Sunday, May 26, 2013

What's in Your Camera Bag? No. 4


New banners! ^ 
We made a banner for each weekly post
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by Henry Gaudier-Greene



It is difficult for me to list what I carry in mybag, since I seldom carry the same things twice.  I have around 30 cameras, and what I take toa given shoot depends on where I am going, what I can carry comfortably, and whatI want to shoot.   My setup also depends on what cameras I haveloaded already. 


The first bag I use belonged to my father.  I removed the internal divisions, which allowsme to carry larger cameras more easily.


This is a pretty typical set-up for me:  Hasselblad 500c/m (with 150mm lens, 80mm lens,20mm extension tube, and a second 120 back), Polaroid 680, Polaris light meter,and a variety of film.  The Hasselblad isone of my favorite cameras, but sometimes I need a camera that gives me moreoptions.  In that case, I switch out the500 c/m for my Mamiya 645pro.


The second bag I carry is a Lowepro Slingshot.  It isn’t ideally suited for larger shootsbecause I can only carry one camera and few lenses with it.  I typically use it to hold either my NikonF100 (with 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses) or my Mamiya 7.  I find it works well for shooting streetphotography.


The last camera I almost always have with me is myPolaroid 600SE.  I have two backs for it,so I can switch between film types in the middle of a shoot.  I don’t have a bag that holds it comfortably,so I usually have to carry it in some sort of tote.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Big thank you to Henry for writing this article for us, and also a big thanks to you for reading! 
Check out Henry's tumblr here and give him some love.

We are currently looking for writers, editors and interviewers! 
Email analogrevival@gmail.com for details

As always, keep shooting film! 
#filmisnotdead #filmphotography

Analog Revival Sites


Flickr


Copyright 2013
Analog Revival

Sunday, May 12, 2013

May 2013

Jason Hughes



Happy mothers day to all!
This week we're going "across the pond" to talk with our friend Jason Hughes from the UK! We met Jason on twitter and we're so excited to share this article with you. 


