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Description
The story behind this image:
I was doing my usual 75 mph on this 55 mph limit country road where the only sign of a cop is where one lives and doesn't seem to work. I came around one of my favorite turns where I enjoy seeing a long line of hoppers on a dirt road between two vast fields so wide I once saw two separate storms beyond the trees across the fields. The sight often cheers me up as I travel between the two schools I teach at. Just after I left the turn, I saw smoke billowing out from the base of this burnt leafless tree. My eyes were fixated on this until I realized I was about to run into someone who actually obeys the speed limit out there. I passed him, turned around, and parked in the field to get the photo.

Imagine the scene. I'm in black slacks, a white button down shirt, and a tie. I'm driving a nice SUV and using a big medium format camera to photograph what is apparently a burning tire at the base of the tree. Just as I finish muddying up my dress boots climbing a mud levee to get the shot, a truck blocks my exit from the field and waits for me to trek back across the field to my vehicle. I greeted him and explained how the tree caught my attention and I couldn't help but stop to photograph it. I also asked if he was the property owner because I wanted to tell him how much I enjoy passing his fields with the hoppers on the road. He replied, "Nah, I ain't the owner, but he's on his way there," and pointed to a truck coming down the road that parked blocking the two of us in the field. As he steps out, he recognizes me from a gallery I held at a local civic center, explains that he also knows my parents, and whipped out his camera to show me his own photographs.

The first fella realized the coast was clear and tells his side of the story. The workers operating farm equipment in a nearby field saw me, the cleaned up suit with a big camera, photographing his burning tire and called him up. They told him "there's an EPA man photographing that tire you burned" to which he replied, "I don't know what you're talking about," and hung up.

The property owner's best advice to me that day was "Neva get gov'ment plates or you'll get shot 'round here."

Photographed with my beautiful Mamiya RZ67 Pro II with a 110mm lens on T-Max 400 speed film and printed on Ilford silver gelatin paper at 8x10 inches then scanned for digital archiving. I did my best to clear the dust from the scan. This was the first time I got to use a holder with a big enough frame to allow the black lines from the clear part of the film around the image. I love the result.

Description
The story behind this image:
I was doing my usual 75 mph on this 55 mph limit country road where the only sign of a cop is where one lives and doesn't seem to work. I came around one of my favorite turns where I enjoy seeing a long line of hoppers on a dirt road between two vast fields so wide I once saw two separate storms beyond the trees across the fields. The sight often cheers me up as I travel between the two schools I teach at. Just after I left the turn, I saw smoke billowing out from the base of this burnt leafless tree. My eyes were fixated on this until I realized I was about to run into someone who actually obeys the speed limit out there. I passed him, turned around, and parked in the field to get the photo.

Imagine the scene. I'm in black slacks, a white button down shirt, and a tie. I'm driving a nice SUV and using a big medium format camera to photograph what is apparently a burning tire at the base of the tree. Just as I finish muddying up my dress boots climbing a mud levee to get the shot, a truck blocks my exit from the field and waits for me to trek back across the field to my vehicle. I greeted him and explained how the tree caught my attention and I couldn't help but stop to photograph it. I also asked if he was the property owner because I wanted to tell him how much I enjoy passing his fields with the hoppers on the road. He replied, "Nah, I ain't the owner, but he's on his way there," and pointed to a truck coming down the road that parked blocking the two of us in the field. As he steps out, he recognizes me from a gallery I held at a local civic center, explains that he also knows my parents, and whipped out his camera to show me his own photographs.

The first fella realized the coast was clear and tells his side of the story. The workers operating farm equipment in a nearby field saw me, the cleaned up suit with a big camera, photographing his burning tire and called him up. They told him "there's an EPA man photographing that tire you burned" to which he replied, "I don't know what you're talking about," and hung up.

The property owner's best advice to me that day was "Neva get gov'ment plates or you'll get shot 'round here."

Photographed with my beautiful Mamiya RZ67 Pro II with a 110mm lens on T-Max 400 speed film and printed on Ilford silver gelatin paper at 8x10 inches then scanned for digital archiving. I did my best to clear the dust from the scan. This was the first time I got to use a holder with a big enough frame to allow the black lines from the clear part of the film around the image. I love the result.