10 surefire ways to get your sharpest-ever photos

By Phil Hall    

Master focusing with your camera

Tip 1. Manual focus

Although nearly all modern digital cameras can focus the lens automatically (the Leica M9, Leica M9-P and Leica Monochrom being notable exceptions) they also allow you to focus manually instead.
Manual focus is a particularly good option with macro photography because many cameras struggle to lock onto very close subjects and the lens ends up hunting (moving in and out of focus) every time the shutter release button is depressed.
It's far less frustrating to switch the camera (or the lens) to manual focus and do the job yourself.
What's more, Live View technology makes manual focusing very easy because it is usually possible to enlarge the image on the screen so that you can see the precise spot that you are interested in, and then adjust the focus until it is perfectly sharp.

Tip 2. Single shot autofocus

Often abbreviated to single autofocus or single AF, this camera focus option sets your camera to focus when the shutter release is depressed half-way and to keep the lens focused on the selected subject until the shot is taken and the button is released.
If you need to refocus you have to lift your finger off the shutter button and then depress it a second time.
Single focus mode is useful for static subjects such as still life and landscapes.

Tip 3. Continuous autofocus

When this camera focus option is selected the camera will continue to focus the lens as long as the shutter release button is half-pressed, or the AF button is pressed.
This makes it a very good option when photographing moving subjects because the camera will continuously adjust the focus distance as the subject moves round the frame.
Advanced cameras such as the Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Nikon D500 have options that enable you to specify which AF points the camera will use to track the subject as it moves about in the frame.
Some even allow you to specify how quickly the camera should respond to changes in subject distance to avoid the subject going out of focus when a stadium pillar, for example, momentarily blocks the view.
When using continuous AF it's usually best to set the starting AF point manually so the camera knows what the target is before it starts to track it.
If you like shooting sport or fast action then make sure you check out your camera's continuous AF options.

Tip 4. Automatic focus point selection

When you are focusing automatically you need to have the active AF point over the subject in the viewfinder to get it sharp.
Broadly speaking, there are two ways of selecting the AF point using this camera focus technique.
The easiest is to let your camera decide for you and use the automatic AF selection point option.
In many situations the camera will do a decent job and this is a useful option when you don't have much time to get the shot.
However, your camera will usually try to focus on the closest object near the centre of the frame and it's not usually very good at pin-pointing smaller subjects or fine details. For this reason it's often better to set the AF point yourself as we did with the shot above.

Tip 5. Manual AF point selection

Setting the AF point yourself gives you the maximum level of control over where your camera focuses, and it's a good option for landscape, still life and portrait photography when you have time to operate the necessary camera controls.
Setting this camera focus option is usually done by pressing the AF point selection button and then using the navigation controls to select the AF point you want while you look through the viewfinder. If you've got a touchscreen, you can simply tap the area where you want to focus.
Once you reach the AF point that is over your subject, you're ready to focus and take the picture.
In some cases you may be able to set the navigation controls to select the AF point directly without the need to press a button beforehand, but this can be at the expense of their usual shortcut functions.

Tip 6. Face Detection AF

This popular camera focus option is a form of automatic AF point selection found on most compact and compact system cameras - and even some DSLRs in Live View mode (when the image is composed on screen).
It works by recognising face shapes in the scene and then prioritising the focus towards them.
Refinements on this camera focus system include Smile Shutter, which triggers the shutter to fire when the camera detects that the subject is smiling (it doesn't work with every smile, but it can be very effective), while more advanced systems can focus on a specific eye for really precise focusing.
Some cameras can also be set to recognize particular faces in a crowd and focus on them. This is a very useful option for photographing your children at parties or events when they are surrounded by other kids.
When Face Detection AF is activated you'll notice boxes appearing around peoples' faces on the camera's LCD to show that they have been recognized. Half-pressing the shutter release brings the faces into focus ready for the shot to be taken.
As you might imagine, Face Detection AF is extremely useful at parties and social gatherings when you want to get lots of people pictures.

Tip 7. Focus and recompose technique

Although most digital cameras offer a collection of AF points so that you can select the one that sits over your subject, there may not always be one exactly where you need it.
In these instances the camera 'focus and recompose' technique comes in very handy - and it can be quicker than selecting an AF point even if there is one over your subject.
Imagine, for example, that the central AF point is selected, but your subject is off to one side of the frame. All you need to do is move the camera so that the AF point is over the subject and half-press the shutter button so that the lens focuses.
Now, with the shutter button still half-pressed to keep the focus locked, recompose the image so that the subject is where you want it in the frame and press the shutter release home to take the shot.
This also a useful focus technique to use in low light, as the outer AF points tend to be less sensitive than the central one.
When using this camera focus technique, it is essential that the camera is set to single AF mode. If it is set to continuous AF, the camera will refocus the lens on whatever subject is under the active AF point when you recompose the image.

