Saturday, August 22, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Goodbye, Kodachrome!
You become more aware of the passage of time when an icon leaves the stage. As a beginner in photography in the late 70's, I remember having to wait for days, if not weeks to get my Kodachrome slides back from the lab. As a kid growing up , I saw the beautiful images in National Geographics with the color pallet that I came to realized as I began to work in photography, could only come from K14 processing.
Kodachrome 64 was my mainstay, but I always had Kodachome 25 around to capture those postcard landscapes and other images that needed the "pop" of colors and fine grain texture. (Carrying my heavy Bogen tripod around for those longer exposures!) I experimented with Kodachrome 200 when it first came out, but realized early on that if you needed ISO 200, it probably wasn't the right image for Kodachrome.
My Mamiya RZs were missing in action by the time Kodachrome in 120 rolls were discontinued in 1996. One of the reasons I never invested in 4 x 5 large format was due to the quality I was getting from 6 x7 cm. images on Kodachrome. I was able to make large Cibachrome prints that still hang on my walls today. (Never got use to the term "Ilfochrome"!)
After I bought my Nikon DSLRs, I had intended to find a good used F100 or F6 body specifically to shoot Kodachrome. Nothing in Photoshop that I have found or tried to replicate on my own, quite captures the shades and pallet of the good old KM and KR. Sadly, Kodachrome 25 was discontinued in 2002 and the recent announcement of the end of Kodachrome 64 has made these plans obsolete.
Yes, there are other reversal films with excellent color and saturation. I've used Fuji Velvia and actually like the bright, saturated colors and I always had rolls of Ektachrome 400 around Ifor those low light, grainy, moody shots, especially when pushed to ISO 800. I like all these films but not enough to invest in a new 35mm camera body.
I'm not upset with Kodak for making a very practical and inevitable decision to end production of this legacy film. Someone (if it isn't already available) will come up with an accurate Kodachrome like plugin for Photoshop. It just won't be the same...sitting with my loupe and lightbox and seeing the layered emulsions rising from the cellophane when you look at the slides close up. I guess I'll just have be content looking over my old slides while listening to my Paul Simon albums...on LP, of course!
Kodachrome 64 was my mainstay, but I always had Kodachome 25 around to capture those postcard landscapes and other images that needed the "pop" of colors and fine grain texture. (Carrying my heavy Bogen tripod around for those longer exposures!) I experimented with Kodachrome 200 when it first came out, but realized early on that if you needed ISO 200, it probably wasn't the right image for Kodachrome.
My Mamiya RZs were missing in action by the time Kodachrome in 120 rolls were discontinued in 1996. One of the reasons I never invested in 4 x 5 large format was due to the quality I was getting from 6 x7 cm. images on Kodachrome. I was able to make large Cibachrome prints that still hang on my walls today. (Never got use to the term "Ilfochrome"!)
After I bought my Nikon DSLRs, I had intended to find a good used F100 or F6 body specifically to shoot Kodachrome. Nothing in Photoshop that I have found or tried to replicate on my own, quite captures the shades and pallet of the good old KM and KR. Sadly, Kodachrome 25 was discontinued in 2002 and the recent announcement of the end of Kodachrome 64 has made these plans obsolete.
Yes, there are other reversal films with excellent color and saturation. I've used Fuji Velvia and actually like the bright, saturated colors and I always had rolls of Ektachrome 400 around Ifor those low light, grainy, moody shots, especially when pushed to ISO 800. I like all these films but not enough to invest in a new 35mm camera body.
I'm not upset with Kodak for making a very practical and inevitable decision to end production of this legacy film. Someone (if it isn't already available) will come up with an accurate Kodachrome like plugin for Photoshop. It just won't be the same...sitting with my loupe and lightbox and seeing the layered emulsions rising from the cellophane when you look at the slides close up. I guess I'll just have be content looking over my old slides while listening to my Paul Simon albums...on LP, of course!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Let's get started!
This blog will serve as my electronic journal for my photography. It's been a few years since I've been involved in photography in any serious manner. I've been limited to snapshots at family gatherings and get together with friends. I was limited to a small Sony digital camera.
Back in high school and college (going back to the late 70s), I did photography on a semi-pro basis. It help me pay some of my college expenses and allowed me to explore various avenues of photography, including photo journalism, fine arts, and of course, bread and butter work like weddings and portraits.
My gear back then was 35mm Canon and 6 x 7 cm. Mamiya equipment. In 1995, while on vacation in Northern California, my car was broken into and most of my gear was stolen. I wasn't able to replace my cameras and lenses. Even though it was insured, it was older equipment and after depreciation, I only received a fraction of the value and not nearly enough to buy new cameras and lenses. Other financial priorities took precedence. This is what I lost:
35mm CAMERAS
Back in high school and college (going back to the late 70s), I did photography on a semi-pro basis. It help me pay some of my college expenses and allowed me to explore various avenues of photography, including photo journalism, fine arts, and of course, bread and butter work like weddings and portraits.
