JAcob Aue Sobol BW technique

[vizzo1]

<p>Hello,<br>

I don't know if someone can help me. If you saw the pics of Jacob aue sobol on http://www.auesobol.dk/ I would like to know how didi he make the pictures of Tokyo.</p>

<p>Is this bw film?If yes what bw film did he use and which developer to get this grain and this shapes. Is amazing<br>

Thanx for your answers<br>

David</p>

[rustys pics]

<p>If I had to guess I'd say this is 35mm Tri-X developed in Rodinal. Likely over exposed or over developed to get the high contrast look.</p>

[john_stockdale2]

<p>I've worked for years to avoid this look. No criticism of the photographer is intended. As Russ suggested, a high degree of development would give contrast like that. If it were Rodinal, it would not have been very dilute (because dilute developer helps to avoid high contrast). Tri-X is a film that can produce high contrast (compared to, say, HP5+ which tends not to).</p>

<p>You could look at manufacturers' web sites to see which film/developer combinations are capable of high contrast, often shown as graphs of gamma/time. The Kodak pdf for Tri-X appears to show that TMax-RS developer gives the highest contrast with Tri-X (of their pictorial developers). But there exist developers for graphic arts that give huge contrast, and you could investigate them.</p>

 

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Interesting stuff. I Googled and spent about an hour viewing his website and half a dozen or so blog posts around the web.</p>

<p>As best I can tell, he used an ordinary compact camera for the <em>Sabine</em> project. Apparently his goal was to integrate himself into the culture so he modified his approach to suit the fact that he wasn't just observing but was actually working and living in the community.</p>

<p>I can't find any mention of film, processing or printing technique but it's nothing unusual. It appears to be pretty much what you'd get with Tri-X in Rodinal, or any other fast film with grainy development and printing technique.</p>

<p>What makes his photography remarkable is not his choice of camera, film or darkroom technique. It's his approach to photography and choice of subject matter and composition. There's an intimacy in his approach that at times is a bit awkward and uncomfortably similar to teen angst social networking type photography, the stuff you might now see on Myspace or Flickr (altho' his Sabine project pre-dated the web social networking photo aesthetic by several years). Often when someone on these forums asks about film and processing technique related to a photographer whose work they admire, the choice of materials and darkroom technique is largely irrelevant. Most of those photographers would produce the same type of work with just about any comparable film and development.</p>

<p>However, if you wish to approximate that technique, get some ISO 400 film, expose it at 800, give it about 25% longer development than for normally exposed and developed 400 film. Tri-X, HP5+, doesn't matter, just push to 800. Rodinal, Neofin Blue, even D76 at 1+3, doesn't really matter. Print a bit harder if needed, for the equivalent to grade 3-5 magenta with variable contrast paper. The rest is up to technique while taking the photos.</p>

[vizzo1]

<p>Well Lex,</p>

<p>first to say I love Jacobs work and the technique used for his pics is the right in my eyes. Nevertheless the ideas you proposed here I already did. I pushed trix to 1600 ASA and devloped it in Rodinal 1+25 so the less diluted and developed to 24 degrees. Nevertheless this even is next to the results. It looks like this solarisation technique sometimes but yeah anyway, thank you very much for your fast answer</p>

[rustys pics]

<p>I think he is also using flash all the time. As Lex pointed out, a small compact camera with a nasty flash is what he is using. I bet an Olympus Stylus Epic, which is a cool little camera and a sharp lens. If you are shooting Tri-X at 1600 that is too fast. This film is seriously overexposed or over developed. Possibly both.</p>

[drew_simons]

<p>No, it wasn't an Olympus. If you go into the Magnum archives of blogs way back, there is an excellent interview with him. If I recall correctly, he uses a Ricoh GR 28mm (film), Contax T3, Contax G2. The first thing that I noticed when I first saw his images was the greenish warm tint that the Zeiss lens can produce in black and white.To be honest, his work doesn't seem overly grainy - it doesn't have that rodinal look about it. I would bet that he is using speed enhancing developer as a lot of his work is shot in low light. Perhaps DDX, microphen or something of that ilk.</p>

<p>That interview was excellent as it demonstrated how he integrated with the locals/culture to procure his shots. He really connected with them at an emotional level. That is why his work appears so familiar. Some have criticized him for moving into areas, forming emotional ties (i.e girlfriend) then breaking up and leaving for his next port of call. This exploitation that some label him with is groundless as not one Magnum member used this to oppose his nominee status. He seems to be influenced by literature (aren't they all) and he based some of his subjects in Tokyo on Murakami's book 'Norwegian Wood'.</p>

<p>He has been around for quite a while now in Magnum as an associate member with his work out there receieving awards&positive reviews and I am surprised that some longer members have just cottoned onto this. Actually, his membership came up for review recently and he was denied full membership. He will have to try again next year. It appears that Magnum is closing the doors with no vacant rooms as there were also no new nominees announced this year.</p>

<p>I was stunned at this announcement, as his follow up essay, 'I Tokyo' garnered much attention with some popular book reviews- this book followed his ground breaking 'Sabine' work. It will be very interesting to see whether his new work in Thailand and Denmark will earn his ticket to full membership at next years Magnum meeting. I will be keenly following this development.</p>

<p>think that apart from the extreme contrast and blown out highlights that spontaneity is the key element to his work. Capturing his subjects in a surreal setting undergoing self-reflection is central to his narrative.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Drew, thanks for the extra research you did and especially for that thoughtful analysis of his work. I really enjoyed reading your comments here.</p>

[fred_obturateur]

<p>***Imho*** :<br /> - he puts form before content (Rodinal, over-ex) and is going against the HCB credo (for whom technique should be invisible)<br /> - worse, he simply recycles the visual style popularized by Japanese photographers of the 70's (ex. Moriyama circa 1971)<br /> therefore it is not surprising he encounters difficulties at Magnum. And RE his popularity I've seen his "Leica Award" book at bargain price (like 10 Euros) recently. Maybe I should get it before it becomes the new "The Americans"...</p>

[Spearhead]

<p>I like his work.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>going against the HCB credo</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Why is the "HCB credo" a requirement for anyone?</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>he simply recycles the visual style popularized by Japanese photographers of the 70's</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It's an odd requirement that he is supposed to follow the HCB credo but not supposed to follow Japanese photographers, isn't it?</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>And RE his popularity I've seen his "Leica Award" book at bargain price</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Given the book market, this is pretty common. I have seen books by Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and, yes, credo or not, HCB in the bargain bins recently.</p>

<p> </p>

[vizzo1]

<p>well finally I find some info:<br>

http://www.auesobol.dk/work/I,_Tokyo/reviews_interviews/pdf/UK_-_Interview_with_Jacob_Aue_Sobol_-_by_Miranda_Gavin_-_Katalog.pdf</p>

 

[eric_perlberg]

<p>Time passes...<br>

Just to add to the comment that regardless of camera used Sobol's work would look very much similar... Leica has released a short video on Sobol using a digital Leica Monochrome cam and his work doesn't look any different. You can also see him working in this video. If anyone can tell me his technique for letting total strangers who hardly speak English or Danish let him into their personal lives to the extent that he photographs lovers in bed I'd love to hear it...<br>

It must be stressful because there is one place in the video where he says he wakes up in the morning dreading having to face his photographic day. </p>