One Random Saturday
Busy with on-call duties earlier this week, recovered Saturday.
May 11, 2008
May 04, 2008
Polaroid: Film & Company
The Film
Do not much like Polaroid film. To be fair, I am using a Holgaroid back to a Holga. Peeves: loading the film is tricky, though worse is extracting the film for exposure, as the paper pull tabs risk breaking, leaving the film stranded, and the ninth exposure usually pulls the tenth out along with it. Another problem: odd streaks down the film, which appear to line up with the pull tab paper: somehow this is getting compressed against the film through the rollers?
Film quality excellent, with a deep glossy black, though getting the exposure right was very tricky, as the Holgaroid metered nothing like my DSLR measured. A incident light meter should give better readings, but I do not own one.
Digital or regular film photography, combined with post processing and glossy printing, while slower, should produce similar effects. I could see using Polaroid to take test shots for medium or large format needs. However! Given that Polaroid is going the way of the Dodo, best to avoid the resulting high film prices until and if an instant film market emerges following 2009.
The Company
“Dire financial straits notwithstanding, Polaroid paid senior executives and directors a total of $6.3 million in bonuses, consulting fees, and lump-sum pension payouts in the months before the [bankruptcy] filing. Payments included $1.7 million in incentive comp to former CEO DiCamillo, while former CFO Judy Boynton got $300,000 in severance, a $510,000 stock award, and a $638,000 lump-sum pension payout. (Boynton, now the CFO of Royal Dutch/Shell Group, is listed as an unsecured creditor, for an additional severance of $600,000 she is still owed.)”
“Polaroid retirees had feared the results of a sale to OEP, and that fear was justified. After June 28, the company's cash balance plan was terminated and handed over to the federal Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp., meaning many retirees had their pension payments slashed. Employees on long-term disability received letters informing them that they would not be hired by the new company and that their benefits were being terminated. Indeed, the Massachusetts attorney general's office had difficulty convincing OEP, as owner of the new Polaroid, to sponsor the retirees' supplemental Medicare plan, even though that sponsorship costs nothing except time spent keeping the books.”
— What’s Wrong with This Picture?
February 25, 2008
Holga == Fun
Received a Holga 120N for Christmas, though only recently threw caution to the wind (pointless worries concerning over- or underexposed film). The camera is a lot of fun, as there's almost nothing to fiddle with, and I prefer walking around to spending even more computer time Holgafying digital images. Focus tricky, as one must choose between the portrait (1m), government approved family with single child (2m), comrades (6m), and mountain mode (10m+). Best shot from the first roll:
No major light leaks in this model, though I observed a very small leak when the trigger is released. This can be avoided by putting the lens cap back on after depressing the trigger. Removing the back plate would be a major light leak, though according to the Holga FAQ, film can be loaded and unloaded in daylight, due to the paper backing (and assuming the film wrapped itself tightly around the spools).
In Seattle, 60 Minute Camera develops medium format film, unlike all the drug stores I checked. A few local camera stores still sell medium format film, along with online sources.
2008-02-28 update: 2nd and 3rd rolls show more blurring, almost impressionistic. Still working on my framing and composition…
Technorati Tags: cameras
February 11, 2008
Light—Science & Magic
The book Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting is a must for any photographer. As usual, I skimmed a few chapters, then ran off to hardware and art supply stores, and only now revisit the book in detail.
For lighting, start with what you have, or is readily affordable. A few pieces of black cardboard, black masking tape, and a thin opening for a desk lamp creates a nice box to shoot in:
This box helped create:
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The Camersaurus Apertus shot it a bit flawed: overexposed wire, reflection off the too-close black background, and errant blue highlight from another desklamp. On the other hand, I am learning a lot—that steel cable is really difficult to work with—that one should clean and dust everything—that photography is rife with specialized vocabulary.
A few pieces of white cardboard plus a flash facilitate white-on-white shots:
January 10, 2008
Photogamer
December 17, 2007
Organizing Photos
Digital photography lends itself to many photos. The result—thousands of photos—requires management. This method follows the best English grading method I’ve encountered; my other English teachers lacked this rigor, which resulted in grading misunderstandings (and, perhaps, more interest in my part for the sciences). The following four categories should be weighted equally.
- Mechanics - Correct focus? Correct contrast? Appropriate sharpness?
- Organization - Good framing? Are elements plumb with the frame? Any distractions? Do the elements follow the rule of thirds or some other guiding principal? Could cropping rescue something?
- Ideas - Is the photo interesting? Is it a good reference or stock photo? Does it tell a story? What is the subject?
- Style - How well are the ideas expressed? Do the colors work? This also encompasses the “gut” feeling of the photo.
The rules should complement one another: if the photo is otherwise perfect, but the focus does not agree with the subject, the photo probably should be rejected. If the rules all agree, the photo should have the initial “wow!” and stand up to systemic review.
When comparing multiple photos, ask “is there a better picture?” or “did I capture the subject (or event, or location) properly over the photo set?” This can be used to weed out rejects, or to better prepare one for the next shoot: what did you miss? If you could go back, what would you do differently? Select photos that illustrate various faults: missed focus, framing mistakes, poor subject choice. Otherwise, toss!
Use tags or sort images for future action. For example, tag images as croppable?, then review these in the future. An otherwise bad photo may be salvageable for some other purpose: goose feather pattern close-up, and the like. I also take sample shots, varying the f-number versus the exposure time, or trying different white balance options, and so on. These sets can then be studied to better memorize the effects of higher versus lower f-number†, and to learn how a camera or lens behaves under known conditions.
Try to find a local photo club, or someone willing to review photos. These can be very educational, as others will have different insight into the same photo, which in turn will improve your photo rating skills.
Recently imported my photos into Aperture, which allows me to shoot only raw, easily organize photos, perform simple corrections, and upload to Flickr. Did not have to read the Aperture manual, which is a plus. I’m avoiding extensive photo reworking, as I want to focus on learning the camera and taking better pictures, not mutating photos beyond all recognition. For now.
† Some conditions reverse expectations. On a bridge where death rollers vibrate the camera, longer exposures will result in softer images, not sharper pictures as expected.
December 01, 2007
Photography By Night
With the sun setting well before 17:00, nighttime photography is a great distraction. Tips:
Bring a flashlight. This will help with focus on poorly lit subjects. A head light is ideal, allowing hands-free operation.
Wear grubby, but visible clothes. And something warm!
My kit 18-70mm lens seems too wide for night time shots in a city. I spent most time at 70mm, trying to crop out light sources, edges of buildings, power lines, and so forth.
Power lines—otherwise nearly invisible—stand out in long exposures. Grrr.
Check for debris around the subject. Scattered leaves and random branches may detract from a photo, or add a nice touch. Lacking a flashlight my first night out, I missed the leaves that detract from this photo:
Tripod, and a remote or bulb trigger. The electronic remotes of today seem cheap and gimmicky compared to traditional cable triggers.
Interesting shots can be made without tripod. For example, shoot a tree with a light source behind it, coupled with lit clouds:
In contrast to a shot taken by tripod:
Still need more practice, as my framing is still off, and I don’t think I’m getting the best possible exposures. Discovered a photo club at work, where photos by members are exhibited and commented on by the group. Thick skin required, but otherwise a great educational experience.