richard palmer

Ivan,

 

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You should really post links to your other portfolios, I am obviously

not as nosy as Lutz, but he is right there is much more to your sense

of space, quiet and tranquility that I get from looking at some of

your other images in combination. I am actually quite inspired by

your work.

Ivan,

 

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Here is my opinion for what it is worth! I think you have a good

aesthetic: for shape and space, but I would like to see somehow more

of a feeling of involvement in these spaces [a wider lense used

perhaps?]. The quiet and tranquility of the man made concrete spaces

is captured but I need to feel more like I am there/involved.

Peter,

 

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Just found your semiotics section. This is fantastice I love it, The

relationship of space and colour here is fantastic: so how come I

don't like your portraits?

Thanks Peter and Jeff, for your honest thoughts, I do love a debate.

I agree with your comments in some respects and I too think I need to

find some way to engage with the subjects more in the way others have

noted, thanks for the reinforcement.

 

The thing I really love about photography is the subjectivity....I

just had a look at your web site Peter, and I'll be honest it is not

for me; no subtlety, and all a bit contrived in my subjective

opinion. So I'll take your advice but not try to corrupt it by my

indivdual opinion of your work, thanks again.

I personally have found Tmax3200 err, well err CRAP, I actually quite

like it if there is lots of light it is surprisingly small grained,

but in low light with wide apertures I think it sux: huge grain size

apparently with very little contrast, I need to print at grade 5 and

it is still 'grey'. Delta 3200 is a bit better, but for me Fuji

neopan 1600 pushed 1 stop or as is. I always get more punchy

printable negs in very low light conditions. It may be that it is

just more tolerant of my poor exposures.......

Thanks for the responses, and Lutz thanks in particular, your advice

is meaningful. I have a problem with photography, in that I really

only see the composition in the viewfinder, but feel sometimes a

little intrusive or self conscious in situations where I see a

situation/environment/interaction that I am inspired by. The recent

interst in shooting form the hip is a trial, but really I currently

only see in the finder.

The bed shot was taken with a very slow film and so lasted about 1/2

a second, I knew it would not be sharp and was waiting for some

movement from my girlfriend. I loved the image and composition: the

relationship she had to the sheets, the sense of morning and

whiteness. she saw me 'eyeing' her panicked, and moved the sheets

over her immediateley. I just pulled the trigger.......nothing was

planned.

Oh the girl and statue is a shot that I saw as walking past, this was

very lucky really cos I had not got the camera prepared. I went back

and timed my walked in the opposite direction to the man and grabbed

it on my second pass. I was in Germany at the time and did not know

how they would take it if I made the camera obvious. The first shot

would have been better as she was actually talking to the statue!

Just to let you know, all the images are sort of grabbed, there is

absolutely nothing posed, all are full frame. My techniques is to

prefocus and pre expose and then shoot, usually refocusing. Or if it

is people that I know then I just keep taking my camera to my eye

and 'pestering' whilst still talking to them and after a while they

just forget the camera is there. The wedding shot was achieved with

careful use of the elbows.... This was part of a 3 shot where the

first image has no confetti with the man to the right of me holding

his hand out the base of the frame, this kiss shot second and a final

after kiss laughing shot. I would have put them all in but for me

they are a bit cliche. My favourite I think is the smoking man and 2

girls, this was my very first attempt at shooting from the hip, I

walked up to these people and made like I wanted to speak to them,

clicked the photo smiled and walked past...oohh what a buzz. Thanks

for all the comments.

I enclose a link <A HREF=http://www.photo.net/photodb/presentation.tcl?presentation_id=109646>Thoughts</A> to some of my more recent photos, I would love some of your comments, really as a way to improve. I have chosen these for the simple reason that they all make pause and think when I look at them, and not necessarily in a way that is literally linked ot the image. I would love your thoughts......

Wow two ends of the spectrum...My question could be answered by

anyone who scans negatives regularly I believe. I understand pixels

image size etc. I have used photshop for a number of years etc. My

question really is related to useful tips for scanning, eg it is

better to scan at full resolution and resize in photoshop, use which

type of jpeg compression for monochrome, when you resize it is better

to do it in 2 bites rather than one. Make sure you increase chroma

bla bla bla etc. Also jpeg files are already compressed bu this seems

like my only scan option with the dual scan, does anybody on this

forum use one. If nobody uses or is interested in scanning they

should not really have got to this link.

Phil,

 

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I don't believe you I thought this forum new everything about

everything....Does it help if I took the negatives with a Leica.....

I have a Minolta Digital Dimage Dual and am trying it for the first time, and I seem only to be able to scan Jpeg as they seem to be already compressed. I am scanning in Photoshop. Also a bit of advice on how to get the best images for use on the web would be very helpful. I do not intend to print from digital.

 

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Thanks in advance for all the help I know you will give...

Thanks very much for all your help, you are all such clever

cookies.....

I read the link on EV, and does this make sense EV0 is f1 for 1

second at 100 ASA.

 

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I tend to use f2.8 at say 1/15 with say 1600 ASA. Which would equate

to EV-3+4+5=EV6 Does this seem correct?

