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I like film...(open thread)


Doc Henry

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1 hour ago, Ernest said:

From your Web site Global Portfolio  http://philipnwright.com/ , the photograph of the two girls, one holding the hand of a companion out of the frame--Villa de Zaáchila, Mexico, 2011--we brushed against this topic last year. A topic that deserves consideration, what's in the frame and what's out of it, should the photographer embrace fragmentation or exclude elements cut off at the frame's edge? I mentioned Raushenberg's photograph, "100 Norman's Place, 1955, " as another example, composed with elements that all lead to "life outside the frame." What a way to engage the viewer in speculative dialogue to construct a narrative that is only suggested by the fragments in the frame. Filling the gaps created by the evidence, fragmented and partial as it is. I always enjoy dropping in for a visit on your Web site to see what new visual treats are spinning on the lazy Susan.

Cheers,
Rog

Wow Rog, thank you so much. You know, the photograph you mention from Zaáchila is precisely the picture that Christoph's comment brought to mind. I've had people criticize the picture because the person on the right hand side is cut off but for me that is the nexus of the picture that gives it whatever strength it has. I'd welcome any and all discussion of this important and perhaps often neglected aspect of art - the life beyond the subjugation enforced by the border. Because, as a viewer, we sometimes like to be invited to, as you suggest, speculate on something other than what the picture is explaining to us. It reminds me of a phrase from long ago in relation to the difference between Western and Eastern art: the west explains; the east implies. To be catholic about it, why not mix it up and challenge the viewer to engage in that dialogue with us, with themselves and with the work? If the evidence is there, supplied by the artist, we have the choice to follow the trail, Sherlock Holmes-like, or ignore it. The difference is that following the trail gets us somewhere.

17 minutes ago, A miller said:

Here's the second, which was about 15-20 minutes later, and around 8 minutes of exposure time...

Some of the highlights are blown to hell, but I think this goes with the long exposure territory and doesn't bother me.

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Gee Adam, what an incredible scene, captured both times in the most wonderful light. I am slightly, I think, inclined towards this one, principally because it lives on the edge just a slight bit more. The first is just beautiful. This one is that and a little bit more - it is that definite indefinite twilight zone between night and not-night. A little bit of subtle work could lift the foreground ever so slightly so that those wooden pier remnants stand out that bit more. Or maybe not. Whatever way, these are sensational cityscapes.

17 minutes ago, Calin said:

Summer dream (K200)

Love this, Calin, even if the two girls are unfocused. Maybe it is even stronger BECAUSE of that fact. Because it implies that they are out-of-focus for a reason and, again, we start engaging in the narrative of something beyond a simple lovely picture.

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14 minutes ago, MT0227 said:

Inspector's Test 

(DUMBO - Booklyn, NY)

2019-09-20-00016 by Marc Tauber, on Flickr

  • 50mm Dual Range Summicron
  • Portra 400 - in Unicolor C41 Press Kit
  • Scanned w/ Nikon LS-9000

...and then I post the above not having seen this, Marc's incredible dialogue on diaalogue or non-dialogue. Marc, this is an absolutely killer shot, which AGAIN asks many many more questions than it answers and AGAIN involves the viewer to whatever extent he/she wishes to be involved. The light, the two expressions, the fragment of label giving it its mysterious and inscrutable title, the modelling, the gesture, the eye contact, the muted, pastel colors, the relative size of each protagonist, etc etc etc - this is a super duper photograph!

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10 minutes ago, stray cat said:

 

Gee Adam, what an incredible scene, captured both times in the most wonderful light. I am slightly, I think, inclined towards this one, principally because it lives on the edge just a slight bit more. The first is just beautiful. This one is that and a little bit more - it is that definite indefinite twilight zone between night and not-night. A little bit of subtle work could lift the foreground ever so slightly so that those wooden pier remnants stand out that bit more. Or maybe not. Whatever way, these are sensational cityscapes.

 

Thanks very much, Phil, for the feedback.  your perspective is very valuable and I totally get what you are saying.  Great food for thought and I really appreciate it

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13 minutes ago, stray cat said:

...and then I post the above not having seen this, Marc's incredible dialogue on diaalogue or non-dialogue. Marc, this is an absolutely killer shot, which AGAIN asks many many more questions than it answers and AGAIN involves the viewer to whatever extent he/she wishes to be involved. The light, the two expressions, the fragment of label giving it its mysterious and inscrutable title, the modelling, the gesture, the eye contact, the muted, pastel colors, the relative size of each protagonist, etc etc etc - this is a super duper photograph!

