So for now it’s Yer Man Ray again, from our Studio Night last week. Slightly overprinted - I think there’s a tiny bit of detail on the right side of his face in the negative. Still, his wife likes it, apparently...so all is good.
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| Man of Mystery, Delta 3200 film on Warmtone fibre paper |
What a difference lighting makes. In the first photo he looks like a feller you'd like to talk to down at the pub. In the second photo he looks like a feller who would stab you out behind the pub.
ReplyDeleteWho sets up the lighting at these studio nights? Each photographer? Or do you all have a go at various lighting setups? Great photo, anyway.
That made me laugh - and it's true, they are completely different shots of the same bloke on the same night. The lighting was set up by one of our more experienced club members - he brought a massive amount of gear with him that night. Then we could play around with it as we wanted. Most people (digital) were using off-camera flash with remote triggers. I've never really experimented with flash and the Hasselblad and that night wasn't really the time to start, so I used continuous lighting from the side. Another member held a reflector in the first shot, hence the detail on the left side of Ray's face. It was all good fun - a good Club Night.
DeleteIt sounds like you have a really great club. The good clubs here in Gangneung are exclusive and don't want the riff-raff (me) joining. The more open clubs aren't that serious or are composed of men who like stroking their long lenses. Perhaps you know the type.
DeleteI rarely use a flash, but when I do my technique is usually "P-mode and hope for the best". Modern cameras are very good at getting flash exposure correct, so I usually end up with decent results.
Another good one, Michael. I'm reading this blog in the wrong direction, which means I got spoilers coming in from Marcus all the time about things that has happened before. I might need to jump back quite a few months and start from where I last dropped out...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I was only going to tell you that we had the same sort of session a few weeks ago, some time in mid January at my club back home. I was not aware what was going to happen, as I just had come home from sea and was totally oblivious to the world around me, as we are when we get home from lengthy periods at sea.
Anyway, I shot a few holes... and that's what I'm going to say about that. Brought a FM2 as that's what I found on my way out of the doors that evening. Found out there was a half roll of HP5 left inside the thing, but I could not get a decent shot all night, so ended up watching the others and playing a little with a brand new Leica M-something pixel collector. It was nice to hold, but that's about it to tell the truth.
Anyway, when my film was developed I found that my thoughts were right. Not one single useable frame was to be found from the model shoot, perhaps short of one tiny little one stuck between all the useless ones. A pair of feet, believe it or not... with nice and bulky shoes. I might post it some day, or I might not. We will see some time if I start running out of better snaps :)
Haha one decent shot from a roll is still one decent shot! There's many a roll I shoot with nothing to write home about on it. You have to show it now ;)
DeleteThose new Leica pixel-collectors are mad, mad money. The whole Leica thing is mad, if I'm being honest. Since I bought my M6 a few years the same camera today would cost me twice what I paid for it...and where is the sense of that?
The sense of that stuff is nowhere to be found, Michael. It's absolutely crazy, I know. I just realized the other day the fact that I payed less for the house and 35mm Summicron lens than I would pay for the M6 alone with no glass attached today. Madness, that's what it is.
DeleteThe new Leicas are not even to be mentioned, I'm afraid. This guy who was the owner of the pixel-collector-of-high-value brought two of the kind, and four lenses of the highest class. I say no more, but you go figure the value of that little bag of equipment yourself. I could probably easily have bought a new car for the same amount.
As you say... no sense at all in that Leica business.
Oh your new friend has real deep pockets, that's for sure. I suppose we all spend up to the limit of what is comfortable for us. In his case that's just a heck of a lot more that most!
DeleteTrue enough, my friend!
DeleteFurther on the tale about this particular guy is that he's not to be mixed up with this bunch walking around only to show off their cameras. He's actually a great photographer, and a great model to have around as well. He's one of them characters you just have to see and talk to, and sometimes you still won't believe everything you hear... but that's just until you start looking at his prints from all over the world. When you've been there, you would start listening a little bit closer to what he's got to say :)
OK, I suddenly realize this man is a blog post in his own right, but I just wanted to say that I got one of his cameras safely stored in my apartment right now. It's a 4x5 Intrepid thing. Not of the fanciest boxes around, but I'm really eager to take that box for a walk or two when I get home next time. The lousy weather stopped me last time I was home, but spring is getting closer, and there's 4x5 film in the freezer and a couple of nice lenses to be checked out. I'm looking forward to it.
Ah the Intrepid Project. A Sussex company. My old Uni, where I spend about 10 years working is just down the road from them. One of my ex-colleagues knows them well - I think some of the Intrepid guys maybe studied at Sussex or something like that. They seem to be sticking at it, and getting better at the old design thing from what I read. I shall enjoy reading your thoughts about it in the usual place - once you get time to play with it.
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