Well, here I go walking the tightrope between 2 schools of thought; those who
know it all not wanting nor needing to receive any comment or feedback on their work and those who would like to know more! My comments are based on as I see the images received in this round and remain but my opinion as to their artistic impact & my emotional response upon viewing them. Also, any comment related to the craft employed producing the images is again based on my knowledge and experience of our photographic interest. I am grateful to those teachers in the photo club movement who gave freely of their time and knowledge to help me more fully see, record plus enjoy the photographic opportunities & possibilities around me on a daily basis. My comments are:-
MichaelW: Michael, two very interesting “perspectives” where both rely on a vanishing point to provide depth to the image. The “spakfilla” lady is in a softly, more high key, lighted area and it appears the initial negative may be somewhat under-exposed and/or underdeveloped to render a more detailed higher contrast shadow/highlight ratio. The print, as is, does nevertheless manage to balance the existing tones quite nicely and I do like the choice of the Ilford Warmtone paper to support the ambient lighting temperature quality.
Your shot of the Cell Block Theatre is simply quite stunningly executed... a clean clear print with a wide range of tones. Yes, the paper has probably aged & fogged. The rebate Dmax is a bit lighter than expected. Even so, to render this image using Grade 2 is testament to the fact the negative exposure and development was about “just right”! A truly sparkling print which should look very good printed to a larger size... maybe even worth donating it to the Art School?
Psoul: Tim looking at your print I must agree something is just not quite right... Overall the print has a “muddy” appearance which could be the result of many factors at the time of capture and/or process which contribute to the final print appearance. The location looks very interesting and is probably worth another visit together with your new “love interest” when both can enjoy the uplifting experience of landscape photography? I think it would be fantastic to be in a position to experiment using the old Kodak folding camera – from what I can see there is nothing wrong with the lens! To help you analyse the film exposure/development options have a look
here and then try again. Thank you for participating with us – always good to have a New Zealander on board!
Hoffy: Ashley, a beautiful clean “punchy print”. The subject composition is well rendered. All elements nicely connected and balanced within the frame – also sharp with sufficient detail too... Shadows fall off quickly – a given for the high contrast lighting arrangements normally encountered at concerts... I wonder if “looking for grain” your decision to go with D76 was the right developer for the job? The middle tones really show up the rather consistent inherent grain structure of the film. I have not tried the film yet but will do so down the track – as a measure to prevent or reduce the incidence of my “hand held” camera shake! Sigh...
Kevin Caulfield: Kevin, I’ve had some fun finding some f the more well known landmarks! I have often wondered about the cost benefit of doing the Skydeck but have never had the pleasure... Dusk is a difficult time to get exposures just right – a balance of maintaining some highlight detail while favouring the shadows. In this image you appear to have got very close! I would normally expect a little more grain and contrast than is evident in your shot of Melbourne at that time of day – a good combination it seems the Acros in FX-55? Are you mixing your own FX-55 and if so, any issues mixing part-B into/with part-A prior to use? Overall it is a really clean clear print offering a good look at the city and recession of planes toward the horizon... Nice!
Carriage: Daniel, Love it! A wonderful capture moment – well seen! We have 2 bookends – sorry about that, two people each on their own bench, each sitting as the other in a crossed leg position, each reading the left-hand page, each (nearly missed it), also sitting with their respective carry bags to the side of them and, lastly, each has something protruding from the top of their heads! Perfectly balanced! Initially I pondered the value of the white shopfront awning to the picture but agree with you... leaving it in the picture adds depth to the scene. Maybe, it could still have been printed down a little more. A fine print - well done too!
Oxleyroad: Andrew, a good contrast print having an impactful tonal range. The subject is interesting and appropriately named too! I did a bit of research to discover that not only is this fungi edible the scent is also reputed, although not scientifically confirmed, to be able to induce a spontaneous orgasm in some 40% of women taking the “sniff test”! Interestingly the guys rate the scent as just awful! Back to the print... unfortunately it does not appear as sharp as it could be given the lens used. Hand held – maybe? Another thought is that this is quite a large blow-up of a portion of the negative which has amplified the inherent lack of sharp detail. The print exposure is good, a bit of highlight blowout on the top of the “veil” and I like the subtle warm tones achieved using the paper together with GAF 135 print developer. You may want to try increasing the warmth by adding up to double the amount of bromide in the formula. I also like the fact that you have maintained the 35mm format printing to the 8x10 paper size. The image size on the paper establishes a good border for the image. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to see your different processes, experimentation and creativity...
Tony Egan: Tony, Well seen image composition all the elements are in exactly the right places and in the correct proportion. Interesting also are the differing aged textured surfaces. The print tonal range is just right for this subject. Correctly you mention the lighting on the day... strong rear/side light creates shadows which add form and shape to the structure. I can imagine the interest you created while taking the shot as there can’t be too many people around these days who have any knowledge of the view camera process. I know about it but have never tried to take a photo looking at an upside down image in the viewfinder. So all credit goes to those who use large format cameras... I’m happy to look and learn...
Thank you all for sharing your work with me... Take care,
