{"id":3721,"date":"2020-09-13T15:08:09","date_gmt":"2020-09-13T20:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/siskinphoto.com\/blog\/?p=3721"},"modified":"2020-09-13T15:08:09","modified_gmt":"2020-09-13T20:08:09","slug":"practice-test-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siskinphoto.com\/blog\/?p=3721","title":{"rendered":"Practice, Test & Play"},"content":{"rendered":"
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New house<\/p><\/div>\n

I don\u2019t suppose it\u2019s news that I\u2019ve retired, at least it\u2019s not news to me. Also, I\u2019ve moved to a place just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. I should say that life is very, very good out here. Anyway, that being said, I wanted to say a few things about what I\u2019m doing photographically right now. As I\u2019ve finished up the Courting Chaos project, closed the studio and stopped teaching, there are not a lot of things pushing me to do photography anymore, and, at the same time, I\u2019m not trying to find any commercial work. That used to take a lot of time. What I am doing is working with black and white film and a few interesting cameras. I feel very good about doing this; it\u2019s a kind of re-invention, or maybe, a return to my roots\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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In order for me to get my film chops back, so to speak, I need to do the simple basic things that any photographer needs to do, especially when they aren\u2019t being pushed form the outside: practice, play and test. I wanted to write a little about these things today. <\/span><\/span>I think the first time I heard about photographers practicing was when I went to Nikon School. I was selling cameras in Santa Barbara at the time, if memory serves. What they suggested was focus practice. Back in the days of 35mm film SLR cameras focus practice was very important. I remember that they stressed learning to focus anywhere on the screen, not just using the split image. The fact was that they were right: focus practice does make you a better photographer. Of course, if you\u2019re using an auto focus camera it\u2019s different; you need to stay aware of the point or points the camera is focusing on, and how that fits your image. Also, modern digital cameras have so many menus and useful features that it helps to practice using any feature that you like that you don\u2019t often use. One great thing about practicing with a digital camera is that you can take actual pictures to get feedback on your practice, practicing with actual film could get pretty expensive.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve been working with a couple of cameras and with processing equipment, so I needed a lot of practice. It seems a little strange to me that the first camera I started to practice with was the Toyo 810M. Strange because this is one of the most difficult cameras to work that I\u2019ve ever used. It\u2019s an 8X10 metal field camera, so it weighs a LOT. As I mentioned above, working with film can get expensive, especially when each piece of film is 8X10 inches! I suppose I wanted to start with this beast because I knew that if I could work with that everything else would be easier. Then, of course, not only do you need to shoot this huge film; you need to process it! I\u2019m using a Jobo processor. I got an 8X10 film reel that fits my tank and hold 3 pieces of 8×10 film. However just having this stuff doesn\u2019t mean that you can actually load the reel in total darkness and get through a film run successfully. The processor makes it lot easier than running 35mm film in a metal tank: with inversion agitation every 30 seconds\u2026 However, it does help to have practice in running the processor. Also, there\u2019s a lot of stuff you have to arrange to process film.\u00a0 I had to build a darkroom and get plumbing to my sink! And, it\u2019s important to know where you\u2019re going to dry the film before you start! Every time you build a new darkroom, and I\u2019ve built a few, there are a huge number of little details to be worked out.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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But there are more details than just processing to worry about. Just composing an 8×10 camera is a little tricky. You\u2019re working on an image that is upside down and backwards. It\u2019s often difficult to see the image, especially if wind is blowing your dark cloth around. Depending on the lens the image can be tough to see. Lenses with smaller stops, and wide-angle lenses are tougher to see. I did get a new fresnel lens for the camera, which is helping. It\u2019s also good to practice getting the camera onto the tripod; not only is the camera heavy it\u2019s very awkward. I\u2019ve purchased a couple of lenses for the big camera recently, so I needed to understand how they see and how they work. Of course, you can look through a lens and know a lot about the way it sees, but you know a lot more if you shoot film with it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve also practiced with a couple of medium format cameras. I\u2019m trying to find a medium format camera that I want to stick with, but it\u2019s tough to find something that meets my standards. First I\u2019d prefer to work with the 6x9cm format. Obviously I like big negatives, but I also like that this format has the same ratio as 35mm full frame film. This cuts out a lot of popular cameras, like the Hasselblad (6x6cm), my beloved Mamiya C330 (6x6cm), the Mamiya RB and RZ (6x7cm) and the Bronica, Pentax and more. In fact, most of what it leaves you with are press cameras made in the late 1950s and 60s. Actually not such a bad thing, most have rangefinder focusing and they\u2019re pretty cheap. I\u2019ve tried out the Koni-Omega, the Horseman, the Graflex and the Mamiya Press. All of them have their advantages, but right now I\u2019m using the Mamiya. There are a couple of reasons: first the Mamiya has the widest lens I can find for a medium format press camera, a 50mm f6.3. Second, some of the Mamiya Press cameras can use Graflex roll film backs. This is kind of rare, but I have one. I like this because I have a bunch of these backs, and they fit other things I own. Also, they are easier to find than most of the other roll film backs. The actual range of lenses is probably larger than most of the other cameras I mentioned, but the Horseman could take many view camera lenses. The Mamiya has some back movements, sort of like a perspective control lens for a digital camera or a standard view camera. The back also allows some macro work not available with the other cameras. In fact, one of the reasons I don\u2019t like the Koni-Omega, is that it doesn\u2019t have close focusing. Of course, you have to put on a ground glass to focus, but it\u2019s great that the camera has this. Still, there are problems\u2026 These are all metal cameras, so they\u2019re bulky and heavy. With 4 lenses my kit weighs almost 25 pounds. Second, these are old cameras and they often need maintenance. One of the things I\u2019ve had to do is re-calibrate the rangefinder, a job which requires patience. You can\u2019t just run to your local camera store and buy one, you\u2019ll be searching for a while on eBay.