Italians Gone Surfing

[Alessandro Bocchi]

Lago di Santa Croce - Alpago (BL) Italy - "Italians Gone Surfing" a Series of Portrait of Surfers, Windsurfer, Kitesurfer and also Skateborder.

- Camera: TOYO-FIELD 45 AII L (Linhof)
- Lens: SCHNEIDER Symmar 210 1:5.6 Convertible
- Exposure: 1/5 second at f 8
- Film: HARMAN FB Direct Positive Paper - 3 ASA - size 4x5"
- Developer: ILFORD PQ UNIVERSAL 1+9 - 2 minutes at 20° C
- Stop: ILFORD ILFO STOP
- Fixer: ILFORD RAPID FIXER
- Lightmeter: Gossen Lunasix 3 reading the incident light.
- Lightning: Ambient light only.

- Scanner: EPSON V700 and EPSON Scan 3.81
- Software: Adobe Photoshop CS4

[ROL]

Alessandro,

This is an interesting series, I am glad you started a separate thread to post them. Keep it up!

+1, except I believe a better name for the thread, even more specific if possible, might be Alessandro Bocchi's Pictures of Italians Gone Surfing.

[djdister]

...they are all very very similar for pose and location.

I think the similarity of pose and location can be a strong constraining element for a series, so that the primary difference in the resulting shots are the individual traits of the person being photographed. Consider the Richard Avedon portraits as similar example.

[ckagy]

I love this series. Please keep sharing!

[Alessandro Bocchi]

Thanks ROL I agree with you that the name of the thread could be much better and explain the contents in a more specific way. But I prefer not include my name in the thread and at the same time i wish other person will contribute and upload portrait of surfers, kiteboarder ad skateboarders too. But please keep suggest a more appropriate name, and all other suggestion that are absolutely appreciate. I am a novice and i still have everithing to learn, starting from my english of course.

[Alessandro Bocchi]

Thank you Dan Dister and also Ckagy for your comments that i really appreciate. With this picture it is almost finished the first series that i took. Maybe there is one or two other nice picture to share.
The second series was taken at the sea this time not in a lake lake the previous one. But not exactly at the sea, on the beach, because there was too much light. The sun was very intense and the picture on direct positive paper need a restricted range of tonality. So i took the second series in a little park, under the shadows of the three.

[Alessandro Bocchi]

Milano Marittima - Cervia (RA) Italy - "Italians Gone Surfing" a Series of Portrait of Surfers, Windsurfers, Kitesurfers and also Skateboarders. Portrait of Stefano Manzi, a surfer from Cesenatico.

- Camera: TOYO-FIELD 45 AII L (Linhof)
- Lens: Voigtlander Heliar 210 1:4.5 in Compound shutter
- Exposure: 1 second betwen f 4.5 and f 6.3
- Film: HARMAN FB Direct Positive Paper - 3 ASA - size 4x5"
- Developer: ILFORD PQ UNIVERSAL 1+9 - 2 minutes at 20° C
- Stop: ILFORD ILFO STOP
- Fixer: ILFORD RAPID FIXER
- Lightmeter: Gossen Lunasix 3 reading the incident light.
- Lightning: Ambient light only.

- Scanner: EPSON V700 and EPSON Scan 3.81
- Software: Adobe Photoshop CS4

[Alessandro Bocchi]

Milano Marittima - Cervia (RA) Italy - "Italians Gone Surfing" a Series of Portrait of Surfers, Windsurfers, Kitesurfers and also Skateboarders. Portrait of Stefano Manzi, a surfer from Cesenatico.

- Camera: TOYO-FIELD 45 AII L (Linhof)
- Lens: Voigtlander Heliar 210 1:4.5 in Compound shutter
- Exposure: 1 second betwen f 4.5 and f 6.3
- Film: HARMAN FB Direct Positive Paper - 3 ASA - size 4x5"
- Developer: ILFORD PQ UNIVERSAL 1+9 - 2 minutes at 20° C
- Stop: ILFORD ILFO STOP
- Fixer: ILFORD RAPID FIXER
- Lightmeter: Gossen Lunasix 3 reading the incident light.
- Lightning: Ambient light only.

- Scanner: EPSON V700 and EPSON Scan 3.81
- Software: Adobe Photoshop CS4

[jp]

If you don't mind me asking. The gritty intense look from the direct positive paper is pretty consistent and creates a unique and memorable style; why are you using that instead of something smooth and moderate in contrast like Jock Sturges' portraits at the beach? The direct positive is probably nicer to hold than have on the computer I'd guess. Do you process them on site?

[Alessandro Bocchi]

Thank you for asking. The first time i develope the pictures directly on site, but just the first 4 pictures just to have an idea of the speed - aperture to use, because you kow, you cant correct anything after the shot. Maybe you can add a little more preflashing if they are too much dark but usually you have to decide in the moment you click.
I like the direct positive paper because of its instant result that could be show to the subject and make him part of the magic of the development process. I love the work SurfLand of Joni Sternbach and the positive paper in my opinion could be a easy to do variant of her work. The same long exposure time the same large format camera with modern but also old lenses.
The originality of the positive paper let you make an original irreproducible picture. The scan is just to give an idea but its pretty ugly than the original ones.
Of course i started also to take some shot on film but remember that i am a novice in photography and even more in large format camera photography.

If you don't mind me asking. The gritty intense look from the direct positive paper is pretty consistent and creates a unique and memorable style; why are you using that instead of something smooth and moderate in contrast like Jock Sturges' portraits at the beach? The direct positive is probably nicer to hold than have on the computer I'd guess. Do you process them on site?