Sunday, May 25, 2014

Color Photographs of Segregation in the 1950's by Gordon Parks

Gordon Parks was one of the seminal figures of twentieth century photography. A humanitarian with a deep commitment to social justice, he left behind a body of work that documents many of the most important aspects of American culture from the early 1940s up until his death in 2006, with a focus on race relations, poverty, Civil Rights, and urban life. In addition, Parks was also a celebrated composer, author, and filmmaker who interacted with many of the most prominent people of his era—from politicians and artists to celebrities and athletes. He is best remembered for his photographic essays for LIFE magazine and as the director of the 1971 film, Shaft.

According to the New York Times, in the spring of 2012 the Gordon Parks Foundation discovered more than 70 color transparencies at the bottom of an old storage box, wrapped in paper and masking tape and marked, "Segregation Series." These never before series of images not only give us a glimpse into the everyday life of African Americans during the 50′s but are also in full color, something that is uncommon for photographs from that era. Here are just a few of the pics...

(Photographs courtesy of the Gordon Parks Foundation, via the NYTimes and Beautiful/Decay)

Amazing Color Photographs of American Life in the 1970s by Danny Lyon

Danny Lyon (born 1942) is a self-taught American photographer and filmmaker. He emerged as a courageous participant and recorder of the civil rights movement in America in the early 1960s. He has long been considered one of the most popular and influential American photographers and pioneered the style of photographic 'New Journalism' - immersing himself and becoming a participant in his subjects' lives and leading the way in a style of photography that has influenced a following generation of photographers such as Nan Goldin.

While on assignment for DOCUMERICA, a program sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency to "photographically document subjects of environmental concern" in the USA, Danny Lyon captured striking images of inner city American life of the early 1970s, including neighborhoods in El Paso, Houston, Galveston, Chicago, and the boroughs of New York City.

El Paso's Second Ward Neighborhood, Which Is Losing Its Ethnic Flavor in the Wake of Urban Renewal

Teenagers of the Second Ward, the Spanish-Speaking Section of El Paso

Second Ward, the Spanish Speaking Section

El Paso's Second Ward Neighborhood

Teenagers in El Paso's Second Ward, a Classic "Barrio" on the Border of Mexico

El Paso's Second Ward Neighborhood

El Paso's Second Ward Neighborhood, Which Is Losing Its Ethnic Flavor in the Wake of Urban Renewal

Teenager in Second Ward Neighborhood

El Paso's Second Ward Neighborhood

Albuquerque Speedway Park

Armijo Community Center

Adobe Houses in the Second Ward

El Paso's Second Ward Neighborhood

Automobile in the El Paso's Second Ward Neighborhood

Corner of 3rd and Oregon Streets in El Paso's Second Ward

Adobe Structure in Second Ward, Spanish-Speaking Section

Junked Automobiles Are Piled Three Deep Along Fence

El Paso's Second Ward Neighborhood

Rio Grande Valley

KOLOR - The Elliott Erwitt’s First Book of Color Photography

Elliott Erwitt (1928) is an advertising and documentary photographer known for his black and white candid shots of ironic and absurd situations within everyday settings. He served as a photographer's assistant in the 1950s in the United States Army while stationed in France and Germany. Erwitt was influenced by his meeting the famous photographers, Edward Steichen, Robert Capa and Roy Stryker.

Earlier this month, teNeues released “Elliott Erwitt’s Kolor,” a new book featuring Erwitt's color work from the 1950's through the early '90's that proves he wasn’t just loading black-and-white film into his Leicas. The titleKolor is a tribute to George Eastman's Kodak Company, who happen to like words beginning with the letter K. Most of the images in the book were taken with either Kodachrome or Ektachrome. There are images from all over the world, portraits of movie stars and politicians, staged fashion photographs and street shots.

"Unless I am taking pictures for my own pleasure, whether I shoot color or black and white is often determined by the assignment," Erwitt told The New Yorker. "Normally, I prefer shooting in black and white for my personal pictures. But now, having extensively examined my past color pictures, I am less dogmatic. In the end, it is only the quality of the picture that counts."

