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Showing posts with label analog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label analog. Show all posts
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Whats old is new again, analog one year later
It's been almost one year ago that I pulled out and dusted off the 4x5 view camera along with some vintage odd camera's and dedicated myself to exclusively creating my fine art images with film again. With this experiment came a renewed appreciation for the craft of photography, which for people who know me, is very important. I've had successes and failures with this "new again" old process of picture making but the successes far exceeded my expectations and I don't see myself going back soon.
My current work flow process is that I photograph my subjects with my 4x5 view camera and then process the film in my crude but functional darkroom. I do have an enlarger and could take the traditional process through to completion but found the print and paper quality of today's inkjet printers makes my work look like a traditional beautiful black and white print. So I scan my film to an old Epson scanner, one sheet at a time, do my minor tweaks in Photoshop and then make a digital print. I'm loving the results and the process.
It's forced me to renew the discipline of the skills I've learned and leave behind the bad habits I've created from shooting digital for the last 12 years. I'm in love with the process, there is no denying that. I feel that the people that step in front of my camera have also come to love the process as well. Some of them never having been captured with film before.
Everything is forced to slow down to make it work. No more rapid fire of model movements. Each pose thought out, tested, rearranged, "yes, that's it"!, perfect, don't move, click. Sometimes I only use the modeling lights on my strobes and my sitter is asked to hold steady for a one, two, sometimes three second exposures. Sometimes I sync to my strobes and capture the moment in a flash.
What I have found through out this past year is that I shoot less but have a higher quantity in ratio to the amount of captures, that are wonderful, usable images. A normal figure study/portrait session consists of capturing 20-30 images and I've found the results and reward to be unparalleled, at least for me, my methods and my desired outcome.
I listen more and see more broadly, fine tuning each detail to be right in the camera. I experience more, I share more, I am seeing through a new set of eyes!
My current work flow process is that I photograph my subjects with my 4x5 view camera and then process the film in my crude but functional darkroom. I do have an enlarger and could take the traditional process through to completion but found the print and paper quality of today's inkjet printers makes my work look like a traditional beautiful black and white print. So I scan my film to an old Epson scanner, one sheet at a time, do my minor tweaks in Photoshop and then make a digital print. I'm loving the results and the process.
It's forced me to renew the discipline of the skills I've learned and leave behind the bad habits I've created from shooting digital for the last 12 years. I'm in love with the process, there is no denying that. I feel that the people that step in front of my camera have also come to love the process as well. Some of them never having been captured with film before.
Everything is forced to slow down to make it work. No more rapid fire of model movements. Each pose thought out, tested, rearranged, "yes, that's it"!, perfect, don't move, click. Sometimes I only use the modeling lights on my strobes and my sitter is asked to hold steady for a one, two, sometimes three second exposures. Sometimes I sync to my strobes and capture the moment in a flash.
What I have found through out this past year is that I shoot less but have a higher quantity in ratio to the amount of captures, that are wonderful, usable images. A normal figure study/portrait session consists of capturing 20-30 images and I've found the results and reward to be unparalleled, at least for me, my methods and my desired outcome.
I listen more and see more broadly, fine tuning each detail to be right in the camera. I experience more, I share more, I am seeing through a new set of eyes!
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| Current ©William Zuback 2013 |
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| Abstract II ©William Zuback 2013 |
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| Quiet ©William Zuback 2013 |
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| Midnight ©William Zuback 2014 |
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| iphone self portrait
I am always looking for interested and enthusiastic sitters to create beautiful portraits. Message me if interested.
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Monday, March 11, 2013
Film, why have I ignored you so long?
It has been about six weeks since I immersed myself completely in shooting film again with my fine art and commission work after over a decade hiatus shooting only digital. I have spent most of my professional life shooting with film but when digital took over, the economics and convenience of it was to much to ignore. Dedicating myself to strictly digital since 2001 has now brought me back full circle. Film; Why have I ignored you so long?
What has the return to film photography meant to me personally and professionally? Film has enlivened a child like enthusiasm to what and how I see again. I am paying closer attention to the details, knowing that I need to get this right, here at the capture stage, because there isn't any fancy post production work that will fix it if I don't.
I have begun capturing my images with a variety of 2 1/4 as well as sheet film camera's. I think I am most enjoying the process of shooting again with a view camera. Dark cloth over the head, loupe on the ground glass, meticulously analyzing all four corners and everything in-between. I have once again fallen in love with the process of photographing people with this large cumbersome piece of equipment. Part of your attention is definitely on the equipment itself because there is so much you need to do prior to capture. I have found though, that this slow methodical process has also created a real openness and clarity when a person is in front of the lens.
It is because of the slowness of set-up and capture that you need to maintain a genuine and honest dialog with the sitter. A dialog that goes beyond the instruction of pose and one more personal and real. You do shoot less, the client doesn't get 50+ images to choose from but you create a real live experience that is wonderful, challenging and rewarding.
What has the return to film photography meant to me personally and professionally? Film has enlivened a child like enthusiasm to what and how I see again. I am paying closer attention to the details, knowing that I need to get this right, here at the capture stage, because there isn't any fancy post production work that will fix it if I don't.
I have begun capturing my images with a variety of 2 1/4 as well as sheet film camera's. I think I am most enjoying the process of shooting again with a view camera. Dark cloth over the head, loupe on the ground glass, meticulously analyzing all four corners and everything in-between. I have once again fallen in love with the process of photographing people with this large cumbersome piece of equipment. Part of your attention is definitely on the equipment itself because there is so much you need to do prior to capture. I have found though, that this slow methodical process has also created a real openness and clarity when a person is in front of the lens.
It is because of the slowness of set-up and capture that you need to maintain a genuine and honest dialog with the sitter. A dialog that goes beyond the instruction of pose and one more personal and real. You do shoot less, the client doesn't get 50+ images to choose from but you create a real live experience that is wonderful, challenging and rewarding.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Analog Photo Seminar
Please consider joined Troy Freund, one of the nicest individuals in the Milwaukee photo community, as he hosts an "Analog Photo Seminar" at Cardinal Stritch University. Even though
most of the photography market has swung to digital capture, there are
still photographers who enjoy film. Troy has invited 3 large-format
photographers to come and present their work and do small demo
shoots for the audience. It looks like an informative and fun event. This event should be of interest to photographers, professional
creatives and people interested in art history and the creative process.
You can visit Troy's blog for more information and to sign up for this very interesting day of photography and networking with others in your profession.
You can visit Troy's blog for more information and to sign up for this very interesting day of photography and networking with others in your profession.
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