This image was made on July 7, 1998 while I was up north in the White Mountains of NH. I was there for a few days to capture some scenic images and do some camping. I was using my Hasselblad 500cm medium format system using TMAX 100 film with three 120 film backs for different film developements. My plan was to photograph the Basin the evening I arrived and the next day get up early to photograph The Flume basin. After a successful evening and morning of images I was driving around trying to find another area to photograph that evening. The day was very windy with amazing clouds zooming by and as I was driving by the Old Man I decided to photograph him with my new 250mm lens. I had set up my tripod on a large boulder a short distance up a trail at the viewing area. Because the light was coming from behind the Old Man most of the forest below was in shade. I decided to mount a yellow/green filter to help lighten the trees a little. I placed the important shadows in zone 4 (because of the way this particular film demanded) and the clouds were way up on the scale so I decided to give the film a Minus 2 development to help retain detail in the clouds. I made a couple of images of the Old Man and decided to pack it up. I bent down to open my backpack and just as I looked up again I saw this person standing on the head of the Old Man which really helped give the image scale. There was blue sky behind the person but I knew I needed a cloud to make him stand out. After making a couple of insurance images I waited and prayed for a white cloud to come by. After what seemed like an eternity a cloud did come zooming into the image behind the hiker. Just as I pressed the shutter he bent down to collect his pack and off he went. I really didn't think I had captured him standing upright, but after processing the film I had indeed captured this unique and historic image. This image is for sale in open edition carbon pigment prints and limited edition Palladium/Platinum prints. Please use my Contact page with any inquiries. Thank you so much for viewing my site!