Marilyn Monroe on the set of "The Seven Year Itch." New York City, 1954

Alfred Hitchcock and Vera Miles. New York City, 1957

Provence, France, 1959

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Ebay photography bargains

I'm re-posting this video I did back in 2011 because Monday is Memorial Day (the official beginning of the Summer season). Summer is of course, a great time to take pictures, and what better way to take them than with a good quality camera, obtained at a bargain basement price? While most people probably don't want to collect 35mm SLR cameras as I do (currently I own seventeen of them), Ebay is a great place to buy good film cameras at bargain prices. You can also find digital cameras there. I own one that I bought on Ebay, but my preference is for film cameras. What ever your preference, enjoy the video, then head on over to Ebay to find a bargain for yourself. 'til next time...happy shutter bugging.

The "Best" Pentax Cameras

In 2000 and 2001 Albano Garcia conducted a survey among the members of the PDML ⁱ. He wanted to find out how many and what kinds of Pentax cameras everyone owned (screw-mount, K-mount, 645, and 67 were all considered). In an attempt to help people who are looking to buy (yet another) Pentax camera, here I present a simple analysis of the raw survey results and then briefly describe the top performers.
For the analysis, I grouped the USA and international versions of the each body, the "normal" and the "SE" models, and the bodies which are extremely similar to each-other. I then colored all bodies according to mount type, listed them in a single table, and sorted them by decreasing unit-count. After looking at the resulting table, seven clear winners emerged. Below I describe the weaknesses and strong sides of each one of them, detailed technical descriptions can be found in these pages.
Take the survey results with a grain of salt — the PDML members are not a good approximation of "the average (hobby) photographer." For example, the average PDML member probably spends more money on photo equipment and tends to have no appreciation for fully-automated, cheaply-built, and gadget-laden cameras. Thus it should come as no surprise that at the top of the list one finds cameras with a senseful feature set, a flexible system of accessories, high reliability, good price/performance ratio, and (of course) ones which are or were widely available.

The Clear Winners

1. LX

This is Pentax's most advanced manual focus camera. To begin with, it supports just about every imaginable "pro" feature of its time: mechanical construction, support for fully mechanical operation, extreme reliability and durability, DOF preview, MLU, TTL flash, interchangeable screens, a large system of accessories, etc. But the LX stands out (even by today's standards) as it also features interchangeable viewfinders, a light meter with extreme low-light sensitivity, off-the-film metering (OTF) for ambient exposures, and dust- and moisture-proof seals on every button and dial.
Because of the OTF metering, no exposure adjustment is needed when a different screen or viewfinder is in use, and no viewfinder blind is necessary for long exposures. These advantages paired together with the sophisticated metering turn the LX into the preferred camera for a large variety of applications. For example, the LX is capable of taking extremely long metered exposures and achieving correct exposure even if the lighting conditions change during the exposure. The body is the center of an elaborate photographic system that features interchangeable viewfinders, motors, winders, grips, etc. Exposure compensation is in 1/3 EV steps, and there is an optical aperture readout in the viewfinder.
On the negative side, the LX is a product of the early 1980's. It offers only center-weighted metering, low flash sync-speed, and the viewfinder indicates EV levels in full stops. It is not possible to combine self-timer and MLU. After about 10-15 years of operation without servicing, most bodies develop the famous "sticky mirror syndrome." The problem is fixable via a normal CLA, but the camera is generally very expensive to service, and parts for it are getting more and more difficult to find.
Prices for used units range between US $350 and US $700, and a CLA starts at US $150.

2. MX

This is one of Pentax's simplest and most robust cameras. It features manual focus, manual exposure and fully manual flash operation. It is fully mechanical, and uses batteries only for its light meter. The MX does, however, offer DOF preview, self-timer, interchangeable screens, and interchangeable backs. The viewfinder offers an optical readout of the selected lens aperture and shutter speed as well as five LEDs that indicate how far the manually-set exposure is from the camera's recommendation: 1 EV or more under, 1/2 EV under, identical, 1/2 EV over, 1 EV or more over. The camera is extremely small, light, and easy to use. A winder and motor drive are available as optional accessories.
On the negative side, the camera's design is from the late 1970's and supports only center-weighted metering, has a slow flash sync-speed, no mirror-lockup, and no flash automation of any kind. Parts for the MX are getting difficult to find.
Prices for used black-silver units range between US $130 and US $180. Fully black ones tend to fetch about US $50 more.

