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                       Richmond, Indiana.

El Station

                       Chicago, Illinois 

Black and white photographs seem "just right" for an Indiana Winter's day.  Gray overcast sky with a steady rain.  Good time to be indoors working with film and digital files in the darkroom/lightroom.

Will be working more and more with black and white film in the coming months.  Forces a slower approach to photographing and a more careful composition. 

Digital seems to call for taking many photographs followed by long hours in selection and post processing.

As always - click on image to enlarge.                              

Factory

                                Richmond, Indiana

Tracks

Image started as a 35mm colored slide.  In the darkroom the slide was enlarged to a black and white film negative.  We now have a negative which can be used to print - on photographic paper - a positive print.  This is an "old school" wet darkroom way to work.  A lot of time - couple of hours for setting up enlarger projection, getting correct exposure, processing, and drying film. Then repeating the steps with the film negative and photographic paper to achieve the final result - a print.   

Using a digital workflow, begin by scanning the slide and saving the result to a computer. Opening the digital file, using Photoshop software, the scanned positve slide is sized, sharpened and finished.  The digital file is printed using an ink-jet printer. Time required from start to print - less than an hour. 

Yes, the two prints - analog / digital - differ.  No, one is not better than the other - just different.  Which way to work is a maker's choice. Which print to choose is a viewer's choice. 

Monday Morning Coffee: Take 4 - Aim and Push

"No photographer is as good as the simplest camera."

                                                                         - Edward Steichen

The parking lot image was photographed on 35mm film with a plastic Ansco Vision I camera. Simple tool that cost about $5.00. Fixed shutter speed; fixed lens opening and focus free-i.e. fixed focus. Two choices- where you stand and when you push the shutter. Aim, push the shutter release and that's it.

In this case the camera was loaded with infrared-film - the reason for the red filter pasted over the lens.

These days you can spend some $7,000 (Leica M9) for a camera.  That will buy a lot of Ansco Vision cameras.  Now with the Vision I you also get a built in flash.  The Leica doesn't offer that!

 Not suggesting that you stop using your Leica/Nikon/ Canon/.......  cameras.  No they offer many choices and are able to produce fine images.  They offer a photographer more control of the final image. A photographer can craft an unique image by using focusing, various lens openings and  shutter speeds.

Every now and then, put away the expensive camera, pick up something simple and take a "walk about".  When photographs appear, aim and push.

Games with Planes

             
                 (click on image to enlarge)

Winter Light

A very cold early winter morning in a downtown urban area.  (click on image to enlarge)