Phil....thank you for the kind words and taking the time in providing such a detailed response.   I enjoyed reading your thoughts and perspectives...

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vor 18 Stunden schrieb Shlomo:

I have been in TLV many times, may be the only good thing about the religious beach is: You won't meet anyone from Berlin there 😄 - but no lovely seductive

skinny frenchwomen in hyperexpensive swimsuits either.

Greetings

This sounds very good to me Shlomo!😉

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vor 6 Stunden schrieb MT0227:

Inspector's Test 

(DUMBO - Booklyn, NY)

2019-09-20-00016 by Marc Tauber, on Flickr

  • 50mm Dual Range Summicron
  • Portra 400 - in Unicolor C41 Press Kit
  • Scanned w/ Nikon LS-9000

The eye contact is perfect Marc! Very good!

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vor 9 Stunden schrieb Ernest:

Arc Red
M-A APO 50 E100

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Phantastic Rog. I like the transition from the bold red square to the muted curved red to the edgy  white thing with blue shadows to the blue... So many shapes and colors--but not just randomly, but in a logic sequence. +++

Edited by Kl@usW.
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On 9/23/2019 at 6:46 AM, benqui said:

If there is a special light, I try sometimes color film

Plaubel Makina 67, Portra 400

 

Marc, I go back to this one often. The warm colour here is absolutely phenomenal, and you have placed this wonderful model perfectly so that this gorgeous light sculpts her shape perfectly and her skin has an absolutely visceral quality to it - this is most definitely, inarguably a photograph taken on film. What an expression she has! Her golden-highlighted hair tumbling down behind set against the dark background is, for me, the icing on the cake. This goes straight to the top of the class - or, as we'd say here in Australia, straight to the pool room!

Edited by stray cat
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Anthurium close-up

MP Visoflex Summarit 90/2.4 & Portra 160 in Tetenal

 

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It's a a really tricky choice, Adam. Both are truly terrific and "work" for me, but I am leaning towards the first one simply because of the otherworldly colours and how the buildings glow and stand out against the blue sky. Also though the sky is slightly more dramatic in the second one, I see (on my office screen, mind you, so it's prolly not there) a bit of green.

I also hate that windows in particular blow out with long exposures. The only way I can think of to deal with that is two exposures and then merge in photoshop. If the exposure is not toooooo long, and one shoots C42, then it's possible to "pull back" the blown highlights.

9 hours ago, A miller said:

Last Sunday, I got off my ass and had the itch to shoot the sunset with my Technorama from Hamilton Park in Weehawken, NJ.  I really rarely ever across the border to New Jersey other than to take photos :)

It turned out to be a very uneventful sunset.  But the ensuing magic hour was really beautiful.  The sun is setting nowadays at just the right angle on its axis (just south of due west) where you get the "fiery coal"-look across many of the buildings.  Two photos struck me as potentially keepers and I am trying to figure out which one, if any, it is.

The first I am going to show you is pretty much at peak magic hour and the second is just past peak just before the normal-looking nightfall.

I just love how the Ektar grabbed ahold of the golden blues in the sky and fiery coals across the buildings.

The exposures were super long as I used a pretty small aperture so the I could get good sharpness from corner to corner.  

These files are still a work in progress but I'd love your opinion!

West Side NYC Skyline (with the left side making the mid 60's and the right side marking in the low 30's)

Ektar (approx. 4 minutes), Technorama 617sii, 90mm Schneider Super Angulon XL

 

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This is awesome Calin. I really like how you've focused here, which adds a very melancholy or even downright sad feel to the image.

9 hours ago, Calin said:

Summer dream (K200)

Wonderful Marc, really well done. It raises so many questions.

9 hours ago, MT0227 said:

Inspector's Test 

(DUMBO - Booklyn, NY)

2019-09-20-00016 by Marc Tauber, on Flickr

  • 50mm Dual Range Summicron
  • Portra 400 - in Unicolor C41 Press Kit
  • Scanned w/ Nikon LS-9000

 

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17 minutes ago, mdp said:

Anthurium close-up

MP Visoflex Summarit 90/2.4 & Portra 160 in Tetenal

 

Wonderful, MDP. I could imagine Mapplethorpe claiming this one as his own!

