Posts Tagged: Black and White

35 MM / Cameras / Nikon F4S / Technique — No Comments
21
Jan 10

Hybrid digital darkroom workflow

Dunn Meadows (Indiana University Bloomington): Digital Darkroom Workflow

Many of you that follow my blog know that I use film for some of my work. Sometimes I get asked if I have a wet darkroom and my answer is no, but I did at one point. I got rid of it when I purchased my first DSLR, a Nikon D70. I also got rid of all my film cameras including my favorite Fuji GW670. But for the past several months I have started building my arsenal of film cameras again and I couldn’t be happier. I however decided not to rebuild a wet darkroom and instead chose to take a hybrid approach. I shoot film but all the post-processing and printing is done using a digital workflow. Here are some details about the hardware and other products I use:

Digital Darkroom Hardware:

Scanner: Nikon Coolscan 8000 and Coolscan 4000
Scanner Software: Vuescan Professional Edition
Computer: Macbook Pro with 2.5GHz Intel Processor and 4BG Memory
Monitor: Dell E248WFP
Software: Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop CS3
Printer: Epson R2400
Monitor Calibration: Colorvision Spyder Pro 2
Calibration Software: ColorEyes Display Pro
Photopaper: Epson Somerset Velvet, Hahnemühle FineArt, and Ilford Premium Plus

I couldn’t be happier with this arrangement, I get all the benefits of shooting film including access to cameras that would cost thousands for equivalent digital versions. I enjoy the process of manipulating images a lot more than I used when doing the same in a wet darkroom. I however do realize that all my time spent in a wet darkroom have trained me well to get the most out of my digital darkroom. The image you see above is what I envisioned and created in the digital darkroom and what you see below is the actual capture itself. What do you think?

35 MM / Adobe Lightroom / Cameras / Nikon F4S / Photoshop CS3 / Technique — No Comments
10
Jan 10

Holton Valley Farm [Before and After]

BEFORE

After working on this image in my Digital Darkroom this is what I got. Tools used:
1. Adobe Lightroom 2 – Preset Punch and Sharpen Landscape
2. Photoshop CS3 – Levels, Healing Brush, Selection Tools, Layers and Layer Masks, and Adjustment Layers

AFTER
Holton Valley Farm (Kentucky)

35 MM / Cameras / Canon Canonet QL17 / Street Photography / Thoughts — No Comments
8
Jan 10

The bond we share

The Bond we Share.....

We all go through life making connections and building relationships. These relationships could be with other humans, animals, and even inanimate things. How many of us haven’t given a name to our car or talk about our electronic devices as if they were a person. This bond is especially strong between humans and animals. We humans depend on them for just about everything – food, clothing, even work.

The above photograph was captured in Downtown Indianapolis near Monument Circle. You will find many of these horse drawn carriages parked around the circle waiting for passengers. Sometimes you see a couple out on a romantic evening and at other times you see kids just enjoying the ride. The passengers change all the time, but the horse and the carriageman stay the same. They enjoy a special bond and you can see it in how they communicate and respond to each other. I took this photograph after walking around the circle a few times. I did not have any expectations as to what I wanted to photograph that day. But when I saw this scene playing out in front of me I knew I had something special.

35 MM / Cameras / Nikon FM2N / Thoughts — No Comments
7
Jan 10

Letting our emotions guide us in the photography process

Solitary Raven on a Tree Branch [Letting our emotions guide us in the photography process]

Don’t we all love landscapes, images of birds and animals – the more color the better. There are times however when you can create a powerful image without having any of those elements and letting your emotions guide you. Like in the photograph above – it is practically a duotone image. All you see are black of the branches and the raven and white of the sky.

I took this photograph on my way to an early morning class at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Bloomington. I just looked up and there it was (I am still debating if it is raven that I saw or a crow) sitting all by itself on a leafless tree set against a clear winter sky. Looking through the viewfinder (I believe it was a Nikon FM2N Camera) I settled on this composition for its simplicity and probably the emotional state I was in at that time.

I will be honest business school was no fun. Don’t get me wrong – the classes and the faculty were wonderful, however at times I felt like I was living my high school years again. Even though you were surrounded by classmates you felt lonely and the pressure to conform was too much. This image was probably a result of that emotional and mental state I was in at that time.

To order prints:

35 MM / Cameras / Nikon F4S — 1 Comment
5
Jan 10

Googly Eyes Turtle

Googly Eyes Turtle

The above image is from one of the first rolls of film that I shot on a used NIkon F4S camera. The lens is a Micro-Nikkor 60mm AF-D lens.

35 MM / Cameras / Canon AE-1 / Travel — No Comments
4
Jan 10

Seating for 2 [@ the MOMA in NYC]

Seating for 2

I visited New York City just before Thanksgiving holidays. It was my first trip to the city after 12 years. It was a little over 12 years ago (August 12th 1997) that I first set foot in the United States. I did not get to see anything that day as I had a connecting flight to catch. This time I wanted to take in as much as humanly possible. The hotel we were staying in was right next door to MOMA and naturally was the first place to go see. I was pleased to see quite a few users of film cameras hanging around and one adventurous soul even had his Rolleiflex with him.

