Being Very Close to the World Around Me

 by Leanne Cole


A few weeks ago Nikon lent me a 40mm macro lens.  I played with it, enjoyed it, but knew at the time that there was no way I would be able to afford one, too much money for me to have, just play around with. At that time suggestions were made, but Ben from Aperture64 Photography told me about some extension tubes that he has used by Polaroid, not to expensive and a good price for experimenting.  I looked them up and they arrived last week.
Again they haven’t been as easy to use, which I expected, but I have been experimenting with them.  I didn’t get the ones that would have meant that I could changed the aperture or use autofocus, so if you are contemplating going down this road, I would recommend getting those.  I don’t know how you would tell the difference when buying them, but hopefully someone can leave a comment on that.  Victor from Victor Rakmil Photography suggested that I see if I had a lens that I could change the aperture on the actual lens.  This is where I am so glad I didn’t get rid of my old film photography gear, the lenses I had for my old film Nikon have the aperture on the lens and I can change it there.  So I played around with both of the old lenses yesterday.
This was outside in the garden.  I was using my old 35-105mm lens, and I set the aperture on f/16. Focusing was difficult because I had to use manual focus which meant moving into it with the camera as close as I could until the image went into focus.  There was no control over that.  It also meant I had to stay very still to try and get it at that point. That is the part I found the most difficult.
These are the dead Gerberas again, spiders I think are starting to live in them, so it might be time to get rid of them.  I put the 70-210mm on the extension tubes, with all the tubes, and just played.  I found if I zoomed the lens in and out it was easier to find that point where the images was really sharp.  I enjoyed using the zoom a lot, and will try it out with the other lens as well.  I am looking forward to getting out on some cold mornings to take photos.
While I was taking photos of the dead flowers, our cat, Tiddles, was asleep in the sun on the floor.  I thought it would be good to take some photos of him asleep.  Then he rolled onto his back so the sun could warm up his belly.  I don’t normally show photos of my cat, but sometimes, well sometimes I just have to.  I am sure David from Through the Viewfinder. . . will be able to relate to this.
I haven’t done a very thorough explanation of the Extension tubes, as I really don’t know what I am doing yet, beyond having some fun.  I know there are other photographers out there that do know what they are all about.  Victor wrote a post on using Extension tubes and I would encourage you to go and take a look.  The post and link are Because you can never get enough magnification… (An essay on extension tubes etc.).
One thing I do have to warn you about, if you get the polaroid ones, which is what I got, and you get them for a Nikon, to get the one off your lens, you push the silver screw thing towards the camera body.  I have to tell you, I put it on my 50mm lens and I couldn’t get it off.  I was so scared, thought I would going to have to chuck the lens, but it did come off and I know what to do now, thanks Ben for your help there too.
I am going to put the images in a gallery now, with a couple more.  Enjoy your Friday.

THE CHILD LABOR PHOTOS THAT SHAMED AMERICA

Collage of child labor photos taken at turn of the century by Lewis Hine. His photos now reside at the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, in Rochester, NY. CLICK TO ENLARGE (INTERNATIONAL) -- At the turn of the century many people in America did not believe, simply could not believe that small children, mostly from poor families were being terribly exploited by factory and coal mine owners and bosses. They were routinely made to work long hours in sometimes dangerous industrial settings for virtually no money to speak of. In coal mines children as young as seven and eight years old worked underground in the dark. In factories young children worked around large, loud and often dangerous machines that would occasionally take off a tiny hand or arm if a child was unlucky. They were considered by factory owners simply factory fodder and collateral damage in the days of the industrial revolution when no unions were there to protect children or adults and no labor laws to protect children. Lewis Hine is the photographer best known for his images of construction workers who helped build the Empire State Building in 1930. But many years before that, in 1908 he was a sociology professor hired by the National Child Labor Committee to document how children as young as seven were working in cotton mills and coal mines. People who wanted to protect these children knew that visual proof of their lives in the factories and mines was needed before any child labor laws could be enacted. For over ten years of his life Hine shot thousands of photographs that eventually helped convince US lawmakers to introduce new industrial labor regulations to protect children. There is a new book out about his work titled simply, Lewis Hine. The BBC has a video report here on the images in the book which are today kept at the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, in Rochester, NY.

by: Jess

 by: Jess

Frustrations with Film

The other day I took a few rolls of film to blacks to be developed. I had bought these rolls of black & white film at blacks, so I assumed the sensible thing to do would be to take them back for developing. Well, turns out they no longer develop B&W film. Neither does Walmart, any grocery stores, or the specialty camera stores in the area. There is but one lonely studio that now develops black and white film, and they are incredibly out of the way. Sigh.

