Before there was Photoshop

A nice little video here showing where some of the Photoshop tools got their origins.  This is Konrad Eek making a black & white print.

Film Photography Podcast - New episode

The new episode of the Film Photography Podcast has been released this week.

The show is packed with plenty of features including:

Leicas, old film and fixer problems
An introduction to medium format photography
A quick, cheap fix for broken bellows
The Argus A
Cambo 4" x 5" - The students large format camera
Book of a show

Once you start listening to these you'll be hooked and want to listen to the back issues.

Getting off manual

My first SLR camera was a Zenith 11.  It was a big solid Russian brick and for me it was the perfect introduction to SLR photography.  The camera was manual focus, with needle and ring metering  You had to set the aperture and shutter speed for appropriate for what he needle and ring meter was telling you.  In other words it was completely manual.

I now have a Pentax K1000.  That too is a fully manual camera.  The difference between the two is that the K1000’s light meter is in the viewfinder.  I don’t need to take the camera away from my eye.

My Micropress 4”x5” pinhole camera is totally manual.  It doesn’t focus.  It doesn’t have a shutter and it has a fixed aperture of f512.  It doesn’t even have a light meter.  I have to work that out in my head using ‘sunny 16’ rule or use an app on my mobile phone.  Generally, I opt for ‘sunny 16’.

I also own an Olympus Trip 35.  It’s a fantastic little camera.  It’s mainly automatic.  You use a zone focus system to focus the lens and the aperture and shutter speed are chosen by the selenium light meter.  It’s such a clever piece of engineering it doesn’t even need batteries.  I love using this camera.  It’s so much fun.  Even my kids like using this camera!

My DSLR is a Pentax KX.  I love this camera too (as you have probably gathered from previous posts).  It has these nifty little modes on it PASM.  I use PAS a lot.  I only use M on very limited occasions.  It has autofocus.  Again, I use this more than I have it turned off.

Does this make me any less a photographer?  The answer, in my honest opinion, is a resounding no.

I do find it amazing that some photographers believe they are not a photographer unless they are shooting in manual mode.  I would love to know where this opinion has come from because I do believe it to be utter nonsense.  Why?  Well read on and I’ll tell you why.

Let’s start with autofocus.  The autofocus on my KX works.  It nails the point of focus I am after 99% of the time.  The only time it starts to fail is if there isn’t enough light or scene contrast.  I know my camera well enough to know this and will then flip to manual focus.  That being said, there is absolutely no way I can focus as quickly and as well as my KX.

Now on to determining shutter speed and aperture; whenever I have seen someone using manual I have asked them how are they are measuring the light.  All of them have told me they use the cameras light meter.  Now forgive me if I am being naïve but as I understand it, in any of the automatic modes the camera measures the light and sets the ISO, aperture and shutter appropriate to the conditions in order  to give you the best photograph possible.  If the camera is in aperture priority mode then it will measure the light, and set the ISO and shutter speed appropriate to the aperture that you have chosen.  The same can be said for shutter priority mode where the ISO and aperture are set for the chosen shutter speed.

Again, my KX has software built in to it that can make these decisions in a fraction of a second.  I know I cannot possible read my light meter and dial in the appropriate settings anywhere near that.

I suppose that the point I’m trying to make is that the major camera manufacturers has invested millions in to developing Auto PAS systems that are quick, efficient and accurate; they have invested time and money to make it easier and more practical for you to go out and shoot photographs.  You have spent hundreds if not thousands of pounds buying a camera that has these capabilities.  Why turn them off?  If you want to learn how to shoot manually, why not buy a totally manual film camera?

Shooting in Auto PAS modes does not make you any less a photographer.  It makes you a wise and happier one!

A couple of links for today!

Well, we're back for another week of news and features.  We hope you had a good weekend of shooting and a re looking forward to the week ahead.

First up.  We love film photography here at Pixel headquarters and it looks like the trend of it becoming popular again is continuing to grow.  Just this morning Amateur Photographer magazine are running an article on their website about making black and white prints.  Here is the Essential Guide to Darkroom Printing.  Not got a film camera?  Don't worry you can still make a black and white print from a digital file by contact printing a file printed on to overhead projector film (for those old enough to remember OHP).  A nice little article here!

An article in the New York Times based about Peter Lik is causing a storm in the photography world.  Have a read of the article here.  Why not have a look at his website and some of images?  Make up your own mind about his work.  Here.

We're Back!

After a couple of days off for Half-Term we return to business as usual!

This week has seen the release of the latest episode of the Film Photography Podcast.