Tip 8. Back-button focusing

The usual way to focus a lens is to press the shutter release half-way down, but many cameras also have an AF button that can be pressed without the risk of pressing it beyond half-way and accidentally taking a few shots.
It is especially useful when using this back-button focus technique to photograph moving subjects that you press the AF button without locking the exposure settings until the point at which you want to take the image and press the shutter release home.
This focusing technique allows you to see the subject sharp in the frame and only take the shot when the composition or lighting is just right.
It also means that if something moves into the frame, another player when shooting sport for example, you can stop the focus from being adjusted by taking your thumb off the AF button, but continue to take photographs.
Back-button focusing is also useful when photographing subjects such as plants and flowers that move about a little in the breeze.
If the shutter button doesn't control autofocus the camera won't waste time attempting to focus every time the shutter release is pressed and you can wait until the subject is in the right position to take the shot.

Tip 9. Hyperfocal distance focusing

This is a popular camera focusing technique that is designed to get the maximum amount of a scene sharp at any given aperture.
The traditional way of using it is to focus on the subject and then use the lens' depth of field scale (or a tape measure and depth of field tables) to find out where the nearest acceptably sharp point is.
This point, where the depth of field starts in front of the focus point, is known as the hyperfocal point.
Once the hyperfocal point is found/calculated, the lens is refocused to it so that the subject remains sharp and greater use is made of the depth of field. 
The popularity of zoom lenses and consequent loss of depth of field scales has made it harder to apply this technique precisely, but you can still measure or estimate the focus distance and use smartphone apps such as DOF Master to tell you the hyperfocal distance.
Alternatively, you can rely on the principle that depth of field extends roughly twice as far behind the point of focus as it does in front and focus approximately one third of the way into the scene.
Hyperfocal distance focusing is popular in landscape photography and whenever you need lots of depth of field.

Tip 10. Focus stacking

Focus stacking is a digital technique in which several images taken with different focus distances are combined into one image that is sharp from the foreground all the way through the background.
Although it can be applied to landscape photography, it is especially useful for macro photography because depth of field is very limited when subjects are extremely close.
With the camera firmly mounted on a tripod, take the first shot with the nearest part of the scene in focus. Then, without moving the camera, refocus just a little further into the scene and take the second shot before focusing further in again.
Repeat this until you have a shot with the focus on the furthest part of the scene.
Now all the shots can be combined to create one image that is sharp throughout. This can be done manually using any image editing software that supports layers - Photoshop Elements is fine.
But it can also be done automatically using software like Combine ZM, which is free to download and use, or using Photoshop's Photo Merge function.

 

Lens Hoods - Why, When, and How to Use Them

Punk’s lasting influence showcased in Stonington photography exhibition

By Mary Biekert

When photographer Sheila Rock came to London in the 1970s, she arrived just in time to capture on film the seminal moments that would come to define punk music as a cultural movement: she was there when The Clash held one of their first performances at the Institute for Contemporary Arts in 1976; when Pretenders founding member Chrissie Hynde shredded the guitar during their first band practices; when young London punks, with buzzed haircuts, went to those underground shows; and when a young Billy Idol was first coming onto the scene as part of Generation X, before he recorded “Rebel Yell” or “White Wedding.”
“It was everyone’s formative time. And no one knew what they were doing,” Rock says in an interview in Setra Artes Gallery, the new Stonington-based art space opened by Monika Agnello that is currently hosting a show of her photos. “No one was famous. No one had any money, and yet a whole movement was created that was individual.”
“None of us had any idea what it would become,” she says.
From Bowie to The Clash

Sid Vicious, bassist/vocalist of The Sex Pistols (Sheila Rock)

Rock, who recently relocated to the Stonington Borough after living in London for the last 40 years, is a well-regarded photographer who has dabbled in everything from fashion to portrait photography over her decades-long career. Her work has been featured in London’s now-defunct Face Magazine, British and German Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Time Magazine, and Rolling Stone, among many others. A number of her portraits are held in London’s National Portrait Gallery, and she has displayed exhibitions of her work globally. Her photographs showcasing London’s punk scene were her first experimentation with the art form — an explorational moment in her then-budding career where she keenly captured a portrait of the time in all its uninhibited abandon.
Though Rock initially moved from Boston to London in 1970 after growing up in Chicago, she briefly left London in the early ’70s to travel with David Bowie during his first U.S. tour promoting both “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” and “Aladdin Sane.” Her husband at the time, Mick Rock, now a famous music photographer, was documenting Bowie, allowing Sheila to be part of his entourage.
It was through this experience that Rock says she was introduced to rock and roll and the idea of “trying to push the envelope out about other creative disciplines.” Bowie’s musical style, though categorized as glam rock, paved the way for punk’s inception through his groundbreaking sartorial choices and stage performances, she says. “He didn’t just play guitar. He wore flamboyant clothes, and he was experimenting with his own sexuality. He was miming on stage. … No one was doing that at all.”
So when she stumbled on The Clash in 1976, she felt a striking energy similar to Bowie’s.