3. ME Super/ME Super SE

This manual focus camera is from similar vintage as the MX, and is also very light and small. However, it is targeted at a different group of users. It lacks the "pro" features of the MX (DOF preview, full mechanical construction, interchangeable screens, aperture indication in the viewfinder) but offers convenience. It has aperture-priority operation in addition to full manual, dedicated flash, wider range of shutter speeds, faster X-sync, etc. While it offers some mechanical speeds, it relies on batteries for showing its full potential. It is plentiful on the second-hand market, and is simple to learn and use. Finding a repair place for this body is not so difficult, and parts are relatively easy to come by.
A clean ME Super typically costs between US $85 and US $110. Fully black units cost about US $30 more.

4. PZ-1p/Z-1p

From the time of its release (1995) until the release of the MZ-S (2001), the body was Pentax's AF flagship. The camera is large and heavy, but also solid and well-built. Most functions are selectable through two wheels positioned under the thumb and index finger as well as a function selector on the upper-left side. The camera's features are targeted towards professional users: separate flash and ambient exposure controls, custom functions, exposure control in 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps, fast shutter and flash synchronization, DOF preview, 2-second mirror-prefire, multiple exposure, interchangeable screens, spot metering, custom user mode, etc. Very useful is also the ability to "shift" exposure along the program curve and to instantly jump to the camera's internal preference (even under changing light conditions).
The camera has a few weak points too: dust gets to its insides quite quickly, it consumes a lot of power, there is no AA battery pack available for it, and the TTL flash system lacks evaluative and multi-segment TTL flash metering. A few mechanisms seem fragile: the mechanics of the built-in flash, the battery compartment cover, and the base plate. The viewfinder is well laid out, but offers only 92% coverage. But the biggest problem with this camera is Pentax's lack of commitment and further development. In the years between 1995 and 2001, the competing manufacturers have upgraded their models a number of times while Pentax has left this body with a small number of fitting accessories and an AF system whose performance is hopelessly outdated by today's standards.
Many of the disadvantages of this camera have been addressed by the "new" flagship — the MZ-S.
Prices for used bodies range between US $350 and US $450.

5. MZ-3/ZX-5n/MZ-5n

These cameras have brought a lot of acclaim to Pentax. Being members of the MZ/ZX-series, they have the small size and light weight of the M- and A-series manual focus bodies, but except for metal construction and mechanical operation, these bodies have all features of the top M- and A-series cameras and more: built-in flash, built-in winder, spot and multi-pattern metering, etc. Their controls are intuitive and easy to learn and the AF system is a welcome improvement over that of the older Z-/PZ-series cameras. DOF-preview works in all operating modes.
There are a small number of things that could be improved, however. The viewfinder is a bit small, and its display is difficult to see in bright light. The AF system has only three sensors, and of those none is sensitive to both horizontal and vertical patterns.
The cameras are available new (12/2001) for about US $300. Used units are difficult to come by, mostly because their owners are reluctant to part with them.

6. Super Program/Super A

This is the top A-series camera. It was developed alongside the SMC-A lenses, and takes full advantage of their new features: Tv and P operating modes as well as program and TTL flash. However, this small and light camera has a lot more to offer: solid (mostly metal) construction, DOF preview, self-timer, a good electronic shutter, Av and M operating modes, etc. The display is suitable for eye-glass wearers, and uses two LCDs for displaying the needed information. LCD illumination is also available. The camera accepts an optional winder or a motor drive as well as a variety of other accessories.
On the negative side, since the camera is not really intended for "professional use," it is fully dependant on battery power and lacks interchangeable screens and MLU. The working aperture is visible in the viewfinder only in the Tv and P operating modes. Finally, the X-synch is listed as 1/125 in the specs but it is only 1/90 in reality.
The camera is plentiful on the second-hand market and usually costs around US $150.