Now on it's 119th episode the FPP has become a one-stop shop for everything related to film photography.

This episode includes features on Instax photography, Kodak Brownie Hawkeye mods, Stereoscopic Photography, Scanning negs and slides, and much more.

It's well worth a listen and is available free from iTunes or the FPP website.

Influence & Inspiration - Camilo José Vergara

Camilo Jose Vergara.  Photo by John D.
and Catherine T. - MacArthur Foundation.
CC Licence.

Any readers of The Guardians culture section may have come across a series of photo galleries depicting the work of Camilo José Vergara.

Chilean Vergara was born in 1944 studied for a BA in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame and MA is Sociology from Columbia University where he also completed the course work for a PH.D.

Vergara moved to new where he began working as a humanist street photographer in the early 1970’s.  His work was greatly influenced by his graduate work which highlighted an interest in the complexities of environmental influences on social behaviours.

The development of Kodachrome 64 film would also have a profound effect on his body of work and although he still recorded humanist behaviours he made a switch to documenting changes in urban landscapes.  Vergara would return to the same locations over and over again to depict the de-urbanization and reclamation by nature.  Over a decade’s worth of his photographs led to the publication of his first book The New American Ghetto in 1995 for which he won the Robert E. Park Award of the American Sociological Association in 1997.

Vergara’s photographs often depict a social decline and a return to nature that is fascinating, sad and sometimes uplifting but they also show a way of life on the margins of society.

His street photography has an almost cinematic quality to it that is reminiscent of scenes from 1970’s or 80’s movies such as Alan Parker’s Fame, Taxi Driver or Saturday Night Fever.  It’s certainly work looking at.

More about Vergara can be found on Wikipedia.

Vergara's website is here

The Guardian gallery is here

Ilford film survey shows interesting results

Ilford, the film manufacturer has released the results of a survey they have carried out about film photography.

The survey showed that ‘support for traditional film is growing’ driven by demand from users new to shooting film. 

 Some of the statistics make interesting reading;

•  98% of respondents use black and white film with only 2% using colour;

•  31% of black and white film users shoot the film exclusively.

•  Around 84% taught themselves to shoot film using books and internet for support;

•  49% said that they print their own photographs in a darkroom;

•  Around a third of film users are under the age of 35.

Ilford is behind the setting up a website dedicated to darkrooms.  There anyone interested in developing and printing photographs can find a local darkroom and/or tutors.

Steven Brierley, Director of Sales and Marketing at HARMAN technology/ILFORD PHOTO, commented “Thanks to the film users who took part in this survey, we have confirmed what we thought, which is that the recent growth in film sales can be attributed to the new users coming through. We are providing support to these new users and making it easier for them to find darkrooms should they wish to. It’s a year since we launched localdarkroom.com and we now have over 650 tutors and sharers in more than 60 countries around the world. Without the support and help from the film community who complete our surveys, this couldn’t have happened” 

 Localdarkroom.com can be found here.

Is it really a stupid question?

Breakwater and Ball - Digital Monochrome, Lee Johnson

On the Amateur Photographer website they have posted a new poll.  This week it is about monochrome photography and asks 'Would you be prepared to convert one of your cameras to black & white?'  Is this a silly question?

After doing my research I still believe that it could well be.  I've read several articles about how much better the monochrome image from a converted digital camera is from a colour image that has been converted.

First, I have to admit that I do love monochrome photography.  There is just something about it and in my head I know it doesn't make sense, after all I do not see objects, people or landscapes in black and white.  I see them in colour.  I am of an age that I remember watching TV in black and white.  Would I go back to those days?  Nope, not really.  I seriously think it's more of a nostalgia thing.

The Leica M Monochrom

Of course there is an exception to this.  That is when I shoot film.  I love processing my own film and although I'm told that C-41 is as easy as black and white, I'm still a bit reluctant to try it and of course I shoot colour film nearly as much as I shoot black and white film.

One of the options in the poll is 'No, I'm saving up for a Leica M Monochrom instead'.  This option does sort of make sense to me.  Why not have a camera that is dedicated to shoot just monochrome images?  Ok, if I were going to spend that much money on a camera and lenses I would probably be looking to invest in a Pentax 645z or a quality large format film camera and not a Leica but at first the sentiment was there.

Heptonstall - Shot on Ilford FP4+ and scanned, Lee Johnson

However, as I began thinking more and more about it I came to the conclusion that it is a bit of a silly question.  My DSLR, compacts and even my mobile phone cameras all have the option to shoot in black and white.  I also have the option to convert an image from colour to monochrome in Lightroom or Photoshop.  Same with film.  I could shoot a colour neg and either process in black and white chemistry or scan it and convert in Photoshop.

