Itchy Shutter Fingers Need Not Apply

Robert Tracy thinks that learning patience is the most important aspect in improving one’s photography.

“When you’re looking at a scene, try to envision it under different lighting conditions,” Tracy says. “The light changes so dramatically on every scene. Sometimes you might have to come back the next day at a later time to capture that particular image.”

Waiting for the perfect light plays an important role in Tracy’s black-and-white photographs. They are on exhibition in his one-man show at Rizzoli International Bookstore & Gallery at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. The show runs through the end of the month.

The photograph “Sunrise,” shot at Monument Valley, Ariz., displays a graphic display of light on rock formations. The image has a wide tonal range with a dark foreground that leads you into the photograph.

“If it was taken at noon, it wouldn’t have the same impact,” says the Irvine-based photographer. “I got out there at 6 in the morning and waited for the sun to come up. Planning, patience and knowing your trade--the camera and the film--are musts.”

One photo that stands out is the still life of a dusty, cobwebbed, dramatically lit old kettle and pot called “Cook’s Corner.” It was taken at a little museum just outside Corona. Tracy saw the scene 10 years ago and photographed it over a locked Dutch door. When he came back a week later, the care taker apologized for the mess and cleaned up the dust and cobwebs and invited him to go into the room to shoot more pictures.

The exhibition is in three groups: photographs of old railroad and trolleys, the Southwest and a potpourri of subjects.

“I really feel deeply about the things I photograph,” he said. “Like the train exhibit. I really felt a real part of the history of the streetcar and the train memorabilia at the Perris Train Museum in Riverside County.”

Tracy shoots his work with a Toyo 4-by-5-inch field camera. He finds it to be rugged and relatively light.

For the beginner, Tracy recommends starting with 35-millimeter, then working your way up to 4-by-5.

“People look through the eyepiece and see an entire scene like the Grand Canyon,” he said. “Then when they get home it doesn’t look like what they saw. It happens because primarily they are trying to record what their eye saw and not composing something in the foreground that will give it perspective for the entire scene. It’s just a learning process.”

Tracy, whose interest in photography started about 30 years ago, juggled his time between his love for photography and working as a representative for an electronics manufacturing firm. He retired a year ago and plans to work even more on his photography.

Tracy finds entering contests a lot of effort but also a lot of fun. He has won contests in California, New York, even China.

“I think contests are important because it makes a person work, and you become aware of what other people are doing. When you enter these prints in the contest, you learn pretty quick what it takes to win. You can either go belly up or do battle. I love the competitive aspect.”

The photography column, which runs each Saturday in Orange County Life, is intended to help both the serious amateur and weekend shooter. Questions and ideas are encouraged. Write to: Robert Lachman, Chief Photographer, The Times, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626.