"The Clash, Young Sinner" taken by Sheila Rock in 1976. From left, bassist Paul Simonon, vocalist and guitarist Joe Strummer and vocalist and guitarist Mick Jones. (Sheila Rock)

“I remember when they played at the ICA,” Rock says. “And I thought, ‘Whoa, this is different. This is exciting.’ There were all these people walking around wearing these clothes that no one else was wearing and that they made themselves, which is what punk has become famous for.”
Inspired by that sort of overdrive energy, Rock stayed after the show and met guitarist and vocalist Joe Strummer who then introduced her to the band’s manager, Bernard Rhodes. Rock later arranged to take photographs of the band in their office/rehearsal space.
“That was when they were still dressing themselves, before they hired a stylist,” she says, commenting that their shirt patterns paired well with the posters on the wall. “It seemed to be provocative, and so I just shoved them in a corner and positioned them.”
“But I didn’t really know what I was doing,” she admits. “… On my contact sheet, I have pictures of Joe more in the corner. So I must have, at some point, decided to draw him out more. (Photography) is something where you need to be sensitive to the mood. Or sometimes it’s just an accident. You could be standing next to something, and you go, ‘Oh, stand here.’”
Reminiscing about the scene
Naturally, Rock started mingling with other players in the “very small” scene. She reminisces about her friendship with Billy Idol, for example, and her memories of Siouxsie Sioux, lead singer of Siouxsie and the Banshees (whom she photographed several times, showcasing the singer’s evolving style).
She remembers Pretenders frontwoman Hynde, whom Rock describes as someone “obsessed by rock and roll” even when she didn't know how to play guitar.
“When I met her, she worked as a Saturday girl in the (clothing) shop Sex and was doing one-off articles for the (New Musical Express). She wasn’t singing yet at that time … but she is now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
She also remembers photographing Debbie Harry, lead singer of Blondie, explaining that, after quickly photographing Harry on the roof of a building, she asked if the singer would have time for another photo shoot later that week. Harry agreed, and the two planned to meet in Rock’s London apartment.
“She had brought a bunch of clothes and happened to have a leopard-print dress that matched with my leopard-print curtains,” Rock says. The results are striking portraits of a blonde bombshell on the precipice of stardom.
“Everyone was just a young kid, just showing off and exploring themselves,” she continues. “And I was doing that, too, through my photography.”

 

 

Columbia should not abandon analog photography

 Mike Rundle

 

When I began taking photos, I shot digital. When I learned how to make photos, I shot film. 

Film taught me to appreciate photography as more than just capturing frames of action. Photography is an art form. I hoped to continue learning that art at Columbia in a way that would help me understand the medium’s history. When I arrived, I found a keyboard, a mouse and Adobe Creative Suite.

Columbia often feels like a trade school: “here is how to do this” vs. “here is how to make this.” Students should be given the chance outside the History of Photography course to learn how and why images are made.  

I do not claim to be an expert on photography, analog or digital. I am speaking from experience in collegiate photography programs with vastly different mentalities. When I attended The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, the curriculum started with methods in viewing images, followed by analog photography processes. Digital photography was on the back burner and hardly present in the classroom. Students were required to learn the rules before breaking them.

The argument in favor of teaching film photography is echoed nationwide. The renowned photography program at the University of Southern California’s Roski School of Art and Design puts antique processes at the forefront of its curriculum. A description of its introductory program states that “basic 35mm-camera functions as well as black-and-white analog procedures are the main technical emphases of the course.”

Craig Stevens of Savannah College of Art and Design argued in American Photo Magazine that film photography makes students more deliberate in their image-making.

While Columbia still offers film and experimental photography courses, the majority of the program is based on digital.

I am aware of the costs that may prevent schools from teaching analog photography programs. The equipment necessary to build and maintain a functioning darkroom is expensive, not to mention a standard roll of film costs about $9.

If the program is too costly, Columbia could teach only the philosophy of analog photography.

Giving students a 1 GB card and telling them to come to class with 36 images could eliminate film costs. Teaching restraint when making images could lead to better photos and fewer missed shots. Teaching patience and self-control when culling images could give students a better body of work.

In the same vein as any technological process, photography has evolved quickly and considerably in its short existence. Perhaps Columbia is ahead of that evolutionary curve and made the right decision in consolidating darkrooms. Even though digital photography continues its industry takeover, I would still take that sweet smell of stop bath over the blue light of my Mac.

Sorry folks, no post tonight.  My desk top computer was damaged earlier today and I'm having to type this message to you on a friends' laptop.  Regular post will resume tomorrow.  Have a great evening everyone.

College Money Management

How to Use a Nikon F3 SLR Film Camera

35mm Color - Yodica Andromeda

Yodica Andromeda / 1 Roll / 35mm / 36exp / 400 iso/ Process C-41 / non-DX Coded
Andromeda – see the world through rose colored glasses!  Yodica’s Andromeda film gives a pink complexion to everything you shoot.

The FPP is thrilled to offer “creative color films with special effects from Yodica Films, Italy! All reflecting the fun, far-out and totally groovy looks you can achieve by feeding this film into your favorite film camera!.

