Of Fast Cars and Slow Shutter Speeds

Hello….tap, tap….is this thing on!

Steven Richards, Porsche GT3

Howdy, its been a while, but for some unknown reason I feel enthused today, well kind of.

For those of you who have read my ‘about’ post (This Is So 2003….. The About Post.), you would know that I enjoy motor sport.  Well, it just so happens that this weekend is the biggest date on the local motor sport calendar – the ‘Clipsal 500′ V8 Supercar event, which is run in the Adelaide City Parklands.  This year is the 14th running of this event (and the 26th time that a race meeting has been held on the track, which includes Formula 1 between 1985 and 1995 and a round of the Asia Lemans series in 2000).

Today (Thursday) was the first day of the event.  Even though the main attraction doesn’t run on a Thursday, I still find it a very enjoyable day to venture to the track.  While the crowds are down (relatively to what you will see for the rest of the weekend), its a good chance to wonder around some of the magnificent race cars that are in preparation for the weekend, while also getting to see those supporting categories get some track time.

Twice today, I thought I had died and gone to heaven though….  Once in the Pits for the Australian GT category and again in the Pits for the Muscle Car Masters.

The GT’s, what can I say!  There is nothing more impressive then exotic race cars that have been built for one purpose and that is to go fast.  I nearly shot a complete roll of film, just wondering past those wonderful race cars (Well, I could have shot more, but one must be restrained sometimes).  The same goes for the Muscle Cars.

Unfortunately, though, with the circuit being completely surrounded by wire fences, it is not the easiest places for getting good shots of the cars in anger if you are a spectator.  I managed to get a couple that I was happy with (Yikes, me using a digital…I hope the guys on APUG never find out).  I might try my luck again tomorrow, but Saturday and Sunday will be pretty much ‘action photo free’.

Peter Hackett, Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS

The thing is, though, that sometimes its just nice to watch the cars go around and leave the photography to those who are in a better position to do it!

Cheers

PS, The image of the Falcon Sprint is from 2011, but hey, I liked it, so I thought I would share it!

Image details: Top, Steven Richards, Porsche 911 GT3.  Left, Peter Hackett, Mercedes Benz AMG SLS.  Both shot with a Sony A700 and a Sigma 70-s00 F2.8, 2012.  Below, Jim Richards, Falcon Sprint.  Shot with a Minolta XE-1, Rokkor 50mm F1.4 on Fuji Superia 400, 2011.  Negative Scan  © Ashley Hoff

Jim Richards, Falcon Sprint

Happy Birthday Wang Wang

Wang Wang The Giant Panda

Wang Wang turns 6 this week!

So, you are probably thinking, who the heck is Wang Wang and why should I care?  Well, its simple.  Wang Wang (male) is one of two Giant Pandas that have been located at Adelaide Zoo, Australia.   There is another, a female who is called Funi, who incidentally had her 5th birthday last week.

In the grand scheme of things, its a big deal that this smaller zoo has been allowed to host such significant animals (but I am not sure some of the other inhabitants feel quite the same way).  I know I am biased, but they are well worth a trip to have a look at.  I just hope that one day there is success in what they are here to do (cue Panda Porn music).  For more info, check out the Zoos SA website – http://www.zoossa.com.au/

So, Happy Birthday Wang Wang!

Photography Clubs, Camera Clubs…..There IS A Difference!

The Suit

A little while a go, one of the members of my Photography Club (Blackwood Photographic Club) brought in a whole box of B&W magazines from the early naughties.  There are plenty of gems in amongst this pile, especially for a budding analogue photographer such as myself (B&W magazine hadn’t sold its soul fully to the digital devil at that stage).

Anyhow, I was flicking through the pages of one recently, when I came across this Letter To The Editor (B&W No.66, December 06, Letters):

PICTURE PERFECT

I sympathise with your reader Kevin Nunn (B&W No.64, Letters), who encountered digital snobbery against traditional photography at a camera club. When I lived in Manchester in the 1980′s digital was unheard of but snobbery still existed at the club I joined due, in the main, to members proclaiming their camera, rather then their pictures, to be better then anyone else’s.

