier. Later, after the demise of the ferry operations, it became an even more important home for local fisherman—until a fire in 1984. Since that time local fishermen repeatedly spoke of a need for a local pier and apparently the East Bay Regional Park District listened.

In February of 2001, the Wildlife Conservation Board announced the final grant ($500,270) needed to complete the pier project that had been in the works for nearly ten years. The cost of more than $2,000,000 includes rehabilitation of nearly 3,000 square feet of structure area—replacement of wooden piers and steel piles—and repainting of the historic gallows structure and machinery house (as well as interpretive signs showing the history of the pier and how the machinery worked).  Money for the project came from the Wildlife Conservation Fund, the California Coastal Conservancy ($492,000), Caltrans ($376,000) and funds raised by the EastBay Regional Park District itself ($713, 000).

Most of the old landings have been torn down and are now history. The Point Richmond Landing, even if in decrepit shape, gives evidence of those times when there were no bridges, no hundreds of thousands of cars crossing them daily, and much less crowding that seems to clog our daily life today. "  -  Quoted from Ferry Point Pier — Richmond - Pier Fishing in California

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During much of the pier’s history, local anglers with the know-how, and connections, were able to go out and catch fish at the pier. Later, after the demise of the ferry operations, it became an even more important home for local fisherman—until a fire in 1984. Since that time local fishermen

In February of 2001, the Wildlife Conservation Board announced the final grant ($500,270) needed to complete the pier project that had been in the works for nearly ten years. The cost of more than $2,000,000 includes re   2 December 2018 (Highland Hospital - Salt Print Gallery # 29)

While driving near Oakland's Highland Hospital I spotted the two ornate steeples over a tree lined wall and assumed that it was a Catholic cathedral located within the compound and made a mental note to check it out that weekend. On Sunday I returned with the 8x10 field camera and an assortment of lenses and hiked up the driveway leading into the compound. The steps leading up to the building were chained-off but easily stepped over and the top landing was protected by a 12-foot tall heavy iron fence that surrounded the main or front entrance. The heavy iron entry gate was ajar permitting you to enter and view the front entrance as shown in the image but that Iron fence also prevented you from getting any further back and blocked an ascending ornate two-tierd stone staircase leading up to it which had classic styled stone seats to rest and admire the view from. Even if the fence wasn't there the overgrowth of shrubbery and trees would prevent capturing a full and unobstructed frontal view. The only way to capture the full facade was to use a cherry picker to bring the camera up to a point where it was possible to capture the subject more naturallywithout tilting the camera upward and introducing keystoning and have it soar above.  A second possibility was from a point directly against the fence and pointing the camera upwards. A cherry picker was not an option and I doubt that one could be positioned.  Even then the obstructing shubbery would need to be trimed back. So I was left with the only option available which was against the fence and just a few feet from the final tier of steps, pointing the camera upwards to the soaring subject and using the widest lens I had - which was a 120mm Nikkor-SW.

The 120 Nikkor-SW is an extremely wide-angle lens on 8x10 format and roughly equivalent to a 20mm lens on a full frame 35mm format. Nikon's specifications indicate that the len's image circle would just cover the format wthout allowing for any camera movements. In useaage I found that the lens will allow for some rise and fall and a small amount was used here. But to use this lens with the field camera it is necessary to first tilt the camera downwards and then to raise the front and rear standards so that both are parallel to the ground and perpendicular. Otherwise the camera's bed will appear in the photo. However I was prevented from taking the shot with the normal bellows I had on the camera which wouldn't collaspe enough to allow for the camera movements that I needed to make. A bag bellows, which I left at home, was required and planned to come back the following weekend with it to complete the shot.  However the nortorious “Camp Fire” – the largest nd most deadilist wildfire in California to date – intervened and for the next two weeks the Bay Area was chocked with a hazaderous air quality from the fire which raged 150 miles to the north. Finally the high pressure that was drawing in the smoke from the fire and preventing it from exiting over the ocean for two weeks gave way to a low pressure system and a much needed  rainfall finally cleared the air and I was able to go back to complete the shot.

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18 November 2018 (Green Lake - B&W Gallery #36):

I had arrived at Green Lake after dark and set-up camp.  After the morning's coffee  I set out looking for a composition and came upon this one. The early morning stillnesss resulted in the mirror-like reflection of the opposite shore on the placid surface of the lake.  The  U-shaped trough, I believe, resulted from the retreat of the last glacier in this area.

