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Post by william on May 18, 2018 8:55:01 GMT -5
I used to dabble in Black & White photography back in the film days. Took a break when digital took over, but eventually gave in and went digital with the rest of the world. Since I retired fairly recently, I've started to devote more time to some of my old hobbies. I exhibit at local galleries and have actually managed to turn this hobby into a (just barely) profitable one. If I could only figure out how to do the same with some of my other "hobbies" (boating, shooting sports, pipe smoking).... I know you guys love pictures of pipes, but I will offer a bit of a change of pace here.  From my "flower" period:  Anchored "oyster" boat near Heron Bay, Alabama. This is the kind of boats used to "tong" oysters. I found this boat in a little canal that runs into Heron Bay. Mobile Bay is in the background.  Confederate Rest in Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile. Fort Bragg's namesake, Braxton Bragg, is buried about 20 feet behind the spot I stood at to take this photograph.  Fort Gaines on the east end of Dauphin Island, Alabama. One of two Civil War era forts guarding the mouth of Mobile Bay. I was amazed at the symmetry of the brick work. This is the southwest bastion. The cannon are overhead from this spot. My family is from this island. My great, great grandfather, who served with the 21st Alabama infantry during what my grandmother used to refer to as "The Late Unpleasantness,"is buried about a mile from this spot.  OK--back to your regularly scheduled programming. |
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Post by Dramatwist on May 18, 2018 9:00:17 GMT -5
...nice stuff... been into photography since I was kid... currently using 2 Leicas...
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Post by zver on May 18, 2018 9:28:46 GMT -5
Those are some very nice shots! I am a klutz with a camera, but I like what I see when others know what they are doing.
Thanks for sharing the pics and history.
Z
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2018 9:29:01 GMT -5
Nice looking B/W photo's William. Really like the one with the boat. Purchased a Konica FT-1 back in Summer of 1984 and had a lot of fun with it, pushing some old Kodak b/w film, and Fuji color films through. Now, its simply my cell phone I use for any photograph today. Not too long ago, I was using the Canon Powershot A2400IS HD...  Ventura Pier, Ventura, CA following a Winter storm that removed a bit of sand... |
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Post by william on May 18, 2018 10:57:45 GMT -5
...nice stuff... been into photography since I was kid... currently using 2 Leicas... Thanks Dramatwist. Leicas are a bit out of my price range for a camera. I do admire them, though. I bought into the Pentax system years ago and have several bodies. The reason I chose Pentax is because they are backward compatible with any lens Pentax ever made (what they call their "K" mount). For $50 or so you can buy wonderful old manual focus lenses online from the 70s and 80s that cost hundreds back then. |
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Post by william on May 18, 2018 10:59:31 GMT -5
Those are some very nice shots! I am a klutz with a camera, but I like what I see when others know what they are doing. Thanks for sharing the pics and history. Z Thanks zver. I grew up in this part of the world (with a shotgun in one hand and a rod and reel in the other). It is a special place to me. |
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Post by william on May 18, 2018 11:02:19 GMT -5
Nice looking B/W photo's William. Really like the one with the boat. Purchased a Konica FT-1 back in Summer of 1984 and had a lot of fun with it, pushing some old Kodak b/w film, and Fuji color films through. Now, its simply my cell phone I use for any photograph today. Not too long ago, I was using the Canon Powershot A2400IS HD... Ventura Pier, Ventura, CA following a Winter storm that removed a bit of sand... Thanks @markinor. That's a nice shot of the pier. You have obviously learned what my hero (Ansel Adams) once said about taking a good photograph. He said a good photographer has learned where to put his feet. Nice perspective.......... |
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Post by Legend Lover on May 18, 2018 11:21:32 GMT -5
I used to be into photography in a big way. Then I started taking wedding photos and that took all the joy out of it. Then when my children came along I had no inspiration. Now and then I would take a photo on my phone, but I'm not into it in the same way. I do miss it though. Those photos so far are excellent... Way above my level of skill. Here are some of a series I did on mushrooms...    And one i took when I did a wedding in England...  |
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Post by william on May 18, 2018 17:48:55 GMT -5
I used to be into photography in a big way. Then I started taking wedding photos and that took all the joy out of it. Then when my children came along I had no inspiration. Now and then I would take a photo on my phone, but I'm not into it in the same way. I do miss it though. Those photos so far are excellent... Way above my level of skill. Here are some of a series I did on mushrooms... And one i took when I did a wedding in England... Very nice @legend Lover. I've never tried the close-up macro stuff--don't have a lens for it. The brown field with the moody sky is more like what I do. I like the contrast between the brown earth tones and the blue sky.... |
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Post by Legend Lover on May 18, 2018 18:48:19 GMT -5
Actually william, the macro photos were taken with a 50mm lens and a +4 macro filter screwed on the front. I would love a macro lens but also don't have the money for one. There are other priorities. |
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Post by Dramatwist on May 18, 2018 19:45:56 GMT -5
...nice pics, good thread guys...