Mario Sorrenti’s Unseen Photographs of a Young Kate Moss

 

The photographer recalls documenting the seminal 1993 trip to the Virgin Islands he took with his then-girlfriend, who was on the cusp of stardom

September 07, 2018

TextHannah Tindle

When I ask Mario Sorrenti what his favourite image of Kate Moss might be, he finds it impossible to choose from the hundreds he has taken throughout the 25 years they have known one another. “It’s very hard to say,” the Naples-born fashion photographer writes, over an email exchange. “There are so many that I love.” Indeed, it was an all-consuming love that brought the young Moss and Sorrenti together, when they met in the early 1990s; Moss was 17 at the time and Sorrenti just a few years her senior. Both were on the cusp of stardom.
Their union was the kind that is unique to the artist and their muse, but without artifice or pretence. The candid nature of their relationship was extensively documented in 1993, during a trip that the pair took to the Virgin Islands. Sorrenti’s black and white film renders Moss in crisp chiaroscuro, either playing on a Game Boy in unbuttoned jeans or wrapping gauze round a cut on her foot, jokingly pouting at the camera in exaggerated pain. Some of these photographs would go on to become the inspiration for the iconic Calvin Klein Obsession campaign. But, there were many more intimate and unseen shots of that trip that are now the focus of a new book, published by Phaidon, simply titled Kate. “This is for you, Kate,” he writes in the edition’s forward. “I love you and thank you – Mario.” Here, he shares a few more of his memories. 

© Mario Sorrenti

---

“I first met Kate in 1991 in London on a modelling job that we were both doing. I was immediately taken by her. She was so funny, sweet and beautiful. After the job I didn’t see her again for some time. I’m not really sure what she thought of me that day. You would have to ask her! I remember the first photograph I took of Kate. It was in the backyard of a flat where I was lodging. I hung a white sheet up with clothes pins and took her portrait. This picture is in the book. 
”Kate and I went on vacation to Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. My mom found us a cool little place to go and take a break. It was very simple and on the beach. I think it had all of the right elements to create images; lots of textures and beautiful, puffy clouds. The light was perfect, and the water was so still and transparent. Time stood still. I took a lot of pictures on that trip, as I always do, and pasted them all into my diary. Fabien Baron and I were working together at Harper’s Bazaar during this time and I showed him the pictures. He thought they were the perfect inspiration for a Calvin Klein fragrance called Obsession, and asked if I would show the images to Calvin.
”Calvin loved them and asked me if I could recreate these images for him, and shoot a little film as well. Kate and I were sent back to the Caribbean where I found a dilapidated house on the beach. We took pictures and shot 16mm Bolex there for a week. I had one assistant that came with us to help me load the Bolex. It was an amazing place and a dream job. After that week in seclusion, we flew back to one of the larger islands where we had a huge black set built to finish the film.
”I think we both influenced each other quite a bit. She had incredible style and I had a lot of knowledge about art and photography. I like to think that we inspired each other. We are still close friends, and have worked together countless times over the past 25 years.”

---

© Mario Sorrenti

 

A look back at Burt Reynolds and Sally Field’s relationship

Amy DuncanFriday 7 Sep 2018 1:02 pm

Burt Reynolds and Sally Field estaurant – March 15, 1978 at Steak Pit Restaurant in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

One of Burt Reynolds’ most famous relationships was with Sally Field, his Smokey And The Bandit co-star.
The couple dated for five years but ended when Burt ‘screwed’ the relationship up, he later admitted.
Despite being apart for almost 40 years, Sally Field was one of the first to pay tribute to Reynolds after the news of his death aged 82 broke on Thursday.
And she says Burt – who called Sally ‘the love of his life’ as recently as 2015 – never left her mind.
In a statement, Sally said: ‘There are times in your life that are so indelible, they never fade away.

Burt and Sally met on the set of Smokey and the Bandit (pictured) in 1977 and dated for five years (Getty images)

Burt and Sally starred together in two Smokey and the Bandit films

‘They stay alive, even forty years later. My years with Burt never leave my mind. He will be in my history and my heart, for as long as I live. Rest, Buddy.’
Aged 82, the actor died of a heart attack in a hospital in Florida on Thursday morning, surrounded by his family.
Burt and Sally co-starred in three films Smokey And The Bandit, Smokey And The Bandit II, The End and Hooper, the first being where they met in 1977.

Sally Field and Burt Reynolds (Picture: Ron Galella/WireImage)

In an interview with USA Today published in March this year, Burt recalls how he had to persuade Sally to say yes to Smokey And The Bandit, as she had originally said no.
He told the publication: ‘She first said no. And I called her and I said, “I know why you said no. You think it’s a silly movie with cars chasing each other and all that. But I don’t see it as that. I see it as a chance to work with the best young actress on the planet. If you want to, go ahead and say no”. And she went, “How the hell am I going to say no to that?”.’
Though they never married, Burt proposed to Sally – who had two children from her first marriage when they dated – on numerous occasions and longed to start a family with her.

(Picture: Getty)

Sally Field and Burt Reynolds during “Golda” Gala at Tower Suite in New York City, New York, United States. (Picture: Ron Galella/WireImage)

In a 1979 article, joint with Sally, he had told PEOPLE: ‘I am planning to get married, but I don’t know when.
‘The kids – Peter, 9, and Eli, 6 – and I have a great relationship, but we haven’t had enough time together. Am I supposed to tell Sally to drop them off and screech away? They’re more important to Sally than I am, which is the way it should be.’
He added: ‘I want a kid so bad that I ache, and yet I have this incredible fear. But one day you turn around and say, “Oh, hell, I’ll just do it.”‘
Like Sally, Burt had also previously been married, to Judy Carne between 1963 until 1965.

