Question About Nick Brandt's Post Process + David Burdeny's Work

[robbiear]

Does anyone know how Nick Brandt creates his images (for the best images (you can zoom on Artmo (http://www.artmo.com)), go to http://www.artmo.com/Artists/nick+brandt/)? I take it there's some post work done, correct?

His work is absolutely gorgeous, yet I'm still warming up to the idea of touching up photos in post for some reason. I'm thinking there might be a slight possibility that the images are untouched and that somebody here would know the answer.

Also, does anyone know the overall price range for David Burdeny's work (http://www.artmo.com/Artists/david+burdeny/)? [Again, for the best images go to Artmo (http://www.artmo.com) – you can zoom in for greater detail.] I know the economy sucks right now, yet I very badly want to own a piece from his Antarctic series. Hoping someone here knows this too before having to approach an actual dealer – sticker shock.

Thanks All!

[Kirk Gittings]

I agree with you about Brandt. Marvelous dream like imagery. I'm not fond of heavy post processing, but in his case I think it works. I would like to know more about his workflow too.

[darr]

Last I read about the African photos of Brandt's, he used the Pentax 67II camera, various lenses and film. He did disclose that he was using PS in his post-processing work flow. I have his book, On This Earth: Photographs from East Africa (http://www.amazon.com/This-Earth-Photographs-East-Africa/dp/0811848655/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235065977&sr=8-5) and highly recommend purchasing a copy if you would like to see more from his African wildlife project.

Best, Darr

[robbiear]

Awesome. Thank you so much, Darr.

Do you own any of his work personally? Any idea of how much these go for? Can you buy them anywhere online aside from Artmo?

[darr]

I do not own any work of Nick's because it costs in the thousands. I see prints selling on the 'bay every so often for $5,000-6,000 US. Here is a link to a story (http://www.bowhaus.com/news/brandt.php4) that talks more about his technique.

Darr

[willwilson]

I enjoy his work as well. There's not too much post that couldn't be done in a darkroom, except some of the selective blur (http://www.artmo.com/Artwork/Lion+Before+the+Storm+II+Sitting+Profile+Maasai+Mara/nick+brandt/ and http://www.artmo.com/Artwork/Sitting+Lionesses+Serengeti/nick+brandt/), which you could do in the darkroom but it is definitely easier and more controlled in PS. The majority of the edits looked to be dodge/burn and contrast oriented.

It's definitely not the post that makes these images great, but his post does help them shine even brighter. His work always impresses me.

[robbiear]

I have to say I agree, Will.

You're making me warm up on the post.

[Dave Aharonian]

I saw David Burdeny's exhibit at the Jennifer Kostuik Gallery in Vancouver BC a few months ago. His work is very nice and I think some of his Antarctic prints are the best of all his work. The large prints were priced in the $5000 - $7500 range and are printed in editions of ten. Some of his older work was in the $2000 range but I don't recall anything less than that. If I was rich I would have purchased one of the antarctic prints - several are quite spectacular.

[robbiear]

Thanks, Dave.

Out of curiosity, which ones in particular would you have bought?

I'm hoping I can snag the 'Weddell' piece (http://www.artmo.com/Artwork/Weddell+Sea+Entrance/david+burdeny/) if I can work out some payment plan.

[Allen in Montreal]

I do not own any work of Nick's because it costs in the thousands. I see prints selling on the 'bay every so often for $5,000-6,000 US. Here is a link to a story (http://www.bowhaus.com/news/brandt.php4) that talks more about his technique.

Darr

I recall the very first time I saw the elephant shaking dust from his back picture, I called to buy a print the same day. I do not recall the price, but the disappointment of not being able to afford the print is almost as vivid as the degree of how much I was blown away I was by the image! :(

[robbiear]

A quick question, Will (or for anyone else that might know).

