Video about Nobuyuki Kobayashi

[Andrew O'Neill]

Btw, the pine resin or rosin soak is I believe for sizing the paper. Side effect is that it lowers the ph.

Really? The pine resin I used back in my lithography days was anywhere from ph 5 to 7… But even if it lowers the ph, isn't that a good thing? Platinum Palladium likes an acidic surface.

[richardman]

I am thinking Kobayashi-san knows that a wooden camera is less heavy, ditto with using 4x5" vs. 8x10, and I bet he has done contact printing with his 8x10. Heck, I would not be surprised if he has a 11x14 or other ULF in his studio... My point is that he is making very deliberate decisions on what he photographs, where, and how, and when. He must have a reason for every choices he makes.

[tgtaylor]

That GII over the shoulder must weigh a ton, not to mention along with his other gear. Interesting choice of the monorail, though.

The GII is the heaviest Toyo of all (except for the Toyo 20x24 which I understand weighs in at a hefty 176 lbs.) thanks to the fancy control knobs. It’s about 2 lbs. heavier than the predecessor G model which I have. But you use what you have and he specifically mentions the importance of movements and the Toyo studio camera is capable of all the movements that your lenses are capable of delivering.

But I would suggest that instead of carrying the camera and tripod in one hand and the film holders in the other that he consider a backpack like the LowePro 650 AW which will carry the camera, lens, spot meter, etc., and 5 or 6 film holders along with the tripod. This would leave both hands free for hiking poles which I consider to be indispensable for maintaining balance in the tricky terrain as pictured in the video. From past experience I have found that it takes about 30 days for the body to full adjust to carrying heavy loads over rough terrain. Just a 1 millimeter “mistake” in the rise of the foot in stepping over an object is enough to cause you to stumble and loose balance and, without the hiking poles to arrest that stumble, you are in trouble.

Thomas

[Greg Miller]

I enjoyed to film. That said, and tastes will vary, I don't find the results all that special. I also find it interesting that only 24 platinum prints are shown on the web site - The film obviously took a large amount of effort to produce. Hopefully there are more than 24 prints to warrant such an effort. But, again, I don't find the results very special. I'm not really impressed with someone who works very hard but doesn't have the end result to justify that. I admire hard work, but that in itself if not enough to call them masterful photographs. And the film also seems to focus on the process and very little on the end results. After all that time spent showing the process, I really wanted to be blown away with the end result. And I did not get that.

[Pfiltz]

I don't find the results all that special.

I tend to agree somewhat. Having said that, maybe all the trouble he goes through is rewarding to him in a "spiritual" way, -vs- what a print may look like on the wall.

I shoot LF and MF for the pleasure of it. Not so much because I'm trying to create gallery prints, and trying to sell them for $$$$$$$.00.

Glad everyone has enjoyed the vid as well.

Footnote:... I saw him taking notes on some landscapes. Is this for just informational purposes, since he scanning neg's and creating digital files, -vs- printing from negs... Or maybe the shot where he was taking notes he did print from a neg. I wonder if his backend work varies depending on the shot, mood he's in, etc...

[Bill_1856]

I enjoyed to film. That said, and tastes will vary, I don't find the results all that special. I also find it interesting that only 24 platinum prints are shown on the web site - The film obviously took a large amount of effort to produce. Hopefully there are more than 24 prints to warrant such an effort. But, again, I don't find the results very special. I'm not really impressed with someone who works very hard but doesn't have the end result to justify that. I admire hard work, but that in itself if not enough to call them masterful photographs. And the film also seems to focus on the process and very little on the end results. After all that time spent showing the process, I really wanted to be blown away with the end result. And I did not get that.

+1

[Doug Howk]

Really? The pine resin I used back in my lithography days was anywhere from ph 5 to 7… But even if it lowers the ph, isn't that a good thing? Platinum Palladium likes an acidic surface.

I should have said a "side benefit" of pine resin sizing would be lowering the pH. From the tests I've seen published, Kozo is neutral to slightly alkaline.

[h2oman]

I enjoyed to film. That said, and tastes will vary, I don't find the results all that special. I also find it interesting that only 24 platinum prints are shown on the web site - The film obviously took a large amount of effort to produce. Hopefully there are more than 24 prints to warrant such an effort. But, again, I don't find the results very special. I'm not really impressed with someone who works very hard but doesn't have the end result to justify that. I admire hard work, but that in itself if not enough to call them masterful photographs. And the film also seems to focus on the process and very little on the end results. After all that time spent showing the process, I really wanted to be blown away with the end result. And I did not get that.

Agreed, although I found a few of the images on the website quite compelling. There were some images shown in the video that aren't on the website.

What I appreciate is that he was following his own muse, rather than just plugging tripod holes at various well-known locations. Or, being that he is in Japan, becoming a Michael Kenna of the 8x10 and platinum.

[brucetaylor]

I enjoyed to film. That said, and tastes will vary, I don't find the results all that special.

I find that comment a little odd, since we haven't actually seen the prints. I want to see with my own eyes what the object he creates looks like before I venture an opinion on the final work. In my experience there are often very interesting visual things that happen when high resolution images go through a process like printing on rough handmade paper.

Anyway, interesting stuff, I would love to see the work in person.

[Greg Miller]

I find that comment a little odd, since we haven't actually seen the prints. I want to see with my own eyes what the object he creates looks like before I venture an opinion on the final work. In my experience there are often very interesting visual things that happen when high resolution images go through a process like printing on rough handmade paper.

Anyway, interesting stuff, I would love to see the work in person.

I judge prints first by their artistic merit. Only if the print is of artistic merit, does the technical execution come into play (for me). That much I can tell from the film and the web site. The artistic merit just isn't there for me, so I don't need to see the print. There just isn't enough there for me to possibly change my mind if I hand the print in hand.

That's just me. Others, including Kobayashi-san, can have a different opinion and that OK too.