Lately I feel like shooting film is more frustrating than therapeutic. It is so much easier to use my DSLR that does video, and I can view the results immediately. I struggle with what to do, since this entire blog is based on the premise of film photography, yet I haven't posted film shots in what feels like months. I can either give up on film and re-brand, or continue to spend money on (and being frustrated with) the film development process. Has anyone else had a similar situation with their blog? What did you do?

Photography & Film at More Than Footprints by The Editor, UK (Currently in Kuala Lumpur)

Ok, so you photographers and filmmakers are feeling a little left out. But never fear, your galleries are on their way. Sign up and we’ll keep you posted on when those galleries go live on the site. In the meantime, you can still get a free copy of the book by sending us photos and links to you videos or YouTube channels and we can stick them on the site.
In particular we are looking for interesting photos for page headers. Banner images should be cropped to 1400px x 173px (or we can crop them for you if you send us the image). That banner is obviously long and thin, so unless you kick it over first, the Eiffel Tower probably won’t fit.
If you’d like to know more about photography and film at More Than Footprints, contact editor@morethanfootprints.com
Related ArticlesGuide to More Than Footprints
Guide to Writing for More Than Footprints
Guide to Phrasebooks at More Than Footprints
Guide to Copyright at More Than Footprints
Guide to Ethical Advertising at More Than Footprints
Guide to More Than Footprints – The Book

 

Black and White Film: Photography of the Future

Black and White Film: Photography of the Future

Photographer and teacher, Douglas Carr Cunningham

Like most artists, Douglas Carr Cunningham has held a variety of jobs including photojournalist, camera salesman, and adjunct professor. As a former U. S. Navy photojournalist, Cunningham has an extensive archive of images, “enough to last me a lifetime,” he laughs.
In 1999 Cunningham was one of the first local photographers to embrace the then-new digital photo technology, but he believes black and white film photography stands the test of time as an archival photo medium and even calls it “the photography of the future.”
Cunningham’s teaching career began years ago when local photographer Jack Alterman invited him to teach at the Center for Photography. Today, he enjoys watching the lightbulb go off in his students eyes. In preparation for the upcoming workshop Old Time Photography on May 17 that will include a tour of the exhibition Beyond the Darkroom, Photography in the 21st Century and a demonstration at Redux Studios, I spoke with Cunningham about his work. Here are some highlights from our conversation.
“Photography is always evolving and digital has blurred the lines between the general public and professionals,” he explained. “The problem with digital is storing information. Digital is virtual and technology is always changing so the question is, will you have to re-save your archives to a new medium every few years?”

From 1855, this image is an example of one of the earliest photographs from our permanent collection, Captain Percival Drayton, by Jeremiah Gurney

Photography was introduced in 1839, when Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre shared the first successful photographic process, dubbed the daguerreotype. A daguerreotype is a direct-positive process, meaning there is no intervening negative used to print the image. To create a daguerreotype a plate of copper is coated in silver, polished, sensitized with iodine vapors, and exposed in a camera. The image is then developed in mercury fumes and stabilized (or fixed) with a salt water solution. The plate is then put under glass and housed in a case.
Photography has continued to evolve and according to Cunningham, the invention of digital has resulted in a loss of ‘pre-visualization,’ a technique used by film photographers for ages. “Today I still shoot film right along with my digital precisely to enlighten my students and because if it’s done correctly, it’ll still be around for years to come.” Cunningham explains that a really good photographer will learn to use both because a photographer needs to have the foundation and the tradition to go forward.
“With pre-visualization you imagine what the shoot is going to look like and then you use technology to make it happen. It’s about the creative process of thinking it through.”
Cunningham’s favorite exercise is to ask his students to pretend their camera shoots only 24 images. “Look at the subject through the viewfinder and don’t look at your screen until you get home. Photographers call the act of looking at your LCD screen the second after you take a shot ‘Chimping’ or ‘monkey see, monkey do.’ This is something we all do and the downside of this habit is that it can interrupt your creative process and like Cunningham says, chimping doesn’t allow for pre-visualization. This exercise breaks students of the chimping habit and Cunningham says they enjoy contemplative time in the darkroom and are inspired by this ‘old fashioned’ creative process. He insists that contrary to what we might assume, “Black and white film is the photography of the future because it’s permanent.”