Perhaps a converted digital camera may shoot a monochrome image better than some of these options (I still think a negative and a nicely made print is more beautiful than any digital image) but for me, the quality I get using the techniques and equipment I have at my disposal are more than adequate for my needs.

If you are feeling brave you can convert a digital camera to a monochrome digital yourself.  Petapixel have an article here.

For those that still like to shoot film

A couple of weeks ago we introduced you to the Film Photography Project and their podcasts.  If you want a valuable and fun resource on film photography then this is the place to be.

The new issue is out now and includes items on the Nikon F6, Nikon F2 Photomic and the Anniversary Brownie.  There is a review of some books and a large format photography report.  All good stuff.

The podcast is available from iTunes or on their website here.  Its well worth a listen.

RPS Starts Analogue Group

Heptonstall Church by Lee Johnson.  Shot on Ilford FP4+ 

with Pentax K1000.

The Royal Photographic Society has set up an analogue photography group in response to what it calls a film photography 'renaissance'.

The group will have its first meeting at College Hall, Lichfield this Saturday (31st January).  Attendance costs £7 to RPS Members and £10 to non-members.

The RPS has stated that they have been overwhelmed with the enthusiasm for film photography after many members responded to an article in their magazine RPS Journal about the importance of film and the creative possibilities of the medium.

The programme for the day will offer opportunities to photograph Lichfield Cathedral and discussions on film photography.

Simon Roberts

We know Simon from his documentary work and his books and exhibitions including We English  The Olympiad and Pierdom. These were all projects made using a 5x4 view camera. We were able to publish a sample of his work in Pixel some little time ago.

He has recently done something completely different and worked on a commission to create a print advert for Citizen’s first ever global advertising campaign. This video shows some of the behind the scenes action

Here’s more about the project:

“Citizen Watch Co., Ltd embarks on a race against time in CHASING HORIZONS, the 84 year-old watchmaker’s first-ever global campaign that launches today. Created jointly by Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo and Amsterdam, Citizen’s first global campaign challenged photographer Simon Roberts and ex-NATO pilot Jonathan Nicol to chase the sunset across the Earth’s time zones.

Influence & Inspiration - Robert Frank

Robert Frank is an American photographer and documentary filmmaker. His most notable work, the 1958 book titled The Americans,

Critic Sean O'Hagan, writing in The Guardian in 2014, said The Americans "changed the nature of photography, what it could say and how it could say it. [ . . . ] it remains perhaps the most influential photography book of the 20th century."  Frank later expanded into film and video and experimented with manipulating photographs and photomontage.

Born in Switzerland Frank states in the 2005 documentary "Leaving Home, Coming Home" by Director Gerald Fox, that his mother, Rosa, had a Swiss passport, while his father, Hermann originating from Frankfurt, Germany had become stateless after losing his German citizenship as a Jew. They had to apply for the Swiss citizenship of Frank and his older brother, Manfred. Though Frank and his family remained safe in Switzerland during World War II, the threat of Nazism nonetheless affected his understanding of oppression.

He turned to photography and trained under a few photographers and graphic designers before he created his first hand-made book of photographs, 40 Fotos, in 1946. Frank emigrated to the United States in 1947, and secured a job in New York City as a fashion photographer for Harper's Bazaar.

In 1950  Frank met Edward Steichen and  participated in the group show 51 American Photographers at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

Though he was initially optimistic about the United States' society and culture, Frank's perspective quickly changed as he confronted the fast pace of American life and what he saw as an overemphasis on money. He now saw America as an often bleak and lonely place, a perspective that became evident in his later photography.

With the aid of his major artistic influence, the photographer Walker Evans, Frank secured a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1955 to travel across the United States and photograph all strata of its society.  During the trip Frank took 28,000 photographs of which 83 were selected by him for the publication The Americans.

Shortly after returning to New York in 1957, Frank met Beat writer Jack Kerouac on the sidewalk outside a party and showed him the photographs from his travels. Kerouac immediately told Frank "Sure I can write something about these pictures," and he contributed the introduction to the U.S. edition of The Americans.

