Posts from the ‘California’ Category
In Transition
Pan F, Rodinal, Nik Efex for interest
Back to the old theme for a day while some work is being done behind the scenes. Another shot from Weston Beach for your viewing pleasure. You’ll see an announcement when we’re at a point where you can look and comment.
Weston Rocks
Pan-F, Rodinal
Another image from the Weston Beach rolls. Auditioning yet another theme. Obviously the images in older posts are squished a bit (well, more than a bit).
Auditioning this theme today. If I went with this, I’d increase the image size; that’s the one thing I really liked about yesterday’s theme. BIG photos.
MYC.
Standing on Weston Beach
Rodinal, Pan-F
Last January I got my second chance to wander Weston Beach at Point Lobos, California. Although I’m not an expert on Weston’s history, I assume this beach was named after him based on some kind of info that he had spent a great deal of time on the beach, probably photographing the area.
This was shot #1 on roll #1 of two rolls I had never scanned. Both rolls I discovered as I was going through my backlog, which now consists of *only* 14 rolls of 35mm and 1 roll of medium format film.
Yikes. And I developed two rolls of Adox today, so that makes 16 rolls of 35mm to be scanned.
Good thing I’m on vacation.
Merry Christmas to all!
You Love What You Can’t See
Redondo Beach Lobby, Rollei Retro 80s, D-76
“Lately I’ve been struck with how I really love what you can’t see in a photograph” — Diane Arbus
I just love Ms. Arbus’ work, and certainly what you can’t see too much of in this image is grain. Below is a 100% blow up in Photoshop (normally at 100% there is no doubt that you’re looking at film and not digital):
100% enlargement
There’s a certain quality to this film which reminds me a little of Neopan 400. Can you imagine this film shot in medium format? With Rollei’s developer which is designed to minimize grain? Crikey!
More coming . . .
Bad Photographers have many excuses!
Rollei Retro 80s, D-76
Bad photographers have many excuses — David Hurn
This Rollei Retro film is fascinating. In dull light, it is almost lifeless (or, perhaps, better put, in dull light my development method does not bring out the best in the film. But in high dynamic range situations — as above — it positively glows! In the roll I scanned tonight, there are many really pleasing images. I’ll post more tomorrow, including some blow-ups to demonstrate the almost non-existent grain. Gonna buy more of this film, for sure.
Changes over the holiday
I’m on Christmas break right now, and a student of mine has volunteered to help me make some major changes to my web site and gallery. he’s a WordPress guru, and his expertise is greatly desired. You’ll be the first to see these changes, and I hope you’ll like them.
If a Day Goes by . . .
Tri-X, N-1, D-76, Studio City, California
“And if a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it’s as though I’ve neglected something essential to my existence . . .” — Richard Avedon
While I would love to accomplish this, and indeed share that feeling, the undertow that is my life ofttimes intrudes. This image is a sort of cousin to the image of the sidewalk a cigarette stub a week or so ago.
Still scanning, and more to come.
Making Visible
Tri-X, N-1, Bessa + Biogon, Venice Beach
“Art does not reproduce the visible. It makes visible.” — Paul Klee
“What reinforces the content of a photograph is the sense of rhythm – the relationship between shapes and values.” — Cartier-Bresson
Part of the reason I’ve been putting quotes about photography in my blog l,lately is to make me think about process. In the last year, as Mike Peters has gently and appropriately pointed out, I’ve been distracted quite a bit by equipment. Partly to push myself beyond that, and partly because I think about artistic process quite a bit (I teach it in my coursework) I have been reading a bit lately.
Venice Beach boardwalk
When I come across an image in my scanning where I am reminded of a quote, or am reading and I come across something that I think is appropriate, I have been putting it in the post.
Venice Beach
Not that I agree or disagree with the quote, per se, but rather that the quote made me think.
And I hope it makes you think, as well.
Another Habit of Seeing
Bessa R2a, Zeiss 35mm f/2, Tri-X, N-1, D-76
“Insofar as photography does peel away the dry wrappers of habitual seeing, it creates another habit of seeing: both intense and cool, solicitous and detached, charmed by the insignificant detail, addicted to incongruity.”
Susan Sontag, On Photography
The Consequences of Lying
Bessa R2a, Zeiss Biogon, Tri-X, N-1, Venice Beach
“The consequences of lying have to be more central for photography than they ever were for painting, because the flat, usually rectangular images that make up photography make a claim to be true that paintings never make.”
Susan Sontag, On Photography
Blog-related
I used to put up one image per day. I got into a habit of doing that, and one result of that practice was that the act of scanning one roll might result in a half-dozen posts. Anyone who advises ‘bloggers’ will tell you that you really can’t post too often; seven days a week isn’t really enough if you want to grow your audience.
Then for a while I got into a habit of multiple images per post. This was mainly for comparison’s sake; looking at multiple images from a roll, say. But my posting frequency dropped.
So, now I’m going towards a hybrid approach. We’ll see how this works.
Testing Round Two
Redondo Beach, EOS 50mm f/1.8
So, in response to Mike Peters’ suggestion, I did a little test yesterday on my business trip. Two 50 mm lenses, one Canon 5D. This shot, focused at infinity, was with the 50mm f/1.8 Canon lens.
Close up below:
Smokestack sharp, as it should be.
Now, same shot with the C/Y 50mm and adaptor:
Now, the closeup:
Palm fronds sharp, smokestack fuzzy, just like the test at my home. The adapter seems to be off, I would think.
Now focusing closer:
EOS 50mm f/1.8
Now, a close up:
EOS 50mm f/1.8
You see the printing is crisp, and the control cable in the foreground gets a little softer as it approaches us.
Now, the C/Y with adapter:
C/Y 50mm w/ adapter
Now, the enlargement:
50mm C/Y with adapter
Notice how the text is soft and the control cable seems to get sharper the closer it gets.
