We recently caught up with Daniel Katz, a film photographer hell bent on bringing the medium back into the public eye. We like what he has to say and wanted to share that with you here. This article discusses the merits of drum scanning by explaining different technology used in the process and sharing example film scans.
What is it?
Drum scanning is the ultimate pursuit of quality in the realm of film photography. It is the last scan you will ever need, since there is nothing that will give you the kind of resolution, detail, sharpness, dynamic range, and color rendition that drum scanning can give you.
Image taken in Germany with a Hasselblad 501C, 80mm 2.8 Zeiss CF lens, and Fujichrome Astia 100 reversal film.
It’s 8AM in the morning, you’ve been up two hours already rushing around and preparing for the big day. “Where’s the battery for the camera” you bellow down the hallway to your better half, for it’s time to take one of the most important photographs you’re ever going to make as a human being. It’s your child’s first day at school.
The world is very different to how it was when I was a Continue reading →
Getting to grips with astrophotography seems like an incredibly daunting task. Not only are you faced with the challenges of finding the right location, right time in the Lunar cycle and difficult weather conditions there’s also the added pressure of how to use the camera equipment you own. Thankfully there a few useful tips available that teach us some simple tricks for catching the perfect star shot. This equation below is known as the ‘600 Rule‘. So what’s it all about?
If math wasn’t your strong point at school, the mix of numbers and letters can seem quite daunting. It’s actually a very simple equation that can be explained quickly.
600 ÷ focal length of lens = exposure time
600 divide the focal length of your lens gives you the maximum exposure time time before stars start to appear as trails. For example, if you’re using an 18mm lens, you can apply the rule to learn that any exposure time over half a minute will most likely result in star trails.
600 ÷ 18 = 33 seconds
The primary function of this equation is to prevent those pesky star trails from appearing on your photographs. If you stick to the rule you can be pretty sure that you’re safe from any movement in your image. However if that’s what you’re after then you’ll know how long to wait until trails begin to appear – Rules are made to be broken, right?
5Dm2, f/4, 17mm, 30 second exposure: No Star Trails.
The more seasoned photographers will spot a flaw in the rule when it comes to determining your optimum time. Different camera bodies introduce a couple more sets of variables to the equation; the sensor size & the image size. Furthermore, stars that appear further from the the North or South poles move quicker. The ‘600 Rule’ is specifically aimed at full frame cameras with image size of around 21Mp, ie the Canon 5Dm2 shooting 30 degrees above the horizon.
The alternative rule some people use for a 2/3rds size sensor or APS-C which would apply to budget Canon and Nikon models would be the ‘400 Rule’, however for the point of simplicity your exposure time will still be roughly correct.
We hope that has made a bit more sense to you and given a renewed sense of urgency to get out there and shoot the night sky. If not, you could always try to take photographs of Space from your kitchen table…
500px, renowned as being a home for incredible photographers, more so than any other online service is constantly throwing up incredible work by talented artists. One such image tweeted out the other day really caught my eye, a remarkable iceberg shot by Daniel Kordan.
They say the right location can give any photograph the Continue reading →
The date is two weeks from now, the headlines have already been written, 4chan, Reddit, Anon and every other sanctimonious freedom of the web hacker has brought justice to the millions awkward penguins around the world.
In response to the titan of photographic image agency throwing down a heavy fine to a blog citing a penguin purportedly part of its archive, a group known as HACK4TehLOLZ has wreaked havoc on the personal email servers of the Getty Images head honchos. In what will be the first of many embarrassing personal messages to be publicly scrutinized, the CEO of the company is caught messaging a coworker:
Crush them. Creative freedom is a made up ideology by the zionist left and we won’t tolerate anyone, let alone zitty teenagers from touching a single pixel of ours without signing away there soul. [sic]
In this fast paced world where everyone wants everything and anything immediately, people just don’t have time to learn things. That’s why I’ve put together this handy little how-to guide for learning the fine art of wet plating. Instead of spending your valuable time in a workshop being taught the craft by a professional you can learn everything you need to know FOR FREE in this quick, handy, looping tutorial.
For those interested these are all the different steps demonstrated Continue reading →
A 14 year old boy referred to only as ‘Simon’ from the UK has landed himself on a sexual offender police database after sending a single nude Snapchat to a girl of the same age he was ‘flirting with.’ The BBC News reported the story yesterday after his mother, Margaret went on record to say something had to change as her son could now be refused work later in life because of the UK’s strict child protection laws.
Included in the news report is the manner in which the lewd image Continue reading →
Tom Fletcher, formerly of McFly & McBusted has done it again. A few months ago he crushed the stern look of parents across the country with his dandelion clock video and now he’s back with something even harder hitting. Player 2:
We won’t give anything away, just make sure you’re not watching with your mates as it may choke one or two of you…
The article is of course in reference to the photographs and videos that have been going viral on social media which show the lifeless body of a very young boy washed ashore on a European beach. The young boy, a refugee fleeing the atrocities happening in Syria in search of a safer home.
The satirical publication made the striking point as one commenter expressed in a Facebook post. “Today’s story is not making humour out of the photograph of a dead child, but our delayed response to an all too real disaster. It’s still funny, dark, but funny, and the joke is at our expense.”
The article is very short, intentionally without image and reminds us not only of our own inability to act without seeing photographs, but also how important they are to the world.
It has been confirmed that everyone kind of knew the thing was happening, but now they are very sad and angry because there is a photo of it.
Exactly.
To donate, Save The Children are campaigning to support child refugees here.
A black figure stands almost naked, flexed muscles holding a bar of weights signifying strength. This could easily be interpreted as a nuanced reference to the symbolic black power salute that emerged from the 1968 Olympics after Tommie Smith and John Carlos received podium medals. The image is unanimously considered as terrifying, not because it’s a symbol of strength against oppression, but the chest it is emblazoned on is that of 21 year old North Carolina racist recluse Dylan Roof who went on to commit an act of terrorism in a church filled with people of colour.
Phogotraphy 