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No Words - Tilts, Swings and Rise


alex_hawley

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Domenico...

 

As I have mentioned to you before, I love your work. Especially

that portrait a couple of threads back. In this and others like it

that you have done, how do you get that color? I am guessing

you do it in PS, but how?

 

dgh

 

PS Phil is still waiting...

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"The way you are using the shallow DOF is intriguing; quite contrary to the "school of infinite sharpness" that most of us (at least me) get indoctrinated in. I gotsta try it!"

 

ultimate sharpnees and infinite DOF do seem to be an unnatural and unhealthy obsession on this list at times... Lots of photography is actually often better off without one or the other (or both).

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Agree Tim. But the world is full of those infuriating comments such as "lacks sharpness" which is the basis for my using the term "indoctrinated". Just look at the comments on Domenico's current POW. There's a lot of people, viewers and photographers both, that can't get past the infinite sharpness doctrine.

 

By the way, glad to see someone from the LF community get a POW. Congratulations Domenico.

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Bravo to both photographers. We stress materials and technique so often that we sometimes forget the goal of all this is to share our vision with others. Both images present excellent interpretations of subjects. And as others have commented/suggested, we know the work put in to create an image that seems as if no work was done at all!

 

Bob

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Ken, its straight sepia toning using Kodak Sepia II toner. This particular print was about 1 stop overexposed, so I left it in the bleech until all the black was gone. Paper is Adorama RC which seems to be more receptive to toners than Ilford RC is.
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Interestingly, I have a friend that uses tilts and swings to place most of the image out of focus, leaving just a small portion in focus. It makes very intriguing photos, although, if overdone, the technique takes over and overrides the interest in the image.
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The above shot was taken with the camera positioned about 2 feet off the ground so that the little map was about 1 foot away. The amount of front swing used can only be regarded as absolutely ridiculous - but it was necessary in order to have the centre of the monument in focus along with the monument's image on the map. A measure of front rise is also used to maintain verticals. Focussing would have been impossible if it hadn't been such a bright sunny day. I took the same photo at f32, but I think if things are going to be out of focus then it is better to do it properly ;-)

 

When the photo is much larger it is apparent that the map is one of those that show 'you are here', except this map confused everyone who looked at it because it is drawn facing north but is physically facing due south...

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<p>The f/64 ethic has a certain basis in human perception. (Don't think I'm against images that use shallow depth of field.) The human eye, according to what I've read, is a 15mm f/2-10 system, thus the great depth of field of the human eye. In addition when we survey a scene composed of near and far objects we constantly move our eye focus from one place to another and thus perceive a greater depth of field than the optics of the eye suggest. This is the reason so many fine landscapes with near and far objects in sharp focus are so uncanily "real" feeling, and why small areas of bokeh (or schmuckle as I prefer to call it) on otherwise sharply focused images can be distracting.</p>

 

<p>Aesthetic observation of the moment from <a href="http://www.sciencething.org/photos/photos.html">Blatant Plug</a></p>

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Nice image Domenico. The use of selective focus predates the f64 mantra of sharp all over. But too often it is used whitout regards to it's effectiveness. Just to use the technique does not validate it's use. There should be some reason it is used. To isolate the subject or a protion of the scene is the oft sighted reason. But also it can be used a negative space. Or positive space. Or to reinforce an abstraction. Just another of those "tools" that schools teach. And another method copied from old. Where is the "new" stuff? I don't think there is much "new" stuff out there. But the "old" stuff, like Domenico's is thriving and very nice. Love the tones. Bet the print is better.
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  • 7 months later...

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