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Australian scenery was re: [OM] fungus on slides - E6 vs kodachrome [lo

Subject: Australian scenery was re: [OM] fungus on slides - E6 vs kodachrome [longish]
From: Frank Ernens <fgernens@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 20:06:38 +1000
Dylan wrote

> take a look at the work of Peter Dombrovskis

Thanks for the URL, and what a shame his work seems to have
disappeared from the bookshops. The media reported with glee
on the manner of his passing [see background below for those who
don't know] but I don't recall ever seeing a piece about
his work.

[Background: Dombrovskis used to wander off alone into the
Tasmanian wilderness with his Linhof field camera to get those
shots. He suffered a fatal heart attack on one of these trips.]

> The real lesson should be to myself - don't bother
> shooting landscapes in full sun!

You can structure a trip for photography, but you won't
be popular with the non-photographers (who IME like to
snooze until 10am and have long lunches on peaks.)

> My OM10 died in the Du Cane range in Tas, from excess moisture...

For several consecutive years some friends of mine went to SW
Tassie in January, when I couldn't get time off work. Every year
they declared "death march, never again". Later on I could go,
but after seeing a pair of boots before Arthurs and after Arthurs
I never got around to it. One year this same intrepid crowd
decided to slack off and go to Cradle Mountain instead. They went
early in the summer on the theory that the track would not yet have
been chopped up. Some theory.

Actually, the wettest trip I've ever done was a walk that is
normally considered tame, the Routeburn in NZ. But we did it
during the Invercargill floods, and on the wettest day we
made 4 rope crossings. In a group of 8 or so, only 2 cameras
survived - both Olympus - an XA and my OM-1. The OM-1's
mercury cell did die, though, and I had to use the "sunny" (hah!)
f/16 rule for last day or two.

> My combined passions for the outdoors (bushwalking /climbing
> /skiing /canyoning)

I can only claim bushwalking and skiing, being too gutless for the
other two. I'm thinking about doing some snow camping this year,
in order to be around in the good light.

> and photography have taken me on many forays into
> rainforest ... and coastal heath

You've been to more places than I have. But the places I
tend to go back to are Wilson's Prom, Wyperfeld (in the
Big Desert, SW of Swan Hill), Wonangatta/Moroka (sadly,
burned down by some idiot with a campfire), and the
Cobberas/Pilot area. Last year I was mad enough to take
2 OM bodies, 4 lenses, tripod + full pack up Cobberas No. 1
and camp in a gale. Got some good shots of the clearing storm the
next day. (This was the same big storm that did so much damage
in Melbourne around Easter last year.)

A few months ago I did the Main Range circuit from Charlotte's
Pass and was surprised at what a great walk that is, touristy or
not. It was marred only by an obnoxious practical joker who crept
up behind me and asked if I had a license to use interchangeable
lenses. This is what passes for humour in Canberra, a small town
which was probably the last in the English speaking world
in which recitation of the parrot sketch at parties became socially
unacceptable, if indeed it has yet.

My most exotic bushwalking destination has been Mt. Wilhelm in
Papua New Guinea. Unfortunately in those days I was clueless
and on someone's bad advice used print film developed at a cheap
lab. All 12 rolls were ruined by the lab and the only memories I
have are from a friend's XA (truly dreadful lens, vignetting city
with prints from slides, but better than nothing). Due to altitude
sickness after coming too quickly from sea level by plane, I had to
stop about 100m from the top (3900m). (Just a warning - I don't
recommend anyone put this on their itinerary, as the crime
problem has got much worse since our trip.)

BTW, I've checked some of my old slides. I have Fujichromes from
1987 and Agfas from 1991. All the rest is KR. There is no fading
on any of them (but oh dear, that Sigma zoom was a shocker now that
I compare it with recent shots from the 50 f/1.8). Beware of some
slide sheets sold here as "archival" which are not - if the plastic
can be stretched it is probably not. I use only Klames, on backorder
by Ted's for 9 months they say, and will have to import them privately.

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