Photobook 12/19/23

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It's dark, I missed dusk by 2 hours. It's a half moon with cirrus clouds. It's last day before full cloud cover and rain. I'm not feeling the energy to drive tonight, I know I need time to relax and get all introspective since last semester clouded my head. Taking photos is an excuse to be by myself, I need to be creating some value, albeit by posting photos for an internet stranger to enjoy.

The gear I brought includes the Nikon AF NIKKOR 35-70mm f2.8 and my Pana-Leica 10-25mm f1.7.


20:31 CST

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ISO 2500 - ƒ1.7 - 1/60sec
Cleaned the windshield for clearer photography. Our goats muddied it by climbing the car. Don't worry, the EXIF is totally necessary.

I only have $66 in my account due to aggressive holliday shopping, it should be enough for fuel. I'm taking F.M. 218 towards Pottsville, which is the same route I took in January. I thought about going to the same locations I did on that trip, but it's too dark. If I do, it's coincidental.

20:54 CST

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ISO 2500 - ƒ1.7 - 4sec
My "new" sterile, un-fun, meh car. The Honda had danger to it, which made it fun.

I stopped at a junction with C.R. 612. It's relatively windy, very dry, people are still driving home so it's not completely "country" silent.

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ISO 2500 - ƒ1.7 - 4sec
An over lit field and Orion peeking above distant city lights.

22:24 CST

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ISO 2500 - ƒ2.8 - 4sec
A Live oak tree infected with oak wilt.

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ISO 2500 - ƒ2.8 - 15sec
A sort of spooky landscape of lights.
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Left: What I can see with my eye.
Right: What I see though the view finder.

Framing a shot is hell, absolute hell.

Mirrorless cameras are great for seeing a quick preview, but terrible at seeing where the camera is pointed in real time. I struggled with composition this trip. The time intensive process of framing by guess work, waiting many seconds for a result, then making a more educated guess, only to regret the framing when I get to editing.

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ISO 2500 - ƒ1.7 - 3.2sec
A pano of the situation.

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ISO 2500 - ƒ1.7 - 3.2sec
The road ahead full of red lights.

22:32 CST

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ISO 400 - ƒ2.7 - 1.6sec
Parallax.

During the day, this place is a serene but unusual landscape. During the night, it's not terrifying, but sort of uncomfortable? Hundreds of what appear to be disembodied lights, their parallax looking as if someone dropped them into the sky. You usually never see the depth of landscapes at night, wind farms are an exception.

22:38 CST

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ISO 400 - ƒ2.8 - 1/3sec
A menacing view of the lights ahead.

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ISO 2500 - ƒ2.8 - 5sec
A slightly less menacing view of the lights ahead.

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ISO 2500 - ƒ2.8 - 8sec
A dark road on with a moonlit sky.

The roads are barren now. Not a single person is out except me.

22:46 CST

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ISO 2500 - ƒ1.7 - 1/40sec
F.M. 218 towards Democrat, Texas.

My phone went missing. I hadn't noticed until I had driven far from where I was last.

22:58 CST

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ISO 2500 - ƒ1.7 - 4sec
The sterile, un-fun, meh car again.

I searched the car, no luck. I didn't tell anyone how late I'd be out, If anyone tried to check in on me, they couldn't. I already drove this far. If it was left behind, I sure as hell couldn't find it tonight.

23:07 CST

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ISO 2500 - ƒ2.8 - 6sec
F.M. 218 looking towards Priddy, Texas.
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ISO 2500 - ƒ2.8 - 30sec
Hello again, sheep field!

I continued to take photos despite missing my phone. I began to turn manic around this time.

23:12 CST

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ISO 2500 - ƒ2.8 - 15sec
Looking towards Goldthwaite, Texas. Messed up a good photo with fence wire.

23:21 CST

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ISO 2500 - ƒ2.8 - 30sec
For once got the composition right.

It's at this point time began moving as it does near sleep. In hindsight, the next hour is 15 minutes in my memory. I was severely dehydrated, yet wasn't thirsty. The dry wind wasn't helping.

23:43 CST

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ISO 2500 - ƒ2.8 - 5sec
Flat Top substation.

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ISO 2500 - ƒ1.7 - 10sec
Flat Top substation, but wider.

I started disassociating with my environment, the bizarre towers surrounding me and the strange crackling sound of high voltage lines, substation transformers, and 20+ wind turbines in every direction felt nearer to a dream than reality. Yet, I have photos from this time. As if someone snapped a photograph of a dream. It felt as if I had sleepwalked into this space yet had the cognition to capture it.

23:52 CST

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ISO 2500 - ƒ1.7 - 3.2sec
Getting the focus here was hell.

Time to drive home.

0:00 CST

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0:37 CST

I get home. Find my device shows its outside Priddy.

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7:31 CST

Start driving again.
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8:45 CST

I find my phone on the highway. _1059913

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ISO 400 - ƒ5.6 - 1/400sec
F.M. 218 the morning after.


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in reply to @wikispittingace's post:

Thank you so much!! It wasn't strictly intentional, I've been getting into a lot of Jon Bois's work which partially inspired using scrolling as a means to show time progressing. I definitely wanted it to reflect what my mind set was during the progress of the trip, the slow descent into near delirium, only to be reset by sleep the next morning.

This was one of the best thing I saw this whole year. It felt like I myself was driving through the same routes as you... Also you replicated perfectly how our perception of time and space changes at night, terrific!!!

That means a lot! I tried to write as many thoughts as possible directly after the trip. I've improved a lot since my last trip here in January. It's a nice loop the begin the year during the day, and end the year at night.

I hope I'll have more places to go next year. This style of post demands a lot of time and effort with pretty much no gain. It's truly a hobby, but as I said, I enjoy the value it brings more than the internet numbers.