Film is Dead ~ Long Live Film

Why would anyone move from digital back to film?  We’ve all heard it, “film is dead, nobody shoots analog anymore.”  The world has moved to digital.  I was listening to a very popular podcast today in which the host jokingly said that there are probably a thousand or so film shooters left.  It was a joke but it hit a nerve because I’m now a committed film photographer and I know there are many, many thousands of us who love to shoot it.  I recognize that film will never take the prominent place it once had, but there is a movement, however small, going back to film.  

Interestingly, the podcast panel members also discussed the damage they believe digital technology has done to the professional photography community.   These photographers  now have to fight much harder to differentiate themselves from the masses.  Almost anyone can pick up a digital camera and make it work.  Levels of automation and the immediate feedback from an LCD screen are great learning tools for new and aspiring photographers.  There’s no wait for the film to come back from processing and the exif data is immediately available to adjust any shot to make it better.  Not so with film.

I have to say that shooting film is a personal choice.  I turned into a contrarion.  Part of it was to find my personal style.  I found there was a challenge with film with enough variables that opened new opportunities to find the look I’m after.  Let me say right away, there is no best way to photograph.  Film and digital have different looks, I happen to prefer the character of film.

I’m admittedly unsettled when it comes to my photography. I ’m genuinely hard to satisfy in many ways, always after something that takes me to another level.  Getting to another level means I have to break through some personal barriers, chief among them is an innate fear of taking photographs of other people. It’s a shame really because my favorite shots are those with people in them. They give an essence to the images I like creating a texture to my photographs that are lacking otherwise. More importantly it’s also about capturing emotion and stories in the images I capture. 

But that’s not the reason I need to vent a bit. The reason for this post is that I’m finding digital photography to be increasingly irrelevant personally and distracting in my photography journey. Digital is becoming a crutch for me. Capturing digital images is causing me to focus more on the technical aspects of photography rather than the essence of the images I’m trying to get.

Two years ago I sold all my DSLR gear including my top of the line Nikon camera, lenses and accessories. My family thought I had lost my mind after working so hard to move up to the best gear I could get my hands on. Another early lesson now learned; gear doesn’t make you a better photographer. I guess I was one of the early movers to small cameras that more and more photographers are moving towards these days with all the new micro four thirds cameras coming to market. My move didn’t seem that radical, I moved to a rangefinder with a full frame sensor. I needed the money from the sale of my DSLR kit to make the transition. For the most part it was a straightforward transition although I did take a hit with selling fees through eBay. To offset those selling costs I bought a used Leica M9-P and a few quality lenses, all fixed primes of course. I’ve really enjoyed the M9 and haven’t ever regretted moving to a Leica but I continued to search for my photographic space and place. Being the unsettled person I am, I’m now really leaning towards selling my M9-P and going full time to film. Another radical phase is underway I think. Did I mention that I’ve gone through times like this in the past? 

About six months ago, I bought a Leica M6, a film camera build in 1987. Why not I thought. I can use the same lenses bought for my M9. I honestly didn’t think the transition would be as enveloping as it has been. The all mechanical M6 has captured my heart. I love everything about it. Most importantly, I love the insecurity of it. It has stretched my photography beyond what I found using digital. I’m now even processing my own black and white film. You’re likely asking why go through all the limitations that film brings and abandon digital.

I love using my film camera for all the opposite reasons most love using digital. Not being able to chimp on a film camera, i.e., seeing the image just captured via the LCD on the back of the camera creates a real sense of insecurity. Did I get the image I wanted on that frame of film? Was it exposed correctly, framed and composed in the strongest way? The truth won’t be known till I can process the negatives which may be as early as that night or it may be a few weeks from now. There’s no immediate tendency or incentive to repeat the shot using film because there are only 35 or so opportunities on that roll in the camera. Moreover the settings are already the best I could think of to get the best image unless I realize right away that I screwed up. If I know I really made a mistake it’ll only be because the exposure or focus weren’t what I should have used. But that’s all in my head, not feedback through a digital file immediately displayed on the back of the camera. 