Although the lake's surface was calm the weather was not-as you may surmise from the clouds poised above it. Above the ridgeline and to my right a serious looking weather system was speedidly moving through and to my left, where the sun was positioned, stormy looking clouds were also swiftly passing - intermittenly blocking the sun from illuminatting the forest on the far shoreline.  It seemed as though my camera was set-up in the best possible location at the time and I released the shutter just at the moment when sunlight fell across the full length of the forest. After exposing the negative the scene went dark for the final time and, as I broke camp, it began to hail and snow.

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10 December 2017 (B&W Image #32):

Looking west. The lake is along the original John Muir Trail which climbed over Junction Pass at its far end before the newer (and easier) route was established over Forester Pass back in the 1930's. The route is seldom used now and its turn off from the JMT is obscured. The lake was a popular campsite before humping Junction and then Shepard passes in short order and rusty tin cans are plentiful in the campsites. Apparently freeze-dried food was not in vogue back then as it is today and you packed canned food instead. I remember my first back country trip out of Yosemite where I filled my pack with can foods. By the time I reached Nevada Falls I realized that if I continued with the cans, I would be miserable the whole trip. So I went back down, got rid of the cans, and replaced with freeze dried. What a difference it made!

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28 May 2017:

Known as The Air Flight Inn back in the 1940's and 50's, the interior was featured in the 1961 Twilight Zone episode A Hundred Yards Over the Rim according to the current owner 72 year old Chris who lives directly across the street in a former filling station which he also owns. According to the long-time Owens Valley resident the cafe was originally owned by John Grant who was a business partner with Howard Hughes back in the 1940's when the plan was to build an experimental airfield for Hughes in the area. The airfield never materialized but the cafe is readily recalled by long time residents of the area.

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28 May 2016:

I'm not a “gear head” and in general keep and use my cameras, lens, and gear long term.  This applies to the light meter which in many ways is the most important part of my gear for without the ability to accurately measure the light I'm left merely guessing at the proper exposure. When I first got into large format photography, around 2002, I purchased a Pentax Digital Spot Meter which is as highly regarded among photographers today as it was then even though production ceased around 2004.  Over the years I have relied heavily upon it to supply the quantitative data of the lighting and it has performed flawlessly. But unlike the large format camera, which all you have to worry about is replacing the bellows as the camera ages, the light meter is a precise electronic instrument and the time will come when it must be replaced.  That realization moved forward in my mind as the meter entered its 14th year of faithful service. 

Last Sunday morning I was out measuring a tricky exposure with the meter and after taking the readings placed it on the top of my pack. After exposing the negative (which came out perfectly exposed) I started to pack-up at which point the meter fell off the top of my pack and onto the concrete pavement.  It was a short and soft fall – maybe 3 or 4 inches at the most – and not enough to place a mark or scratch on the meter but distinctly noticeable to me as I take great care with my equipment.  But it was a very minor bump as bumps go and I didn't think that it would have an adverse effect on the meter and packed it in the pack as usual.  About a half-hour later I was set-up for another shot and taking the meter out to measure the light it was dead!  Now there were two distint possibilities:  First, and most probable, the battery simply died.  This was highly likely as the battery was probably not one which gives a warning before dying and it had been a while since it was last changed.  But in the past I remember the meter blinking on readings before finally dying and this time there were no warning.  Second, the fall was enough to damage the meter.  Unfortunately I didn't have a spare battery with me and finding an A544 battery had to wait until Monday when Fry's was open.  But this was enough to motivate me to look for a replacement meter that night and after searching the web for suitable replacements I settled on the Sekonic L-758DR which I purchased the following day – Monday.  I went out yesterday with the Sekonic and quickly bonded with it!

After looking at the manual without the previous evening multi-tasking (drinking beer, watching TV, reading the manual and playing with the meter – all at the same time) I switched the setting from measuring incident and reflected light simultaneously to the standard setting which simplified things greatly.  The meter doesn't give you the average exposure for a given scene like my Pentax 67II will, but you will get the same result by taking several spot reading throughout the scene and using the mid-point. Of course the Pentax Digital Spot Meter will do the same thing but you have to mentally do the math whereas the Sekonic will store the reading in its memory and pressing the average button delivers the mid-point. What's more it shows where each of the reading fell on the analogue scale so you can see at a glance where each is in relation to mid-gray – just like the Pentax – and each of those tick marks will remain displayed until you erase. This eliminated the concern that the Sekonic wasn't as visual as the Pentax. It is and more as it shows where each of the measurements falls on the scale in relation to the mid-point and each other.

