BMW motorbike + Ralph Gibson on grain and on shadow detail

[Guest malland]

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Here are two quotes from Ralph Gibson that I'll let speak for themselves without any comment, except for my picture below, which in a 12x18 inch print on Harman FB AI paper has beautiful tomns and grain:

 

QUOTE

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For example if you’re going to make a drawing, you take a paper and a pencil and add lines, add marks, until you finish your drawing. It's additive. When I make a photograph, I move in closer and I take things away, and I take things away, until I get everything out of the frame except what I want. Therefore my process is considered subtractive. Now part of this subtraction has to do with casting things into deep shadow. I eliminate a lot of unwanted material, activity into the shadow area. And in so doing, create a shape. Instead of just being a variation on light, for me shadows become cut forms, they become shapes. And I discovered this by photographing primarily in bright sun and exposing for highlights, which is pretty easy to do. Most people struggle to get detail into their shadows. I was never interested in that kind of photographic expression particularly.

 

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And I have discovered that, in these irregularities there is some creative input. I don’t want my film to be developed too well, too cleanly, too smoothly. I don’t want that slick look. I’ve had a life long relationship with grain. You know I originally started out as a photojournalist when I was young. I’ve always felt that grain gave texture both to cinema, as well as photography. I’ve used it for any number of reasons for the entire length of my career. It’s almost harder to get a grainy image nowadays than it is to get the shot.

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END QUOTE

 

 

 

Leica M8.2 | ISO 2500 | Zeiss 18mm Distagon | Potomac, MD

 

 

 

—Mitch/Potomac, MD

Wiang Pa Pao - a set on Flickr

[stuny]

The tonal lushness and gradation is almost intoxicating.

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[Fokus]

Great.

 

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Ralf

[George James]

Perfect B+W shot.

Well done.

 

George

[biglouis]

Interesting quotations and an expressive shot.

 

LouisB

[vdb]

Great post, great image, great bike.

[samwells]

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That's a wonderfully luscious shot, with such a wealth of detail and shapes, all embracing that carefully composed circle of the BMW logo. Appreciated the Gibson quotes, too - with which (in my own modest way) I heartily agree.

cheers:

Sam