ok my first portfolio is up! Critiques?

[eddym]

Pull the film and push process is the formula for lith printing which will give you wicked blacks and good highlight detail.

Anton Corjbin , Startrax book is a good source for this style of printing with dead blacks and great highlights.

Tri X or HP5 rated at 800-1200 , HC110 dilution B , 12 min. is what we recommend.

If you're shooting those films at 800-1200, you're pushing, not pulling. Or did you misspeak in the first paragraph? 12 minutes in HC110B is very close to the times I use for HP5 at 1600 when I shoot dance performances.

 

[archer]

Dear angrykitty;
The Weegee style, direct frontal flash, is a wonderful way to convey immediacy. When I was hired by the Rockefeller campaign, to photograph the Republican convention in San Francisco, it was very much like a wild melee but the lighting was better. I used the reportage style, but to increase the feeling of motion, I combined flash with a very slow shutter speed on one roll and there was enough ambient light to add blur to some of the images. After I was thrown out and my film confiscated, I was sure I'd never see any of those images again but two years later I received an envelop from Arizona and it contained two poorly printed 8x10's from the last roll I shot before the incident and the technique was very successful. I think we know who had my film confiscated and he was a photographer too. God! I wish I had that film now. This might be a useful technique for you to try. I wish I had your energy and the opportunity to start this journey over again. What fun awaits you. You've made a good start. Keep it up and best wishes.
Denise Libby

 

[patrickjames]

Your images are great. I agree with some of the above opinions that the grittier the better. Your website not so much. Get your own space and find an HTML solution. It is so cheap these days to have your own domain there is no reason to use something like you are.

 

[Bob Carnie]

under expose the film ISO to me means pull exposure, and develop at 12 rather than 7min means push process.

I am refering to creating higher contrast dead blacks, that is excellent for lith prints.

If you're shooting those films at 800-1200, you're pushing, not pulling. Or did you misspeak in the first paragraph? 12 minutes in HC110B is very close to the times I use for HP5 at 1600 when I shoot dance performances.

 

[thicktheo]

If we're discussing concert photography, you've got some great crowd photos, one or two good performer photos and I think you'll throw the rest of them away when the next batch of photos comes around. The good photos have succeeded in capturing the raw energy of a punk/hardcore/metal concert in a small venue.

I see no point in going into the technical details, other than agreeing that the grain/grittiness adds to the final image.



ps: I have been doing concert photography for the past three years, I've calculated I've done something like 500 concerts during these three years... and I only do them in digital. I like film but I need the images as soon as possible and with the minimum hassle.

 

[GinaMaree]

So feel free to tear me a new one.... I've been shooting for 4 months.

Any constructive criticism is more then welcome... I very much value the opinions of other photographers, probably more then anyone. I'm new at this so your advice is absolutely appreciated!

thanks in advance for taking the time to look


here she is:

http://www.wix.com/destroiphotography/destroi-photography

Wow, you're photos are awesome--so full of explosive energy. (I had to go out and have a cigarette after looking at them.) Dymanic composition, great flash technique. This is the start of a great project. You've been shooting only four months? After four years, you'll probably have enough solid stuff for a book.

I used to be into the punk and h/c scene in nyc and your photos reminded me of all the awesomeness. (If I was into photography at the time, I think I would've been the first person to spill beer on my camera.)

Don't stress out too much about the quality of film scans. Scanning 35mm on a flatbed will not yield the best results: it exacerbates grain and will not capture the full latitude of the detail and tones in the film. Just get the scans as best you can for web display and work on them further in photoshop with curves manipulations and burning/dodging masking techniques. Scannning prints, for me, is just as disappointing. Never beats seeing a good print in person.

Definately get a better website without annoying adds and better layout. Try flickr before you spend money on webhosting. They now have an option where you can view the photos on black and go through them as a slideshow.

As for a print portfolio, 17 is the magic number and don't go smaller than 11x14. Get a good quality case--a black leather book with sleeves or black clam shell box if you decide not to put the prints in sleeves. Have extra prints for when you need to replace those that get worn out.

My thoughts on viewing your portfolio was that it was much more than just concert photography. It does seem like you are documenting the scene, the emotion, the characters. The most sucessful photos are the ones where there is no distinct line between crowd and band. They merge with each other, feed off each other's energy and anger and exhilaration.

Also have you thought about doing more people shots in addition to the show-centered stuff? I like the photo of the guy with the dog. Maybe adding environmental portraits or other real life scenes will add more of a narrative thread to the series with the show/music as your core foundation.

 

[John Koehrer]

under expose the film ISO to me means pull exposure, and develop at 12 rather than 7min means push process.
.

???????
It's probably just a difference of interpretation but I've only seen pushing referring to increasing the film speed(under expose) and increasing development time. As you have said above.

 

[Bob Carnie]

thats how it means to me and you are right it could mean different things to others.
I managed a E6 lab and push process meant extended time and pull meant under develop.

When shooting for lith , I will rate HP5 ISO for 800 which gives me more speed but if run normal the film would be under exposed. there fore pull.
I then run the 7min dev time to 12 minutes to compensate which I call a push.

???????
It's probably just a difference of interpretation but I've only seen pushing referring to increasing the film speed(under expose) and increasing development time. As you have said above.