Return to a strange current world..

[Bernice Loui]

It has been just over a decade since I took up photography seriously. So much has changed since then. The films that was once available are now long gone, lenses that was once never wanted and regarded as undesirables have become sought after and collectable, great film processing labs decimated, and it seems the entire world of photography has become digital. The Sinar camera that was a constant companion for all that time has become an antique in some ways.

Not only has the modern world appears to be digital dominated; the images that are so common today appear to be sorted for instant gratification. Be it overly saturated colors, high contrast, giant sized prints or any other means to grab the viewer’s attention for just that moment.

It seems that creativity, art, craft and skill require produce a high quality and expressive image is becoming a lost art… practiced by the very few who stubbornly adhere to their craft from years gone by.

There also appears to be a large number of “hobbyists” who have taken up large format photography for various reasons. It seems this audience has helped to keep sheet film some what alive.

My own history with large format began in the mid 1980’s with a used 4x5 Sinar F, Sironar N, Super Angulon and Wide Field Ektar. This was when film was the way and large format was driven by commercial work done on 4x5 color transparency film. Within a year, the 4x5 was ditched and a Sinar 5x7 / 13cmx18cm replaced it since. By chance a Kodak Commercial Ektar came into my life and after extensive comparisons to numerous modern lenses of similar focal length and many, many sheets of film later the modern lenses were replaced by selected vintage ones. At the time I could not believe an old Kodak Ektar produced such great images in every way. Modern wide angle lens designs proved to be superior in performance to older designs (except for weight and size). This became my mix of LF optics.

Looking forward, I’m still uncertain about how this journey will unfold as I’m about to purchase a scanner to digitize the many, many boxes of film from years gone by. With hope, one day I’ll have my 5x7 dark room up an running again in a very different world dominated by digital imaging and instant gratification…. With the uncertainty of where this journey will take me.

Bernice

[James_Spain]

Great story Bernice.

It echoes what I feel, but I still prefer proper prints.

Which scanner are you getting. I don't know about uncertainty. Scanners are certainly expensive.

[Michael Alpert]

Bernice,

Thank you for your post. You must be an artist to write the way you do! I wish you well as you put your 5x7 darkroom together again. When you are in it, the rest of the world, with its gadgets and hobbyists, will not matter. You'll be enjoying yourself in a world of your own.

[Bernice Loui]

The choices for new and not too expensive appears to be Epson 750M.

The scanner must have the ability to scan up to 8x10 film, Scanning quality is not too important as any print that is significant will come from the traditional
"wet" dark room process. The scanner is really for previewing what is on film and maybe sharing them in digital format.

Don't have any real Photoshop skills and dis-like the physical disconnect between using a computer driven graphics tool to work on a print compared to projecting, dodge/burn/souping/dry mounting a print. Much of the joys that comes from image making is in doing the entire process from loading the film to mounting that final print on acid free board.


Bernice



Which scanner are you getting. I don't know about uncertainty. Scanners are certainly expensive.

[Bernice Loui]

Thank you Michael :)

Joined LFF in 2008, with the ideal that I could take up LF photography again. For a number of reasons, that try did not stick. Now, I'm going to try again and this time my frame of mind is better to take on LF photography again. Good images comes from one's soul, their sensitivity to the world around them, their passion for what they create and their ability to share their sensitivity of what they see using photography as a means.

If you're curious, a few of my images from 2008 that was posted here.
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?43540-Bare-My-Soul&p=417331#post417331

The other question for me is, what future will these images have, none of them are published or etc.. I make them as a creative outlet with no monetary or other intent, yet in the many years since these and many other images that have been created art is meant to be shared.


Bernice


Bernice,

Thank you for your post. You must be an artist to write the way you do! I wish you well as you put your 5x7 darkroom together again. When you are in it, the rest of the world, with its gadgets and hobbyists, will not matter. You'll be enjoying yourself in a world of your own.

[Nathan Potter]

The choices for new and not too expensive appears to be Epson 750M.


"Don't have any real Photoshop skills and dis-like the physical disconnect between using a computer driven graphics tool to work on a print compared to projecting, dodge/burn/souping/dry mounting a print. Much of the joys that comes from image making is in doing the entire process from loading the film to mounting that final print on acid free board."


Bernice

Interesting comment here. I've been using Photoshop for a few years now and admit to being seduced by the sophisticated manipulations that can be applied to a scanned LF image. There is really unbounded creativity at play here.

But at the same time I have this nagging feeling somewhere back in my psyche that says the final image after Photoshopping is not wholly mine. It seems canned, in the sense that software engineers are now part of the final image and what's there is not completely mine. It's unnerving and bothersome and doesn't deliver an ownership of the final print like I get from a fully executed silver print all made by myself.

This is probably irrational, of course, because the darkroom materials are not all made by me either and certainly not the hardware including the camera.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Andrew O'Neill]

It seems that creativity, art, craft and skill require produce a high quality and expressive image is becoming a lost art

I just participated in a group show. One of the participants was a PE teacher. His images were all shot with his iphone, heavily worked over with some .99 cent app that he downloaded. Everyone is a photographer now.

[ScottPhotoCo]

Bernice,

I have to agree with your assessment. I started taking (not making) photographs when I was in high school and took a couple of processing/printing classes at the time. As my parents were missionaries we didn't have the money to feed the habit, photography didn't really return to my life until after college. At that point in my life I purchased a Minolta 35mm and spent quite a lot on lenses to get the ball rolling. Unfortunately, a short while later my apartment was broken into and all of my gear was stolen. Discouraged and broke I had to let it go once again.