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sablebrush52
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Post by sablebrush52 on May 18, 2018 23:17:47 GMT -5
I've shot quite a lot in years past, mostly for work. This one was for play:  |
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Post by Dramatwist on May 18, 2018 23:31:08 GMT -5
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Post by Legend Lover on May 19, 2018 2:58:12 GMT -5
Nice lamp... Nice book... Nice wall...holy moley 😲... Nice flower. |
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Post by Legend Lover on May 19, 2018 2:59:12 GMT -5
I've shot quite a lot in years past, mostly for work. This one was for play: That's a superb shot. To get that movement without motion blur from the fire breather in such low light is fantastic. |
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Post by william on May 19, 2018 7:20:03 GMT -5
I've shot quite a lot in years past, mostly for work. This one was for play: Wow! That is spectacular. |
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Post by william on May 19, 2018 7:21:43 GMT -5
Very nice. Thanks for sharing the Flickr link. |
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Post by pappyjoe on May 19, 2018 7:28:17 GMT -5
My specialty in the Coast Guard was photojournalist/public affairs specialist so photography was a big part of my career. After retirement, I was editor of a hunting and fishing magazine and still did a lot of photography.
I miss being able to shoot black and white film, do my own processing and printing. The thing with processing is being able to manipulate the processing steps to get more out of the film rather than just loading the film into a commercial processor that is set for average results.
The same with making black and white prints. Being able to alter the exposure on the paper and dodging or burning in the image has become a lost art form as now it's all done by computers.
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Post by Legend Lover on May 19, 2018 7:59:38 GMT -5
It's certainly not taking place as often.
That said, what can be done digitally is amazing.
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sablebrush52
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Post by sablebrush52 on May 19, 2018 15:19:59 GMT -5
I've shot quite a lot in years past, mostly for work. This one was for play: That's a superb shot. To get that movement without motion blur from the fire breather in such low light is fantastic. Some of it is skill, some of it is just luck. I worked in Visual Effects for 20+ years, when we were shooting on film and when digital technology was in its infancy. I shot under all kinds of conditions and could manipulate the negative and printing in any number of ways to marry the various elements shot under differing conditions. That work provided me with great technical photographic training. I knew that I wanted to freeze action in a low light, high contrast situation. I had the benefit that digital is very forgiving in the shadows. You can pull a surprising amount of information out of that sensor data. So I set my camera accordingly, turning off all of the automation, and set everything manually. What made this a little tricky was that I was standing in a crowd, with a bunch of "giraffes" between me and the action. So, after framing, I held the camera overhead on my outstretched arms and "aimed" it where I thought it would need to be. I got several good shots of the fire eater, and a couple of duds. This one is my favorite. |
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Post by william on May 19, 2018 18:09:01 GMT -5
My specialty in the Coast Guard was photojournalist/public affairs specialist so photography was a big part of my career. After retirement, I was editor of a hunting and fishing magazine and still did a lot of photography. I miss being able to shoot black and white film, do my own processing and printing. The thing with processing is being able to manipulate the processing steps to get more out of the film rather than just loading the film into a commercial processor that is set for average results. The same with making black and white prints. Being able to alter the exposure on the paper and dodging or burning in the image has become a lost art form as now it's all done by computers. Ansel Adams once said that the negative is the score, the print the performance. |
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Post by pappyjoe on May 19, 2018 18:18:24 GMT -5
My specialty in the Coast Guard was photojournalist/public affairs specialist so photography was a big part of my career. After retirement, I was editor of a hunting and fishing magazine and still did a lot of photography. I miss being able to shoot black and white film, do my own processing and printing. The thing with processing is being able to manipulate the processing steps to get more out of the film rather than just loading the film into a commercial processor that is set for average results. The same with making black and white prints. Being able to alter the exposure on the paper and dodging or burning in the image has become a lost art form as now it's all done by computers. Ansel Adams once said that the negative is the score, the print the performance. I was a writer when I was selected to be a photojournalist and had to learn the photography end. I worked under a guy who had a degree in photography and was working towards his masters. I had to master shooting black and whites with a 4x5 Speed Graphic before he handed me a 35mm. Anyone ever try shooting aerials with a 4x5? |
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orley
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Post by orley on May 19, 2018 21:18:09 GMT -5
I have a Speed Graphic that I have had fun with. I had a Toyo 4x5 mono but I sold it because the Graphic was easier to use.