Q: When did you start considering yourself a photographer?
A: I think it was when I had my first SLR, at the age of 11. Prior to that, I was a kid with an Instamatic (and a Box Brownie) taking snaps of my family and cat. The SLR – a Zenith EM – was a “proper” camera which allowed me to change lenses, use extension tubes, filters etc. and I taught myself all about shutter speeds, apertures and metering for a scene using the built-in meter. Incidentally, the meter on the EM was not through the lens, so I also had to learn about compensation for filters and the extension tubes. I loved that camera, and wish I’d kept it, because it taught me so much about the fundamentals of photography which I rely on to this day. Alas, I couldn’t progress to the Practica MTL3 without part-exchange.
Q: What is your first memory of film photography?
A: When I was nine we were on a family holiday in Wales where I met my paternal grandfather for the first time (that I can remember, at least). He bought me a little 126-format camera and a yellow Kodak box containing a black and white film 126 cartridge. This was hugely exciting for me! Of course I had seen photographs but the ability to create them had been beyond my ability – until then. I still have those first prints upstairs and I remember the feeling of elation and simultaneous disappointment when I first saw them because it was obvious that the camera had a pretty bad light leak.  Even so, I had prints and negatives, all of my own. Negatives were a pretty new experience for me because my family didn’t take many pictures; in fact, my earliest memory of the making of photographs was when my father came home with a Polaroid, took a picture of us and then, as if by magic, showed us the result a couple of minutes later. If Polaroid instant counts as film photography then that’s my earliest memory but if it’s traditional negative-print, then it’s my first 126 leaky light box.
Q: Why do you shoot film?
A: Good question. I don’t just shoot film and, in fact, I possibly take more digital images than film these days. There are two main reasons I do still use film, though: firstly, because there’s a look to film that I really like and which can’t be truly replicated with digital. There’s a certain peculiarity in trying to replicate the look of film with digital captures, despite the many software packages that aim to do so; why not just go and shoot film in the first place? OK, it is understandable because digital capture is so convenient - but this alone says a lot about the aesthetic properties of film, I think. The second reason I still shoot film is because it’s what I grew up with. It’s a physical thing; both the use of the film camera and having something tangible afterwards. Digital instant gratification is all very well, but with film there’s still the excitement and anticipation of waiting for the results.
Q: Do you have a favorite format of film?
A: 35mm, mainly because that’s really the only format I’ve used, apart from the aforementioned 126 many years ago and, briefly, 120 for an old Brownie that I had before I had the Zenith EM.
Q: How about a favorite brand?
A: I’ve got a soft spot for Ilford but I think, if I have to choose one brand, it has to be Fuji. I love the look of Neopan 400 and Provia is my slide film of choice.
Q: What have been your favorite locations to shoot?
A: I think my top two would be China and Paris. The former was so culturally different to anything I’d experienced before and the latter was my first proper outing with the Leica M7. I’d not used a rangefinder before and I was surprised that the results turned out to be not as “experimental” as I’d expected; a surprisingly high proportion of keepers. Other than those, I don’t have a particular favourite. It may be a cliché but the best locations are the ones where you have a camera.
Q: Who would you consider an inspiration of yours?
A: Don McCullin comes foremost to mind. Many people may connect his name to war photography but he did so much more than that. I love his book “In England”, for example. Also, James Ravilious, whose photographs are often based around Devonshire farms and countryside. These strike a chord with me because I’m from Devon, originally, and so there’s a sense of familiarity and simplicity in his images.
Q: Is there a format of film you haven’t tried that you would like to?
A: I wouldn’t mind trying medium format; 645 or 6x6, specifically. One day I’ll spot a medium format camera going cheap in a shop window and temptation will finally get the better of me!
Q: Why should others try film?
A: Anyone who is into photography should try film at least once. Of course, most people of a certain age will have done, but there are so many people taking pictures these days who started with digital and don’t know anything else. Digital hasn’t superseded film; it’s an alternative that is undoubtedly more convenient but, in my opinion, can be less ultimately satisfying. Using film slows you down and, I believe from personal experience, can produce higher quality results that have a certain look that cannot be truly replicated in the digital domain. I’d say that many, if not most, of the images I’m most pleased with are from film.
Q: Do you have any tips for photographers just starting out on film?
A: Take your time. Learn the basics, slow down and even process your own if you can (no darkroom necessary!) for the ultimate in the traditional analogue experience. And, you never know, you may even prefer the “film look” to digital capture.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a look at Jason's Film Equipment
Nikon F100
Nikon F3


With various Nikor Lenses


Leica MP


Leica M7


both usually with a Summicron 35 ASPH

Jason also doesn't use flashes or lights. He uses natural lighting in his work.

~

Now, here are our top ten photos shot by Mr. Hughes











Thank you for reading and as always
Give Jason some love on his site
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out this awesome book on shooting film by our friends at FILMISNOTDEAD


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright 2013
Analog Revival

Thursday, May 9, 2013

ATTENTION: A.R. wants YOU!

Hello film lovers and shooters! 
As we gain more and more traffic to this blog, thus growing as a community, we look to have more people contribute and make this blog happen. We are looking for people to fill ANY of these spots
-interviewers
-writers
-editors
We ask that you be passionate about film photography and somewhat knowledgeable, have a good sense of how to use Blogger and other Google apps (Calender, Drive, etc.), and have decent access to the internet.  
If you are interested in being apart of Analog Revival, please email us at analogrevival@gmail.com . 
We look forward to having you join us.

 Follow us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook 

Copyright 2013
Analog Revival

Sunday, May 5, 2013

May Film DIY

Happy May everybody! We hope you're enjoying the nice weather, unless you're in MinneSNOWta like us. We saw this article from our friends at Photojojo and had to share it. We hope you enjoy these tips on scanning your own film! All credit for this article goes to Photojojo, we did not write this article.

