Camera: ALPA TC
Lens: Schneider 120/5.6 M
Digital: 50 MP [44×33] CMOS
Software: NIK Silver Efex
Location: Wakulla County, FL
Date: 2017
Lighting: Daylight
Genre: Landscape
What bothers me about digital black-and-white images is they often feel “too digital.” If you didn’t grow up in the film era, this might not be easy to grasp. My journey began with film photography, and I transitioned to digital midway through my commercial career, starting with the Nikon D200 in 2006 and shortly after moving to medium format digital, beginning with the Phase One P45. By “too digital,” I mean an overly sharp, clinical precision. Film, with its plastic base, has a way of interacting with light that imparts a subtle, organic softness—an intangible quality that some of us who worked extensively with film can still detect.
In my view, digital photography shines in color work. My early commercial work revolved around 4×5″ transparency (slide) film, where I embraced its strong contrasts. On rare occasions when I needed to soften that contrast, labs could create internegatives, though it was seldom necessary. This experience shaped my photographic instincts, grounding them in the bold contrasts of slide film and the nuanced tones of black-and-white negatives, influences that still guide how I see and interpret images today.
That said, I continue to shoot black-and-white film but am also working to train my eye to appreciate digital black-and-white. I do this by approaching a digital color image as if it were a color slide, imagining the process of creating an internegative to transform it into a black-and-white or monochrome image. At The Water’s Edge is one such experiment in bridging these two worlds.
The Scene
I find marsh and wetland landscapes, with their rich wildlife and diverse plant life, incredibly beautiful. One of the reasons I chose to retire where I did was so I could immerse myself in photographing the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and its surrounding areas. Scenes like At The Water’s Edge perfectly capture the serene beauty and vibrant life of these landscapes.
At The Water’s Edge was photographed in August 2017, during the height of summer at the refuge. The plant life was in full bloom, thriving in the intense heat of the season. It’s a quintessential example of the lush, dynamic environment that makes this region so special to me and my photography.
The Challenge
The challenge of creating At The Water’s Edge was twofold. First, it involved using the Schneider 120mm f/5.6 M macro lens, modified by ALPA for their cameras in a manner reminiscent of how Linhof used to tweak Schneider lenses for branding under their name. While this lens is primarily designed for macro work, it is equally sharp and effective at infinity—and it certainly delivered. This was my first time using it for scenic landscapes, and the results were outstanding. The ALPA “N” version of this lens has become legendary among landscape photographers for its exceptional sharpness and versatility. However, due to its rarity and cost, it’s not a lens I plan to pursue.
The second part of the challenge was achieving a satisfying black-and-white rendering. After processing the image in NIK Silver Efex, I applied a subtle color tweak inspired by a method Brooks Jensen once shared, which I’ve since adapted into a Lightroom preset. This combination helped me craft a final image that met my vision for the scene.
Crafting the Image
I positioned the ALPA TC paired with the ALPA-Schneider 120mm f/5.6 M lens and a Hasselblad CFV 50c digital back on a tripod right at the water’s edge, with an alligator lurking nearby to my left. Using Live View, I carefully composed the scene, setting my initial focus point roughly halfway into the landscape, where the tall grasses began to stand out. After focusing on the grass, I adjusted slightly back toward the foreground to achieve optimal depth.
The air was still, heavy with the quiet anticipation of dusk—the hour when alligators stir to feed. As the light softened and began to fade, I thought about heading home, knowing the refuge had already worked its magic. Yet, I lingered a little longer to savor the beauty of the sunset. Mindful of the encroaching darkness and the refuge’s absence of lights, I made sure to pack up and settle into my vehicle before nightfall fully descended.
The resulting image showcases the exceptional sharpness of the Schneider 120mm f/5.6 M lens, living up to its stellar reputation. Whether for macro work or sweeping landscapes, this lens consistently excels—just like the refuge itself, regardless of the time of day.
Closing Thoughts
For me, At The Water’s Edge represents more than just a photograph—it embodies the joy of exploring the delicate interplay of technique and environment and the challenge of blending the old-world charm of film aesthetics with the precision of digital tools. As I continue to refine my approach to digital black-and-white photography, images like this remind me that the journey itself is as rewarding as the final result. The refuge, with its timeless beauty, provides endless inspiration and reinforces why I chose this area as my photographic home.