Untitled from the Passage on the Underground Railroad by Stephen Marc

On Saturday, May 17^th, Cunningham will lead a private tour of Beyond the Darkroom: Photography in the 21st Century, a collection of images from the Gibbes’ permanent collection. This exhibition examines the evolution of photography through a variety of works acquired over the past ten years for the museum’s permanent collection. Ranging from the text and photo-based works of Carrie Mae Weems to the digital montages of Stephen Marc, this exhibition showcases the great innovation in photography today.
—Amy Mercer, Gibbes Museum Marketing and Communications Manager
Join Cunningham for a tour of Beyond the Darkroom, and a demonstration of the time honored art of black and white film at Redux Contemporary Art Center.
$40 for Museum, CCforP, and Redux Members, $45 Non-Members (box lunch included, transportation not included).
To purchase tickets please visit gibbesmuseum.org/events or call 843.722.2706 x21

Asya Photography

Philadelphia Film Photographer

As some of you may now, we offer film photography coverage as one of our add on options. Photographs shot with old film cameras have a soft, grainy and artistic quality to them. We use Leicas, Holgas, Rolliflex and Mamiya cameras. Film photographs feel warm, dreamy, magical and nostalgic.  I’m excited to pull together a few of my favorite film photographs from previous weddings to share with you!

Crash Course in Black & White Film Photography

May 17 | Sat 12:30-5:30pm

Instructor: Gina White, Tara Champion, Ish Ishmael & Staff
Saturday 12:30-5:30pm | May 17
$135 / $121.50 Members
Register
Level: Introductory
Prerequisites: None


Description:
Go from camera to darkroom in just five hours. Start off by shooting a roll of Black and White film on your 35mm camera, learning how aperture, shutter speed and depth of field will affect your results. Then learn how to process your film and obtain negatives for printing. Move into the darkroom and begin your introduction to the basics of printing by making a contact sheet and selecting an image to start working with. This workshop is focused on shooting and processing film, with a basic introduction to working in the darkroom. Students looking to expand their printing experience in the darkroom should consider our Crash Course in B&W Printing – another one-day workshop devoted to hands-on experience in the darkroom.
Students should bring their 35mm camera, as well as a spare battery (if you haven’t checked it in a while), but film and paper will be provided as part of the course.
Topics covered include:
- aperture, shutter speed, depth of field, and ISO: how do they work together?
- metering and shooting with a 35mm film camera
- film processing: how to turn exposed film into negatives for printing
- film developing chemistry, and how it works
- making a contact sheet in the black and white darkroom
- make your first prints in the black and white darkroom
Tuition Payment & Refund Policy
Register Now!

Female Models Required for 35mm Film photography Shoot

Manchester, United Kingdom

Interested in classic 35mm film photography shots for your portfolio?

Apply now Save to watchlist

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Interested in classic 35mm film photography shots for your portfolio?

Im a Manchester Based Photographer who specialises in Fashion/Film/Music

I Want to expand my knowledge using Old school 35mm FILM cameras and Feature images on a monthly ONLINE FILM BLOG with the potential to feature in Photography magazines etc

Im looking for female models who want unique portfolio images shot using FILM,
As you may be aware FILM Photography is expensive and becoming more sought after in the fashion world,

This will be a great opportunity to have some great portfolio images to stand out from the crowd and get involved in something Dope

I have some Manchester based clothing labels that are interested in having their clothing featured in these shoots also, so this will be a good opportunity to collaborate and get some free garments in the process

If you are interested in becoming part of this project please apply to this application

Payment details: £50 per half day + free garments
Applications to this casting call require:

• A phone number
• A profile photo

The owner of this listing has agreed to abide by the UK National Minimum Wage Act. Find out more

