Analog Photog Blog

Paths

2011-06-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

Which of these shots best pictures the path that you are on in life right now?

Autumn Pictures

2010-11-12T05:14:00.000-08:00

(c) 2010 Seymour Jacklin

There is a lazy wind today - that's the sort of wind that doesn't bother to go around you, it just goes straight through you. But as it tears the leaves off the trees, time is running out to enjoy autumnal photography and perhaps there is time to shoot a couple more rolls before the Winter clamps down and brings another range of possibilities.

It is always windy up along this ridge, so the trees and the grass grow with a lean. This was taken with a brilliant little rangefinder called the "GEr" by Fujica. It has a wide, 38mm lense which is great for landscapes and very forgiving when focusing on closer objects. I used a slower shutter speed of about 1/60s so the moving trees are slightly blurred.

This rather oddly coloured photograph comes from a set taken on expired film that was so badly (or well) disintegrated that it caught more orange than anything else. There are some more shots from the same film in my post: Expired Film Unpredictable Art. This tree can be found in the walled garden at Wallington House in Northumbria.

The long, low light of Autumn days is perfect for textures like this because the shadows bring out the relief.

Just about now, the sky can get really interesting as dawn and dusk last for much longer, there is plenty of opportunity for shots like this. It makes sense to meter off the clouds or the landscape underneath in order to get the exposure correct.

Make the best of the last days of Autumn and get out there before it gets dark (at 4pm).

Durham Skies

2010-10-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

Of all the places I have lived, and that includes Africa, I have never seen skies like we get here in County Durham. It must be a combination of the broadness of the landscape and the atmospheric conditions between the Pennines and the sea that keeps the clouds interesting.

Here are some examples from my "Sky" set on Flickr:

Humpback Whale

Clouds that look like animals abound, some are pretty obvious like the one above; others are more abstract:

Shrimp

I think it looks like a shrimp, anyway.

Which Way is Up?

This picture is the right way up but I had to think about it as it is not immediately obvious. I think they are alto cumulus with "virga" or evaporating tails underneath. The clue to the orientation lies in the higher cirrus clouds at the top of the picture.

Skyburst

Expecting to see "The Second Coming" any moment now. This was taken in my back garden with a Fujica Ger rangefinder.

Glowering

This is on expired film but the colours are pretty realistic believe it or not.

True Sky

Iso 800 Fujifilm allowed me to get the extraordinary colours of this snowy sky in low light. It was a very strange light, everything bathed in purple. A couple of minutes later this entire scene was overrun by a thick blizzard.

50ml Black and White Challenge

2010-09-02T06:34:00.000-07:00

It was a challenge in Black and White Photography Magazine that recently inspired me to spend a couple of months shooting exclusively in Black and White and only using a 50ml lens.

The challenge appealed to me because (as I have said before) I am very fond of 50ml and wanted to get a better feel for B+W photography. Reflecting on this, I realised that I have strong feelings about “art” in general and one of the things I look for in all art is to see a masterful and virtuosic application of a constrained form. For a poet this means working with verses, rhymes, syllabic rhythms. For a photographer this means working within the limitations of the medium: black and white, fixed focal length, film speed or any other limiting factors.

I appreciate this is not the way everyone views it but for me the excitement comes from seeing what can be done with less rather than more. I think this is why I instinctively prefer fixed focal lengths and using 35mm film. It is not about having masses of equipment in order to capitalise on every opportunity and control all the variables, it is about the challenge of exploring different subjects with a basic setup.

So the first roll of my 50ml black and white adventure came back today and I am looking forward to continuing to play around within the boundaries that I have set for myself for a couple more months.

The examples in this post were shot on expired Kodak T400CN in a Mamiya ZE-2. This is the first time I have used Kodak B+W C41 process film and ... well ... I don’t feel that the black is quite as good as the Ilford XP2 series (it is certainly grainier) but overall, I am chuffed with the outcome.

