Spring 2015 Issue is here!

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.

Influence & Inspiration - Robert Frank again!

Rober Fran is an American Photographer that we have posted about before.  However, I found this nice little documentary about him.

For more information about Robert Frank have a look at this wikipedia page.

But here is a nice little documentary about the man behind the photographs.

A Light Shines...

A new touring exhibition of films created to be shown in churches and cathedrals is set to open in Blackburn tonight.

‘A Light Shines in Darkness’ aims to bring new audiences into churches, some of whom may have never set foot in one, and challenge them to look at the building in a new way.

It seeks to provoke discussion around buildings now often overlooked and undervalued that nevertheless have a powerful architectural presence.

“Whether you’re religious or not you can’t help but be affected when you go into a place like this and the atmosphere the architecture creates. They deserve to have life in them and for people to have access to such special places,” Mike Jones FVU, curator.

Three films from the collection will be shown at the Grade I listed Gothic church Holy Trinity, built at the height of Blackburn’s industrial might.

They include LEAP after The Great Ecstacy an examination of worship of a different nature that of a major sporting event and Stable a film exploring what happens when you release a group of horses into a religious space.

A Light Shines in the Darkness can be seen at Holy Trinity Church, Brownhll Road, Blackburn.  BB1 9QY from tonight until the 28th March 4.30pm - 8.30pm.

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!

To end the week

It's time to say goodbye for another week.

This weeks photograph is one that made me chuckle for quite some time.  Some of members of Blackburn Camera Club including our Liam and Bob went off to Whalley for a spot of night time photography.  What came back is a haunting photograph now known as Zombie Bob.

Have a good weekend!!!  See you Monday!

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.

To end the week

It's weekend again!  How quick does these weeks go by?  Why not get out this weekend with your camera?  You've still got time to bag a great shot for the Lancashire Open Exhibition.

This weeks featured photograph is from new Pixel friend Ian Dacre.  Although Ian is from outside Pennine Lancashire he joins us hardy hill folk by association and I would like to offer him a warm welcome.  A couple of weeks ago Ian and Liam had a trip out to Blackpool and came back with some really nice shots.  I particularly like this one of Ian's.

If you would like to see your image as our To end the week photograph then drop your pictures in to our flickr group or send us an email.

Lancashire Photography Open Exhibition

To end the week

It's the weekend again and time for us to sign off and get out with our camera's.  I'm about to go and shoot some film in Nelson.

This weeks featured photograph is from Sarah Davies.  You'll see a bit more from Sarah in the coming weeks and remember if you would like to see one of your pictures featured in our To End the Week Spot then drop them in our Flickr group and if you are chosen we'll be in touch!

Have a good weekend!!!  See you Monday!

More new models announced

Not so long ago I posted that the design of the Pentax K-S1 finally made sense to me so I can’t shocked to announce the arrival of the replacement model the K-S2.

The Pentax K-S2 doesn’t boast the futuristic designs of the K-S1 but does have a range of features that are said to ‘rival high end models’. 

It starts with a 20.1MP senor, 11 point autofocus system with 9 cross points and 77 segment metering.  The camera also has a selfie screen which is capable of rotating 180˚ and as a first in K series camera has Wi-Fi connectivity.

The K-S2 is also weather sealed for protection against water and dust making this an ideal landscape SLR.

It is expected that the K-S2 will hit retailers later this year and will be priced at £549.99 for the body only option and £649.99 for a weather sealed 18-55mm lens.  The body will be available in a range of colour options.

Sigma has also announced two new models.

First up is the dp0 Quattro.  Very little details of this camera are available at the moment except that it will have a 14mm, f4 lens.

Also Sigma announced the upcoming dp3 Quattro.  This camera includes a 50mm f2.8 lens which is the equivalent of 75mm in 35mm format.

Sigma have stated that it is their intention to have a Quattro model to suit most types of photography.

Updated: Blackburn's Cinematography Pioneers

I had a nice surprise in my emails this morning.  Barry Noon, the President of Blackburn and District Camera Club and friend forwarded an email about an 1880 camera built by Sagar Mitchell of Northgate Blackburn.

Sagar Mitchell

It turns out that Mitchell was one half of Mitchell & Kenyon that were early film pioneers in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

Mitchell had been a photographer and manufacturer of photographic equipment while Kenyon had manufactured automated slot machines.  The combined talents of the both of them would lead to developments and archives that still exist today.

They formed their partnership in 1897 under the trade name of Norden and the company became one of the largest producers of film in the United Kingdom.  Their first showing of a film was reported to be of Blackburn Market (that was located in King William Street adjacent to the clock) and was show at Mitchells premises of 40 Northgate on the 27^th November 1897.  In 1899 a travelling showman commissioned the pair to make a film of people leaving factories for the Easter Fair.  The same year Norden released three fictional films, The Tramp’s Surprise, The Tramps and the Artists and Kidnapping by Indians.  These led to more and more commissions from travelling showman and cinemas.

Norden soon outgrew it premises and the pair bought 22 Clayton Street which would become Blackburn’s very own film studio.  Although their production of fictional films was limited they had an indoor and outdoor studio at the premises as well as using locations.

The pair made films across many genres their most famous and historically important being their ‘topicals’.  These were documentary films that depicted ordinary life in Edwardian Britain.  They feature mill workers, Easter Fairs, Temperance marches, Wakes Week holidays in Blackpool and Morecambe and emigrants boarding ships in Liverpool bound for Boston.

