Film Vs Digital

Colour

From the final results I am able to determine that there is in fact a difference between shooting film and digital. The colours on the film are much richer, brighter, and cooler. When observing the digital pictures I determined that the colours look much warmer but are less bright.

General contrast

I believe that the contrast from the photographs taken with the film camera are more obvious. It’s easier to see and pay attention to the light tones and the dark ones. I find that those images stand out a lot more than the digital ones.

Latitude (the ability to capture extremes of the tonal range – highlight & shadow information)

In the pictures taken with the film camera it’s easier to perceive the highlights and shadows. I also find that there are more details in those parts of the images.

Sharpness Note: (We will not know if there has been sharpening in the lab scan of the film neg. You might try a bit of sharpening in the image if the negative image is soft to make the comparison more equitable)

I find that the images taken with the film camera are a lot sharper than the digital ones. It makes it easier to pay attention to details in the images.

Resolution of fine detail

The film photographs are clearer and have richer colours. It makes it easier on those pictures to see the details. It seems that those pictures have a higher resolution.

Atmosphere

In my opinion the atmosphere of the film pictures is more serene than the digital ones. The images also seem more vivid and they have a lot more details.

Observation

I am missing one set of pictures (“a bright, contrast sunny scene containing some distinct shadows”) because on the day of the photo shoot we had an overcast day.

Unmade Bed: Imogene Cunningham

Description - what you see
What we have here is a black and white picture of a bed that is unmade. In this picture we can see different layers of sheets that are not set down on the bed. We could also see two pairs of what seem to be hair pins. The first set would be black and the second one metallic.

Intention - what you think the photographer intended

I think that the photographer intended to capture a moment and create a very dramatic mood. Your attention is concentrated mostly on the left side of the foreground because of the lighting. The background is in the dark. Therefore it's a lot easier to notice the two sets of hair pins.

Interpretation - your reaction to the photograph

I don't like or dislike this photograph. My attention is immediate brought to the left side of the foreground and it's hard not to look at the objects on the bed.

Evaluation - your assessment of the images success

I would say that this picture is a success. The photographer was able to direct us with her lighting directly to the left side of the image.

The medium is the message

Description - what you see
For this critique we see two different images that were taken during the great depression of 1929 and produced by the “Farm Security Administration”. In the black and white image we see a woman sitting down. She’s holding in her arm a young infant and a young kid is leaning on her shoulder. They are set up in what seems to be the countryside.

In the second picture we could see a couple and the image is coloured. They are standing in front of a fence and they also seem to be in the country. In the background of the picture we could see a very dramatic sky.

Intention - what you think the photographer intended
I think that the photographer intended with these two images to impact us emotionally. In both pictures we are brought to look directly at the subjects right away and then look at their surroundings. I believe that the background that the photographer used in these two images adds to a feeling of distress.

Interpretation - your reaction to the photograph
I think that the black and white image has a greater emotional impact. The subjects look like they are going through a harder time than the subjects in the coloured one. The soil in the background of the black and white image looks like it’s not fertile. All those elements together add to the distress that this family seems to be going through.

Evaluation - your assessment of the images success
In my opinion I believe that the black and white image is more dramatic looking. I believe that if that same image would be in colour it would not have the same impact that it has in black and white.

cyanotype_crit

Description:

What I see is the impression of many feathers that was made on top of a blue piece of paper by Anna Atkins.

Intention:

I think that the artist intended to demonstrate that it is possible to obtain a print of any object without having to use a camera.

Interpretation:

I like the images of the feathers that were produced on top of the piece of paper. It is also a way for me to see that it is possible to create an image without the use of a camera.

Evaluation:

I think that the images produced on top of the paper are a success because we are able to tell at first glance that they are the reproduction of feathers.

3D_test shot

Pictorialism

Description - what you see

I see a black and white picture of an Native taken by Gertrude Käsebier. In the picture this man is wearing his typical clothing. The foreground in this image is just out of focus which brings a great amount of detail to the subject’s facial expression.


Intention - what you think the photographer intended

As per the web site wikipedia, pictorialism was a photographic movement from the nineteenth century. Their main idea was that photography needed to imitate the paintings of that period. The images produced were black and white or of a sepia tone. They also expressed the artistic point of view of the artist in question.

I think that Käsebier wanted the subject in her image to convey a sensation of enormous self-control. She depicted in her image a noble man of great status by gently blurring the borders of the image and leaving into focus her principal subject. She was able to enkindle that feeling.

Do you see any relationship between the work of the Pictorialist photographers and that of the contemporary photographer Joyce Tenneson?

I think that Joyce Tenneson’s photographic portraits from the “Photo Technologies Resource page” look like old paintings. From looking at the images I get the impression that her models stayed in their poses for a long period of time. Her use of black and whites and sepia tones gives the images a vintage look. I consider Tenneson as a pictorialist photographer.

My paper negative

WHAT WORKED

After setting up the equipment teammates we found different locations on campus to take our shots. I then had the opportunity to manipulate the view camera and frame my compositions the way I wanted. Once I was certain that my first subject was properly in focus I took my shot. I then applied the same principle for my second subject and shot. When I developed the paper negatives I had two images of my subjects that were properly framed.


WHAT DIDN’T WORK

I wasn’t able to block the outside light properly and it made it hard to see the inverted image on the back of the view camera. I thought that my second subject was in focus and that my first subject was blurred and it was not the case. Once the paper negative was developed, scanned, and the image inverted in Photoshop I was able to see that the background was in focus.


WHAT I WOULD DO NEXT TIME

I would try to have a perfect view of the inverted image on the back of the view camera. To achieve my goal, I would probably have with me something that would help me create a light tight environment.


SHOOTING A VIEW CAMERA VS A D-SLR

With a D-SLR camera I am able to take as many shots as are allowed by the capacity of my memory card. I am also capable in a short period of time to try as many angles as I choose. Consequently, shooting with a view camera is more demanding and time consuming but I have to admit gratifying.