7. K1000/K1000SE

This big, heavy, and fully mechanical body offers no automation of any kind. It offers only the most basic features: a light-tight box, a film advance, a tripod socket, and a built-in light meter: all that one needs for learning the basics of photography. This total lack of convenience features explains the cult status of the K1000 among photo students worldwide. However, it fails to explain its popularity with PDML members. I mean, do you people not miss viewfinder information on aperture and shutter speed, a self-timer, a DOF preview lever or minimal flash automation? Wouldn't a KX or a KM be a better choice?

ⁱ = "PDML" is the Pentax-Discuss mailing list. It is a group of men and women who own and appreciate Pentax photographic equipment.

Pro photographers who still use film

…

It’s not often you see a professional photographer taking the time to formally survey his colleagues about an issue, but that’s just what San Diego–based shooter Robert Benson has done at his blog. Curious about professional photographers who still use film—he calls them “the holdouts”—he sent some questions to 11 shooters, including our own Jeff Lipsky.

I’ve posted an excerpt below, but if you have the time, it’s worth going here to read the whole thing.

…

Why do you shoot film?
Brian Finke: I almost exclusively shoot film, with the exception of recently starting to shoot video with the new Canon, and soon checking out the new Nikon HD camera. More and more these days when I am on assignment I get the, WOW, reaction when I pull the first Polaroid and everyone on set sees I’m shooting film. I am instantly seen as an art photographer, which makes by happy. I learned shooting film and love it. I shoot exclusively with the Hasselblad, it is a great process, taking the Polaroids, loading all the backs, then while shooting taking a pause and reloading, the physicality of the camera and process are beautiful. I also prefer the grain and depth of film and the chromogenic print, especially when viewed in a large scale, gallery environment.

Paolo Marchesi: I like the “organic” feel of film and the process. When I shoot film is mostly large format and shooting large format makes you think about the shot more. It makes you a better photographer. With digital is easy to just fire away without really taking the time to take “the shot”.

Amanda Friedman: Film has better exposure latitude. Film does significantly better in low light, I get better blacks. I shot a ton of night photography and I’m still finding film to be a much better choice. I can shoot ISO 800 speed film and get beautiful results—can’t really do that with digital yet.

Simon Watson: Because it is beautiful, easy to use and it is always so much more sophisticated looking than digital. Always.

Finn O’Hara: I love the pace of shooting film, and the reality of the exposure is much more tangible when shooting film.

José Mandojana: A few reasons. I like my medium format and large format film bodies and lenses better. I just see the frame better with these cameras vs. a digital SLR. I also shoot film because the color neg is perfect in my eyes. When shooting raw, a lot of tweaking needs to be done to get it to look like my film. It can be done, but film still has a richness unmatched by digital. Why mess with perfection?

Michael Sugrue: In addition to the look/feel of the image, I most like the workflow of shooting 4×5. It’s a very quiet, studied approach. A lot of the mental aspects of shooting large-format film are lost with the instantaneity of digital capture.

A recent portrait of actress Ellen Page by Jeff Lipsky.

Jeff Lipsky: Many reasons…… For one, I love shooting my film cameras. There is something special when shooting a portrait with my 4×5. I feel digital takes the pace and feel away. I still enjoy looking at a proof sheet with a good loupe. The editing process is easier and more tangible. Digital format has yet to reach the 6×7 format. Film is more forgiving and has more range. I can flare and backlight images and still have information in the negative. Digitally it would be lost. I actually like being the first person to see and edit my film. To many times there is a crowd of people surrounding the monitor, no matter how hard I try to hide it. I love working with 120 films. Changing a film back or reloading enables me to change things up and get more variations. Believe it or not, it’s still more economical for most editorial jobs.