Expired Film: Unpredictable Art

2010-08-30T02:40:00.000-07:00

(c) 2010 Seymour Jacklin

The greatest expense of analogue photography is not equipment or film but developing costs. I estimate that with what I have spent on developing in the last year I could have bought a top-of-the-range DSLR - but I’m not complaining. I still wouldn’t have it any other way.

One of the ways I try to keep costs down is by buying expired film on Ebay. My reasons for doing this are not only financial (there is really no need to pay more than a dollar for a roll of film) but also artistic. Using expired film adds yet another element of excitement and surprise to photography.

Film will keep extremely well if properly looked after. Black and white film is more reliable than colour film as it ages but I have seen excellent results from properly kept film that is even six or seven years out of date. However, particularly when buying from e-bay, you can never be completely certain how much degradation there may be on an expired roll and this can sometimes yield unexpected results. Typically there is some loss of certain colours, depending on the emulsion or more grain.

The most extraordinary results I ever got back are seen in the examples illustrating this post. The roll was a 2003 branded roll of ISO200 “Dixons” film. Every single frame came back with these filligree like branching patterns that looked more organic than purely chemical. My best guess is that some moisture had entered the casing and a rare mould had spread its tendrils over the emulsion. One commenter on Flickr likened it to lens mold in appearance.

Has anyone seen this before or can anyone offer an alternative explanation? I wish I could replicate it at will but that’s one of the joys of shooting on old film - every shot is such a combination of variables, from exposure settings right down to the molecular level of the film surface, making it even more unrepeatable.

Things to Check when Buying a Second Hand Camera

2010-08-08T02:25:00.000-07:00

Thrift stores, car boot sales, auctions, junk shops and flea markets are often good places to pick up vintage gear.

In my experience the seller usually has no idea about what is on the table and this either means the asking price is way over value (because the thing looks really old and collectible) or way under (because no-one uses these film cameras any more, it’s all digital now).

If you are after a working camera, then sadly the only true test of a second hand model is to run a film through and have it developed. However, there are a few things that you can check before you shell out that will reduce your chances of picking up a dud.

Firstly, look for fungus. Check the lenses inside and out. Dust is okay but fungus and moisture damage is a deal-breaker. If the lens looks like it has dampness inside it or a hint of grey/green growth, no matter how gorgeous the camera is, walk away - unless you are just after the body.

Are there any bits or buttons missing? typically, the delay switch lever may not be there (usually on the front of the camera to the right of the lens) although remember some models don’t have one at all. Also the rewind crank, and other rings and knobs on the top can be missing.

Get the back open and check inside. Most 35mm models since the 1970s open by pulling up the rewind knob, older models might have screws to loosen or a catch system. If you can’t get it open that’s a deal-breaker, too.

Look inside. The shutter curtains or leaves should be shut and not rusted open, torn or leaking any light at all.

Keeping the back open, cock the shutter (usually by winding on) and fire it off a few times. Does that sound snappy? Watch through the shutter and you should see out through the lens for a split second when you fire it off. Try different shutter speeds and use a slow speed or “bulb” (B) setting to get a good look through the lens from the inside of the camera. Slide the aperture ring round (if there is one) and make sure you can see the aperture closing and opening inside the lens.

With the back still open, check for light-tightness. Give attention to the seals round the door. This can be a black foam that gets worn away, but it is easy enough to replace. Some old cameras won’t have a sealing material but the door should still fit snugly enough when closed to exclude light.

For an SLR, take the lens off the body and have a quick look at the mirror. Is there fungus or damage there? A little bit of wear to the mirror is acceptable and optically negligible but reject if you can see an obvious problem. Fire the shutter again and watch the mirror. Make sure the cushions around it are not shot. Again a bit of wear is tolerable but if the cushions are breaking down you might need some repair.