If I want to measure light in a candle light room how low is this? EV

what? any knowledge would be useful.

Lets hope that digital does not kill quality as it did in Hi-Fi...I

still keep vinyl and old valve amps. 2 fingers to digital. Here are

some ramblings... We are taught to think scientifically and logically

in most of our education, and this amounts to measure and yes/no

decision. Digital is exactly that on/off. We are in danger of loosing

some of the qualities that everyone feels but few believe or consider

deeply, if we continue down the digital path alone. Analogue please.

Please can somebody recommend a small and simple light meter that I can use with my M6. The need is for when I am taking shots from the hip and I do not want to raise the camera to eye level to re-meter if the light changes. Ideally something the size of a cigarette lighter...I never use flash and do not want 300 functions, just the one thanks....

I too was sceptical about the cost of this and how useful it is. Let

me explain briefly my experiences. Previously I actually hated

printing, I loved the results, but hated the time end effort to do it

and all the wasted paper. I also felt that i never actually or rarely

got a perfect print. Now I love printing, I am almost addicted...Most

of the prints are right first time. Now do not think that you just

hit the button and the machine does all the work, you learn how to

best use it as a tool. I have now what I consider a preferred offset

on the time, and I know what and how to scan. The unit for me is also

extremely educational and allows me to print images I would have

previously neglected. My advice...for what it is worth...buy one, if

you really don't like it you can sell it. How many people do you

think are waiting to get a second hand option......

Obviously the overall 'quality' of a lense is apparent in the images

that result, [ignoring all of the many other variables]some of these

qualities are more easily 'measured' than others. Sharpness in plane

and the out of focus rendition are at either end of the measurable

scale....for this reason the out of focus rendition is classed as

subjective and the sharpness in plane as objective. You may wish to

have a slightly softer look in portraits, and therefore dislike

images that are too sharp in plane, and this would be classed as a

subjective decision. You could also view a lens as being objectively

too sharp, but this would be somewhat maverick. Many consider the out

of focus performance to be unimportant, probable because it has no

standard of measure. I consider it to be very important because it

contributes to the final image. Good bokeh maintains contrast and

tonality and has a smooth transition in the manner of our own visual

depth of field. I believe it supports the impression of a 3

dimensional quality. I believe this is what differentiates Leica

lenses form others. All Leica lenses to not exhibit this quality

equally however. In my opinion the latest ASPH lenses have an overall

quality that is worse than those that came before, and this is with

objectively measured improvements in the plane of focus. My advise is

to take the opportunity to look at/take as many pictures at wide

apertures and make your own judgement.

Some very nice pictures, exactly what photography is all about for me.

I bought mine in the UK from RH Designs near Hemel Hempstead. I paid

650 GBP including VAT. http://www.rhdesigns.co.uk/ It took 4-5 days

to come through from Germany. My understanding is that it is quicker

to get one of these for the V35 as it is the most popular

application. Where are you in the UK, you could come and try it if

you like?

I always know what film I am shooting sorry.....

I use a beard 2 blade cos it is what came with the enlarger when I

bought it second hand. It is fine, I tend to print 8x12 these days on

9.5x12 paper which mean I miss the left hand border and right hand

border and then trim top and bottom. Why paper is not avaliable with

the 24x36 aspect ratio I do not know. Who the ......uses 8x10 without

trimming, I will not buy this size as I feel like I am supporting

some sort of conspiracy.....

Well I received and used my new split grade timer for the V35 and I am thoroughly impressed. WOW. If you like me have a high expectation of your prints and a low patience to get there this is for you. It is also VERY educational in a way I had not expected, I now understand so much more about obtaining a good print that I am happy with in just two evenings printing! The non linear behavious of soft to hard grades is unbelievable, I simply would have never tried some of the settings that are proposed. Instead of 6 'good' prints and 20 throws in an evening I am now getting 15 stunning prints and 10 'good'. My standards and expectations have improved and i am for once impressed with a product.

Have you taken the film out and rattled the camera? I did the same

thing with paranoid rattle problem and realised it was the film

canister...der. Hope yours is the same. I would get the camera

checked over in any case but my thoughts are that it will be fine.

See if you can keep the camera in something a little energy absorbent

most of the time as this will significantly reduce the shock loading,

just to make you feel bad peak accelerations of a 1.5 foot drop of a

steel ball on a steel plate will be in the 1000s of g.....[To be fair

though this is a shockwave that will not have a very long duration]

Good luck and remember a few small scrapes on the camera will make

you more likely to take it out if you would normally feel worried,

and reduce the resale value. Both of which translate to using it more

often, and for longer.......and that is what really counts. The M6 is

a great object, but only BECAUSE of what you can do with it, and how

it inspires you to do it.

I agree HP5+ has a wondeful tone [printed on ilford warmtone paper].

I use FP4 in bright light situations so I can control the aperture. I

have found Neopan 1600 good at this and 3200. I think Tmax3200 and

delta 3200 are crap in very low light [sorry to any fans] I am trying

Tri-x, but I think I will end up using HP5 the most, pushed to 1600

if necessary it is still very good, Neopan at this speed just has

more punch and range, but with more obvious grain.