Sally and Burt pictured in August 1977, the year they started dating (Picture: Frank Edwards/Fotos International/Getty Images)

Sally Field talks while Burt Reynolds listens in a scene from the film ‘Hooper’, 1978. (Picture: Warner Brothers/Getty Images)

He went on to marry Loni Anderson in 1988 and they adopted his son Quinton during their five-year marriage.
Sally was married to Steven Craig from 1968 to 1975 and then to Alan Greisman from 1984 to 1993.
However, Burt later admitted that Sally had always been ‘the love of his life’.
‘I miss her terribly,’ he told Vanity Fair in 2015.

Burt Reynolds and Sally Field in March 1978 (Picture: Ron Galella/WireImage)

‘Even now, it’s hard on me. I don’t know why I was so stupid. Men are like that, you know. You find the perfect person, and then you do everything you can to screw it up.’
And in a 2016 interview with Event magazine, Burt claimed the end of his relationship with Field is the biggest disappointment of his life when asked.
‘Sally Field. I did four movies with Sally and spent five years with her. She was the love of my life and I screwed the relationship up,’ he candidly revealed.
‘That sense of loss never goes away. I have no idea what Sally thinks about it. She could pick up the phone and speak to me but she never does.
‘I spoke to her son recently. He said that his mum talks about me all the time. Maybe she’ll phone me one day. I’d love to have that conversation.’
In March, Sally confirmed that they no longer spoke after their split in 1982 but credited the actor with being ‘the most important influence’ to come into her life during the Seventies.
One of the main factors for this was because Burt thought she was sexy, which had boosted Field’s confidence levels in the industry.
Sally had said in an interview: ‘I thought even if the film didn’t work, if he thinks I’m attractive in it, other people will think so, too.’
Burt himself has previously revealed how he pushed to get Field in Smokey, despite casting directors advising him against it as she lacked sex appeal.
He had told the Today show: ‘I wanted her really bad for Smokey. They said she’s not sexy. “You don’t get it it,” I said, “Talent is sexy. And she’s got that”.’

Morningside Shopping Centre to host ‘I Love Film’ Black and White Photography Exhibition.

The art of Film Photography will come to life as
Morningside Shopping Centre hosts the Black and White
‘I Love Film’ Photography Exhibition from
6 to 14 September.
Shoppers are invited to delight in the work of over
40 photographers in a showcase of the understated elegance of black and white photography, shot entirely on film.
The photographs, on display throughout the centre
for the duration of the exhibition, will be hand processed and printed in a dark room by Dennis da Silva – one of few remaining hand photo printers currently in operation in South Africa. Dennis is a self-taught photographer and photo laboratory technician who started and managed one of the largest professional photo labs in Africa for over 45 years and has worked with many top local and international photographers and artists.Dennis holds an Honorary Fellowship from the Professional Photographers of South Africa (PPSA) and is on the management  team of the South African Professional Photographers (SAPP), serving as the Facilitator of Accreditation and Judging.
Dennis has been a judicator in many prestigious photographic awards both locally and internationally, including the prestigious Sony Photographic  Awards. Today he is known as a master black and white hand
printer and continues to print for noted photographers,
artists, collectors, galleries and museums around the world. In 2008 he was presented with the Sony Profoto Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to photography.
In a fast paced digital age, Alexi Portokallis says film photography offers a different perspective on the world. “It slows you down, it teaches you to stand still, appreciate the moment  and take that perfect shot because you only have 36 shots in one film roll”, he says. Alexi is a photographer and content creator; and is passionate about Johannesburg’s city streets and its people. He began shooting with his iPhone 4 and his passion for photographs quickly developed with the rapid growth of lnstagram. This passion eventually led him to discovering the joys of film when he took part in a weekend workshop with Dennis da Silva and saw his images develop in front of his eyes in a darkroom. Alexi has worked with multiple brands from all over the world, from fashion to architecture and lifestyle, to create original content and images to suit campaigns and bring client brands to life. He has over 85 000 followers on lnstagram and can be found on the popular app under
@alexioso. Alexi is also a proud ambassador of Leica
South Africa.
Adding even more magic to the occasion is that each of the unique,custom-printed photos will be available for purchase exclusively for Morningside Shopping centre
shoppers.
On Saturday 8 September; guests will be invited to attend the official exhibition opening in a celebration of the technique and artistry of pre-digital photography.
Morningside Shopping Centre is also hosting a series of free talks for seasoned photography enthusiasts and curious beginners, by industry experts throughout the day on 8 September. Among the many highlights is a Leica Camera & Sport Optics product  display by, the internationally renowned manufacturer of superior cameras, lenses,and binoculars.
Morningside Shopping Centre manager; Sharon Henry says the centre is looking forward to hosting a unique exhibition while profiling the work of the industry’s most talented photographers. “Black and white photography shot on film is especially captivating because it lends a timeless quality to the images and we’re delighted to be able to share this with our shoppers,” she says.
Free photography talks line-up:
11:30am I Dennis da Silva I Photography, film and darkroom print.
12:30pm I Miklas Manneke I The creative process that
goes into taking a photos and the similarities to video.
1:30pm I Alexi Portokallis llnstagram, apps and the basic principals of photography.
2:00pm  I Lee-David de Haas and Brad Donald I film
photography and street photography.