For a rangefinder make sure that the bright spot is visible when you look through the viewfinder. Focus on a nearby object that you can estimate the distance to and then check the distance on the focus ring to make sure it tallies with your estimate.

A little bit of cloudiness in your viewfinder is not the end of the world but make sure it is usable.

Is there a built in light-meter? If this is the selenium type, then swing it towards and away from the light and make sure it registers a change. Battery powered ones are more tricky unless there are usable batteries in there, you might just have to take a chance on this.

Finally, if there are batteries, open the battery compartment and check for signs of corrosion. The connections could be completely wasted and this is a bad sign as the corrosion can go much deeper and this is sadly often the only thing wrong with a perfectly decent old camera.

All of the above sounds a bit complicated but practice on an old camera if you need to - they should only take a few moments. If you are reasonably satisfied with these checks, then start haggling! You are probably already more of an expert on the item than the person behind the table and if you can point out that the the light seal is a bit ragged, you might be able to knock the price down.

Shooting at 50mm

2010-07-29T05:52:00.000-07:00

By far the most popular fixed focal length for lenses is 50mm. This focal length is closest to the natural human field of vision and just about suitable for portrait, medium distance and landscape pictures. There are a number of flickr groups dedicated to pictures at 50mm and they show off the wonderful versatility of these primes.

Check out:

50mm (The original 50mm group)
50mm Journal
Life between 50mm and 55mm

I have a personal preference for fixed, rather than zoom, lenses. And, among those, 50mm is my favourite, too.

At 50mm you need to get a little bit up-close and personal with the subjects. They lend themselves really well to portraits and closer work and when I am shooting at 50mm I always feel as if I am more involved in the picture.
I prefer a fixed lens to a zoom because a zoom always adds a few seconds to framing a shot, picking the right focal length and trying to think simultaneously about the depth of field available (longer focal lengths have a shorter depth of field - the zone of what is in focus is shorter). I like to shoot on-the-fly with a minimum of fuss and use what time I have to think about exposure and focus more than anything else.
When a photographer uses the same fixed lens for a period of time the feel of the lens and what it is capable of becomes instinctive and the camera begins to function more as an extension of oneself. Because of its approximation to the human field of vision, 50mm is very intuitive.
Because I use it more than any other, I have confidence that with 50mm I can make a decent job of most subjects. I think that people choose zoom lenses because they worry about not having enough options and missing an opportunity; but I would encourage anyone to stick to 50mm for a good period of time and get used to it - overcoming the challenges could bring out the best in you.

Stick that lense on now and keep it on for a month, be disciplined, explore the possibilities, look at what other people are doing with it, and in time, perhaps, you will start to feel like using your zoom or frequently switching lenses is cheating.

The Joy of Old Photography Books

2010-07-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

I have never paid more than £12 ($18) for a camera or more than £5 ($8) for a lense. That is one of the beauties of using analog gear - it's very cheap, second hand. I have also never spent more than £2 ($3) for a photography book, and often a lot less.

Although digital photographers could learn a lot from pre-digital photo books, I am glad these old volumes are largely forgotten, because it keeps them affordable.

The joy of pre-digital equipment is the solid feel and quality of the workmanship and old photography books have the same sort of reverence for handiwork.

One such book is "Manual of the Miniature Camera" edited by Charles Duncan, first published in 1938 by George Newnes Limited.

It is a nicely illustrated collection of articles from eminent fellows of the Royal Photographic Society. It covers everything from the different models of cameras and accessories available at the time, through processing and printing, to specialist subjects like travel and action photography.

There are fascinating little bits of photographic history in here. In the section on "Press Photography", James Jarche describes an exciting moment when a bystander broke from the crowd and headed for the king during a two-minute silence on armistice day. In spite of a ban on photography during the silence, he captured the moment when several policemen flattened the man in front of the podium.

The section on "Differing Types of Miniature Cameras", for example, is a pure, nostalgic drool-fest. I have scanned a few of the pages for the reader's appreciation. Click on the images for enlarged versions.

