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.

Dry plate negative

Description - what you see
This dry plate negative image was taken on what appears to be a sunny day. In this image we could see various groups of people in different series of moments enjoying time at the beach. The garments they are wearing in this scene could be set in the 1950s – 1960s.

Intention - what you think the photographer intended
I think that the photographer intended to capture a fun day at the beach. By placing his focus on the foreground we could see the happiness expressed by his principal subjects. The framing of this image and the various poses captured all the way to the foreground intensifies the feeling of well being.

Interpretation - your reaction to the photograph
I like this image because of the deep depth of field. You can see distinct people enjoying themselves at the beach from the subjects in the foreground to those in the background.

Evaluation - your assessment of the images success
In general I believe this image is a success. It is well balanced and the composition transmits a warm feeling.

My pinhole camera

PROCESS

For my pinhole camera I used was 8 inches in length and 5 inches wide. The size of the box determined that the pinhole camera would be a wide angle and use a photographic 5 X 7 paper size. The next step was to make sure that the sides of the box were sealed properly so that no light would enter except through the pinhole. I then proceeded to paint the inside of the box and lid completely black and to let them dry. On the lid I made a hole big enough to stick a small piece of brass where the pinhole would be made.

Through different calculations demonstrated in the previous diagrams I was able to establish the focal length (55), the size of the pinhole (0.3), the f/stop (183), and the exposure on a sunny day (f/16 = 32 sec).

Once all the details were finalized I was ready to test my pinhole camera. My first shot was taken on a very cloudy and rainy day. Once I had decided on the composition I wanted for my first test I let my photographic paper exposed for 8 minutes. My paper negative was later developed in the darkroom at school and scanned into a 16 bit image. This image was inverted and turned into a positive. I then changed the image into an 8 bit and was able to save it as a JPEG file.


WHAT WORKED

Through the examples demonstrated in class I was able to see and understand step by step the process. I was than capable to apply that process to build my own pinhole camera which took one class period to achieve. During the next class, I loaded my camera in the dark room with photographic paper. I adjusted my exposure calculation for a cloudy day and took my first shot with my pinhole camera at the college.


WHAT I DISCOVERED

The process is different from what I am use to with my DSLR camera. What I mean is that it is a lot easier with a DSLR to frame and get the composition I am looking for. Therefore, it is always possible to make different adjustments in my menu to obtain the appropriate settings for the different types of light patterns.

Although, working with a pinhole camera made me stop, think, and take my time when it came to framing my composition, I only had one photographic paper inside the camera and therefore one shot.

WHAT I WOULD DO NEXT TIME
I would like to have more photographic paper with me and change it on location without having to go back to the darkroom. Furthermore, I would make myself a light proof pocket that would allow me to change my photographic paper on location and keep the ones already exposed in a safe place.

Tintype

Description - what you see
It’s a tintype photograph by Robb Kendrick of three cowboys in their apparels and habitat. All three men have very relaxed poses and are leaning against what seems to be a metallic wall. In their surroundings we could also see a dog laying at one of the cowboys’ feet and a horse standing nearby.

Intention - what you think the photographer intended
I think the photographer intended to give us a taste of the different facades of a cowboy's life. This feeling is emphasised by the way the composition is balanced. On the left side of the photograph we have stillness (calmness) and on the right side we have movement (agitation).

Interpretation - your reaction to the photograph
I like this photograph very much. From looking at the image, I get the impression that the moment captured could have been taken in a different epoch even though this image was taking recently.

Evaluation - your assessment of the images success
I believe that this image is a very successful one. Kendrick was able to capture the different ingredients and the essence of the cowboy life.

Pinhole Camera (grayscale)

Foot Bridge in the Mist - 4x5 Film Pinhole Photograph

I was able to find the picture of a “Foot Bridge in the Mist” through an image search for a pinhole camera photograph in Google.

This black and white picture was taken with a “4 x 5 film pinhole camera”. It is the view of a suspended bridge on a rainy and foggy day. The rails, fences, cables, and the reflection of the rails give a strong rhythm to this image. The use of a deep depth of field keeps the image in focus and forces us to look far and deep into the image.

I believe the photograph wants us to stop, look, and imagine how far the bridge goes. The foggy weather does not allow us to see the end of the bridge; we can only imagine the rest without certainty.

When I first looked at this picture I thought that the image looked perfectly symmetrical and that I was being shown where to draw the perfect line to find the middle. As my eyes followed that imaginary line and the rails into the back of the picture it created a great vantage point effect.

In my opinion this picture is a successful one. The photographer was able to achieve the vantage point effect he wanted to create by using symmetry and rhythm, thus, producing a visual effect that helped me march to the unseen.

Cyanotype

The solution is obtained by mixing the chemicals ferric ammonium (20%) and potassium ferricyanide (8%) into distillated water.

This solution is applied to the surface of a watercolour paper and is left to dry in a dark room. Once the watercolour paper is completely dry, any type of material can be added on top of the surface.

When exposed to an ultraviolet light like the sun, the watercolour paper will change gradually into a dark grayish colour. An imprint of the material used should be seen on the surface of the watercolour paper.

The print is rinsed with running water until no more solution is washed off and then submerged into hydrogen Peroxide 6% solution of the standard 3% until the print turns into a dark blue colour. The print will be washed for a second time and left to dry.

What worked?

I applied the solution previously mixed on my watercolour paper and let it dry. Once the paper was totally dry I placed a leaf on the surface and set it on the floor directly into the sunlight. Once the watercolour paper turned gray I took it back indoors and made sure that it was not exposed to the indoor lights. I washed my paper with water until I could no longer see color in the water and submerged it into hydrogen peroxide. I washed the print for a second time and hanged it to dry. I could partially see the form of the leaf I used.

What you discovered?

That it is possible to obtain a form of exposure without the use of a camera.

What you would do next time?

I would make sure that my watercolour paper is well exposed into a direct ultraviolet source. It will prevent moving the watercolour paper to a different location during the exposure process.