I recall the time the late Terrence Donovan came to visit the club and judge a monochrome landscape competition. After a fascinating and hilarious chat Terence held up the winning print. It had been taken by the clubs oldest member who was 74. And his camera? A Zenit 3M! Sat among all those gleaming Nikons and Olympus’s were many poker faces – I’ve never laughed so much in my life. I later spoke with Terence, who was a big friendly guy and I mentioned how most of the members were camera rather then picture-orientated.

He told me he’d encountered several similar clubs that badly needed to distinguish whether they were camera clubs or photography clubs. As Terence pointed out – and I agree with him – there is a difference!

James Osbourne, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

OK, first things first….Terence Donovan judging Photo contests at local clubs in the 80′s??! (for the uninitiated, Terence Donovan was a high-profile fashion photographer who rose to prominence in UK in the 60′s, along with David Bailey and Brain Duffy. Also, another little titbit, Donovan oversaw the music video for Robert Palmers “Addicted to Love”). That’s it, I want Ken Duncan to judge our next contest (but, using that logic, it has to be a Studio contest)!

But more importantly, I also very much agree with the last comment. There is a massive difference between a Camera Club and a Photography Club.  I suppose that I am lucky with my little club, as the picture is always king.  Sure, there are members who obsess with their equipment (I know I do at times) and yes we like to tease each other about the camera’s we use, but that’s where it stops.  We are lucky in that I can honestly say we don’t have any members who feel they should be the best because they believe they own the best tool.

But I do hear many stories about many clubs, where buying the latest and greatest is more of a competition then the monthly photo contest.

I suppose it’s a personal decision, but are you/would you be happy where you celebrate the tool or would you prefer to celebrate creativity?

Which leads me on to the photo I have chosen for this post.  Some days it pays to go back to basics.  Each year our club does a disposable/single use camera challenge.  It’s liberating to put all the dials and electronics (for those of you who own cameras with electronics) to one side and simply see and shoot a scene.  I suggest you all try it one day!

Cheers

Image details: Shot with a Fuji Quicksnap disposable camera, September 2010.  Processed by Photoswift, Blackwood, South Australia.  Scanned July 2011 (of print).  © Ashley Hoff

That Film Look

Eyes

Have you ever had that moment….  You look at a photo and go “That is the look I want”?

“Eyes”, the picture above, is the look I want….and it didn’t take hours in Photoshop to achieve it!

I think we have all too quickly forgotten how good film was and most importantly still could be.  I don’t know why, but there is an inherent quality with film that you simple can’t reproduce with digital.  Maybe its because its not perfect.  Maybe its because there is grain.  Maybe its the dynamic range.  Maybe its also at times the equipment used (this was shot with a mid 70′s vintage Minolta XE-1 and Rokkor 50mm F1.4 lens).  I simply can’t quite put my finger on it.

Anyhow, this shot is one of the reasons I like film!

Cheers

Image details:  Shot with a Minolta XE-1, Rokkor 50mm f1.4 on Fuji 400H.  Processed at Hutt Street Photos, Adelaide.  Scan of neg by lab.  January 2011. © Ashley Hoff

Photography Forums – Time To Let Go?

Lotus Flower, Adelaide Botanical Gardens

 

I have to admit, I have been a Photography Forum whore in the past.  Not long after getting into digital photography, I also discovered Online Photography communities.  You name it, I have probably become a member of it….Heck, I even created one and it is still running to this day (www.catchfencephotos.net).

In the beginning, there was a real desire to learn and this is where the forums were invaluable.  Sure, there is a lot of crap talked about on a lot of these forums, but as a whole, you could generally get questions answered by like minded people, who more then likely have been through the same situations as yourself.  There is also that feeling of community, those who share the same passion as you hanging out and talking rubbish, just about any time of the day.