Once you realize that the Sekonic gives the aperture readings to the 1/10th stop (e.g., a reading I just took with the Sekonic read 1 second at f5.6+6/10th and the Pentax gave 5.6 and a third at 1 second but a slight movement of the meter gave a reading of 5.6+ 2/3 stops which is essentially identical with the Sekonic and probably due to not having the measuring areas of the sensors precisely aligned with each other).  So  both meters agree remarkably well with each other. Considering that the Pentax is much older than the Sekonic this was mildly surprising to me notwithstanding the absolutely flawless results the Pentax has delivered over the years. One would think that the advance in technology during the intervening years would have resulted in a more accurate meter - and maybe it did by measuring to the 1/10th stop. But Sekonic's distinct advantage is in the magnification that the view finder provides giving you a closer view of the 1-degree spot area and the resulting darker and much easier to see measuring circle than the Pentax. The only con that I can think of is that with the view finders magnified view you have to be more conscious of the compositions parameters when taking readings.

Finally the weight and size of the Sekonic is essentially the same as the Pentax and it come with a soft padded case that looks to be made of water repellent rip-stop nylon with a compartment for a spare battery and a belt loop to accommodate various widths. There are supposedly provisions for storing up to 3 film exposure profiles that I have to look into which if true will eliminate the need of carrying recopricity curves and the applications for flash photography are truly remarkable. Curiously just last week I ordered The Hurrell Style: 50 Years of Photographing Hollywood thinking that portrait photography would work well with the various alternative processing that I am using and the flash and the meter's incident and flash capabilities would be a perfect fit for.  In summary, for me the Sekonic L-758DR is the perfect replacement for the Pentax Digital Spot Meter. 

And the Pentax?  I stopped by Fry's after work on Monday and bought 2 A544 batteries for the Pentax and 1 CR123A Lithium battery for the Sekonic.   Upon placing a new battery in the Pentax it sprang to life like new!    

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15 April 2016:

Note on image #10 (A Prayer) in the Chromogenic C-Print Gallery:

This was a very long exposure on Fuji Reala in a fairly large and dimly-lit Greek Orthodox church. The photographer that accompanied me sat quietly in a pew and made no move to photograph with his camera as if the ambiance of the place was overwhelming to the point that he could only sit motionless in it. Off to a side sat a priest counseling with a parishioner in low muffled tones that were unintelligible to an on-hearer. I stood motionless next to the camera waiting for the shutter to close fully expecting a door to open, someone to stand and move about - surely a ripple to develop in the air - to disturb the flame of the candle frozen perfectly still in space. But it never happened.

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10 September 2015:

Background on the Meek Mansion, Salt Print Gallery #28:

Following the tragic death of his young wife (Mary Meek was just 15 years old when they married), William Meek went west on the Oregon Trail from Iowa's first Quaker community in Salem, Iowa to the Willamette River Valley in Oregon and there established a saw mill and nursery with his father-in-law Henderson Lewelling.  Lewelling was a charter member of the Salem Friends where he established the Abolition Friends Monthly Meeting in 1843 with other members of the Friends.  (Henderson Lewelling's house in Salem, a mere 25 miles from the Mason Dixon line, still stands today and during the 1840's onward was an important “underground railway station” for runaway slaves escaping from their masters. For a historical sketch of Henderson Lewelling see this excellent article published in the Iowa Journal of History in 1929, and this article which discusses his "spiritalism" and attempt to establish a utopian "free love" community in Central America based on Quaker ideals.) 

In 1853 Lewelling sold his interest in their Oregon enterprise to his son-in-law and business partner  William Meek and moved to California where he purchased land in Alameda county and with his son Alfred established a thriving fruit and nursery business.  Meek followed in 1859 purchasing fertile land  in and around Alameda's Eden Township (now a part of the city of Hayward).  During the civil war Meek grew grains and raised sheep and developed a system for crop rotation:  In grains he sowed 600 acres of wheat one year, Chevalier barley the next, and sometimes corn and oats along with tobacco.

The Meek Mansion, built in 1869 at a cost of $40,000 and lavishly furnished for an additional cost of $5,000, consists of 23 rooms on three floors with a cupola on the third floor.  In the below-ground basement is an “unusual” bracing system consisting of thick, diagonally placed timber boards.  Just the year before, in 1868, the largest earthquake ever recorded on the Hayward Fault (estimated to have been magnitude 7.0) had occurred and the “unusual” bracing system employed was likely in response to that event.   Architecturally, the general consensus is that it is Italian Ornate in design and is an excellent example of the architectural styles employed in 19th century California. 