Film Grains Meet Digital Pixels: A Complete Guide to Scanning Film


Extra photos for bloggers: 123
iPhones, and internets, and ion implanters! Oh my!
In this tech-savvy world we can return to 100%-analog-photog-goodness and transform them to digital with some simple scanner-wizardry.
This handy guide will show you how to scan your film, merging all of the sweetest parts of analog with the ease and shareability of digital.
The best part? You don’t have to know a thing about rocket science to follow along.
Learn How to Scan Film!
p.s. Our buddies at Printstagram make some of the bestest Instagram prints we’ve seen! You can make it happen right from your phone.

WHY IT’S COOL:

paint-smWe all know the benefits of analog photography: slower pace, limited number of frames, and those old cameras are just plain fun to use.
The only downside? Your inner tech maven is crying out for all of those lost shares on Facegram, instabook, and PinTube! Or something like that.
This guide will equip you with the tools to get started on making film grains best friends with digital pixels.

INGREDIENTS:

ingred-sm
  • Film Scanner (We used a flatbed Epson V600.)
  • A computer
  • Developed 35mm film
  • Dust Blower, Microfiber Cloth, or Anti-Static Brush

FLATBED SCANNERS VS. DEDICATED FILM SCANNERS

paint-smThere are a few brands of scanners, but they mostly fit into two categories for consumers: flatbed scanners and dedicated film scanners.
This article will be dealing specifically with an Epson V600 flatbed scanner, but many of the techniques will still apply, especially to other flatbeds!
Here’s a quick rundown of the pros and cons of a flatbed scanner.
  • Cost: For the most part, a flatbed is a very reasonable option in terms of price and quality.
  • Uses: In addition to being affordable, many flatbeds are able to do both 120 and 35mm, something usually reserved for very expensive dedicated scanners.
  • Ability: Flatbed scanners are certainly capable of great results, but a dedicated scanner is always better. After all, that’s what it’s built for!

STEP 1: PREPPING THE FILM

paint-smHere’s what we need to do to the film in order to ensure the best scan.
Dust bunnies sound cute, but for scanning, they are not your friend! Use a dust blower, a clean microfiber cloth (Extra emphasis on clean! There’s nothing worse than scratched film), or an anti-static brush to get rid of any dust that may have settled on the negative.
Tips for preventing dust:
  • Break Out The White Glove: make sure your working environment is as clean as possible. If there’s no dust in the are to begin with, there won’t be any to go on your film.
  • Pre and Post-Scan Storage: Store your negatives in sleeves or binders to keep exposure to open air as infrequent as possible.
  • Dust During Drying: If you develop your own film, try to limit either the air flow around your film as it dries or the dust in the environment. Wet film and dust stick better than glue!

STEP 2:INSERT FILM INTO THE NEGATIVE HOLDER

paint-smOne of the greatest challenges with scanning is film flatness.
The scanner works a bit like your camera; it focuses on the film to take a “picture” of it. If your film isn’t flat, it’s harder for everything to be in focus. A little curl is manageable.
Place film under a book to flatten unruly negatives, but make sure they’re in a sleeve so they don’t get dusty or scratched.
Each negative holder is a bit different, but here’s how it’s inserted into ours.

STEP 3: PLACE NEGATIVE CARRIER ONTO SCANNER

paint-smThis one’s as easy as it sounds! Each scanner has a specific orientation for the negative carrier depending on the film type.
On the Epson V600, there’s an “A” on the negative carrier that should line up with the “A” on the side scanner bed.
If your scanner doesn’t have markings, make sure to place the negative carrier under the slot of glass in the top of the scanner.

