First Snow

In the mountains above Reggio Emilia the first snow has fallen. I managed to get a free afternoon to experience this first snow.

The sun drops down behind the mountains at about four o’clock so I had little time to take  photographs.

I went to Pratizzano  and then on to the “recinti”. From here the view is quite spectacular.

Monte Ventasso, RE

Monte Ventasso, RE

Pratizzano, looking towards Monte Cusna RE

Pratizzano, RE

Monte Cusna, RE

Monte Cusna, RE

Another Age

For the last couple of weeks it has rained here in Reggio Emilia almost continually. So it has been impossible to get out and about to do any photography.

Going through a backup CD I found these pictures that I took in the 90’s mostly for the Teatro Municipale, Reggio Emilia.

Photographs from another world, TMax 400 film pushed to 1600ASA, taken in another Italy where a provincial theatre could afford the best names in Jazz and classical music.

How things have changed. I gave up on film based photography because it became impossible to find easily the paper to print on, and chemicals to develop film and paper. Digital is so much more convenient in every way, but photographically there is nothing I like better than a well printed black and white print.

The lenses I used were al manual focus, with the exposure estimated by my experience of theatre lighting levels.  The prints were “photoshopped ” using my hands to mask and burn in certain areas of the print during exposure in the darkroom.     

Elvin Jones

Joe Henderson

Han Bennik

Pat Metheny

Pat Metheny

Jan Garbarak

 

Jan Garbarak

Ornette Coleman

Michael Brecker

Sonny Rollins

Wynton Marsalis

John McLaughlin

Naná Vasconcelos

Eberhard Weber

John Surman

I loved photographing the conductors at classical music concerts from a position perpendicular to the stage. One of my favourite conductors was Riccardo Chailly whose facial expressions during a concert are incredible to watch.

Riccardo Chailly

Riccardo Chailly

Riccardo Chailly

Claudio Abbado

Gianandrea Gavazzeni

Lorin Varencove Maazel

Giuseppe Sinopoli

When nothing goes to plan

My plan was to return to Sassalbo and take a footpath that connects a series of villages right under the crest of the Apennines. But when I got to a high point along the road I could see that Tuscany was covered by  a thick layer of cloud which was oozing through the various mountain passes.

Passo  Praderena   seemed to be clear, so I changed direction and destination.  At a few kilometres from the pass, the road was closed due to a landslide.  So I had to turn back towards Ligonchio.

Plan three: Val Ozola near Ligonchio,RE.  

 

Val Ozola,Ligonchio,RE

A long narrow road leads up to a hydroelectric plant built in the 1920’s called Presa Alta. Val Ozola is a very steep sided valley and the road is for long stretches almost on a cliff face with hardly any protection, one must just keep looking ahead. 

The footpath from here leads gently up the valley along a forest road, the day was still nice and the play of light on the bare beech trees was fascinating.

Beech trees Val Ozola, Ligonchi,RE

Beech trees Val Ozola, Ligonchi,RE

Beech trees Val Ozola, Ligonchi,RE

At  a certain point the path up to Rifugio Battisti leaves the road and one faces a stiff climb up to Lama Lite.

Just when I got near to the top the weather changed and the valley was filled with cloud. After a damp lunch at the closed refuge I turned back taking the path to Rifugio Bargetana  and the new “Sentiere  Glenda”, a path nice to go downwards, but very steep to climb, down to the start of the forest road.

Beech trees Val Ozola, Ligonchi,RE

Val Ozola, Ligonchi,RE

 Val Ozola, Ligonchi,RE

Val Ozola, Ligonchi,RE

Val Ozola, Ligonchi,RE

It was just one of those days in the mountains when everything goes wrong, I even managed to get cramps in my legs.