My gear back then was 35mm Canon and 6 x 7 cm. Mamiya equipment. In 1995, while on vacation in Northern California, my car was broken into and most of my gear was stolen. I wasn't able to replace my cameras and lenses. Even though it was insured, it was older equipment and after depreciation, I only received a fraction of the value and not nearly enough to buy new cameras and lenses. Other financial priorities took precedence. This is what I lost:
35mm CAMERAS
- Canon F-1N w/AE Motor Drive FN [2 bodies]
- Canon T90 [2 bodies]
35mm SLR LENSES
- Canon FD 17mm f4.0
- Canon FD 24mm f1.4L
- Canon FD 28mm f2.0
- Canon FD 35mm f2.0
- Canon FD 35mm f2.8 Tilt Shift
- Canon FD 50mm f1.2L
- Canon FD 85mm f1.2L
- Canon FD 135mm f2.0
- Canon FD 200mm f2.8
- Canon FD 200mm f4.0 Macro
- Canon FD 300mm f2.8L
- Canon FD 500mm f4.5L
- Canon FD 20-35mm f3.5L
- Canon FD 35-105mm f3.5-4.5 Macro
- Canon FD 50-300mm f4.5L
- Canon FD 80-200mm f4.0L
- Extender FD 1.4x-A
- Extender FD 2.0x-A
- Vivitar Series 1 90mm Macro w/Macro Adapter
- Vivitar Series 1 800mm f11 CAT
- Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm f3.5
- Vivitar Series 1 90-180mm f4.5 Macro
MEDIUM FORMAT CAMERA [6 x 7 cm.]
- Mamiya RZ67 Pro [2 bodies]
MEDIUM FORMAT LENSES
- Mamiya-Sekor 50mm f4.5
- Mamiya-Sekor 65mm f4.5
- Mamiya-Sekor 110mm f2.8
- Mamiya-Sekor 140mm f4.5 Macro
- Mamiya-Sekor 150mm f3.5
- Mamiya-Sekor 180mm f4.0 Variable Soft Focus
FLASHES AND ACCESSORIES
- Canon Speedlite 577G [2 flashes]
- Canon Speedlite 299T [2 flashes]
- Canon Speedlite 300TL [2 flashes]
- Canon Macrolite ML-1
- Canon Macrolite ML-2
- Vivitar 365 [2 flashes]
- Vivitar 285 HV [2 flashes]
- Minolta Auto Meter IIIF
Recently, I've had the opportunity to return to photograph in serious way. I've had the ability to invest in some new Nikon DSLR cameras and lenses. The switch from film to CD cards has been easier than I thought. (Although I will still miss my Kodachrome and Tri-X!) Trading in my Beseler enlarger for Photoshop has been easy, as well. Instead of the darkroom, I'm at my desk on my Mac. The toughest decision was deciding to buy Nikon instead of returning to Canon. The factors that lead up to that decision can wait for another blog entry. Here is a list of my new equipment:
DIGITAL SLR CAMERAS
- Nikon D3x
- Nikon D3 [2 bodies]
- Nikon Coolpix P6000
LENSES
- Nikon AF Fisheye-NIKKOR 16mm f2.8D
- Nikon AF NIKKOR 28mm f1.4D
- Nikon AF NIKKOR 85mm f1.4D IF
- Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f2.8G IF-ED
- Nikon AF DC-NIKKOR 135mm f2.0D
- Nikon AF-S VR NIKKOR 200mm f2.0G IF-ED
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f2.8G ED VR
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f4.0G ED VR
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f2.8G ED
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f2.8G ED
- Nikon AF Micro-NIKKOR 70-180mm f4.5-5.6D ED
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f2.8G IF-ED VR II
- Nikon AF-S VR NIKKOR 200-400mm f4.0G IF-ED
- Nikon PC-E NIKKOR 24mm f3.5D
- Nikon PC-E Micro-NIKKOR 45mm f2.8D
- Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E II
- Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II
- Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-20E II
FLASHES, STROBES AND ACCESSORIES
- Nikon SB-900 Speedlight [3 flashes]
- Nikon SB-R200 Wireless Speedlight [2 flashes]
- Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander
- Metz 76 MZ-5
- Speedotron Force 10 [3 strobes]
- Konica Minolta Color Meter IIIF
- Konica Minolta Flash Meter VI
I know this is a pretty serious investment, but I find myself using my cameras more and more in my regular work. More importantly, it gives me an avenue to express my own creativity and perspective on the world. I've already started to make some contacts in the local professional photographic community and hopefully, I will be able to work on a semi-professional bases once again. Over the next few months, I will start posting some of my new photos and images.
This blog is not really meant to be a public forum, but one set up for my family, friends and colleagues to critique and view my work. That being said, If you find anything of interest as as I begin to post more entries, I welcome your comments.
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