This divergence from contemporary photographic standards gave Frank difficulty at first in securing an American publisher. Les Américains was first published in 1958 by Robert Delpire in Paris, and finally in 1959 in the United States by Grove Press, where it initially received substantial criticism. Popular Photography, for one, derided his images as "meaningless blur, grain, muddy exposures, drunken horizons and general sloppiness." Though sales were also poor at first, the fact that the introduction was by the popular Kerouac helped it reach a larger audience. Over time and through its inspiration of later artists, The Americans became a seminal work in American photography and art history, and is the work with which Frank is most clearly identified.

In 1961, Frank received his first individual show, entitled Robert Frank: Photographer, at the Art Institute of Chicago. He also showed at MoMA in New York in 1962.

To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the first publication of The Americans, a new edition was released worldwide on May 30, 2008.

The National Gallery of Art based in Washington DC owns the largest collection of Robert Franks works and to celebrate Franks 90^th birthday they have digitised and developed an online repository of his work.

It includes 624 photographs, 2,967 contact sheets, and 1,344 work prints that span from 1937 to 2005.  It is a must see for anyone interested in film or street photography.

The Robert Frank Collection can be found here.

The Film Photography Project - An Introduction

The Film Photography Project began about five years as a bi-weekly internet radio show, The Film Photography Podcast.

A staff of volunteers headed up by Michael Rasso produce a bi-weekly show (what show) aimed at informing, engaging and inspiring film photographers around the world.

Since its inception the FPP has gained a lot of interest and has built a community of photographers that are interested in film photography and offers opportunities to share their creative output, experiences and passion for film photography.

The FPP also does something else that is quite remarkable.  Listeners send in equipment they either come across or no longer require and the FPP re-distributes camera, lenses and other sundries to anyone with a genuine interest in film photography and wishes to have a go.  Recently, the FPP donated 15 film cameras and 150 rolls of film to a project in Africa.  In addition to this they have also supported projects in high schools with the gift of cameras and film.

Michael and the team also organise Walking Workshops that like-minded people can book to attend and head out with the team to take photographs.  Many of these are in the US where FPP is based but they have been known to venture over here!  The hope is that one day they would like to return (maybe to the North, this time lady and gents!).

Over recent years the FPP has grown to include its own store that sells film cameras and supplies at very reasonable rates and excellent service.

One thing is guaranteed, the enthusiasm for shooting film (and Tim Tams) shines through each and every show.

The fortnightly podcast can be downloaded from iTunes or the FPP website.

Photographs from the team and its listeners can be found in its flickr group.

The new show is out today and is well worth a listen.  Well done FPP keep up the good work!!!





The Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition has opened for entry submission it has been announced by the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

The competition has also had new sections added this year.  These include:

·        Skyscapes - A section for land or cityscapes that have an astronomical theme to them.

·         Our Sun

·         Our Moon

·         Stars and Nebulae

·         Planets, Comets & Asteroids

·         Galaxies

Dr Marek Kukula, public astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich and judge in the competition said: ‘Over the last six years of the competition we’ve seen some really exciting and beautiful themes and subjects emerging from the astrophotography community. We wanted the competition to reflect the photographers’ interests and so we’ve created the new categories around them.

People & Space Rinner Up 2014 (c) Julie Fletcher

This will really showcase the full range of amazing pictures that are coming in each year and I’m really looking forward to seeing the entries in 2015. As always, there are bound to be some surprises.’

Entries must be submitted by the deadline of April 16. Winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Royal Observatory on September 17 with an exhibition to follow.

For more information visit www.rmg.co.uk/astrophoto

Pinhole Resources

Yesterday we saw the announcement of World Pinhole Photography Day 2015 and we thought it would be a good idea to end the week with some resources to help you get involved.  Have a go at pinhole photography.  Its seriously fund and addictive.  Above all it's cheap and easy to do!

How to build a pinhole camera 

Kodak - How to build a pinhole
Instructables - How to make a pinhole camera

A Pinhole Gallery

Pinhole Gallery
WPPD Gallery

Buying Pinholes

Holga Pinhole Lens - Other mounts are available
Pop-up Pinhole Company
Lomography

Pixel do not endorse products or recieve payment from any third party company.  We're here to give you ideas and share a bit of camera love!


And to end this post a couple of little films

That's it for our first week back. We hope you have enjoyed popping in to see us.  Have a lovely weekend whatever you are doing.

On the subject of Film...

The Financial Times have realeased a little video on the state of film and analogue photography in the UK.

And now for something a little different!!!

The BBC website has a beautiful little article on the Kodak Brownie Camera and how it revolutionised photography.  There is also a gorgeous photograph entitled Tiller Girls by Bert Hardy that was taken in Blackpool.  It's well worth a quick read!!!