Just to be clear. My many years using digital has ingrained the fundamentals of what’s required to capture a technically correct image. I don’t think I’d be nearly as comfortable making a complete move to film photography without the learning gained using digital cameras. Digital leverages a steep learning curve. Moving from digital to film is a somewhat backward evolution isn’t it? It is, but you know what, it was the best road for me. I processed the fundamentals and technical know to understand the basics of photography through digital. It allowed me to make mistakes at little expense. More importantly it gave me immediate feedback to correct the errors I made. It just so happens that most experienced photographers have transitioned from film to digital. I’m going the opposite way and that may be the route for those of us who really cut their teeth by learning how to shoot with digital. I’ll say it, there’s a renaissance back towards film photography. Yes, I’m a bit unsettled, but I want to be a part of it.

With film I’m now working on the non-technical qualities of photography. Those qualities are best exercised by slowing down the process of taking photographs and thinking about the composition of the image to be captured in the frame. I like the slower pace, it requires that I think less about the technical aspects of photography and more about the essence of what it is I’m trying to capture in my images.

This transition isn’t really about the gear. I think I’m past that stage. My M6 in form and function is not that much different than my M9-P. Yes they employ different medium, one is a frame of film, the other uses a sensor to capture an image. But side by side they bear a family resemblance. I’m still taking a photograph. I’m actually not much tempted to buy a new digital camera. This is a move to embrace a new process and workflow in my photography. It’s a slower approach to photography hopefully to help me grow creating stronger images. Film has a definite quality that can be emulated digitally but not completely. The process results in images with more than the grain as a differentiator. It’s more than the medium.

You know the famous saying by Yogi Berra, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!” Photography for me is a journey. My gut is telling me to take this subtle fork in the road. My turn signal is flashing. My intent is to make the turn. Will I really do it?  I’ll let you know how I fare.

Thanks for reading!

by - Bill McCarroll

To enjoy more of Bill McCarroll, please visit his blog at: http://www.billmccarroll.com/blog/2014/7/7/6xlulnqifjxtuvm6efawypk6egc5fa 

Window Light ~ Old Town San Diego

July 2014

Weekends offer the best opportunities to get out and shoot.  Things that need to get done around the house have to fit into the schedule too and of course family time is a priority.

I value the free time I have that allows me to get out.  This past weekend I made the trip to Old Town San Diego, about 20 miles from home.  Old Town is actually a California State Historic Park.  The park represents San Diego's early history from about 1821 to 1872 and has a collection of old homes and structures from the era.  "Visitors are offered a glimpse into yesteryear, as converging cultures transformed San Diego from a Mexican pueblo to an American settlement."

The old structures have an amazing character and with the right light offer many great opportunities to take interesting photographs with interiors and furniture that are unique and one of a kind.

The following images were taken in the La Casa de Estudillo, a traditional adobe home with a center courtyard.  The home is currently undergoing a renovation so the interior rooms weren't in the typical configurations you'd normally find.  Nevertheless, I did find some interesting angles that gave me some usable shots with amazing light from the large recessed windows.

All of these photographs were taken on my Leica M6 with a Voigtlander Nokton 50mm 1.5.  I shot the images with the lens wide open at 1.5 with a shutter speed of 1/15 of a second. I used my Sekonic L-358 light meter to measure ambient light.  The rooms were really dark, much darker than represented in these images.  I was a bit worried shooting these handheld.  By leaning against the doorway walls, I was able to get these.  Film used was Kodak Tri-X 400 shot at iso 200 and developed at box speed in Ilfosol3 for 12 minutes.  I agitated with two inversions every minute. 

As always, thanks for reading.

from: Bill McCarroll film Photography blog

PETER HURLEY SHARES A FEW KILLER TIPS ON HOW TO TAKE BETTER HEADSHOTS

 Maaz Khan   

Taking pictures of someone can be a challenge sometimes, and especially when it comes to face portraits. Who hasn’t felt awkward while having their school picture taken before? And how can the photographer help in making the situation a little better?

