The fog in San Francisco ate my film

I was up at Twin Peaks last month with my old Pentax K1000, trying to catch the sunrise over the city. I loaded a fresh roll of Portra 400, got my settings dialed in, and waited. The fog rolled in so thick you couldn't see ten feet in front of you. I figured the shots were ruined, but I just kept shooting the gray blanket anyway, focusing on the texture of the mist right against the lens. When I got the scans back, half the roll was just these soft, moody frames where the city lights were faint glowing orbs. It wasn't the postcard shot I wanted, but it felt more true to that cold, quiet morning. Made me stop trying to force a picture and just shoot what's actually there. Anyone else have a plan completely fall apart but end up with something they liked more?

2 comments

2 Comments

diana721mo ago

Watched my friend's beach shoot get rained out.

lindaw291mo ago

Oh man, @diana72, that's the worst. We just moved the whole thing to a covered pavilion once and it actually worked out.