 

Cameras and Accessories

by Sarah Saunders | Sep 5, 2018  

Having grown up as part of what’s sometimes referred to as the ‘Oregon Trail generation’ – the oldest of the millennials – I took most of my pictures with an actual film camera, and not a smartphone. In my home office, I’ve got a short bookshelf that’s crammed full of photo albums and boxes stuffed to the brim with pictures that have not yet made it into an album. While I do love and appreciate my current iPhone and its excellent camera, I’ve always felt there was something magical about capturing a moment, having it developed or printed out, and then being able to hold that moment in your hand.

However, time does march on, and as is the case with many other older technologies, 3D printing is merging with photography to make all sorts of innovations possible, like 3D cameras, new tools, and 3D printed camera accessories. But that doesn’t mean that analog photography is dead.
Dora Goodman makes handcrafted, open source 3D printed cameras, along with camera straps and other open source camera projects, like a camera bag.

“Back in the days everything was created to last, and serve a lifetime. Tailors custom made garments that would serve for decades, while analog cameras were designed to even outlive their owners,” Goodman states on her website. “As opposed to this, nowadays in such an accelerated world, it seems as if we are living in the time where products are replaced every year or so according to a currently trending direction. And yet while both our point of view and end result may constantly evolve, analog photography has remained a chain linking us to permanence through our unchanging connection to our camera.
“With the help of my products, I try to pass on my perspective, and the way I visualize the timelessness of analog photography.”

With Goodman Lab, a team of local design and photography enthusiasts, she is part of a movement dedicated to making high quality, 3D printable open source projects. Now, Goodman wants to share her concepts and ideas with makers around the world.

“I have been working on creating an open source projects that I’d now love to share with as many photography enthusiasts and makers as possible,” Goodman told 3DPrint.com. “I provide the necessary files and plan / design for it, therefore it would basically be available for anyone with access to a 3D printer.”

The first of these open source projects is the Goodman One camera, which Goodman has been working on for the past two years.

“The basic gist was a dream to dress up the classical medium / large format in a new modern look while still remain in the track of allowing some experiment, playfulness and mobility,” Goodman wrote.
“I wanted to make a modular camera that easily accepts leaf shutter lenses, and permits multiple photography techniques – be it wet plate collodion or digital back.”

Goodman hopes to share the open source camera with anyone who has access to a 3D printer. While she is taking donations in order to “constantly improve the Goodman One,” Goodman will be making the 3D printing plans for the Goodman One and its accessories available free of charge in the future.

“I’ve uploaded the simple M3 version and slightly more complicated BRASS version of the camera. There is also a Roll film magazine and a Ground glass in the accessories folder,” Goodman wrote.
“Pretty soon I will share the optical viewfinder, leaf shutter lens adapter, cold flash mount, shutter cable holder, sheet film holder, sheet film cutter, sheet film holder for the developer tank, camera strap mount and the GOODMAN ONE IGUS version.”

Using Goodman’s assembly instructions, makers can create the 3D printable camera as is, make some tweaks to it, or even re-plan the whole thing and pass it on to others.

“I have already designed a roll film and sheet film back, viewfinders, cold flash mount and a couple of other accessories to attach, but would like to challenge all of you makers out there to go ahead and develop the camera even further,” Goodman wrote. “The Goodman One could therefore be a device almost free yet rather light and durable allowing creative freedom for any experimental photographer.”

Goodman says that she uploaded an “early challenge” to her site to help makers get started with their own Goodman One. The challenge includes printer settings, a multitude of files, and “a detailed note on both the necessary particles and procedure needed to put the camera together.”
Recently, Goodman also launched the Goodman AA (Art Adapter), her second open source camera project. The AA is a 3D printable DOF adapter that works with any smartphone and comes with a replaceable projection screen.

According to Goodman’s website, “It gives you great creative flexibility, plus it’s very easy to assemble.”

The Leica CL: The Compact Film Camera That Killed the M5

Leica CL with 40mm Minolta M-Rokkor f/2 (Image Red Dot Cameras)

[Editor’s Note: This is an article co-written by William Fagan and Mike Evans and first published some months ago at Macfilos, an excellent photography website hosted by Mike Evans (That’s Mike to the right, with a red dot on his forehead).  William is a member of The International Leica Society and an avid Leica collector. Mike is a former journalist and communications professional who started the Macfilos blog in 2008. Mike has written for Leicaphilia before. While Macfilos started as a blog about Apple and the then-new iPhone,  it has since developed into a photography source, with lots of good Leica content among other things. A keen amateur photographer, Mike is “involved in the Leica world” and enjoys close relations with Leica UK. He’s also got a good sense of humor and is a nice guy who generously allowed me to steal his content.]