By 1869 Meek's farm had grown to 3,000 acres.  Due to changing economic conditions and a lower grain yield, large-scale farming of pears, cherries, apricots and peaches replaced the grain fields of southern Alameda County.  The invention of the refrigerated rail car made it possible for local farmers to realize huge profits by sending their fruit to markets on the Atlantic seaboard.  Meek developed his own nursery stock planting 20,000 almond trees, 4,200 cherry trees, 3,000 plum and prune trees, and 225,000 currant bushes on his own land and selling fruit trees to his neighbors.  Local legend has it that the “Bing” cherry variety originated on the Meek farm and was named after the Meek households Chinese cook who used the cherries to make cherry pie.  In addition to Chinese cooks and house servants, Meek employed over 100 farm hands, over 100 horses and mules were stabled in his barns, and the milk herd numbered 2 dozen milk-producing cows.  In addition to the distinction of being the “first farmer” in Alameda county, Meek was elected county supervisor for 4 terms beginning in 1862, organized Hayward's first Agricultural Society of which he was named president in 1867, and was a member of the first board of trustees of Mills College.


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21 August 2015:

16 July 2015:

One of my favorite spots for relaxing with a good book and perhaps a glass of wine is at the Marina Green along the San Francisco Bay shoreline.  The view over the bay consists of the Golden Gate Bridge to west with the Marin Headlands and Mt. Tamalpais to its immediate background.  Angel Island is straight ahead just in front of the bay's northern extension which leads to the section called San Pablo Bay and through which the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers empty their waters into the Bay past infamous San Quentin Prison which is hidden from view by Angel Island and the Tiburon Peninsula.  Famous Alcatraz Island with its lighthouse just in front of the "Big House" (or "Cellhouse" as it is listed on the maps) is to the right and favorably lighted by the late afternoon sun. Treasure Island lies further east blocked from view by Fort Mason. Ships of commerce, usually large container carrying vessels, can be seen exiting the bay to begin or continue on their transcontinental journey by swinging wide behind Alcatraz Island and those entering the bay to deliver their cargo to the ports keep to the near side in front of the island. Numerous sailboats and motorcraft of all sizes can be seen scattered about on the water along with ferries transporting commuters to their various destinations along with the occasional tour boat packed with tourists looking landward while listening to a lecture on the view over a loudspeaker which is audible to those on shore when in range.

In April or May the Brown Pelican arrives in the Bay Area where it remains until late fall before departing for breeding grounds on islands in Baja, Southern California, and Florida.  Beginning in the late afternoon many thousands of them can be seen flying single file in formations of 5, 10, 20, 30 or more birds over the waters of the bay and out the Golden Gate to fish.  Occasionally a squadron would fly directly over the shoreline, right over your head, before heading out over the water.   Spotting its prey, the anchovy and smelt, a bird will suddenly rise high into the air and dive straight down, beak first, to capture it under water and then re-surface with its beak held high with its meal.  After a moment or two its' back into the air to catch up with the rest of the squadron.  Their fishing style is to start high, 20, 30 feet or so, above the water and then to drop down low to within mere inches of the surface and continue like that for some distance before rising again from which they will again drop down to barely above the surface - a cycle which is repeated throughout the flight.  In past years a diving pelican or two, or even several, would be seen in practically every passing squadron. But that is not the case this year.  Although I have spent several afternoons along the shoreline and have watched tens of thousands of pelicans make the trek I have yet to see even one pelican dive – zero - even though I looked in earnest.  That could only mean that the anchovy and smelt are not there for them this year.  Is this a sign of global warming or of the pending El Nino which is predicted to be unusually strong this year?  Or both?

Seemingly underscoring the absence of anchovy and smelt for the pelican the seagull, whose population in the Bay Area exploded in 2013 and 2014, and the common pigeon are conspicuously scarce on the bay so far this year.  Both birds commonly congregate on the shoreline walkways and you often had to literally force them aside to continue your walk.  Gulls would also congregate around a diving pelican hoping for scraps from the dive. Finally although I didn't look for it, I don't recall seeing harbor seals as I did in the past. The seal would commonly swim fairly close to shore fishing popping its head above surface occasionally to see what was going on on top and along the shore. They, like the Pelican, must be fishing elsewhere this year.

