garrison beau scott

I’m currently serving as Director of Photography on an independent film being shot here in New England. One of the scenes required an in-door track and field facility and lucky for us, the director of the film has connections with the head coach at Bowdoin College.

After the day’s shooting, I was left alone for about forty minutes with my Holga, and so I did what I’d normally do. Wander. Bowdoin has a gorgeous collection of athletic fields that surround the school and I had them all to myself as school wasn’t in yet. What makes them even more beautiful is the setting. The school is surrounded by wall of trees and it makes for a very isolated vibe as one wanders the fields. I’ll be posting more of these soon, and selecting my ten favorites for the featured portfolio on my web site.

Using expired film in a Holga. Not much to say except it feels like playing hooky from school. Wrong for all the right reasons, or right for all the wrong. I don’t know.

Something like this, something never felt or touched before,
but on first glance it’s sweet and divine, the urge to explore,
to keep pushing past all that is seen at once,
discover all the hidden secrets of its promise.

…back to this place, this time. A warm day, amazing setting, running water, solitude yet not alone. I find myself wanting to go back.

With the summer gone and the possibility of jumping in that water decreasing more and more each day, I guess allowing my mind to drift back is the only way I can. Sometimes life can offer so many rewards to being alive, that you become overwhelmed with options. I think it a blessing, definitely nothing close to a curse, but it can be hard knowing this place and this time exists, yet not for me, not now.

I have faith however, that the camera and that which I pursue behind it, will offer up yet more opportunity to explore, experience, and celebrate. It’s just that it won’t be done stripped down to bathing suit and enjoyed while stretched out over sun warmed rocks like this one. It’s a shame too, but winter comes soon and who knows what it brings.

I have a rather large cache of exposed film with no real provenance other than a few random markings. Every once in a while, I’ll grab a roll or two and drop them off with film I’ve shot more recently. Sometimes I’ll look at the processed roll and wonder if I was even the photographer who took the pictures contained within the emulsion. And other times I’ll see a frame or two and say something along the lines of, “So that’s where that ended up.” Or, “I remember that.”

Here is one that I remember. It was taken in San Francisco on April 30, 2004. It was a crisp spring day with heavy traces of winter still in the air, and the wind was whipping around in Union Square. In the north east corner, there’s a plot of this long grass, and as we were sitting on one of the benches close by, warming up with some coffee, I saw all the movement in the grass, accented by the fading afternoon light.

It’s funny how you can forget some things, and then remember every detail.