---

The recent introduction of a modern Leica CL has focused attention on the original CL from the 1970s. ‘CL’ stood for ‘compact Leica’, a compact rangefinder camera, which was manufactured in Japan by Minolta for Leica between 1973 and 1976. Minolta also sold a version of the camera called the Leitz Minolta CL and later Minolta developed a more advanced version called the Minolta CLE.
Whatever happened to the Leica CL? Many consider it was too good for its boots. It arrived at a time of great flux in Wetzlar, when the company was undergoing yet another identity crisis. The popular and successful M4 had been superseded by the advanced — very underrated but ultimately too ‘unconventional’ for mainstream success — Leica M5. The M5 model was produced in small numbers between 1971 and 1975. Despite its advanced features, including light metering, it wasn’t well received, not least because of its large size. In desperation, Leica brought the M4 back from the dead, shortly before the company’s Canadian phase when the unmetered Leica M4 re-appeared in two new guises, the M4-2 and the M4-P.
But in the background at this time was the Leica CL, a smaller camera which was designed in cooperation with Minolta and intended to be a more compact rangefinder alternative to the M5, but sharing some similar features such as metering. After its launch in 1973 it succeeded in that goal. Too well, unfortunately. Many adopted it because they wanted the light metering ability of the M5 but in a smaller package. The CL outsold the M5 (65,000 v 33900 according to the production numbers) and many believe that this is the reason Leica halted manufacture in 1976. It would be another eight years before light metering came to the M with the introduction of the M6.

Still wrapped and unopened after 40 years: Part of a trove of CLs bought recently by Red Dot Cameras (Image Mike Evans)

Admirers

Designed jointly by Leica and Minolta and manufactured by Minolta in Japan, the Leica CL is often considered a “mutant” camera, even sometimes being labelled as “not an actual Leica” by Leica purists. But the truth is that this unconventional pairing of manufacturers has been a primary reason for the camera developing a close group of admirers.
The Leica CL is a 35 mm compact rangefinder camera with interchangeable lenses in the Leica M-mount. It first appeared in April 1973 and was released in the Japanese market in November 1973 as the Leitz Minolta CL. Both the Leica CL and Leitz Minolta CL were manufactured in a new Minolta factory in Osaka.
The Leica CL has a vertical-running focal-plane shutter, with cloth curtains, giving ½ to 1/1000 speeds. There is a through-the-lens CdS exposure meter mounted on a pivoting arm just in front of the shutter, similar to that on the Leica M5. The exposure is manual and is set using a needle system. The shutter is mechanical, but the shutter speed set is visible in the viewfinder just like the M5. The camera can still be used without any battery. There were two special C lenses produced for the camera, a 40mm f/2 and a 90mm f/4, both made in Germany. The finder’s framelines are for a 40mm, 50mm or 90mm lens. The 40mm and 50mm framelines appear when a 40mm or 50mm lens is mounted and the 40mm and 90mm framelines appear when the 90mm lens is mounted.

Leica CL with the 40mm Rokkor (Image Red Dot Cameras)

The original CL is a superbly compact and relatively cheap camera on which to use M-mount lenses, but it does not have a rangefinder as precise as that of any Leica M body. The rangefinder base of the CL is 31.5mm and the viewfinder magnification is 0.60, leading to a small effective rangefinder base of 18.9mm. This is probably too short for accurate focusing with lenses longer than 90mm and fast lenses used at full aperture. Some users report the camera is rather fragile, especially the rangefinder alignment and meter mechanism.
Sixty-five thousand serial numbers were allotted to the Leica CL, and this number does not include the Leitz Minolta CL. 3,500 examples of the CL received a special “50 Jahre” marking in 1975, for Leica’s 50th anniversary.It is also said that 50 demonstration examples were made. They are completely operational, with the top plate cut away to show the internal mechanism.
Here is an example of the 50th anniversary model from William’s collection with the 40mm and 90mm lenses, a special leather purse to contain the camera plus 40mm lens and a thin haze filter which fits between the rubber lens hood and the front element on both lenses.

Leica CL 50th Anniversary model from William’s collection (Image William Fagan)