The forums also became an integral part of any photo session.  You would rush home, quickly get your pictures on your computer, post process, upload to the internet and share to your forum (or in my case, forums) of choice.  Would anyone comment on your pictures?  What would they say?  Could you get any useful tips?  Would others like what you had done?

What if no-one commented?

As a newbie, any comment or advice was welcome.  As a more seasoned player, I have to admit, comments became more about ego stroking then learning.  To post something online and not receive a single comment was at times gut wrenching.  Why didn’t they like what I had posted?  Am I a poor photographer?  Should I take pictures more like them?  Why won’t they like me

The problems with just about all photography forums is they cater very well for photographers starting out and for those who always produce breath taking images.  OK, is displaying breath taking images such a bad thing?  I suppose it all depends on the style and mood of a lot of these forums.

A long time ago, I coined a phrase called “The McPhoto”.  A McPhoto is generally a photograph that is well taken.  It is generally taken of a popular subject or landmark.  It generally has striking features that most people would ohhh and ahh about.  Who takes McPhotos?  Just about all of us.  You see, McPhotos come about by seeing what others have done and trying to emulate them.  In the end, they all look just about the same.  I actually think there is nothing specifically wrong with taking McPhotos.  Trying to copy other peoples styles is a good way to learn and sometimes it feels good to produce an image that looks just like a Ken Duncan.

But McPhotos can also be damaging to your own individual style and creativity.  Unfortunately, just about every photography forum I have belonged to have become McPhoto Factories.  I have also come to a point where I need to be satisfied with my own style and work on that.  Yes, this means that not everyone is going to like the pictures that I take.  As a matter of fact, the more I move into my own style, the less I am going to find general acceptance.  Will I continue to take McPhotos?  Probably (heck, you could say the Lotus Flower I have posted could easily fall into the McPhoto category, but meh, I like it and it nailed exactly what I wanted to achieve).

So, am I done with photography forums?  Yes and no.  All I know is that I no longer feel the need to rush and post my pictures to a forum.  I have found that belonging to a camera club actually has done me more wonders then I used to admit to.  Sharing my pictures with them (via flickr and via our fortnightly meetings) tends to be more personal and I tend to get more enjoyment from this.

Cheers

Image details:  Shot with a Sony A700, Tamron 90mm F2.8 macro.  Shot at the Adelaide Botanical Gardens, South Australia, January 2011. © Ashley Hoff

Pushed HP5+ Rocks!

Siamang

I think I am in love…..  NO, no, while Adelaide Zoo’s Siamang community are rather cute, its not them I have fallen for.

I have fallen for Ilford HP5+ pushed.

I have been using Hp5+ for nearly 2 years now.  It has become my default choice, even to the point that I now Bulk load it.  I had tried it pushed to EI800 pretty early in the piece, but that was processed in LC29, which produced very blocky and very grainy images.  Back then, I couldn’t even imagine what it would have looked like pushed ti EI1600!

But as I have grown in my Film journey, I have found that I need to experiment.  For me, pushing to EI1600 and processing it in run of the mill D76 was a pretty damn good start…..and I am glad that I did!  I have to admit that I was expecting more grain.  I am not sure whether the D76 at stock has helped with finer grain or not.  Anyhow, I love the contrast and I really really like the results.  The image above of the Siamang looks awesome, even on just standard run of the Mill Ilford MG RC IV Glossy paper.

And I am very pleased that my little Siamang friend was happy to pose for me!

Image details:  Shot with a Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 70-210 F4 on Ilford Hp5+, pushed to EI1600.  Processed in D76, Stock.  Printed on Ilford MG RC IV Glossy, Scan of Print.  Shot at the Adelaide Zoo, South Australia, November 2010. © Ashley Hoff

 

Will Local Distributors/Retailers Ever Understand A Global Marketplace?

Leaf In The Water Rill

I have decided its time to upgrade my macro lens.  Currently I am using an old Phoenix 100mm F3.5 , which still takes good shots (as seen above!), but is not a true 1:1 macro lens.  After a bit of thought I have narrowed it down to the Tamron 90mm F2.8 DI.