Peter Hurley is a well known headshot photographer based in New York and Los Angeles. Just recently, he sat down to give a few tips on how to make better headshots.

When you’re talking about headshots, what really makes a difference in the outcome of the picture is how the subject looks. And I’m not talking about how much you airbrush them in Photoshop; I’m talking about how the person looks themselves. When someone’s face is the subject of the photo, then how they look at the camera matters a lot more. With how well known he is on a professional level, it’s safe to say that Hurley knows his way around making sure he gets that aspect down, and that’s exactly what he focuses on in this video.

IS SHOOTING A VIDEO ON FILM STILL WORTH IT?

 · Udi Tirosh   

You know Steven. He is the crazy hacker who made the Battlefield Pinhole Camera (and others….). This time around he sent me his latest music video. Here is the thing, it was shot 100% on film, and well worth the effort.

The clip was shot with a rented Aaton LTR 54, using a full Zeiss Prime f/1.2 series lens kit (80mm, 50mm, 35mm, 25mm, 16mm, 12mm, 9,5mm, 5,6mm aspheron)

First, this clip is just oozing with creativity, but that alone does not justify film. I asked Steven why he shot this on film and basically he has two reasons:

The first one was the physical qualities of the film, huge latitude and grain:

I was amazed by the exposure latitude of the film (kodak vision 3 500T & 250D), I shot some scenes in broad daylight, and there are a lot of details in the shadows while the sky is far from being overexposed.

…the grain is very cool too, there is a lot of it in the night scenes, but it’s not as upsetting as digital noise…

But that was not enough, the other reason was that look that s very hard to get with digital effects:

…most of all, you can mistreat the actual film!

What do you think, is there still room for shooting movies on film?

ImageBrief: a new approach to selling images

 by Daniela Bowker 

Control, commission, and contacts. If that sounds like a reasonable premise under which to sell your image online, you might want to check out ImageBrief. It’s an online global image marketplace where buyers request specific images to meet their needs and photographers submit photos that they believe meet the brief. The average fee is $800 and photographers take upto a 70% cut. Interested?

How does ImageBrief work?

Buyers, who are a mixture of art buyers, creative directors and editors at advertising agencies, brands, corporates and publishers, as well as freelancers, submit a brief describing exactly what they want in detailed but natural language. Photographers who are signed up to ImageBrief can then submit photos that they think meet the brief’s criteria for consideration. Before any images are presented to buyers, however, they’re all vetted by the ImageBrief staff to ensure relevance and maintain quality. For the successful photographers, there’s a potential 70% of the commission fee available. I’ve not seen one brief below $200 and plenty in excess of $1,000.

Photographers are able to keep up with new briefs via email and an iPhone app notification. There’s an Android app in the works.

In a world where the stock agency model holds sway, how is ImageBrief attracting buyers and photographers?

It’s all very well having a great model that serves buyers’ needs without giving them photo-blindness from trawling through acres of potentiall suitable images, and gets photographers’ images in front of buyers, but if no one knows about it, it doesn’t benefit anyone. ImageBrief has found that word-of-mouth has worked in their favour, togetehr with social media and targetted email campaigns. Rainer Waelder was spotted by the ImageBrief team and invited to submit a portfolio for consideration.

Sign up?

The ImageBrief team is very keen to point out that its fresh approach is part of its appeal: ‘The images are different, the process is different and the outcome for the brands and clients they represent is different.’

The importance of the curaton model

ImageBrief regards the curation model as critical to its success and integrity. ‘It’s what allows us to present such amazing, tailored content. Each of our photographers is reviewed upon registration and then images are curated every step of the way to ensure quality and relevance to the client.’ The buyers aren’t overwhelmed in their search and photographers making sales take better a better cut of a significant fee. It’s win-win.

Photographers’ opinions

Uploading images to a stock agency and forgetting about them might seem like a relatively easy and stress-free option to sell your photos, but ImageBrief photographers are quick to point out that it doesn’t offer nearly the return that an ImageBrief sale does. ‘I’ve only made one sale so far with ImageBrief though I have been shortlisted several times. But that one sale was my biggest ever and more than made up for the effort expended on other briefs. One of the great things about ImageBrief is that it attracts high-profile clients still willing to pay a fair and proper rate for images. That makes us photographers feel it’s worth our while to submit images in the first place,’ says UK photographer Matt Doggett.