How do you think Brandt did this particular piece:

http://www.artmo.com/Artwork/elephant+mother+and+two+babies+serengeti/nick+brandt/

It's very haunting and one of my favorites, yet with heavy use of limiting the focus. Do you think there's any possibility of actually putting Vaseline on the lens? My focus is actually in film (meaning motion pictures), and on occasion I've placed Vaseline on the lens for a similar effect.

Thanks!

[Nathan Potter]

There seems to be two planes of sharp focus at distances separated from each other. Appears that it needed to be done in post processing because it's too difficult to be done properly and quickly in real time. Depth of field is very narrow (mirror lens?). Is there a Photoshop blurr tool?

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Amund BLix Aaeng]

There was a discussing on Photo.net a few years ago where Nick himself replied, and basically, it`s Pentax 6x7, heavy use of grad ND filters and while he wouldn`t say how he achieved his wacky focus, he said it was not done in photoshop. He is using tilt and or swing in some way with his lenses....

[Dave Aharonian]

My favourites are Sloped, Weddell, and Iceberg 04. If I had to pick one its a tight race between sloped and weddell, but I'd take sloped. The print was incredible.

Good luck!

[Kirk Gittings]

There was a discussing on Photo.net a few years ago where Nick himself replied, and basically, it`s Pentax 6x7, heavy use of grad ND filters and while he wouldn`t say how he achieved his wacky focus, he said it was not done in photoshop. He is using tilt and or swing in some way with his lenses....

Is there a lens with tilt or swing for a Pentax 6x7? Even if you did, how would you pull this off with moving subjects?

[PViapiano]

I recall hearing something about him using the Zoerke system, but that didn't come from him...I've always wanted to check these out anyway:

http://www.zoerk.com/pages/p_mfs.htm

Love to get one for my RZ setup...

[Onestepbeyond70]

http://pshero.com/archives/selective-focus-and-tilt-shift

A day will come when we could do the inverse process in ps..:)

[robbiear]

That's absolutely amazing that Brandt somehow accomplished the focus effect without post...Now if only I could afford the piece.

Many thanks, Amund.

[aphexafx]

Is there a lens with tilt or swing for a Pentax 6x7? Even if you did, how would you pull this off with moving subjects?

He could preset a slight swing or tilt and move around until things lined up in a nice way, perhaps? Perhaps he has developed a knack for pre-visualizing camera movements and knows what to aim for and expect, needing minimal movement to adjust prior to capture. I have no idea, but it is amazing work.

I just ordered his first book that features many of the work being discussed here, looking forward to that. Good deals on Amazon right now, I got it pretty cheap.

[D. Bryant]

I recall hearing something about him using the Zoerke system, but that didn't come from him...I've always wanted to check these out anyway:

http://www.zoerk.com/pages/p_mfs.htm

Love to get one for my RZ setup...
LensBaby on steroids! ;)

Don Bryant

[Drew Wiley]

Makes me think of Edward S Curtis taking pictures of animals instead of Indians! But
there are all kinds of ways the blur can be simulated (which doesn't necessarily explain
how it was done here). Cut a hole in some clear film and place it below the enlarger lens where it is out of focus. Then fiddle around with the vaseline. Old, old trick. No
need for photoshop. Or use a flawed enlarging lens. The magic does not consist in the
trick itself but in the appropriate choice when to use it - just like soft-focus camera
lenses. Nothing looks worse than an artsy-craftsy attempt to mimic this kind of stuff.
But look what Steichen, Clarence White, and E.Curtis could do! Here we are not looking
at "nature photography" but at "portraits" of animals, singly or in groups. Guess that is
where the appeal is.

[David Carson]

I posted a thread on photo.net (link (http://photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00ERse)) in 2005 on this very subject, and we came to the conclusion that he was "taking the lens off its mount very slightly and moving it either up/down/left/right to achieve the selective DOF he wants."

It was confirmed by another forum member that this indeed works on the Pentax 67 mount.

[aphexafx]

I posted a thread on photo.net (link (http://photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00ERse)) in 2005 on this very subject, and we came to the conclusion that he was "taking the lens off its mount very slightly and moving it either up/down/left/right to achieve the selective DOF he wants."