Update (30 August)

On Thursday and again on Friday I stopped at the Marina Green where I observed that, although in greatly reduced numbers as observed in the above (migration?), the Brown Pelican is again diving for anchovy in the Bay.  I had stopped by during the week preceeding and observed a few juvenile Pelicans diving but due to the apparent shallowness of their dive and immediate lift-off I couldn't tell if it was productive or just "practice."  A report frrom the Monterrey Bay Aquarium that aired on Friday stated that anchovy was now plentiful in Monterrey Bay so I assume that the anchovy has made its way north to the San Francisco Bay. 

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17 JUNE 2015:

After checking the San Juan Bautista web-cams for the status of the onshore fog last Saturday morning, I decided to make the 76 mile drive (one way) to attempt photographing the mission church and adjoining structure for a salt print.  I had photographed the church previously for printing as a salt print and now wanted to use a wider lens to capture not only the church but also some of the mission complex which extends from the church.

The best lighting occurs in the morning when the sun illuminates the church's facade from the east and early spring would be the best time since the sun is at a lower angle eliminating most of the shadow cast by the gabled tile roof.  But this was late spring and I was expecting a little more shadow than I had envisioned but that extra bit of shadow served to accentuate the roof and I am quite pleased with how it turned out.

The timing of my arrival was perfect: the fog blocking the sun was just dissipating as I set-up the camera and there were no tourists or church goers milling around.   The only mass scheduled on Saturdays is at 5pm but this is June when weddings are in high gear and there was the possibility that one would be in progress when I arrived with people spilling out of the church ruining my hoped for composition of a solitary structure devoid of people.  But I made the drive with the hope that most weddings would occur in the afternoon and not in the morning and, at least last Saturday, I was correct.

But the unexpected seems to always occur when trying to make a photograph.  After carefully focusing the camera being certain that vignetting wouldn't occur with the amount of rise that I was using on the front standard and setting the exposure according the the light falling on the church, I tripped the shutter just as a bank of fog passed in front of the sun and I thought that resulted in the negative being under-exposed.  But I had another sheet of film loaded in the opposite side of the holder and reversed it  tripping the shutter as the fog drifted away from the sun.  But just then a small and fast flying bird flew into the frame and landed on the roofs peak.

Naturally that bird showed up on the print as a undefined dark streak about 2mm in length surrounded by a faint halo from the rapidly flapping wings.  Not considering the cost of the paper, silver, gold and platinum used in printing, salt prints are very time consuming to make and I wanted to salvage, if I could, the print without re-printing it.  This I was successful in doing by using a mixture of potassium ferricyanide and sodium thiosulfate to essentially bleach-out the bird on the print and then blend that section of the print in with the surrounding sky with Marshall's Spot-All.   The negative is otherwise perfect and I will treat it with Kodak's crocein scarlett  to hold back the exposure in that area for future printing.

The first negative?  It turned out perfect and I didn't need to expose the second.  I developed it for silver gelatin printing.

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 9 April 2015:

 
Monday morning I drove out to Pigeon Point on the San Mateo coast and photographed the lighthouse from the bluff to the south with the 8x10 field camera and a 610mm lens.  The light was exquisite and the dark bank of clouds of an approaching storm from the Gulf of Alaska that was to bring an inch of rain to Oakland and a foot of snow to the sierra was just making its way onto the distant horizon.  I developed the negative that afternoon and printed it as a salt print yesterday morning as it rained all day on Tuesday. I'm very pleased with the print and plan to mat and frame it in the next few days.  When I do I'll place it in the salt print gallery.

I just finished developing two 8x10 negatives that I shot today with the field camera.  The first was a view of downtown San Francisco from Bernal Heights with a view down a wide south Van Ness Avenue flanking on the left and the Bay Bridge on the right.  The tops of two or three large trees come into the frame at the center and very bottom of the foreground which accenuates the location from which it was taken.  The second was of Harvest Hills Market, a corner market on Folsom and Besssie Streets.  While I was tearing down Michael, the husband of the market's owner, came over to say hello.  They had purchased the market 3 1/2 years ago from an elderly 90 or 98 year old lady who had lived in a house at the back of the store.  The new owners live upstairs and I had changed the cameras orientation from landscape to portrait to capture the bay window that was centered over the entrance.  I had photographed both locations in the past and printed them as silver gelatin's but I think that they will work better as salt prints.

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