Take a look at the Collections for an idea of what they sell

What’s next for ImageBrief?

A commissioning platform is in the works that is intended to allow clients to seek out a photographer when they haven’t found the perfect pre-existing image. This can be tailored based on location, categories, or references. A new premium account structure will let photographers put themsleves forward for assignments and maybe develop relationships with clients that could go for ages.

Want to get involved?

It’s free to sign up to ImageBrief and that’s probably the fastest way to learn how it works. Look at the kinds of images that clients are buying in the ‘Collections’ section. Download the app so that you can keep on top of new briefs.

ImageBrief photographer Slobodan Blagojevic recommends being selective and making sure that you fulfil the brief to be in with a chance, but perhaps more importantly ‘do not think of ImageBrief as just another stock library, i.e., do not submit typical stock imagery. Clients come to ImageBrief precisely because they want something different, something fresh, something unique.’

Did you enjoy ImageBrief: a new approach to selling images? Share it with your friends:

Fun with film

 by R.AGE 

By JAYDEE LOK

FILM gives you more,” believes Paul Gadd. “You can play around more, and it’s easier to control.”

With nearly 16 years of experience shooting professionally and having his work published in the likes of Marie Claire, Harpers Bazaar and The International Herald Tribune, you’d best believe the man knows what he’s talking about.

Film Buff Paul Gadd of The Print Room began his career as a catwalk photographer in London.

Gadd, who now runs The Print Room photography studio and gallery in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, explained his preference succinctly:

“With digital, if you overexpose or underexpose (a part of your photograph), you lose everything that’s there. It’s just a pixel. There’s nothing to bring back. But with film, there’s always something there that you can bring back whether or not you can see it properly. Eventually, you will be able to print it out.”

In other words, film can capture a moment more accurately. It let’s you fill in the blanks that would have otherwise been washed out by a digital camera.

Last week, The Print Room gave this R.AGE reporter a two-day crash course in film photography. It was both extremely fascinating and frustrating at the same time.

Film photography beginners are first introduced to the various types of existing film cameras and then briefed on their various functions. Everything from how to load the camera with a new roll of film to the ISO (film speed), to choosing an aperture were explained before the workshop students were left to roam The Print Room’s premises in search of interesting subjects.

After finishing the roll of film, we were taught how to develop the film (this involved a lot of chemical shaking in a light-proof container) and how to load our negatives into a developing tank to print the images onto the photo paper.

Following that, we had a retro movie moment where we dunked the seemingly blank sheets into developing chemicals and watched our photographs come to life.

The chemistry of developing photos is a three-step process – develop, stop and fix.

There is a tangible sense of satisfaction achieved with this process that the digital world leaves us bereft of, what with the gadgets we rely on to function everyday.

However, human error makes inaccuracy inevitable. Hence, it can be rather daunting when you have to redo your images over and over to get a perfectly saturated image printed at the perfect angle on a sheet of photo paper. Many film photographers spend hours in the darkroom because of this.

Even so, photographers like Gadd still prefer using film over a digital SLR.

“Digital isn’t necessarily easier,” he said. “There’s still too much post production when it comes to digital photography, so it can actually be a bigger headache (than shooting film).”

Gadd also points out that whether or not you see yourself as a creative photographer, experimenting with film photography in itself is a great experience.

“I think what people worry about is that they need to be artsy to do this. They don’t. They come here (to join some of The Print Room’s classes) to learn something new for the sake of trying something new.

“It’s to show people what it’s actually like to learn the basics of traditional analog photography. It’s not just about taking the actual picture. They don’t have to become photographers.”

However, should you see yourself as a professional photographer, you might want to try to get your work showcased at The Print Room.

The next exhibition, KL Street, will be on display in August and all are welcome to enter. The only requirement is you have to shoot with film.