Leica M5

The Leica M5 is a 35 mm camera by Leica Camera AG, introduced in 1971. It was the first Leica rangefinder camera to feature through-the-lens (TTL) metering and the last to be made entirely in Wetzlar by hand using the traditional “adjust and fit” method.
Leica M5 sales were very disappointing, and production was halted in 1975 after 33,900 units (from 1287001 to last serial number 1384000; 10750 chrome and 23150 black chrome bodies). Cost was an issue for the M5 body. In today’s currency (Consumer Price Index Integer) the price is around $4200.
Rangefinder camera sales were seriously undermined during this period by the predominance of mass-produced SLRs, primarily from Japan. In addition, Leica continued selling the M4 in 1974 and 1975, and the Leica CL was fully represented in the market by 1973. The UK Leica catalogue for 1975 lists the M4 and M5 and the CL.
Often cited as also contributing to the poor sales are the larger size and weight, the departure from the classical M design, the impossibility of attaching a motor winder, as well as the incompatibility with certain deep-seated wide angle lenses and collapsible lenses (i.e. 28 mm Elmarit below serial number 2 314 920) – see furher details below.The larger body dimensions also prevent the use of many M series accessories, such as external hand grips, quick release plates for tripod heads, or the Leica Lens Carrier M. The M5 is actually wider than the Nikon F, the camera that started the slide in the fortunes of Leica. There is an interesting story beyond the scope of this article about how the Leica company ignored the warnings about the threat from SLRs from its own engineers and then delayed the introduction of the Leicaflex until it was too late to recover. The M5 represents a failed attempt to make up lost ground.
Leica reverted to the M4 and its M4-2 (often called ‘the camera that saved Leica’) and M4-P developments, until the coming of the Leica M6, which offered built-in metering, albeit through the use of more electronic circuitry, while retaining the classic M design.
Here is a size comparison photo of some items from William’s collection, including a CL with 40mm f/2 Summicron and the M5 with a chrome 50mm f/2 Summicron and the M4-2 with a black 50mm f/2 Summicron. For proper comparison the M4-2 is wearing an MR light meter as the other two cameras have built-in metering.

The CL, M5 and M-42 with MR light meter — examples from William’s collection (Image William Fagan)

The M4-2 can be used with the M4-2 winder, which William has, but he decided not to mount it as neither of the other two cameras can be used with winders.
The CL and the M5 were designed to be used with PX 625 1.35 volt mercury oxide batteries, which were subsequently banned. They can be used today with Wein Cells or be modified to take modern PX 625 A 1.5 volt alkaline batteries. Williams article here deals with these issues in the context of an M5.
The M5 is now a relatively uncommon type, and their price on the second-hand market is comparable to that of the M6. M5s were discovered by Japanese collectors in the late 1990s and their price experienced a sharp rise at that time.

Boxes of new CLs and CL lenses discovered recently by Red Dot Cameras after lying in storage for over 40 years (Image Mike Evans)

Lenses for the Leica CL

The CL was sold with two lenses specially designed for it: the Leitz Summicron-C 40mm f/2, sold as the normal lens, and the Leitz Elmar-C 90mm f/4 tele lens. Both take the uncommon Series 5.5 filters. A Leitz Elmarit-C 40mm f/2.8 was also briefly produced but it is said that only 400 were made and they are now valuable collectors’ items
The lenses specially designed for the Leica CL can physically mount on a Leica M body, but Leica recommended not doing so because it would not give the best focusing precision, allegedly because the coupling cam of the C and M lenses is not the same. However, some people say that it is unimportant and that they can be used perfectly well on an M. Indeed in Williams experience he finds that the 90mm C lens is one of the most accurate 90mm lenses on an M.
When sold with a Leitz Minolta CL, the lenses were called Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f/2 (later just Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f/2) (see picture at top) and Minolta M-Rokkor 90mm f/4. It is said that the 40mm was made in Japan by Minolta while the 90mm was made by Leitz and is rare. With the later Minolta CLE, Minolta would produce lenses of the same name but with a different coupling system, the same as the Leica M lenses. A new Minolta M-Rokkor 28mm f/2.8 lens was introduced as well. All these lenses can be mounted on the CL too. Rokkor-branded lenses for the CL and CLE take the more easily found 40.5mm filter size.
The CL can take nearly all the Leica M lenses. Exceptions are some lenses that protrude deep into the body and could hurt the meter arm, which resembles a swinging lollipop. Such lenses include hese include: 15mm/8 Hologon, 21mm/4 Super Angulon, 28mm/2.8 Elmarits before serial number 2314921. The eyed lenses, including the M3 wide-angle lenses, the 135mm/2.8 Elmarit, and the 50mm/2 Dual Range Summicron, cannot be mounted either because they are incompatible with the body shape. The 90mm/2 Summicron and 135mm/4 Tele-Elmar are incompatible too. The collapsible lenses can be mounted but they must not be fully collapsed to avoid contact with the meter on a ‘swinging lollipop’ and Leitz advised to stick an adhesive strip of adequate width to the barrel, to limit the collapsing movement. Another limitation is that the rangefinder is only coupled until 0.8m. The same issues also apply to the M5, which also has its meter on a similar swinging arm, visible here.
William had to put an adaptor on this M5 in order to persuade it to show its ‘lollipop’.

The M5 with “lollipop” meter arm saying cheese for the camera (Image William Fagan)

Resurrection

The CL was consigned to history and, eventually, Leica got itself back on track with the M6, the M7 and, latterly, with a blossoming range of digital Ms.

Now it’s all ambiance as the new digital CL takes over the hallowed name after 40 years (Image Leica Camera AG)

The CL, as a film camera of course, was potentially just as capable as the M4 and M5. They were all, as we say these days, full frame. In those days full frame meant ‘not half frame’. It is interesting also that, whereas in the 1970s Leica was trying to make up ground on cameras with flapping mirrors, these days Leica seems to have left flapping mirrors behind with its move to EVF’s. A whole new era of Compact Leica (CL) photography has commenced with the launch of the new CL with EVF last autumn.