Female models interested in featuring in 35mm film

Models will be need be comfortable in front of camera, this will be a very relaxed artistic shoot in and around Manchester area, model will need to be comfortable with light nudity if t shirts or clothing is revealing.

examples of type of shots will be send over to applicants before shoot
Females, aged 19 to 35 from Manchester, United Kingdom (nudity may be required)

• Minimum Modeling experience: Beginner, starting out

Apply now

Listing created: 7 May 2014
Applications close: 21 May 2014

EYECON Photography Registration

Registrations For Canon EYECON Photography And Film Competition 2014 Are Open (New Zealand only)

Canon New Zealand is accepting registrations for the EYECON Photography and Film Competition 2014. Registrations are accepted until 10/1/2014

Canon EYEcon is a competition created especially for New Zealand’s emerging photographers and filmmakers. It’s the ultimate opportunity to showcase your talent, gain valuable experience and pitch yourself against the best in your field.
There are some truly incredible prizes to be won too, including a range of ‘money can’t buy experience days’ with some of New Zealand’s most prominent photographers.
The EYEcon 2014 competition is open to New Zealand students or assistants studying photography or film and is split into three categories for you to submit an entry too. Each category is judged individually and has separate prize packages to be won:

• PHOTOGRAPHY: Tertiary students and assistant photographers currently studying photography.
• PHOTOGRAPHY:Year 12 & 13 High School students currently studying photography.
• FILM: Tertiary students and assistant film makers currently studying film.

Canon EYEcon is a truly fantastic opportunity for all budding photographers and filmmakers – so don’t miss out.  To enter Canon EYEcon, please click on the links below:
- EYEcon Registration Form (must be submitted by October 1, 2014)
- EYEcon Competition Guidelines
- EYEcon Terms and Conditions
- EYEcon FAQ’s

More information at Canon NZ –>

 

[ About Us ] - [ Why ILFORD ] - [ Our History ] - [ Why Silver Halide ]
Over the 130 year history of ILFORD there has always been a positive commitment to the traditional world of silver halide black and white photography.
HARMAN technology Limited, trading as ILFORD PHOTO, is “Passionate about Black and White” and intends to continue this commitment.
The demand for traditional monochrome films and papers remains strong. With Agfa no longer in the black and white photographic market, and Kodak pulling out of manufacturing black and white papers the future of ILFORD PHOTO products looks good for years to come.
ILFORD PHOTO has experienced a tumultuous history since its origins in 1879, with ownership of the company changing hands several times. The latest development was the acquisition in February 2005 of its black-and-white photographic business, premises and ILFORD PHOTO name from the receivers of the old ILFORD Imaging group by HARMAN technology Limited, a company created by former managers of the company and named after the founder of the ILFORD business, Alfred Harman.
Since that time, ILFORD PHOTO has re-established its primary position in the global photographic market and has led the worldwide resurgence of black-and-white photography. It is now the only manufacturer that provides a full range of film, paper, photochemistry and ancillary products for this sector.
HARMAN technology Limited is a pioneering professional imaging specialist based in Mobberley, Cheshire in the centre of the United Kingdom. The company announced the launch of its pioneering HARMAN PHOTO inkjet media range, suitable for both colour and monochrome photography, in August 2006; and the first products became available in the UK and USA in February 2007.
The ILFORD range of colour photographic products, including ‘ILFORD Galerie’ inkjet media, is not manufactured or marketed by HARMAN technology, and remains a separate business operated by ILFORD Imaging based in Switzerland.

How To Take Natural-Looking (Posed) Portraits

As a professional photographer, people will ask you to shoot all sorts of things… and it won’t always be gorgeous models or extremely interesting street scenes. One of the biggest sources of revenue for me personally is in shooting portraits of regular people who need photos for all sorts of things. I also get asked by magazines to shoot regular people for lifestyle stories, so it’s important to get a final image that looks natural and not contrived. The problem is that most people are not very comfortable being photographed, which makes getting a natural looking portrait somewhat of a challenge.
Personally, I am not a big fan of portraits that look stiff or posed. Sometimes it can work in the right context, but more often than not it looks awkward. There are several things that I do to avoid this while keeping my subject feeling comfortable:
1. Get to know your subject.