Gadd believes that good photographs speak for themselves, so if your photos beautifully document life in Kuala Lumpur (past or present), cart them over to The Print Room. If the pictures are up to snuff, they will be displayed.

For more information, visit The Print Room at at 49 Lorong 16/9E, Petaling Jaya, 46350 Selangor or check out theprintroomkl.com.

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5 REASONS DSLR’S ARE OBSOLETE IN TODAY’S WORLD BY MARTIN GILLMAN

OK, sure that’s a bold statement, and for me it just may be true. I believe that the mirrorless camera is and will continue push the DSLR as we know it aside. Its progress and its coming. If you do not agree you may just have to accept it, even the greats in Glass like Carl Zeiss are making lenses for the mirrorless systems, they see where photography is going too. So, let me tell you why I think so.

1. BECAUSE SIZE DOES NOT MATTER

It doesn’t. We all know deep down that a great image is a great image no matter what camera was used to make it.

I don’t need to bang on about how the greats used tiny Leica’s and one lens, you will have read that a dozen times.

I was at the Photography show in March this year and recall being amazed by visitors wandering around with bent backs due to gripped DSLRs, 400mm lens attached waving around their chests like great glass phalluses. Just to catch a half snap of a model way up on stage.

Dear all, you just don’t need that anymore.

A mirrorless camera with a telephoto lens can almost be hidden in the hand and you get quality, discretion and a smaller bill from the osteopath. You think you need a full frame sensor right? Well you can get those in mirror less if you want but let me set you a challenge. Of my images here, some are 36 Mp full frame and some are made with the mirrorless cropped sensor.

You tell me which is which?

2. BECAUSE YOU CANNOT AFFORD NOT TO GO MIRRORLESS

So what did your DSLR system cost you? Well now halve that and you can still have a mirror less system and not sacrifice the quality of work you produce. Today you can buy two bodies, 3 primes and a pair of zoom lenses for a mirrorless system for about £6000.

That’s about half what my previous system was worth new, you can re invest into other areas of your business or if not professional how about a week in Iceland to use that lovely new kit? without the back ache. Sounds tempting, right?

3. BECAUSE YOU NEED DISCRETION AND PRACTICALITY

Up until a year ago I was shooting high resolution DSLRs, I had the latest body and the latest back up.

I had 15 tons of lenses, OK I exaggerate but you get the picture. For street photography I was anything other than discreet, I may as well have had a rocket propelled grenade launcher on my shoulder such was the attention I would get. For Landscape I had a hefty tripod to mount the cameras with a monolith of a geared tripod head.

Now, I am an ex military man, I have yomped across Dartmoor many a time with a back breaking load and I can tell you it was getting to the point of similarity with my camera bag. Something had to change; I’m getting on a bit, so along came the mirrorless system.

Also, how many of you have used all of those options in your DSLR menu, the ones we need all that space inside the body for the electronics to hold for you. There seems to be thousands of them and most of them to be brutal are pure gimmickry. What we all need are cameras with great quality that do the basic brilliantly. Lets get back to craft.

4. BECAUSE YOU JUST DON’T NEED A MIRROR ANYMORE

Let’s be honest. The mirror is a pain really isn’t it? The cannon fire bang as it lifts and slaps back down.

The shake the mechanism produces even when secured on tripod. Having to mess about with mirror lock up and cleaning oil splashes from your sensor. Its old technology, it is no longer necessary and focusing directly onto the sensor gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside that things are more likely spot on when that focus locks.

5. BECAUSE THE QUALITY IS THERE

This was always going to be at the center of the argument. Resolution and how much we really need?

Well unless you are printing for the west face of K2 do you really need those 30+ megapixels? What you need is a camera system that inspires you to go and do better photography. A system that frees you up to create.

You need tools that are a pleasure to use, affordable and a little less intimidating. I am not even sure what resolution my mirrorless cameras are, It has not occurred to me because I am so happy with the output that it’s not a worry.

Then there is the party trick of the mirrorless, the EVF (electronic view finder). Oh what a joy it is to spot meter and lock exposure live in camera and see your image just as it will be before hitting the shutter. It’s a dream and the tonal range you can achieve by metering live with EVF in this way can be sublime with practice.