It was confirmed by another forum member that this indeed works on the Pentax 67 mount.

Interesting! I got all intrigued so I just tried this on my Nikon DSLR, which was handy, and it works very well, actually. I am using a big 85mm f/1.8 and I am surprised at the degree of tilt I was able to obtain with it with very little vignetting, or even none in most cases.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3635/3330760223_c252e42f26.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3299/3330862625_f5f240fbe0.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3580/3330862807_deaa603b45.jpg

[darr]

Makes me think of Edward S Curtis taking pictures of animals instead of Indians! ...

... Here we are not looking at "nature photography" but at "portraits" of animals, singly or in groups. Guess that is where the appeal is.

I could not agree more!

[aphexafx]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3363/3331800730_34485a05a6.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3398/3331811678_542091a940.jpg

My cat is not a huge fan of this process. :D Well, that was fun..back to work...

[robbiear]

Awesome work, Matt.

Did you do it by the process David Carson was talking about? ["Taking the lens off its mount very slightly and moving it either up/down/left/right to achieve the selective DOF he wants."]

I couldn't see your other Flickr photos, BTW.

[aphexafx]

Did you do it by the process David Carson was talking about? ("Taking the lens off its mount very slightly and moving it either up/down/left/right to achieve the selective DOF he wants.")

Yes, exactly. Beware of dust though! Sorry, the other three were just temp and I took them down - you're not mising much. ;)

[Rudi]

I have his book, On This Earth: Photographs from East Africa (http://www.amazon.com/This-Earth-Photographs-East-Africa/dp/0811848655/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235065977&sr=8-5) and highly recommend purchasing a copy if you would like to see more from his African wildlife project.I like his images, too. But did he publish any other series?

rudi

[Wallace_Billingham]

he also shots with IR film which gives him nice tonality

[aphexafx]

I like his images, too. But did he publish any other series?

rudi

Brandt is publishing a second book this September, if I understand correctly.

http://www.nickbrandt.com/

On This Earth is currently the most popular book on my coffee table. :)

[Rudi]

Brandt is publishing a second book this September, if I understand correctly.

http://www.nickbrandt.com/

On This Earth is currently the most popular book on my coffee table. :)
Yes, I could have had a look at his page. :o
But the announcement looks like the new book also contains images from africa.

Like the wide ones more than the detail images.

rudi

[robbiear]

Does anyone know when Brandt's next book will become available for pre-order on Amazon? I can't wait and will have to take the coffee book approach for this one for at least the next couple of years.

Just noticed that Artmo (http://www.artmo.com) has new Brandt works with actual prices listed this time.

Lioness Looking Out Over Plains (http://www.artmo.com/artwork/lioness+looking+out+over+plains/nick+brandt/) is stunning. As suspected, the price is too much for me at this time –*$7,000.

The other is Kudu (http://www.artmo.com/artwork/kudu/nick+brandt/), which is also great. This one isn't too bad –*$1700. I guess you can make an offer and try to get the price down. Lord knows my pay check wont allow this though.

[blakey]

I recall the very first time I saw the elephant shaking dust from his back picture, I called to buy a print the same day. I do not recall the price, but the disappointment of not being able to afford the print is almost as vivid as the degree of how much I was blown away I was by the image! :(

This was a long time ago, but as you are all Nick Brandt fans and I now shoot 617 format with a D800 and Pentax 67 lenses I thought i might just pop in an alternative www.antonyb.com - enjoy the elephants

[Wildlover]

This was a long time ago, but as you are all Nick Brandt fans and I now shoot 617 format with a D800 and Pentax 67 lenses I thought i might just pop in an alternative www.antonyb.com - enjoy the elephants


Don't get me wrong, don't mean to be rude, but look carefully at nick Brandt, David Burdeny, or even Frans Lanting and Alex Bernasconi's work, and you don't seem to be in the same league......