Second Roll of Kodak E100

 I only have three pictures worth sharing from my second roll of slide film. It's not the film's fault - it looked good even under harsh light with bright spots and deep shadows. There are few keepers because I was careless. I didn't choose times of day or weather that was suited for slide film photography and at some point I was rushing to finish the roll and send it off to the lab. Not a great mindset for using expensive film. 

Some construction materials under a bridge. I went back to this spot with a digital camera a few days ago and couldn't get a similar result, even after screwing around in Lightroom for a while.

An alley near my apartment. This style of chair often has a chair connecting it to another seat. The university where I taught until recently had them in several student lounges.

And, of course . . . .
You can probably see that the film captures both highlights and shadows quite well. Any faults with the photographs on a roll are completely my responsibility.

Heavy

 

Apartment Construction, Sokcho

I am reasonably skilled at composition, but I don't think I do such a great job of conveying feeling. Mostly my pictures are about form, and I've heard them described as 'cold'. But I think the light and the placement of the elements in the frame describe how I felt when I made the photograph. This kind of apartment blends in well with its surroundings in a place like Seoul or Busan, but in a small city like Sokcho it squats oppressively upon the landscape and mind.

Encroachment

High-rises are going up all over Sokcho. The one going up in front of my apartment building will be over forty stories when it's finished. Across the road another tall building is going up. Tower cranes are the prominent feature of the cityscape. Behind my apartment is Dongmyeong Catholic Church. Besides being an attractive stone building, the church sits on a hill where you can look down over the harbour and see the sunrise. It's something of a tourist attraction. I like it because it's not made of concrete and polished granite. There are benches on the grounds where I can sit and relax quietly.

But as you can see, there are buildings going up around the church. The clang and bang of construction is present all day long. Silent prayer must be quite a challenge. The church has put up signs saying that they are not opposed to development, but they are opposed to so many high-rises going up all over the city and destroying its charm and heritage.

I agree with them. People come to Sokcho to see Seolak Mountain and the sea. They build tall apartment buildings to get a good view of them. In a few years, the only view will be of people in other high-rises looking out the windows. The sea and the mountains will be hidden behind concrete.