(Emeline Piot, Fashion Stylist) 
I always, always, always talk to the person I’m photographing. About life. About music. About the weather. Whatever. I like to get a conversation going because it gets a rapport going - and a photographer must have a rapport with the subject. Talking helps people relax and frequently helps you learn something about them which can in turn  help you make a stronger portrait. I would say I chat with subjects for at least 15 minutes before I even take out my camera. That way the ice is broken before we start shooting.
The above image is of Emeline Piot, a very talented (and adorable) fashion stylist based here in Paris, who I was photographing for Marie Claire. It turns out that Emeline hates to have her picture taken, so I wanted to make her as comfortable as possible. We joked and talked about life while I photographed her for a couple of hours, and at the end of the shoot I had her sit down at a cafe and that’s how I got this shot. After she felt comfortable.
2. Allow some prep and warm-up time.

(Alexandra Guerre-Joly, Photo Editor, BE Magazine)
The worst thing you can possibly do on a portrait shoot is to show up and whip out your camera. One key to shooting a “natural” looking portrait is evaluating the space you are shooting in, whether it be outside, at the subject’s home, or at the subject’s office. If you don’t take the time to choose a good setting for your subject and analyze available light in relation to that setting, your portraits will look rushed and awkward. It may actually even take you longer to shoot rather than if you had just spent 20 minutes looking around in the first place.
For the above shot, the story was on successful women who are addicted to shoes. After touring Alexandra’s gorgeous Parisian apartment, I decided that in front of her shoes was quite fitting.

3. Movement is a good thing.

(Isabel Marant, Fashion Designer)
As photographers, we often want our images to be as crisp and sharp as possible. But alas, straying from the scholarly path can actually make for a great portrait. I had the pleasure of shooting Isabel Marant a few years back and, while I have many other shots of her, this one is my favorite. For me, the movement and motion blur are what makes it a “real moment.”Try walking around with your subject and photographing them at the same time. Sometimes, mid-action makes a far better portrait than if the subject were still.

4. It’s OK to smile.
Many portrait photographers have a profound belief that asking your subject to smile makes for a cheeeeeeeezy portrait - which is not technically untrue. Except for the fact that 9 times out of 10, if you send a client a smiley photo within the selection they take it. Take the previous photo of Isabel Marant for example: the fact that she’s laughing makes it happy. And fun.
Instead of going for dead-on cheese, ask your subject to fake laugh. It sounds stupid, but it really works. You can also tell jokes if you think you’re funny enough to make the subject laugh naturally. Not all photographers are funny. Keep this in mind.
5. Provide direction.

(Valerie Laderriere, Creative Director, L’Oreal China)
Most people don’t know which is their good side, bad side or best angle. They also don’t know if they have a weird mouth or eye twitch every time you press the shutter. Providing your subject with ample direction helps you get the shot while helping your subject feel reassured. I usually tell my subjects to follow my finger with their nose, chin or eyes to get the exact position I want. For portraits, it’s important to pay attention to details such as hand position (claw hands are the worst), slouchy shoulders or bulging fabric. It’s the type of thing that can ruin your portrait when you think it’s great, and you only realize when it’s too late.
For more photography help and how-to’s, check out I Still Shoot Film’s Help & How-To page.

How To Take Good Care of Your Film

It suddenly occurred to me that I’ve never done a post on one of the most essential elements of film photography, which is: how to treat your film right. Imagine you’re dating your film, and you must therefore succumb to all of its whims and desires regardless of what you really want. Treating your film properly can significantly extend its life and helps you get the best results possible. So, without further ado, the most important steps to taking good care of your film:
1. KEEP YOUR FILM IN THE FRIDGE. I cannot stress this enough. In fact, it’s so very, very important that I’m going to repeat it 10 times:

1. KEEP YOUR FILM IN THE FRIDGE
2. KEEP YOUR FILM IN THE FRIDGE
3. KEEP YOUR FILM IN THE FRIDGE
4. KEEP YOUR FILM IN THE FRIDGE
5. KEEP YOUR FILM IN THE FRIDGE
6. KEEP YOUR FILM IN THE FRIDGE
7. KEEP YOUR FILM IN THE FRIDGE
8. KEEP YOUR FILM IN THE FRIDGE
9. KEEP YOUR FILM IN THE FRIDGE
10. KEEP YOUR FILM IN THE FRIDGE