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve needed to practice with the Mamiya quite a bit. The rangefinder isn\u2019t very contrasty, so you need to work with it to get the hang of it. The viewfinder is separate from the camera lens, so you need to learn about how the camera actually frames. In addition, the wide-angle lenses require auxiliary viewfinders, which is a little annoying, maybe a lot annoying\u2026 I needed to practice changing the lenses, too. If I forget to put the dark slide in, I\u2019ve ruined a frame. One other thing that takes getting used to is that there isn\u2019t any double exposure prevention. You need to decide if you\u2019re going to wind the film before you shoot or after, and stick to it! Of course the upside is that you can change film holders in the middle of a roll. Perhaps it just that I\u2019m a person who likes to d things the hard way. I believe there is evidence for that.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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While I\u2019m discuss getting my chops back with various cameras, I should mention the Brooks Veriwide\/Graflex XLSW camera. Both cameras were designed for the 47mm f8 Schneider Super Angulon. The 47mm S.A. was designed as a super wide-angle lens for 6X9cm. I really enjoy working with wide angle lenses, just in case that wasn\u2019t evident. The thing about this camera is that it\u2019s quite simple, lens, with built in shutter; viewfinder; focusing helical; and Graflex roll film back. The result is a fairly small, reasonably light camera, with a huge angle of view. Really nice. Of course, it\u2019s scale focusing, no rangefinder. I suppose I could use the Graflex ground glass back, but that would make the camera much slower to use. The other drawback is that the lens is f8, and doesn\u2019t entirely hit its stride until f16, well no one is perfect.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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I have several other cameras that I still need to practice with. I\u2019ve done almost no work with my Cyclops camera, which shoots 120 film with a moving lens. It makes very large panoramas. Speaking of very large panorama shots I have a Korona 8×20 camera that I need to drag out soon. I really should do a shot in the next few days so I can say I used it during August, after all the date is 8-20. I haven\u2019t used the 11×14 camera since I closed the Courting Chaos project, but I did use it a lot for that project. If you\u2019re counting my cameras there are a lot more\u2026 Keith Richards has three thousand guitars, so I have a way to go.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Now clearly all of this practice is well and good, but practice has its limits. The limits of practice are discovered by testing. Some testing is very easy to understand: all the lenses I\u2019ve been using have leaf shutters, which are inaccurate. Leaf shutters are mounted in the middle of a lens rather than near the film. In addition all old leaf shutters are inaccurate to some degree, and all of mine are old, much like myself. There is actually a phone app that does a pretty good job of shutter testing, if you have old shutters you should find the app. I\u2019ve know a lot of people who do obsessive processing testing. This used to be extremely important. Even as recently as the 1950s and 60s many film emulsions were thicker, which changed the way films recorded light a lot! This has a lot to do with why Ansel Adams and others developed the Zone system. Film recorded low light differently from middle grey and highlights blocked up. There are some films which will still react this way, if you want to experience greater frustration. Modern black & white films, like Kodak T-max and Ilford Delta will handle the highlights much better than say Super-XX; so exposure is easier to manage. In addition, most photo papers are multi-contrast which gives the printer much more control over the way the print looks. Alternatively, you can scan a negative and manipulate it in Photoshop, which gives you much more control over the outcome! You can make a new enlarged negative with a printer and make a variety of different kinds of prints, customizing your negative to fit the printing material. So my goal in testing film is to get a negative with a long scale, many tones between black and white. I\u2019m also looking at the graininess of the film and it\u2019s resolution. So far I like the Ilford Delta 400, but I do want to check more films. While I\u2019m looking at film resolution I\u2019m also examining the resolution of my lenses; all lenses are not created equal. At some time I need to do some writing about the way lenses affect pictures. Many people are fiends for \u201csharp\u201d lenses, however many people interpret contrasty lenses as sharp because they make images that \u201cpop\u201d. Here\u2019s the thing, if you do post processing of your shots with Photoshop it can be better to have lenses with resolution that you like and control contrast in post. I\u2019ve found that I like Goerz lenses, and I have a bunch of them. More on lenses at another time.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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There are some basic tests I shouldn\u2019t ignore: is your camera light tight? Are your film holders light tight? Some of mine were not. It\u2019s important to know where the weaknesses of your gear are. One more test: can you carry the damn camera bag and the tripod without too much suffering\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s the thing, we do all this so that we can PLAY. If we get too caught up in technical details that we forget that photography is way of communicating and documenting. If we aren\u2019t doing any shooting that all the gear and all the knowledge don\u2019t matter. Play means both expressing technical skill, craft, and experimenting. If you don\u2019t make mistakes; don\u2019t walk outside your comfort zone you aren\u2019t really doing anything new. If you don\u2019t express yourself with good craft than people won\u2019t be able to appreciate your images.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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I hope you\u2019ll also check out my books, use the links below:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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One more thing, there are almost 14,000 people registered on this blog. Wow! Thanks everyone.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/form>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I need to do the simple basic things that any photographer needs to do, especially when they aren\u2019t being pushed form the outside: practice, play and test. I wanted to write a little about these things today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,4,19,6,21,14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siskinphoto.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3721"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siskinphoto.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siskinphoto.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siskinphoto.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siskinphoto.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3721"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/siskinphoto.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3721\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3733,"href":"https:\/\/siskinphoto.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3721\/revisions\/3733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siskinphoto.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siskinphoto.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siskinphoto.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}