Today I started the arduous task of locating one.  I did the typical thing that any self respecting person of the internet age would do and check online first.  Prices ranged wildly from just short of $400 in Hong Kong up to over $700 here in Australia.  While its tempting to go for the cheap thrills you get by buying equipment online from South East Asia, I much prefer to use the prices from the big New York Camera houses, which including postage, rounded up to around $520.  This compared to the best online price locally of $555 (not grey import), meant that an o/s order wasn’t worth the hassle and for a change my money may stay in Australia……or maybe not.

You see, Australian retailers don’t do online well.  As a matter of fact, they right royally suck at it.  Take for example, my online price of $555.  This came from a retailer who is based in my city, who also have a bricks and mortar presence (but both trade under different names).  I thought that I would save everyone the hassle and get a quote from their person to person shop….$620 AND they wouldn’t match the online price I had been given FROM THEIR OWN STORE, giving me some gaff about grey imports and the dangers of not having a warranty!

Really, I want to spend my money in Australia, but if b&m retailers won’t even go anywhere near their online counterparts, why the heck would I even bother?  OK, this lens itself is not that bad an example, but if you were to say, want a Sony lens, the differences can range in the $thousands.

The manufacturers and the distributors want to play the global game.  They are not too fussed where the manufacturing gets done now a days, as long as its the cheap.  They pander to the Asian and the US markets, but are more then happy to rip off smaller markets like us in Australia and then whinge and moan that consumers are happy to risk warranties to buy overseas.

So, to the Manufactures the distributors and even some of the retailers, its time to wake up and smell the film fixer.  Online shopping isn’t going to go away in a hurry.  Re-asses your pricing structures and you might actually find people happy to buy locally again.

As for my Tamron Lens……funnily enough, sanity prevailed from the most unlikely source.  I ventured into a tiny little camera store just around the corner from my work and they priced matched the $555 straight away.  Looks like my $$s stay in Australia after all.

Image Details:  Leaf In The Water Rill.  Shot with a Sony A700 DSLR, Phoenix 100mm F3.5. 1/1000th @ F3.5.  ISO1600.  October 2008. © Ashley Hoff.

No Longer A Velvia Virgin

Pig Face Flower

I have finally popped my Velvia Cherry!  I am no longer a Velvia Virgin, and to be honest, I am not sure why I decided to take this long!

When I picked up film photography again approximately 2 years ago, after some initial playing with colour Negs, I decided to concentrate on monochrome.  I figured, that if I wanted to shoot colour, I could always break out the pixel burner.  Sure, a roll or two of Sensia were exposed, but nothing too serious.  And yes, more and more colour neg film has been shot, so much so, the pixel burner is the second choice when I am just shooting for myself.

But, seriously, now I know what I was missing.  Velvia rocks.  Yes, I have a lot to learn (I tend to be over compensating by under exposing), but I am willing to give it a try and practice.

As for the shot?  This was a chance grab on the side walk near where I work.  For those who may not be native to Southern Australia, its the flower for the local succulent, Carpobrotus rossii, commonly known as Pig Face.  Its amazing the colour you sometimes see when you are just walking the local streets!

Anyhow, knowing my luck, Fuji will now discontinue the line……

sigh….

Image details:  Shot with a Minolta Maxxum 7, Phoenix 100mm F3.5 on Fuji Velvia 100, near Gilbert Street, Adelaide, South Australia, October 2010. © Ashley Hoff

 

Ingalalla

Ingalalla Falls

Its only taken me 20 years, but I finally have discovered the joys of Medium Format Photography.  Earlier this year I managed to get my hands on my first MF camera, a Koni-Omega Rapid.

Why Medium Format, when it appears that the rest of the world has been bitten by the digital bug?  I have found that for me, the most enjoyment I get from photography involves hands on involvement.  While I don’t mind sliding the sliders in Photoshop on some digital pics, its not quite the same as playing with real filters on a real enlarger to get real contrast.

