str

great!

greatbasin

I don't agree that a camera is just a tool. I don't think that it's advisable for an artist to be preoccupied with tools or equipment, but the difference between film and sensors is like the difference between oil and watercolor. It's not that one is better than the other, but if you enjoy expressing yourself in watercolor, then why work in oil? Moreover, if the result you're looking for is what watercolor delivers, why try to make your oil painting look like a watercolor? It's true that film and digital call for different tools just like oil and water, but the medium is more than just tools or equipment, it's also a different process, workflow, and very different results.

So when I see a digital camera being used to produce a lot of good images with film emulation modes and post-processed to have film effects, I wonder if that is the result that is desired, why not use film to get it? Now someone might say that a 135 camera and its lenses are just too big to travel with or that they don't like to be limited to a single ISO for a whole roll or they don't like what the lab does and they're not willing to do C41 at home. There are plenty of other reasons to use digital, but if someone is going to enjoy film, I will encourage them to do it.

greatbasin

Are those done with a Rollei or Mamiya or just cropped?

str

I love it when people talk about photography, digital or analog makes no difference when they talk, the results are important.... or you're able to "see" or not, some learn to "see", most never learn to "see".


""Are those done with a Rollei or Mamiya or just cropped?""

if your into photography you should have seen that these square portraits are done with a Hasselblad, and are not cropped, the frame tells us.

In fact I never cropped a single picture, nor digital nor a film negative while exposing it on paper.

https://www.stefan-rohner.net/portfo...ylife/001.html

​​​​​​​

greatbasin

oh, well, I guess that's better than those Leica people

djb

Guess we'll just have to disagree then.
The one thing that I always did notice when carrying a digital camera, is that before when I was shooting b+w, I was looking at the world in b+w. The times that I had to do jobs for clients in the film days and they wanted me to shoot both colour and b+w, it was a royal pain in the arse, specifically for reportage type jobs, and it invariably ended up with not being happy with either. But getting back to digital--partly because the digi bodies were bigger etc, I really did notice that I couldnt think only in b+w with a digital body, and still used to shoot b+w film to a certain extent, but then frankly, I got caught up in family and life in general and stuff, and just stopped with b+w.
and on top of it, I knew and know that I'm just an okay photographer, and so was less obsessed with it than before, so had fun on my bicycle trips using a pt and shoot, film or digital, all the while accepting that these cameras would never be like shooting with a small film camera---plus also, I just didnt have the money to buy the nicer, smaller digi bodies and systems, so just lived and live with moderately priced, moderately performing digital pt and shoot type camera.
I'd love to have a really nice mirrorless small camera with just a couple of small lenses--using one or two or three fixed lenses was always my preference , but I simply can't afford the nice stuff, so c'est la vie, like I said, I know I'm just so so, and thats ok.
But I do have fun on my bike trips, and don't worry about my camera that much, which is nice from a theft / worst case scenario thing, and also from just being free and not being too concerned about stuff.
The one thing that I miss is really fast focusing or being able to prefocus stuff and just lift the camera and shoot with no delay, but again, these are the compromises of a pt and shoot.
I never carried slr bodies biking, and still have no urge vis a vis the weight, the space, the cost......

and the whole watercolour vs oil paint idea.....naw, don't agree with that either , but hey, who cares, do what you want.
When I see young people who shoot film cuz its cool, in the end, its just cuz its "old school" and the results are kinda just so so.
And developing C-41 at home, it aint and never was worth it. The temps are way more critical that b+w chemicals, you have to be on top of the freshness like crazy, same with E-6. Leave it to a lab that keeps track of everything and runs through a crapload of chemicals to keep them fresh. It really is just a process, doesnt add anything to your work developing your own film.
B+W however is a whole diff kettle of fish, but remember, I did this for decades professionally, so its like cooking, if you have the knack and ability, being attentive from shooting, to developing film to printing is a holistic all togetherness, but if you just did it a bit, theres no way you are going to be really good at it.

but hey, I'm just rattling on, spewing crap.
have fun shooting whatever you use, and have more fun on your bike adventures.
I wouldnt recommend taking the 8x10 and glass plates though.....

oh, and while most of the time I used slr, I have used Leica M bodies, and they have their place and had some advantages over slr bodies, for me mostly because they were small.
but yes, even back in the day, a lot of leica dudes were snobs, but thats because a lot of them were doctors and stuff, always has been and always will be. "I want to have the "best" camera" , sort of folks.

