Search results for: 'i both of light'

Starting Out As a relative newbie there is a lot I still don’t know or understand the history of photographic film types and the various process do’s & don’ts.  I’m OK with this and let me tell you why. There are countless books, articles and resources to help me learn as well as a very supportive film community.  It is important that I do my homework but it is also important I don’t let all this information overwhelm me. Learning For me the main and only way to learn is time behind t...

Zone focusing is arguably one of the quickest and most effective methods of focusing your camera. With a little forethought, practice and pre-visualisation of your shot, it's a method that can reduce problems like shutter lag. Ensure your images are sharp every time. And help you take photos more surreptitiously. It doesn't rely on automation and, in most cases can be put into practice before you've brought the camera to your eye. I believe it's a core skill and a method that everyone who takes photograp...

At the time I got back into film again I happened to be taking an evening course in portrait photography at a local college. The usual mix of Canon & Nikon shooters with a mirrorless Sony thrown in for good measure. As usual, we were chatting about our weekend shoots and (obviously) latest purchases. When I said that I had bought a Nikon FE and some film (it was Ilford Delta 100) you could have heard a pin drop. So while we shot our various lighting setups with our D610s, D800s, Canons etc I would o...

A little background I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela.  My chosen field of study was production engineering, but was I taking photography classes in the evenings and began working for a super cool magazine called Urbe, which is a bit like what Vice is in the UK now. I quickly became the chief photographer shooting all kinds of amazing and interesting people, and it was then that I knew that this is what I wanted to do with my life. Looking back it was quite an interesting time - I’d be learnin...

Sharing my skills I’ve recently started working as a lecturer on BTEC and HND photography courses at Swindon College. A job which I’m enjoying immensely.  Teaching was something I’d never considered before, until I started helping friends who were studying on the same BA Photography course as me.  I enjoyed helping them but most of all I enjoyed seeing them understand and use the skills that I’d shown them. I now teach mainly 16 – 20-year-olds, which is enormously satisfying. Watching thei...

Nolton Haven Technical info Film Used FP4+ Format 35mm Camera Nikon F2 Lens 20mm F3.5 AI. 25A red & 2stop ND filters. Exposure time 30seconds Other equipment Manfrotto tripod, Weston Lightmeter. Location Nolton Haven is a small narrow bay on the Pembrokeshire coast in West Wales.  It sits between the two much larger beaches of Druidstone and Newgale. Its characteristic feature are its two almost near symmetrical headlands.         Firstly, tell us the...

Tranquility Alan Brock searches for a sense of calm in his images. He shares how he achieves it below Technical info Film Used: Delta 100 Format: 4x5 Camera: Intrepid 4x5 II Lens: Nikkor 180mm f/5.6. Shot at f/45 Exposure time: 40s Other equipment: Gitzo 1545T Tripod Location:  Parksville Lake Tennessee     Firstly, tell us the story behind this image. What inspired you to shoot it? I like to search for a sense of calm in my images.  In a lot of ways this fits my...

It is my opinion that some photographers mistakenly regard ILFORD HP5 PLUS and its predecessors to be a somewhat cheaper, lower quality response to Kodak’s Tri-X. I hope to demonstrate in this review that this assumption simply isn’t the case. There’s much more to HP5 PLUS than meets the eye – something that regular shooters of this film will be more than aware of (you folks can leave now, nothing new here). For those of you who haven’t shot this film before, this review will give you my tak...

An experiment in chemical possibilities When I took up a camera after a few years’ hiatus in 1990, I was surprised to discover that I could no longer get a black & white film developed through the nearest camera shop, never mind through the local pharmacy.  If memory serves, I was told it would cost $40 for a single film. Naturally, I returned to processing my own film just I had done when I first took up a camera in the early 1970s. The world had moved on, and colour film was the default medium f...

For the love of it all I’ve always had a love affair with black and white photography. I don’t know if it stems from the excitement of watching my first print emerge under the glow of a safelight, or that using texture and shape can make a barren scene look beautiful. Maybe it’s both. They say love makes you a better person. I think the same goes for the relationship between film and photographers. Trust & Understanding There’s a certain level of trust and understanding that goes on betwee...