David Lauridsen: Film is beautiful. It has a depth to it and a painterly quality in the way it captures light and texture that digital just isn’t capable of capturing… yet. I shoot a lot of travel photography and like strong side light and backlight, which I think is the biggest weakness of digital. With ﬁlm, I can expose for good shadow detail and just burn in the sky. With digital, the sky is just gone completely or if I expose for it then I end up with an image that is just much darker than I like. It’s recoverable to some degree in post, but it still doesn’t have that “lushness” that ﬁlm has.

Bryce Duffy: I still really love the aesthetic of film. I’m not saying it’s not possible to get very similar results with digital, it’s just that in 20 years of working with film stock and polaroid, and a long standing relationship with a lab, there’s so much that is going in to achieving the aesthetic that I’m after, and other peoples expertise as well. Switching to digital means that so much more of that falls back on the photographer. In a way you’re your own film manufacturer, your own lab, your own printer. And I still really feel that there are certain lighting situations where film just “feels” more organic and digital can not replicate that as far as I’ve seen.

Via: The Stockland Martel Blog

1878-1929

1878 - George Eastman was one of the first to demonstrate the great convenience of gelatin dry plates over the cumbersome and messy wet plate photography prevalent in his day. Dry plates could be exposed and developed at the photographer's convenience; wet plates had to be coated, exposed at once, and developed while still wet.

Eastman was one of the first to successfully mass-produce dry plates for photographers.

1879 - Eastman invented an emulsion-coating machine which enabled him to mass-produce photographic dry plates.

1880 - Eastman began commercial production of dry plates in a rented loft of a building in Rochester, N.Y.

1881 - In January, Eastman and Henry A. Strong (a family friend and buggy-whip manufacturer) formed a partnership known as the Eastman Dry Plate Company. ♦ In September, Eastman quit his job as a bank clerk to devote his full time to the business.

1883 - The Eastman Dry Plate Company completed transfer of operations to a four-story building at what is now 343 State Street, Rochester, NY, the company's worldwide headquarters.

1884 - The business was changed from a partnership to a $200,000 corporation with 14 shareowners when the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company was formed. ♦ EASTMAN Negative Paper was introduced. ♦ Eastman and William H. Walker, an associate, invented a roll holder for negative papers.
1885 - EASTMAN American Film was introduced - the first transparent photographic "film" as we know it today. ♦ The company opened a wholesale office in London, England.

Eastman's State Street offices, circa 1890.

1886 - George Eastman became one of the first American industrialists to employ a full-time research scientist to aid in the commercialization of a flexible, transparent film base.

1888 - The name "Kodak" was born and the KODAK camera was placed on the market, with the slogan, "You press the button - we do the rest." This was the birth of snapshot photography, as millions of amateur picture-takers know it today.
1889 - The first commercial transparent roll film, perfected by Eastman and his research chemist, was put on the market. The availability of this flexible film made possible the development of Thomas Edison's motion picture camera in 1891. ♦ A new corporation - The Eastman Company - was formed, taking over the assets of the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company.

Early ad demonstrating the ease of photography.

1891 - The company marketed its first daylight-loading camera, which meant that the photographer could now reload the camera without using a darkroom. ♦ The manufacture of photographic film and paper was transferred to four newly-constructed buildings at Kodak Park, in Rochester. Also, the company's first manufacturing plant outside the U.S. was opened in Harrow, England.

Eastman and Thomas Alva Edison collaborated to make motion pictures possible.

1892 - The company became Eastman Kodak Company of New York.

1893 - A six-story Camera Works was built on State Street, in Rochester, to manufacture the growing line of box and folding roll-film cameras.

1895 - The Pocket KODAK Camera was announced. It used roll film and incorporated a small window through which positioning numbers for exposures could be read.

1896 - One year after the discovery of x-rays, Eastman entered into an agreement to supply plates and paper for the new process. ♦ Kodak also marketed the first film especially coated for motion picture use.

1897 - Kodak established a wholly-owned subsidiary in France, expanding a branch office which had been opened in 1891.

1898 - Kodak marketed the Folding Pocket KODAK Camera, now considered the ancestor of all modern roll-film cameras. It produced a 2 1/4-inch by 3 1/4-inch negative, which remained the standard size for decades. ♦ The company's suggestion system began. It provided cash payments to employees for suggestions that improved the company's operations.