But lets face it, anyone with a cell phone is into photography now. If you're talking about photography as an art form, that's a different thing. I'm not saying you can't create art with a basic cell phone, but I feel that using a camera that makes you think about what you're doing is a dying art. No one likes to think anymore, they just want results, which is fine for most people, but using a manual auto nothing camera takes some knowledge and thought. I tried going digital and bought a nice Nikon D200 a few years ago, but just couldn't get into it. I still have a darkroom for black and white film, but I haven't done much lately. I guess I'm waiting for something to inspire me. I'm giving my granddaughter a Holga for her high school graduation this year so we'll see what happens.
Sorry for coming off as a grump, but hey, maybe I am a luddite after all...
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sablebrush52
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Post by sablebrush52 on May 20, 2018 1:54:47 GMT -5
Ansel Adams once said that the negative is the score, the print the performance. I was a writer when I was selected to be a photojournalist and had to learn the photography end. I worked under a guy who had a degree in photography and was working towards his masters. I had to master shooting black and whites with a 4x5 Speed Graphic before he handed me a 35mm. Anyone ever try shooting aerials with a 4x5? Sure. Speed Graphic, Press Graphlex, Seneca View, and other old large format. I also played around with 19th century photographic processes. I think I'll stick with my Canon D5 Mark III. |
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Post by pappyjoe on May 20, 2018 7:31:17 GMT -5
I was a writer when I was selected to be a photojournalist and had to learn the photography end. I worked under a guy who had a degree in photography and was working towards his masters. I had to master shooting black and whites with a 4x5 Speed Graphic before he handed me a 35mm. Anyone ever try shooting aerials with a 4x5? Sure. Speed Graphic, Press Graphlex, Seneca View, and other old large format. I also played around with 19th century photographic processes. I think I'll stick with my Canon D5 Mark III. The lesson he was teaching me was to make every shot count. From the Speed Graphic I "graduated" to a Nikon F and a Mamiya Twins Lens. I will admit that my favorite was the old Nikon F3. Now I just have a Canon EOS Rebel XTi but I don't do as much shooting as I used to. |
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sablebrush52
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Post by sablebrush52 on May 20, 2018 11:11:25 GMT -5
Sure. Speed Graphic, Press Graphlex, Seneca View, and other old large format. I also played around with 19th century photographic processes. I think I'll stick with my Canon D5 Mark III. The lesson he was teaching me was to make every shot count. From the Speed Graphic I "graduated" to a Nikon F and a Mamiya Twins Lens. I will admit that my favorite was the old Nikon F3. Now I just have a Canon EOS Rebel XTi but I don't do as much shooting as I used to. One of the best lessons you can get! In today's digital world it's just too easy to blow through a bunch of images because there's not the same level of effort involved in getting any single one of them. When you've learned the importance of trying to make every shot count, the shots you're going to get are generally going to be better. On a set, where the per hour cost is running at about $60,000, making everything count is pretty important. Mistakes and accidents happen, but too many mistakes or accidents and you're out of a career. |
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Post by pappyjoe on May 20, 2018 11:30:55 GMT -5
One of the best lessons you can get! In today's digital world it's just too easy to blow through a bunch of images because there's not the same level of effort involved in getting any single one of them. When you've learned the importance of trying to make every shot count, the shots you're going to get are generally going to be better. On a set, where the per hour cost is running at about $60,000, making everything count is pretty important. Mistakes and accidents happen, but too many mistakes or accidents and you're out of a career. One of the advanced photo schools I attended stressed that point. We would be given an assignment and a 36 exposure roll of film. We had to return with 34 different usable shots. One assignment was to shot a "static" person. I produced 35 good shots of a one armed man rolling a cigarette. I love photography and miss the darkroom work as much as the shooting. |
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sablebrush52
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Post by sablebrush52 on May 20, 2018 20:43:02 GMT -5