Fast forward to 2010. I have been in the advertising industry for over 20 years and moved to Oregon after working on Madison Avenue for several years. I was tired and discouraged by the state of creativity and needed a fresh start so I started my own ad agency in hopes of rediscovering my love for the business that I had so greatly enjoyed (it's working). Oregon is beautiful but not the most inspiring creatively (for me anyway) so I bought a small digital camera to explore with (Olympus EP1). While I really enjoyed taking pictures I continually felt something missing, both from the finished images as well as the process itself. It felt hollow and somehow unfulfilling. Still enjoying the process I picked up a Nikon F just to see if it felt any different. And it did.

From that I figured out that I not only enjoyed the finished product substantially more but found satisfaction in the process itself. I call it "imperfectly perfect". It requires attention to detail, thought and process that seems lost in so much of society today, especially so in the advertising world. From there I picked up a TLR and become hooked on MF images. It was kind of inevitable that the LF jump was soon to follow as I love the history, story, process and results of the LF process. It's a good thing that I have been single through this process as I've spent quite a bit exploring gear, lenses and tools. I am finally getting to the point where I am refining my tools to more closely reflect the aesthetic and results I am aspiring to. And it's fun! :)

Now I have a vision, goals and the beginning of a process to get there. I am currently using a hybrid system shooting MF and LF film. I process the BW myself and send my colour to a lab. I scan on an Epson V750 and print on an Epson 3880 as I currently don't have room to set up any kind of a traditional print system. I have been using photoshop for over 20 years so I use my base knowledge of printing to apply those tools using a traditional approach to dodging, burning and such. I will also spot/dust in PS. My rule is, if the image looks retouched then it is not done properly. I do everything I can to keep the natural element of the image true to the original film. And I will continue to get better...

If I can be of assistance with any of your digital questions on scanning or photoshop I am more than happy to. You have graciously responded to a couple of my posts with really great knowledge and experience and I am grateful and super excited to gain knowledge here from you and so many of the other incredibly knowledgeable folks.

Someday in the near future I will truly be able to "make" the images I see in my mind. Thanks to everyone here for taking the time to share your knowledge, experience and images. They have been and will be invaluable to people like me who yearn to know more in my quest for creativity.

Respectfully,

Tim
www.ScottPhoto.co

[ROL]

But at the same time I have this nagging feeling somewhere back in my psyche that says the final image after Photoshopping is not wholly mine. It seems canned, in the sense that software engineers are now part of the final image and what's there is not completely mine. It's unnerving and bothersome and doesn't deliver an ownership of the final print like I get from a fully executed silver print all made by myself.

That "nagging feeling" may also be at the touch of your hand. I went through a crisis of faith (darkroom or digital) in the early 2000's. I stuck with the wet and dark because that is what I am good at (other opinions perhaps to the contrary, aka idiots), and enjoy doing. Photoshop took the back seat (currently using PS 7) and only to present images of work on the net. My nag is that the world has moved on digitally without me. But if not generally appreciated, at least I have what I have, and make what I make – prints of some intrinsic, semi-precious metal, worth.

[Bernice Loui]

Tim,

I'm very touched by your words. Thank you for your offer of help with the digital work flow :)

I'll share more in a PM with you on this topic..



Bernice





Bernice,

I have to agree with your assessment. I started taking (not making) photographs when I was in high school and took a couple of processing/printing classes at the time. As my parents were missionaries we didn't have the money to feed the habit, photography didn't really return to my life until after college. At that point in my life I purchased a Minolta 35mm and spent quite a lot on lenses to get the ball rolling. Unfortunately, a short while later my apartment was broken into and all of my gear was stolen. Discouraged and broke I had to let it go once again.

Fast forward to 2010. I have been in the advertising industry for over 20 years and moved to Oregon after working on Madison Avenue for several years. I was tired and discouraged by the state of creativity and needed a fresh start so I started my own ad agency in hopes of rediscovering my love for the business that I had so greatly enjoyed (it's working). Oregon is beautiful but not the most inspiring creatively (for me anyway) so I bought a small digital camera to explore with (Olympus EP1). While I really enjoyed taking pictures I continually felt something missing, both from the finished images as well as the process itself. It felt hollow and somehow unfulfilling. Still enjoying the process I picked up a Nikon F just to see if it felt any different. And it did.

From that I figured out that I not only enjoyed the finished product substantially more but found satisfaction in the process itself. I call it "imperfectly perfect". It requires attention to detail, thought and process that seems lost in so much of society today, especially so in the advertising world. From there I picked up a TLR and become hooked on MF images. It was kind of inevitable that the LF jump was soon to follow as I love the history, story, process and results of the LF process. It's a good thing that I have been single through this process as I've spent quite a bit exploring gear, lenses and tools. I am finally getting to the point where I am refining my tools to more closely reflect the aesthetic and results I am aspiring to. And it's fun! :)

Now I have a vision, goals and the beginning of a process to get there. I am currently using a hybrid system shooting MF and LF film. I process the BW myself and send my colour to a lab. I scan on an Epson V750 and print on an Epson 3880 as I currently don't have room to set up any kind of a traditional print system. I have been using photoshop for over 20 years so I use my base knowledge of printing to apply those tools using a traditional approach to dodging, burning and such. I will also spot/dust in PS. My rule is, if the image looks retouched then it is not done properly. I do everything I can to keep the natural element of the image true to the original film. And I will continue to get better...

If I can be of assistance with any of your digital questions on scanning or photoshop I am more than happy to. You have graciously responded to a couple of my posts with really great knowledge and experience and I am grateful and super excited to gain knowledge here from you and so many of the other incredibly knowledgeable folks.

Someday in the near future I will truly be able to "make" the images I see in my mind. Thanks to everyone here for taking the time to share your knowledge, experience and images. They have been and will be invaluable to people like me who yearn to know more in my quest for creativity.

Respectfully,

Tim
www.ScottPhoto.co