News also became a big part of the company’s business.  The film troops leaving and returning from the Boer War, shot war re-enactments in the surrounding countryside of Blackburn using smoke bombs and guns for special effects; they were responsible for the first crime reconstruction film, The Arrest of Goudie in 1901 which was made and show just three days after the arrest of Thomas Goudie.  Sports news also became a regular feature of their work with local football teams often being the subjects.

They also shot some slapstick comedy films that no doubt influenced the Keystone Cops and Charlie Chaplin (Chaplin performed at the Theatre Royal, Ainsworth Street, Blackburn in 1903 and 1905).  Their most famous comedy film was called Diving Lucy of 1903 and was filmed in Corporation Park.

In 1907 Mitchell resumed possession of his original business in Northgate and from here on the volume of film production began to decline.  By 1909 films were only being made in the local area with the last surviving film being made in 1913.  In 1922 the partnership was dissolved with Kenyon dying in 1925 aged 75.  Mitchell continued to runs his photography business with his son until his death in 1952 aged 85.

Many of their films were stored in the basement of the Northgate business and were uncovered by workmen.  The films have been restored and are now in the possession of British Film Institue.

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

New models - Samsung & Canon

Now that the Christmas buying period is out of the way it would seem that the big camera companies are already looking at making your shiny new camera out of date.

Samsung NX500

First up is the Samsumn NX500.  This is a 28MP CSC camera sporting 4K and Ultra High Definition (UHD) video recording.  As with the current trend in the compact market the screen flips up for 'selfie view'.  The NX500 will be available from March 2015 however, Samsung are yet to confirm the price.

Canon have gone all out with a range of new models on their way.

Two new models aimed at the entry level of the market.  The EOS 700D and EOS 70D are both 24.2MP SLR with different designs, and are aimed at different users.

The EOS 750D is targeted at people new to the using SLR cameras such as those that are looking for something a bit more than their smartphone or compact camera.

The EOS 760D is aimed at the enthusiast market and has more manual features available for photographer to explore their 'creative freedom.'

Canon EOS 760D.

Both cameras feature 5fps shooting, a vari-angle LCD, plus a 19 (cross-type)-point AF system, full HD movie modes include the ability to share files in MP4 format and Wi-Fi connectivity

The EOS 760D will cost £649.99 body only, while the EOS 750D will cost £599.99 body only or £689.99 in a kit with an EF-S 18-55mm lens.

The third offering from Canon is the EOS M3.  This is a CSC camera that is aimed squarely at the enthusiast market.  This camera also has a 24.2MP APS-C sized sensor, HD video and Wi-Fi connectivity.  As with what looks to be the trend with the CSC market at the moment it comes with the all important 'selfie screen'.  The EOS M3 also has a hotshoe allowing it to be connected to speedlites and studio systems.  The EOS M3 will be available from April as a kit with an 18-55mm lens priced at £599.99.

At the top end of the range Canon have also announce the release of the EOS 5DS and 5DS R.  Both cameras have the same specification except the 5DS R has two low pass filters installed.  The camera both bost 50.6MP full frame sensors, 61 point AF system and 3.2 inch LCD screen.  The EOS 5DS will go on sale at £2999.99 body only and the 5DS R will be priced at £3199.99.  Both cameras will be available from June 2015.

Finally a tech announcement from Canon has indicated that there will be a new PowerShot G3X in the very near future.  Very little is know about the camera at this stage but it is likely that it will have a 25x zoom (equivalent to 24mm - 600mm in 35mm terms).  It is expected that a demonstratuion version of the camera will be ready for the CP+ trade show in Japan later this month.

To end the week

This week Bob, braved the cold and the spindrift to top off Pen-Y-Ghent  (all 2277 feet of it).  He came back with a lovely set of pictures taken with his Canon Powershot S100.

If you would like to see one of your pictures featured in our To End the Week Spot then drop them in our Flickr group and if you are chosen we'll be in touch!

Have a good weekend!!!  See you Monday!

Starting Tomorrow - Nelson Camera Club Annual Exhibition

Nelson Camera Club open their doors tomorrow to their Annual Exhibition.  The event this year is held in the upstairs gallery space of the ACE Centre, Cross Street, Nelson.  The exhibition runs until February 28th.  A review of the show will be posted next week.

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.

Thoughts from across the pond

One of the great joys of the internet is the way it breaks international boundaries, even Pixel has an international audience.

Pre-Internet a few of us may have heard of great American magazines but few of us ever got the chance to read them but now....

There is an interesting essay in the online edition  of The Atlantic discussing, not for once on whether photography is dead or if its an art but looking at the more fundamental question of whether the nature of art and artists is changing and our current view of art as "That which you see in a gallery" is becoming out dated.

When works of art become commodities and nothing else, when every endeavor becomes “creative” and everybody “a creative,” then art sinks back to craft and artists back to artisans—a word that, in its adjectival form, at least, is newly popular again. Artisanal pickles, artisanal poems: what’s the difference, after all? So “art” itself may disappear: art as Art, that old high thing. Which—unless, like me, you think we need a vessel for our inner life—is nothing much to mourn.

Link to the complete Article

Landscape Photography

Over on Petapixel, Ugo Cei has posted an article called 'Will the real landscape photography please stand up'.  In the article Cei discusses getting away from what a lot of photographers perceive to be the standard for landscape photography.

While I do believe that a hobbyist photographer should be happy doing what they want to do, I couldn't help feeling that what Cei is saying resonates with how I feel and approach my own landscape photography for some time.

Have a look and see what you think.