Now, get on with that challenge I gave you in reason 1.

So that’s it, convinced? Sure you could argue that what works for me won’t work for you, but have you tried?

You want shallow DOF? Have you tried the Fujifilm fast glass? You want fast tracking AF, have you tried the Olympus OMD EM1? You need weatherproofing, have you checked out the Fujifilm XT-1? You insist on Full Frame? Try a Sony A7.

So if your DSLR isn’t obsolete yet, it just may well be soon. In time all but the die hard will be walking straight backed and proud of their new release of creative energy inspired by perfectly formed little gem stone cameras that wont attack the Mortgage.

Oh and did I mention that mirrorless is making Photography cool again?

If you are not convinced, here is a look into Martin Gillman’s bag, as featured on InMyBag.

• Fujifilm XT-1
• Fujifilm XPro-1
• Ricoh GXR- Infrared Converted
• ZEISS Touit 12mm f2.8 lens
• ZEISS Touit 32mm f1.8 lens
• Fujifilm 60mm f2.4 lens
• Fujifilm 18-55mm lens
• Rokkor 135mm with X mount adapter
• Lowpro Flipside bag
• 3 Legged thing Frank Tripod
• Blackrapid ‘sport’ strap
• Lee ‘sevenfive’ filter system with various graduated filters
• Flashwave 3 TX/RX trigger system
• Cleaning kit, lens and sensor
• Sekonic Flashmate light meter
• Various SD memory cards, Sandisk and Samsung
• Business cards

MARTIN GILLMAN’S PHILOSOPHY

The first advice I would give would be to educate yourselves. Skill and craft and learning how to see are elements that will always bode you better than any piece of fancy kit.

Practice, practice, practice and when you are weary of practice. Practice some more.

Print your work! In my opinion a digital image doesn’t exist and a photograph isn’t finished until it is printed.

Finally, its about focusing on your own work and not be drawn into the world of negative discussion around the art.

We would all fare far better if we were to reserve our critical eye for what we see through our own viewfinders rather than for what others are doing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Martin Gillman Is a professional photographer based in the UK, you can find more of his work on his site here, buy his prints here and follow him on facebook here.

from: Do It Yourself Photography Site

John Deere's Photography

 Best FILM Camera's 2014

---

The world is full of digital stuff and it is not going away. We know that and there certainly are many great digital camera's to choose from.

But this is a film section so what are the best film camera's for 2014?

I have three that top my list.

1.) Nikon FM family. I love this series and my favorite is the FM 2N. It is small and has proven to be a dependable camera and I believe this series last for over 20 years ending in 2001. If you count the FM 3A then it has been one of the longest active series.

2.) Nikon F100. My first choice for an AF SLR. Cheaper than the Nikon F5 but just as powerfull.

3.) Pentax ME Super. Another SLR in the category of small bodies that became popular starting in the late 1970-'s through the 1980.

Some others that I do like include the Pentax MX and LX. I certainly like the Nikon line up the includes the FE, FE2, FA along with the Nikon N80, personally this is probably one of the best buys in a used camera for the AF SLR.

So what are you best film camera's for 2014, I know mine are 100% slanted to the Nikon and Pentax lines but there are others out there.

Johndeere's Gallery

More Photo Attorney Videos at Lynda.com

More Photo Attorney Videos at Lynda.com

On 05.09.14, In Copyright, by Carolyn E. Wright

Lynda.com has long been a great resource for photographers. It has expanded its extensive library to include videos on photography and the law with Carolyn E. Wright, a/k/a the Photo Attorney, including:

• Photography and the Law: Understanding Copyright

and the newly released:

• Photography and the Law: Photographers’ Rights and Releases

Also check the video with Ben Long and Carolyn about photographing at wildlife refuges.

To check this and much more content on Lynda.com, sign up to get 7 days of free unlimited access to lynda.com to watch all of the Photo Attorney courses there.

Check Photo Attorney on Lynda.com