Back to Basics... - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

02/11/2004 09:09:25 AM · #1

Interesting Article....

Question: Is this person confusing 'back to basics = film' with 'back to basics = be a photographer, and think about what you are doing'?

Input...

EddyG

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

02/11/2004 09:15:37 AM · #2

If I was their editor, I'd be telling them "And leave that film crap at home! I don't wanna wait for the FedEx truck, then processing and then have to haul out my light table just to look at slides simply because you have a sudden desire for antiquated photography techniques! If you don't want to use that 1Ds and all that L glass we have, I'll find somebody who will!" Or something like that. =]

02/11/2004 09:17:32 AM · #3

I think the title is quite different from the article.

What it describes is people trying something different to get an edge, to make things fresh to change the perspective. The writer has tried to phrase it as an 'anti digital' thing but it seems to be a move to try and get an edge over the competition by creating something that stands out as different.

Its like people who shoot sports with a WA because 'everyone' uses a telephoto or trying to use a telephoto to shoot grand landscape scenics. Its a great idea to try and inject some originality into images that might otherwise start looking like everyone elses.

I have an ongoing idea to try and do panoramic shots, but with a macro lens on really small subjects - partly because I haven't seen them done anywhere else (please don't burst my bubble and post links! ) Its just a way to find a new way to see...

02/11/2004 09:18:59 AM · #4

Originally posted by EddyG:

Its also probably a news story that can be reported at different speeds: There is the 'we need the shot now' side of the democratic race, but it is also a multi-month event so more considered, slower paced images also have a lot of merit. You probably would have a harder time shooting the superbowl on large format and getting it into a newspaper - but it might make it into a gallery some time in the future...

02/11/2004 09:19:59 AM · #5

lol Eddy! :)

What struck me is that he was equating having his film cameras with him, and this differentiated him from the digicam users who were rushing in to get their shot, and rushing out while things were still happening.. They were missing the good news shots because they were not hanging back and being patient. That is photographer technique, not what you use to capture! LOL

I was looking for a comment area .. but they don't seem to be inviting that.

02/11/2004 09:23:31 AM · #6

Isn't that photographer technique and expertise Gordon? I am sure that photographer could get exceptional photographs no matter what he used to capture them. ... because he takes time.

02/11/2004 09:33:32 AM · #7

Originally posted by KarenB:

Isn't that photographer technique and expertise Gordon? I am sure that photographer could get exceptional photographs no matter what he used to capture them. ... because he takes time.

But also the tools used to capture the images can drastically change the look of the resulting images and also pretty drastically change how you work.

A 35mm or digital camera with 40 frame burst modes or rapid film advance, really quick focusing lenses and TTL flash systems encourage quick, multi-shot and get out approaches.

A large format, manual everything wooden box with hand loaded single shot sheet film encourages a more ponderous, thought out and laboured approach, manual metering or best guess based judgement on exposure, careful framing (you've got one shot after all - maybe half a dozen at most in a day)

All the various other cameras and films and techniques introduce differences in approach. It is technique in terms of what you choose to use and how you choose to use it and a lot of that comes from expertise.

I think I tried to say this in another way earlier, I find the concept interesting and the photographers comments interesting, but I think the writing is pretty poor - trying to make something that isn't there from this story - it doesn't sound like a 'backlash against digital' just people looking for a different edge in their pictures, to stand out from everyone else using the 'standard' news journo camera kits.

A more extreme example would be the use of toycameras like holgas - they also have a really specific look to the pictures //www.toycamera.com for examples.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

02/11/2004 11:17:24 AM · #8

Interesting effects from those toy cameras!

Spork99

OM System OM-1

02/11/2004 02:54:03 PM · #9

When I was working for a photographer as an assistant, he gave me a routine assignment to shoot some B&W shots of this executive of a travel agency in his office for a small picture to go alongside a magazine article. We did these shots all the time, so no big deal. I had another assignment to shoot at another location and on the last roll, the winder pulled the film off of the spool. I had some of the best shots on that roll, there was no time to go back to the studio and manually remove the film so I could reload the camera and my backup body had dead batteries. I did have an old 4x5 Speed Graphic press camera and about 20 film holders loaded with color negative film. (I was experimenting with it on some other stuff)

So, I shot the guy with the Speed Graphic, used all 40 sheets. He thought it was a cool camera, I used that to develop a repoire with him and I got some great shots that wound up being used much larger and in color. It takes some more time, and effort, but I always enjoyed large format work (Once I got over the learning curve) because it forces you to work slowly and think about every detail. Not to mention the incredible amount of control you have with a large format camera, especially a studio camera.

Message edited by author 2004-02-11 15:06:22.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

02/12/2004 01:40:47 PM · #10

That must have been fun, and put a different slant on your work..

Let me ask this.. what would be the difference between digital medium format, and film medium format? Would you still need to take time in digital as you would for film?

Spork99

OM System OM-1

02/12/2004 02:10:33 PM · #11

Originally posted by KarenB:

By medium format, I am assuming that you mean 120 roll film (ie 6x4.5cm, 6x6cm, and 6x7cm) format and not the 4x5in sheet film format of the Speed graphic.

The time factor would be about the same for med format, but, until recently, the med format backs like the Phase 1 and Leaf backs allowed tethered shooting only. Most did not have an LCD screen, although the new models that record to a CF card do. They are also very expensive with the backs alone ranging from $12K-$37K. That does not include the camera body or lens.

The same backs may be adaptable to 4x5 studio cameras, but I'm not aware of any with a full 4x5in sensor. I would imagine that shooting digital that way would require the same attention to detail that film does with all the swing/tilt, rise/fall and left/right movements for the film and lens planes. Some of these backs are creating RAW files in the 120-130MB range, so that in itself is not conducive to speeding things along.