Here is a page showing an early Leica rangefinder, a Contax II rangefinder, and a Contaflex TLR. Now nearly 80 years old, there are still working models of these classic cameras available for anything from £50 ($77) to £500 ($770).

Check your attic! If you don't have one of these beauties up there, maybe you at least have a lovely old book about them ...

Kodachrome Does a Victory Lap

2010-07-19T03:16:00.000-07:00

The clock is ticking for Kodachrome. Variously described as "iconic" and "the most successful colour film in history", many pro photographers today remember cutting their teeth on Kodachrome. I have three rolls of the stuff in my fridge but, alas, they will soon be museum pieces.

Last week, the last roll of Kodachrome ever produced was finally developed at Dwayne's Photo in Kansas which is the only lab in the world that is still developing this film. Kodachrome used to be sold with prepaid processing envelopes as the unique process was the preserve of Kodak labs accross the world. Succumbing to the inevitable march of progress, fueled by the popularity of digital photography but also due to advances in film emulsion technologies, the production of Kodachrome was no longer viable by June 2009 when Kodak announced that they would be discontinuing sales after 79 years.

Dwayne’s will continue to process Kodachrome slides until December of this year so time is running out if you want to shoot a piece of history. Developing and mounting at the lab is $10 (£6:50) and international shipping for the films is $12:95 (£8:40), UK airmail to the US would be about £1:82 for the film so it’s probably worth it for £16:72 just to be able to say you shot with Kodachrome in 2010.

Steve McCurry is the photojournalist who burned and soaked the last roll of Kodachrome last week. His work with National Geographic and in Afghanistan is instantly recognisable for its brilliant human intensity and there is the opportunity to see some of his imagery at a retrospective exhibition in Birmingham until October this year.

Expired Film and Over Exposure Effects

2010-07-16T00:24:00.000-07:00

I had a nice message in my Flickr inbox this afternoon from juanchi003 (who has some great portrait work on his stream BTW, check-it-out) politely asking about how I have achieved a "film burn effect" in my recent uploads.

The short answer is "I guess I burned the film" but with a writer's instinct for recycling, I thought I'd share part of my longer answer and a couple of examples on this blog for wider consumption. So here goes:

I shoot only with film and do not do any digital or other post processing, I just have the negatives scanned when they are developed at the lab so the effect that you notice is directly on the original exposure. I think that there are three contributing factors to this effect:

Firstly, I use expired photographic film. This last batch was shot on Fujifilm that expired in 2003. Depending on how it has been stored, some of the chemicals in expired film have sometimes started to atrophy so the colour and sharpness can be slightly unpredictable - you never know exactly what you are going to get with expired fim and can't really plan for it.

Secondly some of these shots were actually overexposed. I was using iSO 400 film in very bright daylight - it is quite sensitive and really for lower light conditions so even with my lense on the smallest aperture available, it was still overexposing it so effectively burning out a lot of the colour. Also iSO 400 film has a noticeably coarser grain which I think contributes to the effect.

Finally the lense you use can make a difference under different conditions. Some lenses seem to be sharper or softer, especially when there is a lot of contrast in the image. This is really a subtlety that you notice with use as you get to know different lenses. I am quite sure that the Takumar lenses I was using on this Pentax had some part to play in the final effect but I have a lot still to learn about this.

I have heard that there are "photoshop recipes" that you can use to achieve these sort of effects post processing but of course I would heartily recommend playing around with expired film and analogue equipment if you get the opportunity. I think you have less control and I wish I could say that I was deliberately aiming for certain effects at the time but it is more often a case of learning by looking back at what you did and trying to replicate it as well as getting used to the quirks and capabilities of your equipment.

These pictures were taken with an Asahi Pentax S3 which is about ten years older than me and about ten times more good looking. So there it is. Go burn some film, readers!