Photography Nuts & Bolts

[Big Kev]

Pity the neg was scratched.......

[Tizer]

A great cover, Kev. I like how you've managed to get the contrast advantages of B&W but with colour too. Very intense - it must be just what your son wanted!

[Stanley]

I am reminded of the days when we used to under-expose Tri-X and over develop a touch to get juicier negs. All seems a million miles away now.....

[Big Kev]

I am reminded of the days when we used to under-expose Tri-X and over develop a touch to get juicier negs. All seems a million miles away now.....

Used to push FP4 like that too. Hours (literally) of fun. All so much quicker now.

[Stanley]

Those were the days Kev! Mind you, it taught us to get the negs right in the first place instead of relying on a smart computer inside the camera. Mind you, I'm the first to admit that it's a lot easier now...... It always surprised me how many 'professional' snappers wouldn't let you look at their contact sheets. I get the feeling they were ashamed of some of the exposures!

[hartley353]

This week due to the weather I decided to get out all my 35mm gear and give it a wipe over, I also ordered 6 rolls of film. My intention is to shoot a number of Land scapes with my film camera and digital camera side by side on tripods. I've made a huge investment in digital and are yet to be convinced it beats film other than ease of use. My membership of a number of sites gives me a peek at many peoples work and very little of it is uploaded without a wash in photoshop or other editing programmes. Many of the landscape photos bear no resemblance to what the camera shutter closed on. The images are very beautiful in many cases but are more manufactured than taken. It seems that many photographers now use the camera as a sketch pad then return to the home to create the masterpiece. My experiment is to scratch a personal itch, who knows I may at the end purchase or lease CS6, In nine years of digital I still only sharpen my images, a necessary function because of the technology.

[plaques]

Over the past years I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t have the artistic talent to create a “master piece”. Nor do I have the patience to sit and wait for the bird to land or the fish to jump. What I have realised is that there is an abundance of mundane things that are ripe for recording. The nuts and bolts of this world that would otherwise disappear under the wrecker's ball or into the dustbin of history. Stanley’s “mystery objects” is a clear example of where the amateur with a digital camera can preserve some of our everyday heritage.

[Stanley]

Dead right P. Look at the pics in the LTP, nobody can do them now, the industry has died. Even a boring record shot of a row of shops becomes more interesting as time goes by.

[hartley353]

Ditto Plaques, For forty five years I have photographed the changing face of Manchester and Salford, I have also recorded the places I have worked and the people I have worked with, many thousands of images are now archived for the future. Tomorrows history starts today, sadly many of todays digital images will never leave the phone or camera that takes them. Stanley is to be lauded for his stewardship of our past.

[Tizer]

Yes, there's a lot of `everyday' stuff that disappears and gets forgotten if not recorded, by which time it's no longer everyday stuff but wonderful history. Mrs Tiz is in the village local history society and they've sold a calendar showing old photos of the village; it proved popular so they're doing another one for next year that will also include some photos of past villagers.

I use my digital camera a lot for recording and archiving all sorts of things such as items in my collections of minerals, coins and stamps; for recording rock formations as part of our interest in geology; and for various convenient applications such as when I recorded the appearance of that parcel that was wrecked by the courier, or recording proof of the meter readings when selling a house; copying documents; and so on. The digital camera has been a wonderful invention for these applications.

[hartley353]

Like you Tizer I have photographed my coin collection, also my diecast models, and pocket watches and finaly my valuable books. For this purpose the digital camera and the computer have made all this very easy. In the event of a household disaster or theft this will make the insurance claim a lot easier. The files are kept off site ( no good if burnt ) with a relative, and in return I look after theirs.

[Big Kev]

Bought another camera today (ebay). Sadly, Olympus look to have dropped the four thirds system with their new offerings and moved to micro four thirds, I went for the older model Olympus E620 so all my lenses will fit. The spec is slightly higher than the current E520 I have so am looking forward to playing with it.