1899 - The company developed the continuous wheel process for manufacturing transparent film base, which had previously been coated on long tables. ♦ Eastman awarded Kodak employees a bonus from his personal funds for their "extra good work." ♦ Kodak Canada Limited was organized as a distribution center in Toronto.

1900 - The first of the famous BROWNIE Cameras was introduced. It sold for $1 and used film that sold for 15 cents a roll. For the first time, the hobby of photography was within the financial reach of virtually everyone.

1901 - Eastman Kodak Company of New Jersey, the present parent company, was formed. George Eastman became president of the New Jersey holding company. Henry A. Strong, Eastman's original partner, remained at the head of the New York company until his death in 1919.

1902 - The KODAK Developing Machine simplified the processing of roll film and made it possible to develop film without a darkroom.
The KODAK Developing Machine made it possible for amateurs to process their own film without a darkroom.
1903 - KODAK Non-Curling Film was introduced, which remained the standard for amateur photography for nearly 30 years.
1907 - Kodak's worldwide employment passed the 5,000 mark.
1908 - Kodak produced the world's first commercially practical safety film using cellulose acetate base instead of the highly flammable cellulose nitrate base. ♦ A manufacturing plant was opened in Australia.

The Kodak Developing Machine made it possible for amateurs to process their own film without a darkroom.

1911 - The company's Blair Camera factory in Rochester was renamed the Hawk-Eye Works, and a department for the design of optics was established there in 1912. ♦ Eastman created a benefit, accident, and pension fund for employees. ♦ The company's first safety committee was organized to study accident prevention.

1912 - Dr. C.E. Kenneth Mees, a British scientist, was hired by George Eastman to organize and head a research laboratory in Rochester, one of the first industrial research centers in the U.S. ♦ Kodak employees received their first Wage Dividend, a profit sharing program that continues in the U.S. today.

1913 - The introduction of EASTMAN Portrait Film began a transition to the use of sheet film instead of glass plates for professional photographers.

1914 - A 16-story office building, the company's present worldwide headquarters, was completed at 343 State Street, in Rochester. Three more stories were added in 1930.

1917 - Kodak developed aerial cameras and trained aerial photographers for the U.S. Signal Corps during World War I. Eastman also offered the U.S. Navy supplies of cellulose acetate for coating airplane wings and producing unbreakable lenses for gas masks.

1920 - Tennessee Eastman Company was organized to manufacture wood alcohol for film base.

1921 - The Eastman Savings and Loan Association was established to help employees save and to finance home purchases. It remained part of the company until it became a self-standing credit union in 1994.

1923 - Kodak made amateur motion pictures practical with the introduction of 16 mm reversal film on cellulose acetate (safety) base, the first 16 mm CINE-KODAK Motion Picture Camera, and the KODASCOPE Projector. The immediate popularity of 16 mm movies resulted in a network of Kodak processing laboratories throughout the world.

1925 - Eastman became chairman of Kodak's board of directors. William G. Stuber, whom Eastman had hired in 1894 to direct emulsion-making, was elected president.

1927 - Kodak employment throughout the world passed the 20,000 mark.

1928 - Motion pictures in color became a reality for amateur cinematographers with the introduction of 16 mm KODACOLOR Film. ♦ The first microfilm system, designed to simplify bank records, was introduced by Recordak Corporation, a newly-formed subsidiary of Kodak. ♦ Retirement annuity, life insurance, and disability benefit programs were established for Kodak men and women.

1929 - The company introduced its first motion picture film designed especially for making the then new sound motion pictures.

Photos of Various-Shaped Ships by Lomo LC-A Camera

A ship, one of the best transports on the water (seas, lakes, rivers) for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing, entertainment, public safety, and warfare has been any bouyant watercraft.

It is generally distinguished from boat based on size, shape and cargo or passenger capacity.
Historically, a ship was a sailing vessel with at least three square-rigged masts and a full bowsprit.

Here under are some photos of various-shaped ships which were shot by Lomo LC-A camera.