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1 hour ago, mdp said:

Anthurium close-up

MP Visoflex Summarit 90/2.4 & Portra 160 in Tetenal

 

This is really fantastic .   So much detail!  Very well executed!

59 minutes ago, philipus said:

It's a a really tricky choice, Adam. Both are truly terrific and "work" for me, but I am leaning towards the first one simply because of the otherworldly colours and how the buildings glow and stand out against the blue sky. Also though the sky is slightly more dramatic in the second one, I see (on my office screen, mind you, so it's prolly not there) a bit of green.

I also hate that windows in particular blow out with long exposures. The only way I can think of to deal with that is two exposures and then merge in photoshop. If the exposure is not toooooo long, and one shoots C42, then it's possible to "pull back" the blown highlights.

 

Sincere this, Philip.    I always really value your input and critical eye, even though it is hampered by the tiny resolution that we have to work with.  

I totally am with you regarding the slight green/aqua tinge/cast especially in the first one.  I am enjoying the film aesthetic qualities of that right now,  but time will tell as to whether i will slide the green-red hue a notch or two and balance it out.  I need to keep coming back to it with fresh eyes for a while. 

As for the “hot spots” in the lights, that’s where my wits end b/c there simply are too many EVs between the deep shadows and hot spots to worry about too much, and the super long exposure really abuses any glimmer of hope that may exists.   In order to keep the deep shadows from falling into irrecoverable unscathly grainy purple, i need to lean into those hot spots.  An ND grad filter won’t help b/c that would distort many other things.  Sure, engaging in digital graphics art tools to accomplish an HDR would potentially address this (though i have never seen it with film, has anyone else?), but that sort of infringes on the traditional film rendition objective (or at least mine), no?  

As foregiving as film is, exposing the film to an area that reads 8-8.5 on the exposure scale for 8 minutes won’t - I’d venture to say with a single exposure of any film C41, C42 (never heard of that btw) or otherwise avoid burning of hot spots.  

I will say that I am careful not to make matters worse, and there are only very few spots where if you zoom in close show blown highlights in Lightroom.  But I have learned to try to minimize it where I can and not let it affect my conscience.  

Most importantly for me, although perhaps not absolutely ideal, I don’t see it impacting my prints. Here is an example of a large metal print (96”x32”) that I just did for a store in Manhattan. The jogging pathway along the lake are lined with hot spots from the lamps.  To be honest I never really considered them to be an eyesore.  I guess one less thing to fuss over (and one more thing to be oblivious about) is a good thing! 😂

Thanks again, really ❤️

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IIIf, Summicron 5cm 1:2 collapsible, Ilford Delta 100, Kodak D-76 1:1.

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vor 11 Stunden schrieb stray cat:

Marc, I go back to this one often. The warm colour here is absolutely phenomenal, and you have placed this wonderful model perfectly so that this gorgeous light sculpts her shape perfectly and her skin has an absolutely visceral quality to it - this is most definitely, inarguably a photograph taken on film. What an expression she has! Her golden-highlighted hair tumbling down behind set against the dark background is, for me, the icing on the cake. This goes straight to the top of the class - or, as we'd say here in Australia, straight to the pool room!

Thank you very much for your kind words. To be honest, this is also one of my favorite photos. The light  is so beautiful and the Portra 400 is perfect for this situation. Unfortunately we have this kind of perfect light not very often were I live. And of course, she is perfect!

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So C42 is that ultra secret emulsion that in one fell swoop is impossible to over-expose and also gives you the meaning of life with every picture :D

Really appreciate that you've taken the time to set out your thoughts. I very much feel the same regarding long exposures. And looking at that really sublime print on the wall, I agree with you that any blown highlights from the lamps (or anywhere else for that matter) do not affect the image one bit.

Whether one is comfortable, also on shall we say a principled or ethnical level, with merging two exposures is a very personal choice. I fully respect anyone who believes that film as an analogue medium should be kept as such, meaning optical enlarging is the way to go. I love the hybrid workflow, though, because it just gives so many more options (and my house is too small for a darkroom; even though I did hand in a request in triplicate, with a stamp, to the powers that be for a room to be dedicated to this purpose in the house we bought (it was denied)). All that to say that I probably wouldn't do it with a scene like the ones you posted earlier, but might try it for long exposures of single buildings, for instance, where completely over-exposed windows would derail the photo or for scenes like the one below.