STEP 4: SCANNING SOFTWARE

paint-smThis step will also be specific to your scanner. We’re using the included Epson Scan software in Professional Mode.
Here are the main points:
  • Make sure to choose the “Film” setting and then the appropriate type: black and white, color negative, or positive
  • Choose the resolution: for files that are easy to work with and great for web use, we set ours to 1200 DPI. If you have plenty of space on your harddrive or want to print above an 8×10, scan at a higher resolution to get a larger image
  • Don’t forget to switch on Dust Removal to get any spots you missed earlier
  • First, hit the preview button and let the scanner generate a preview. At this point you can rotate the photo and mirror the image if the film isn’t oriented correctly.
  • Lastly, choose the file format for the scan and you’re good to go! We usually scan ours as jpeg. A TIFF can provide more information, but at the cost of much larger files. If you need to make corrections to a scan it’s a better option, but for many sharing purposes a jpeg is sufficient!
There are a few third party software options for scanning as well, and our favorites are VueScan and Silverfast.
The advantage to these programs is that they offer more customizability and control over the scanning process. Plus, they have some neat tricks such as setting the film stock to try to get the most faithful result. They’re both friends with PC’s and Macs!

STEP 5: FINAL TOUCHES

paint-smOnce the scan is completed, you have a few choices of where to go next. You can take the scan “as is” and go from there, or import into Photoshop, Lightroom, and other editing programs to make some slight changes.
Sometimes a few tweaks are needed after the fact so that the imagined picture lines up with the actual picture!
Some post-scan adjustments
  • Contrast: This is a big one for black and white. Adjust the contrast so that it’s more faithful to the look of the negative
  • Color: Sometimes a scan will have a shift in colors or have an overall color cast that’s undesirable. The curves adjustment will be your BFF. Utilize the separate color channels to get the look right.
  • Sharpness: Sharpness can be detrimentally affected by the scan. Apply a little unsharp mask or boost the sharpening slider in Lightroom to taste.
  • Dust and Scratch Removal: Despite our best efforts, dust can still remain on the negative and sometimes they get scratched as well. An easy way to fix this is to use the healing brush or clone brush in Photoshop.
This isn’t to change the look of the film, but sometimes this information gets skewed in the scan and needs to be returned to the appropriate value.





Copyright 2013
Analog Revival

Thursday, May 2, 2013

FILM NEWS: Kodak to sell film business for $2.8 billion deal

Here is an article from our friends at PetaPixel about the recent news from Kodak 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kodak to Sell Its Camera Film and Imaging Businesses in $2.8 Billion Deal kodakfilm
We reported last August that Kodak was looking to sell its camera film business along with a number of other core businesses. Well, the company has now succeeded.
Kodak announced today that it has reached an agreement to sell off its two remaining imaging divisions — which includes its photographic film business — in a major deal worth $2.8 billion.

The company is handing over control of its Personal Imaging and Document Imaging divisions to the United Kingdom’s Kodak Pension Plan (KPP), which is the bankrupt firm’s largest creditor.
In addition to settling $2.8 billion in obligations with KPP, Kodak will be receiving $650 million in cash and other assets in exchange for the divisions.
Kodak to Sell Its Camera Film and Imaging Businesses in $2.8 Billion Deal kodakdev
Kodak first began selling film, chemicals, and paper in 1889
The Personal Imaging division includes over 100,000 Kodak kiosks located around the world, photographic paper, photographic film, and souvenir photo products. The Document Imaging division includes things like scanners and related software/services.
Kodak CEO Antonio Perez says that this deal will allow the company to emerge from bankruptcy as it transforms into a commercial printing company.
There’s no word yet on what the future holds for Kodak’s film and paper lines, which are still used by countless photographers around the world. The company does say that the deal will provide financial stability for the businesses that will be “beneficial to those businesses’ employees, customers and partners.” That’s a silver lining for film photographers who don’t want to see Kodak films disappear.


Read more at http://petapixel.com/2013/04/29/kodak-to-sell-its-camera-film-and-imaging-businesses-in-2-8-billion-deal/#Y4UsiO1b6DdyKyM1.99 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for reading
Like us on Facebook here
Follow us on twitter here 


Copyright 2013
Analog Revival