[hartley353]

Good choice Kev, According to a letter in this weeks AP the E-620 may be as far as Olympus is going to go, unless you want the E-M1, It could be the end of a long line.

[Big Kev]

Good choice Kev, According to a letter in this weeks AP the E-620 may be as far as Olympus is going to go, unless you want the E-M1, It could be the end of a long line.

I did look at the E5 but couldn't justify the extra cost. The OMD-EM1 uses micro four thirds so I'd need an adapter to use my lenses on it.

[Stanley]

Kev, what's "micro four thirds"?
I don't know whether I've mentioned it before but if anyone is still using a Kodak Carousel projector give me a shout. I have a bunch of magazines and storage/loaders up for grabs. No charge, just seems a shame to bin them.

[Big Kev]

Kev, what's "micro four thirds"?

Unfortunately the system I didn't go for. Four thirds is very similar to the old SLR cameras, mirror. pentaprism etc. micro four thirds uses a mirrorless system
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Four_Thirds_system
The Micro Four Thirds system (MFT) is a standard created by Olympus and Panasonic, and announced on August 5, 2008,[1] for mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras and camcorders design and development

[Big Kev]

Camera arrived today, looking forward to getting used to it.

[Stanley]

Here's something that Kev will recognise immediately. As the Belgian bionic eye settles in everything is much brighter but the main thing I've noticed is the colour balance. Remember the difference between Ektachrome and Kodachrome? My new eye is Ektachrome and the other one that still needs doing is Kodachrome.

[Big Kev]

Here's something that Kev will recognise immediately. As the Belgian bionic eye settles in everything is much brighter but the main thing I've noticed is the colour balance. Remember the difference between Ektachrome and Kodachrome? My new eye is Ektachrome and the other one that still needs doing is Kodachrome.

I know exactly what you mean. Glad it all went well.

[Tizer]

Am I right in thinking Kodachrome was more vivid? As your brain adjusts they'll even out...but will you then see in Kodachrome or Ektachrome? I've been to some model railway exhibitions of late and it's interesting to see how some layouts are vivid in colour and others muted. It's not simply down to the `weathering' of models that has become popular but it's like photography - for some people vivid colours are the norm whereas for others they are too vivid. It's all very personal, how our brain processes the data. Of course, the manufacturers influence us by shifting their TV and computer screen settings further towards vivid in order to compete for the most visual stimulation. Just like food manufacturers stick more and more spices into our food as they compete for our taste buds and dull our senses.

[hartley353]

Minolta lenses were always feted for their vivid colour depiction, now many of their AF lenses are finding favour with Sony digital users. personaly I like vivid colours, but my partner hates it finding it far to bright. We all see through different eyes, and thats how it should be.

[Stanley]

Kev, I knew you'd get the difference, it's fascinating to close one eye after the other and see the difference.
Tiz, different manufacturers balanced colours to suit their market. Kodachrome was very warm and suited the US and North European market. Ektachrome was a colder balance with more blue and was what suited the Japanese market. Japanese film sold in the West was warmer than Ektachrome and more contrasty, they evidently thought that was what was wanted. They tell me it was balanced differently for Japan.

[Big Kev]

Had the opportunity to take some pics at the Oxenhope Beer Festival on Saturday (26/10/2013). My son was performing with Dark Horse https://www.facebook.com/darkhorsetheband?ref=nf. The benefit of stage lighting was a real bonus.

Samuel James Hylands by Olympus_Kev, on Flickr

[David Whipp]

Looks like strong stuff at Oxenhope - you're seeing triple Kev.

Is that the effect of a strobe?

[Big Kev]

Looks like strong stuff at Oxenhope - you're seeing triple Kev.

Is that the effect of a strobe?

Hi David, no, it's 3 separate images stitched together in Photoshop. I took just over 400 during their 1 hour set. Stage lighting made things a lot easier, no need for flash.