I shot this from the Waterloo Bridge using Portra 400VC (expired) at EI100. It barely looks OK, perhaps for Instagram it would suffice but on anything larger than a phone screen it would look rubbish. Facade lighting is very difficult to deal with because the buildings become so extremely bright.

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Flickr

Just look at St Paul's in this 2000dpi scan at 100%, completely blown. 

So here it could have been useful to merge images and mask out the buildings. But I didn't think of that at the time :rolleyes: Luckily I shot another frame with my FM3A. Btw, if anyone is looking for a long exposure camera for 35mm get one of these. This was with the meter set to Auto, just point and shoot. If anyone wants to grain peep here's the 3000dpi scan. It's a little bit better (and pretty good for a small neg).


Flickr
85/1.8 pre-AI Ektar X1

 

7 hours ago, A miller said:

This is really fantastic .   So much detail!  Very well executed!

Sincere this, Philip.    I always really value your input and critical eye, even though it is hampered by the tiny resolution that we have to work with.  

I totally am with you regarding the slight green/aqua tinge/cast especially in the first one.  I am enjoying the film aesthetic qualities of that right now,  but time will tell as to whether i will slide the green-red hue a notch or two and balance it out.  I need to keep coming back to it with fresh eyes for a while. 

As for the “hot spots” in the lights, that’s where my wits end b/c there simply are too many EVs between the deep shadows and hot spots to worry about too much, and the super long exposure really abuses any glimmer of hope that may exists.   In order to keep the deep shadows from falling into irrecoverable unscathly grainy purple, i need to lean into those hot spots.  An ND grad filter won’t help b/c that would distort many other things.  Sure, engaging in digital graphics art tools to accomplish an HDR would potentially address this (though i have never seen it with film, has anyone else?), but that sort of infringes on the traditional film rendition objective (or at least mine), no?  

As foregiving as film is, exposing the film to an area that reads 8-8.5 on the exposure scale for 8 minutes won’t - I’d venture to say with a single exposure of any film C41, C42 (never heard of that btw) or otherwise avoid burning of hot spots.  

I will say that I am careful not to make matters worse, and there are only very few spots where if you zoom in close show blown highlights in Lightroom.  But I have learned to try to minimize it where I can and not let it affect my conscience.  

Most importantly for me, although perhaps not absolutely ideal, I don’t see it impacting my prints. Here is an example of a large metal print (96”x32”) that I just did for a store in Manhattan. The jogging pathway along the lake are lined with hot spots from the lamps.  To be honest I never really considered them to be an eyesore.  I guess one less thing to fuss over (and one more thing to be oblivious about) is a good thing! 😂

Thanks again, really ❤️

This is lovely, the wide aperture makes the silhouette stand out very well. Really excellent.

7 hours ago, Xícara de Café said:

IIIf, Summicron 5cm 1:2 collapsible, Ilford Delta 100, Kodak D-76 1:1.

 

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These are some incredibly good long exposures, Phil and Adam! I wish I could give some input on this complex topic, but my attempts in long exposures where more on the trial and error path. I simply count minutes in my head according to the scene I see in front of me - and as film is such a forgiving medium, I am almost every time rewarded with a nice picture (e.g. on the Silbersalz35 emulsion or on any other film I tried so far.

After another week of too much work load I treated myself a new (old) camera once more. Since I stumbled upon an offer for a Minolta Autocord in another forum, I came to the conclusion that this might be another great piece for my collection. Off I got and searched everything I could find on the net and took the chance to buy a beaten up camera the other day. After some initial problems with the shutter, which I could repair myself within a good evenings time, I now got my first roll developed. It was also the first time ever for me to develop 120 film myself. I thought it to be much more complicated, but it went really well. Only error I made was using too little fixer, as I used a new tank that needs 500ml and my old tank for 35 only needs 300. But I turned the spool around for another round of fixing and the film came out really nice. Ok, don't wanna steal more time from you, so here comes an example:

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Minolta Autocord - T-Max 100 (dev. in Rodinal 1+50)

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