And why a Koni-Omega?  I always wanted a Range Finder, so I thought “Why Not!”.  The jury is still out to whether this is the camera for me (it has taken me a lot longer to get used to using a range finder then I would have imagined), but I must admit that I am addicted to 6×7 negs….

As for the photo at the top of the post?  This was taken at Ingalalla falls, near Normanville in South Australia, while on a day trip with the Blackwood Photographic Club (http://blackwoodphotoclub.org/) over the October 2010 long weekend.  This is also one of my very first Medium format prints.  I am yet to decide whether I am totally happy with the final product (crappy scanning aside….hmm, I wonder if Santa will bring me a decent scanner for Christmas).  I know it could do with some improvement, but I cannot put my finger on it quite yet.  Still, I do like the shot.  Maybe I could do something with it when my experience levels increase.

One thing is for sure though.  I am glad I have taken up Medium Format…….

mage Details:  Ingalalla Falls.  Shot with a Koni-Omega Rapid, Hexanon 58mm F3.5.  Shot on Ilford HP5+ (ISO400), processed in D76 1:1.  Printed on Ilford Multigrade IV Deluxe RC.  October 2010. © Ashley Hoff.

One

I have a love/hate relationship with the photographic club community.

I love the idea of sharing time with others who share the same interest as me.  I have met many friends this way and very much enjoy their company.

But in the same breath, I am very quickly beginning to hate the other bastion of Photographic clubs.  The photographic competition.

While spending some time on APUG today  (www.apug.org), one of the members made a comment on how he had a bad time with his print at the latest MCC competition night (& I quote):

Guys not sure if my idea to put my print in the MCC comp was a good idea. In the past most of the judges dont even know what an analog print is. Last night there was a judge problem. So Andrew the guy from AAPP came back, he is a good talker. But after last night personally I feel he lacks any technical knowledge in photography. So devastated at comments he made about my print. Now I feel like your all going to get a real dud from me.

This is some pain that I can really empathize with, which brings me to this posts image…..

Closing Sale

As you probably can tell from the banner above, I am quite found of this picture.  Actually, for a couple of reasons, this has just about become the picture that embodies and describes the kind of photography I like the most.

As you can also see, I have given this one a nice little witty name, “Closing Sale”.  But, this image has  a nickname.

ONE

While I love One, a photographic competition judge hated it.  Out of ten, he gave it (yes, you have guessed right), One.  His reasoning?  Too much black, the statue was facing the wrong way (apparently, we all know that its best for people to be looking into an image, not out of an image…..), there was absolutely nothing to keep his interest.  From memory, he actually said that it was a waste of ink.

I was devastated.

To be honest,  I had thought that it was one of my stronger images from 2009.  To me, it showed the desperation of the last item left in a shop.  The fact that it was facing out added another level of tension.  The shadow of the sign writing across the scene explained what it was all about.  But that judge just didn’t see it.

I understand that judging a photo contest is not easy.  I have tried it once (as a panel judge) and when you are faced with 100 to 200 photos on a night, its the ones that jump out at you, that make the most impact that win in the end.  But this is the problem.  To be able to quantify what makes one image better then another, a judge must follow their own pre-conceived ideas.  Unfortunately, these ideas tend to lean towards technical merit, as opposed to artistic merit.  And in reality, should we be treating photography like a sport anyway?

I still enter Photo contests.  I am, though, uneasy when its my images come up for judging.  Yes, I do get a buzz when I get a good score, but the feeling of getting a bad score and comment tends to linger longer.

I have had thoughts of starting a club on my own terms, a club that has an emphasis on sharing images, talking about them and offering constructive criticism.  Would such a club work?  I have no idea.  Maybe I should find out.

Image Details:  Closing Sale.  Shot with a Sony A700, Minolta AF 50mm F1.7.  ISO800, F8 @ 1/500.  2009.  © Ashley Hoff.