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joelcollins

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Posts posted by joelcollins

    Best MF for Portraits

    in Medium Format

    Posted

    I shoot a Pentax 67 with the 135mm macro lens in the studio, usually with Agfa APX 100 b&w film. I own extention tubes for even closer focusing, but have never needed them for portrait work. I am very satisified with the quality of the Pentax -- I have printed up to 36" prints with incredible detail. You can see some of my results here:

     

    http://www.joelcollinsphoto.com

    (look in the "Portraits" section)

    Bronica RF645 Polarizing Kit

    in Medium Format

    Posted

    I just returned from a trip to Peru where I shot 29 rolls of Fuji Velvia 100F 220 with my Bronica RF645. (That's over 850 shots.) For many of these shots I used the polarizing filter kit. The photos taken with the filter look just as sharp as those without -- so I have no problem with the optical quality of the filters. Despite the color shift in the viewfinder that I mentioned in my review above, I didn't have much trouble determining when the filter was set to the right position.

     

    In practice, I quickly realized that there were two filter positions that I was using over and over -- one for vertical shots and one for horizontal shots. For example, 4 might be the vertical setting and 7 might be the horizontal setting. After shooting these two settings over and over, I began to set the filter ring without first having to use the smaller filter on the viewfinder. This sped up my shooting considerably.

     

    I have also realized that there is a trick to removing the filters quickly. Just pull the outer ring away from the lens while you try to unscew the lens -- it's like there's a little catch point and it begins to unscrew.

     

    As for the camera itself, I love that little Bronica RF645 more and more each time I use it. I once went to Japan with a Nikon, 3 Nikon lenses, a Pentax 67, 3 Pentax 67 lenses, slide film and b&w film for both cameras, and a chunky tripod. My camera bag was like a boat anchor. I swore I would never do that to myself again. My quest for light weight, high picture quality, and simplicity led me to the Bronica RF645. On this recent trip to Peru I kept my photographic arsenal as simple as possible -- one camera, one lens, one film. I didn't even take a photo bag, just a regular daypack. At first it seems limiting, but I like the fact that I never have the wrong lens or the wrong film. It alows me to focus on capturing the photo, not dealing with the camera. I came back with so many great shots that now I find editing the pile down to a manageable number is more diffuclt than taking the photos themselves.

    Bronica RF645 Polarizing Kit

    in Medium Format

    Posted

    My polarizing kit arrived yesterday. I took a few shots with it, but I haven't has the film developed yet. So, these are my first impressions only.

     

    The kit consists of a bracket and two polarizing filters: one for the lens and a smaller one for the viewfinder. Each filter comes with its own plastic filter case.

     

    Installing the filter on the lens is simple -- just screw it on like any other filter. To install the viewfinder filter, you first remove the rubberized eye piece from the viewfinder (which is also how you install the diopter eyepieces). Then clip the the bracket over the eyepiece and the front of the viewfinder. Finally, you screw the smaller filter onto the bracket.

     

    To use the filters, you first look through the viewfinder and rotate the smaller filter until you see the desired effect in the viewfinder. The outer ring of the filter has markings (1 - 12). You simply note the setting on the viewfinder's filter and then set the lens filter to the same number. The view finder filter also covers the light meter sensor (which is right next to the viewfinder), so exposure compensation for the filter is automatic. The bracket that holds the viewfinder filter can stay on the camera all the time (it even has it's own rubberized eye piece to replce the original one), so you just unscrew the filters when you don't need them. I accidentally screwed the filters on a bit too tight and had a hard time removing them, but they came off after a few minutes of explicatives. I'll have to remember to avoid overtightening them in the future.

     

    One strange thing that I have noticed is that the color of the view finder's image changes as you rotate the filter. It goes from "normal" to amber tinted, which I find a bit distracting. I found it hard to tell when the filter was set correctly due to this color shift. The instructions that come with the filter kit say that this color change only occurs in the viewfinder and will not affect the image on the film.

     

    Overall, it'a neat little accessory. It does take a few more seconds to use than a polarixing filter on a SLR, but usually I would be using the filters for nature/landscape shots where the "decisive moment" is not an issue. I'll post again if I have any more observations after I've had the film procesed.

    Pregnant women & black background - How?

    in Portraits & Fashion

    Posted

    <p>To place a white figure on a black background, or vice versa, involves the same technique. You must control which surfaces receive light and which don't. A surface of almost any color or brightness can be made to look black or white depending on its illumination and the camera's exposure settings. Perhaps the easiest way to do this is to have a lot of space between the subject and background, then you can blast one object with light, leaving the other one in shadow.</p>

     

    <p>Here are two examples, one of each:</p>

     

    <p>1. Black background, white subject (strobe head in a softbox pointed at the subject, no light on the background):

    <center><img src="http://www.mindspring.com/~jwc3/deane15.jpg"></center>

    </p>

    <p>2. White background, black subject (two strobe heads pointed at the background, no light on the subject):

    <center><img src="http://www.mindspring.com/~jwc3/pregnant1.jpg"></center>

    </p>

    Photo Magazine(s)

    in Leica and Rangefinders

    Posted

    I see two main types of photography magazines out there: gear reviews and (to a lesser extent) photography. Since I already have tons of gear, I prefer the second category. Here are a few of my favorites:

     

    Black and White Magazine -- I have a perscrition, er, subscription to this one. It's actually aimed at collectors of photograhy, not specifically photographers, but it's still a great source for insprirational images. The printing quality is outstanding.

     

    Ameican Photo -- I subscribe to this one, too. Some gear reviews, but they usually have decent interviews with the "hot" photographers.

     

    Photo -- The French verison of American Photo. I can't read very much of it, but the photos are great. They usually have a few at the local Barnes and Noble.

     

    Lenswork -- Nice little book, although the photos seems to be repetitive. How many dusty barns can one look at?

     

    Camera Arts -- I buy one every now and then when the topics interest me.

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