The above photo was taken just outside the area where crowds were gathered for a sneak peak of Tim Burton’s Exhibit. It was open only for members and select guests of MOMA so we were a bit disappointed. I did however manage to grab some cool information cards from the exhibit. The chairs were occupied all the time, but when I saw that they were empty for a brief moment I just had to swing the camera around and grab a quick shot. What do you think?

35 MM / Alternate Cameras / Cameras / Holga / Technique / Toy Cameras — No Comments
2
Jan 10

How to load 35mm film in a Medium Format Holga 120S Toy Camera

How to load 35mm film in a Medium Format Holga 120S Toy Camera

Recently I wrote on how I used my favorite 35mm Black and White film, Ilford HP5 Plus, in a modified Holga 120S Medium Format Camera. Many have commented (On Flickr) and I really appreciate that. I did receive some inquiries on how I loaded the film in the camera and kept it in place. Before I show how I did it here is a video on Youtube showing how others have done it:

Unfortunately for me I did not have pieces of foam lying around so I improvised. Instead of foam pieces I used a Bic ballpoint pen. I cut two pieces (you will have to experiment just a little to get the right size) and made notches on one end of each piece to fit into each end of the 35mm film spool. Make sure that the film is centered while you experiment, you will just have to eye ball it.

I then inserted the pieces of Bic pen on either side of the film spool and loaded it into the camera.

Make sure you absolutely remember to do this: I made sure that the film counter window is tapped up on the outside and inside with black electrical tape. You will have to do this because unlike 120 film which has a paper backing 35mm film does not have one. If you do not cover the counter window the film will be exposed to outside light – which could be very bad.

Once you have the lid closed tape up areas (Like in the photo above) to make sure that there are no more light leaks or eliminate any accidents.

35 MM / Cameras / Canon AE-1 / Street Photography / Thoughts — No Comments
30
Dec 09

Man and his dog in Central Park (NYC)

I love dogs, we have three of them (2 Jack Russell Terriers and a Dachshund). Our dogs always seem to know when we are happy, sad, or sick. They do not mind getting harassed by a hyperactive toddler or ignored when work and life gets in the way. They keep our feet warm while we type away on the computer or watching TV. The simple act of walking ones dog seems to melt ones worries away. To me it is a sacred ritual – one that strengthens the bond between a man/woman and his/her dog.

Alternate Cameras / Cameras / Holga / Indianapolis / Toy Cameras — 2 Comments
29
Dec 09

Winter fun with Holga

Snowscape

Well before your mind wanders in the wrong direction, Holga is a cheaply built plastic camera with a crummy plastic lens – and the primary reason why many like it. No two cameras are the same which is a testament to the absolutely horrible quality control procedures if there are any to begin with. Despite its short comings the Holga has endeared itself to many artists and serious photographers with its quirky and sometimes other worldly results.

I purchased my Holga in 2004 for some $20.00. Unlike other cameras that might quit working in freezing cold winters of midwest, Holgas are remarkably reliable. With just one shutter speed and aperture setting there is nothing to worry about other than getting the photograph. Just the other day I took it out, loaded it with my favorite 35mm Black and White film and went for a walk at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Using a film smaller than the recommended format gives you some interesting results. In this case you will notice, assuming that you still remember what a developed 35mm film looks like, the area with sprocket holes is also exposed giving it a cool border effect. Many spend ungodly amounts of money to get the same effect in Photoshop – oh the irony.

35 MM / Cameras / Canon AE-1 / Indianapolis / Street Photography / Technique / Thoughts — 1 Comment
23
Dec 09

Hey IMA – I Wanna Blog

I heard on Twitter that the Indianapolis Museum of Art, one of my favorite places to hangout with my camera, announced a competition to select a blogger for the 2010 season. My first reaction was cool – I should try out for it. I had written a few blog posts based on my experiences at the IMA and I continue to draw inspiration every time I visit the museum. One experience in particular set off a chain of events that resulted in a photograph that I consider to be one of my favorites. The IMA had an exhibit last year titled: On the Road Again with Jack Kerouac and Robert Frank . The exhibit had on display 83 photographs taken by Robert Frank which were accompanied by a 120 feet long original typescript of Jack Kerouac’s novel “On The Road”. Jack Kerouac is said to have written this novel under the influence of drugs and caffeine over a period of 20 days.

My curiosity aroused I went over to the nearest Public Library and borrowed “The Americans”, a collection of photos by Robert Frank some of which were on display at the IMA as part of the exhibit. I spent several days pouring over the photographs, studying them, and hoping to learn to see the world as Robert Frank did through his camera. Several months later I saw an opportunity to do what Robert Frank did but on a very small scale. The Indiana State Fair just started and I thought that this would be a perfect place to photograph people from different parts of the state and socioeconomic backgrounds. You can read more about that project on my blog post: The Americans (PK Edition) [Images from The Indiana State Fair 2009]. The composite from that project is below:

Indiana State Fair 2009 Tractor Shuttle or Midwest on Wheels

Click on the Photo to View The hi-res Version

You see if I did not go to the IMA that day I would have never heard about Robert Frank or Jack Kerouac. I would have never had the inspiration to do a project like this. It is for this very reason I keep going back to the IMA.

So IMA staff – if you are reading this blog post please please please consider me to be your next blogger.

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