Doug64

Great portraits!

djb

Hi Doug, thought you'd get a kick out of this photo I saw online today, Brandenburg Gate in 89. Cool huh?

robow

kind of liked this one

str

want some Leica M, no problem. Kodak Trix 400 and printed on Agfa MCC111

https://www.stefan-rohner.net/portfo...ylife/001.html

https://www.stefan-rohner.net/portfolio/india/001.html

indyfabz

Home for the night in Chester, MA, 2018.

Tourist in MSN

I sort of agree on it being a tool if talking about photography as art. The same way that a brush or palate are tools to a painter. Your eye and brain have to know how to use the tool. You could say the same for news reporting, it is a tool, but your brain has to capture as much of the who, what, when, where, why, and how as possible when you use that tool for it to be effective.

I was a high school newspaper photographer for two years, every three weeks I would process up to four rolls of Tri-X and make prints for the latest issue. Bought Tri-X in 50 foot rolls. I got completely burned out on photography during that time, went for years after that without taking any photos. A decade and a half later, bought a Pentax SLR with a 35mm mild wide angle lens, used that a lot for photos to document stuff for work. And a decade and a half after that, bought a digital camera (3 megapixel) with a waterproof housing to use for point and shoot duty on camping trips. And a decade after that, got my Pentax WG-3 waterproof point and shoot camera (16 megapixel) that I use for almost all my photography. On trips where I think I might see a lot of wildlife, I also bring a superzoom digital point and shoot for the extra range of the zoom.

That said, I have bought several DSLR bodies and wide ranging zoom lenses for family gatherings, but find that I might go for a year between using one of those. And a few other exotic lenses for those bodies too, like the one below.

I thought I might get back into film when I retired, but find that I have no interest in that. But I have a full darkroom setup that I hate to put in the trash. Same with some other film cameras and lenses I accumulated along the way.

It has been years since I used my Tankumar (a Takumar built like a tank) 500mm, which has a 2X adapter on it in the photo.





It is just too much work to set it up and when you do, the birds or other animals just do not cooperate.

djb

well, in the context of bicycle touring, its pretty cool how there are so many good tools out there now that are smallish, I just dont keep up with stuff.
I guess in the end, no matter what, there are a lot of neat tools out there that can allow a lot of talented, young folks out there to produce some really good work out there (I'm talking cycling adventures) , whether with stills or videos.
The whole drone thing has changed things drastically (and has for years now) but like any tool, has to be used properly and not over used. I still can't get my head around how the creative folks carry all this stuff with them, its a lot of work and time producing this stuff, so hats off to them.

Ive only used a 500 a few times, never really got into sports or bird stuff, so only borrowed for a few events and never owned. Heavy buggers those Takumars, I remember them going back to when I worked at a used camera store eons ago.

gnome

those are great shots.

drlogik 

STR,

Great photographs. I'm a vintage Nikon and Mamiya guy myself. I found this photographer many years ago and find his photographs intoxicating. He gets close, very, very close in some of the hottest situations on the planet. How he's survived this long is unbelievable.

Jan Grarup:

WARNING: Some will find these photographs very graphic and extremely disturbing.

https://jangrarup.photoshelter.com/index

indyfabz

Setenil de las Bodegas, Andalucia, Spain.

str

thank you.

I know him yes... thanks.

Doug64

Stopped for a break and a snack (pastel de nata and peach tea).


Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal

djb

Doug, I worked for a long time in the area of Montreal with lots of Portugese immigrants, especially those from the Azores Islands. It was there that I got introduced to natas. Very yummy little things arent they? cheers

str

sleeping outside at home.....

PedalingWalrus

Last weekend getaway through Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Imaginos

Last weekend overnighter.

str

Easter Week, Sierra de Segura , Sierra de Cazorla

Doug64

Iowa-- We stopped in a convenience store, and a rough looking man in the checkout line looked at my wife as she took off her sunglasses and said,"lady don't you ever take those glasses off when you are outside"?

Iowa-- Moist air




Illinois


Freeport Illinois

djb

Fun story Doug. I dont think Ive ever had raccoon eyes that bad, but maybe I have and didnt know?
Great sun in the mist shot, and the sun streaming through the clouds.
Hot hot week here in Montreal. Was 34c yesterday, yowzer.