Good. Now get up off your ass and put your film in your fridge RIGHT NOW. Have you ever noticed that professional shops keep the film in big refrigerators like soda vending machines? Yeah, there’s a reason why they do that. It keeps film fresh. Personally, I have an entire shelf and crisper drawer dedicated to film. My husband knows better than to argue with me about this. But that’s nothing. Check this guy out:

This was apparently in preparation for a trip… but I know many photographers who, like this guy,  do not have actual food in their refrigerators.
Now, sadly, the fridge does not fix all film woes when it comes to the cruel hand of time. Here’s an excerpt from Kodak’s official page on Storage and Handling of Unprocessed Film:

Refrigerating camera films reduces the photographic effects of long-term storage, but refrigeration cannot reduce the effects of ambient gamma radiation. Naturally occurring gamma radiation increases the D-min and toe densities and also increases grain. Higher speed films are affected more by gamma radiation than lower speed films. A camera film with an EI (Exposure Index) of 800 has a much greater change than an EI 200 film. Exposed and unprocessed film that has been properly refrigerated retains the speed and contrast of the exposure conditions, but the overall D-min, toe and grain will continue to increase.

For those of you who don’t speak fancy photography, it means your Ilford Delta 3200 won’t keep as long as your Ilford Pan F 50.
2. DO NOT EXPOSE YOUR FILM TO HEAT
Considering #1, this is not that surprising. Film doesn’t like heat. Or too much humidity. Obviously sometimes this is unavoidable, for example if you’re shooting in the middle of July and have film on you for the day. That’s okay. However, if you’re traveling to a tropical climate and have a mini-fridge in your room… you know where this is going. Like people, film does need some humidity and complete dryness isn’t a good thing either (hence the fridge.)
In general you should not leave your film in the car when it’s hot, laying in the sun even if it’s inside your home, or out in places that regularly get warm and humid. Heat and humidity promote mold growth and ferrotyping, which is a fancy way of saying it makes the gelatin base of the film swell, changing the overall surface structure. Basically, it’s not good.
A ferrotyped negative looks like this:

EWWWW.
3. FREEZE FOR LONG-TERM STORAGE
If you stockpile film (I do and if you don’t you should think about it) and intend on storing it for a period of 6 months or longer, the ideal temperature is freezing - actually below freezing, at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and -18 degrees Celsius.
When freezing film, it is essential to let it warm up by 25 degrees (F). That’s approximately three hours for 35mm. If you don’t let it warm up, it will crack and break - because frozen film is brittle film.
4. ACTUALLY LOAD YOUR 120 FILM IN SUBDUED LIGHT
Anyone who has shot 120 film has noticed the “Load in Subdued Light” message printed on the backing paper. Anyone who has shot 120 film will also admit that at some point they have completely and blatantly ignored this instruction. Why? So many reasons, but primarily laziness… which I myself have also been guilty of on occasion.
Sure, there’s a good chance your photos will turn out okay even if you reload in broad daylight, but do you really want to risk it? Fogging sucks, so find a shady corner or shut yourself in a bathroom.
5. WHEN YOU LOAD A ROLL, FINISH IT
Lots of people want to get the most out of a roll of film… in fact, one time my grandfather accidentally wound a roll of film after shooting only 7 frames and asked me to pull it out and reload it in a darkbag so he could finish the roll. But I digress…
Leaving a roll of partially-exposed film in your camera for weeks or months pretty much guarantees your film will be partially degraded. For those of you looking for a quicker solution than waiting for a decade to get “expired film effects,” may like the results. But if you have a variety of cherish photos, some of them will be blown out, faded, have light leaks or have color changes. I’ll quote Kodak again:

Do not keep film in the camera or magazine longer than necessary.

Simple. Besides, if you shoot film, at some point or another you’ll open up a camera back thinking it’s empty only to have your eyes fall upon the silver glossy surface of exposed, undeveloped film, at which point you will probably shriek to yourself and try to close the back as quickly as possible. This doesn’t happen when you finish rolls you start on the same day.
By following these simple steps, you can often extend the life of your film by years without seeing any difference in image quality.