One of the best lessons you can get! In today's digital world it's just too easy to blow through a bunch of images because there's not the same level of effort involved in getting any single one of them. When you've learned the importance of trying to make every shot count, the shots you're going to get are generally going to be better. On a set, where the per hour cost is running at about $60,000, making everything count is pretty important. Mistakes and accidents happen, but too many mistakes or accidents and you're out of a career. One of the advanced photo schools I attended stressed that point. We would be given an assignment and a 36 exposure roll of film. We had to return with 34 different usable shots. One assignment was to shot a "static" person. I produced 35 good shots of a one armed man rolling a cigarette. I love photography and miss the darkroom work as much as the shooting. Oh, yeah! The Darkroom was a magical place. Watching an image materialize on the paper was like watching creation itself. |
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Post by McWiggins on Jul 21, 2018 13:38:42 GMT -5
Some great photos here! Photography is still a hobby for me but is also my work too. I do well enough to keep it fun and do only what I want to do, how I want to do it. I do some work for local businesses and everything else is only what I want which is mostly nature, landscape, people living life, abandoned and historical documentation and preservation. I refuse to do wedding and events and my social media presence is pretty low with only a few things ever posted. Much of my local work is donated to historical societies, town offices, preservation organizations and local tourism. I started with film, went digital, got back into film and stayed mostly film until about three years ago. I still shoot film and in three days my wife and I are heading to the Shenandoah Valley area for the week where along with my digital gear, am packing a Polaroid Land Camera 101 with two packs of B&W film packs from my reserve. Its no longer made so I hoard it and will be sad when I shoot my last pack. I'll also be taking a Mamiya MSX 1000 and a Minolta 600si and loading Kodak Hawkeye Traffic and Kodak T-Max. Once I shoot what I have in my small stash, film will only be a memory. But yeah, its vacation and I get to photograph what and how I want but make it also part of my work. I use Sony equipment but have a love of all manufacturers. With todays technology, none of them are better than another aside from entry vs pro level of gear. Besides, it seems most get a camera, open a small business on Facebook and work the hell out of an image with software calling it “photography” while to me it seems more like “graphic design”. I also use a drone but I've rambled enough. Besides, I'm still planning out certain shots with it while in the mountains in a few days and trying to work around all the parks and airport zones.  |
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Post by Legend Lover on Jul 21, 2018 16:05:49 GMT -5
Some great photos here! Photography is still a hobby for me but is also my work too. I do well enough to keep it fun and do only what I want to do, how I want to do it. I do some work for local businesses and everything else is only what I want which is mostly nature, landscape, people living life, abandoned and historical documentation and preservation. I refuse to do wedding and events and my social media presence is pretty low with only a few things ever posted. Much of my local work is donated to historical societies, town offices, preservation organizations and local tourism. I started with film, went digital, got back into film and stayed mostly film until about three years ago. I still shoot film and in three days my wife and I are heading to the Shenandoah Valley area for the week where along with my digital gear, am packing a Polaroid Land Camera 101 with two packs of B&W film packs from my reserve. Its no longer made so I hoard it and will be sad when I shoot my last pack. I'll also be taking a Mamiya MSX 1000 and a Minolta 600si and loading Kodak Hawkeye Traffic and Kodak T-Max. Once I shoot what I have in my small stash, film will only be a memory. But yeah, its vacation and I get to photograph what and how I want but make it also part of my work. I use Sony equipment but have a love of all manufacturers. With todays technology, none of them are better than another aside from entry vs pro level of gear. Besides, it seems most get a camera, open a small business on Facebook and work the hell out of an image with software calling it “photography” while to me it seems more like “graphic design”. I also use a drone but I've rambled enough. Besides, I'm still planning out certain shots with it while in the mountains in a few days and trying to work around all the parks and airport zones. stunning photos there, McWiggins. |
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