If a Led Zeppelin song immediately comes to mind, you are an old fart like me!
Although this may be considered by some here to be an act of heresy, first allow me to explain before passing judgment on me. If that does not do it, well then just break out the torches, axes and pitchforks and come break down my front door.........This image, taken at the Convention Center in Mobile, AL, WAS taken with a film SLR, just not a NIKON one! It was taken with my Hasselblad 500CM. I used a 40mm f/4 Distagon C T* (equivalent to a 24mm lens on 35mm for those of you unfamiliar with the format) and T-Max 100 Professional film. I used one of my A16 back's (which is in the 6 x 4.5 cm format and not the usual 6 x 6 cm one usually associates with Hasselblad and the A12 back). It was an overcast day, which was perfect for this kind of photo because I wanted soft, diffused light and no harshe shadows. I did use a red (25A) filter in front of the lens to up the contrast a bit but since it was overcast, it really did not have all that much effect, except of course to drop increase exposure by 2½ stops! Fortunately I brought a sturdy tripod along with me.
There were so many intriguing design elements in this image and there was some serious Zone System stuff going on here with exposure and development. The railings are a stark white compared to the blackness beyond them and also stand in contrast to the other textures which made up the rest of the structure. But they, along with the circular steps in the foreground, add movement in the image which takes the viewer's eyes all the way "up the stairs". The scan of this negative WAS done using Nikon equipment, a Nikon Super Coolscan LS8000 to be exact, and though not bad, the result really does not do justice to the 16x20 print I did of it on Oriental Seagull grade 2 fiber based paper. Even under that magnification, the sharpness is amazing and the grain non-existent. Perhaps I should go and re-shoot it on 4 x 5 so I can print it in 28 x 36 inches!! Anyone have a 4 x 5 (preferably Sinar) and 90mm Schneider Kreuznach lens I can borrow?
Although this may be considered by some here to be an act of heresy, first allow me to explain before passing judgment on me. If that does not do it, well then just break out the torches, axes and pitchforks and come break down my front door.........This image, taken at the Convention Center in Mobile, AL, WAS taken with a film SLR, just not a NIKON one! It was taken with my Hasselblad 500CM. I used a 40mm f/4 Distagon C T* (equivalent to a 24mm lens on 35mm for those of you unfamiliar with the format) and T-Max 100 Professional film. I used one of my A16 back's (which is in the 6 x 4.5 cm format and not the usual 6 x 6 cm one usually associates with Hasselblad and the A12 back). It was an overcast day, which was perfect for this kind of photo because I wanted soft, diffused light and no harshe shadows. I did use a red (25A) filter in front of the lens to up the contrast a bit but since it was overcast, it really did not have all that much effect, except of course to drop increase exposure by 2½ stops! Fortunately I brought a sturdy tripod along with me.
There were so many intriguing design elements in this image and there was some serious Zone System stuff going on here with exposure and development. The railings are a stark white compared to the blackness beyond them and also stand in contrast to the other textures which made up the rest of the structure. But they, along with the circular steps in the foreground, add movement in the image which takes the viewer's eyes all the way "up the stairs". The scan of this negative WAS done using Nikon equipment, a Nikon Super Coolscan LS8000 to be exact, and though not bad, the result really does not do justice to the 16x20 print I did of it on Oriental Seagull grade 2 fiber based paper. Even under that magnification, the sharpness is amazing and the grain non-existent. Perhaps I should go and re-shoot it on 4 x 5 so I can print it in 28 x 36 inches!! Anyone have a 4 x 5 (preferably Sinar) and 90mm Schneider Kreuznach lens I can borrow?
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