Specialist Location: Research & A Discussion of Genre.

Shooting in a Launderette was always in my mind from of offset, but I did have other ideas. Whilst looking at   the book given me by John Kiely, Unlimited Grain 2011, edited by Frans Peter Verheyen (1), I became interested in the work of Claudio Santambrogio, and his swimming pools (below).

These were large format shots, but nevertheless I was drawn to the lines and use of light and contrast.

 I wondered if I could pull something like this off at Victoria Baths in South Manchester, for I had always wanted to photograph the place (despite it being "done to death" these days). The only thing that unsettled me about this idea (other than the fact my humble Nikon would not be up to the task of mimicking Santambrogio's work) was my prejudice that- often honing my craft of documentary-style environmental portraits throughout the course- I deem it "cheating" to shoot images that do not contain people (a comment I will fully justify both below and in my Powerpoint presentation). For this reason, I started looking at other photographers in Verheyen's book. First up was the Kindred Spirits series by Jacqueline Roberts, shot on 8x10 negative (below).

                                                     

What appealed to me most about these shots is the way they seemed to make full use of the clarity, contrast and range of tones afforded by the use of large format negative (similar to John Kiely's own work), and then introducing the human element in the ethereal-style of portraiture usually associated with Sally Mann's Immediate Family series (below). 

                                    

I like the sense of narrative and mysticism in these images, not to mention the edginess and brazenness, which landed Mann at the centre of much controversy over the pictures (2). I mean, the images raise obvious is an obvious ethical concern here, and I know I was never going to risk such a bold move for my own art, but my initial opinion remains that both Mann's and Robert's works are beautifully-shot portaits adding an extra to layer to a simple landscape image.

Moving-on from the contrasty magical realism of the above two photographers, I then started to look at the work of Arek Soltysik (also in the book), who seems to offer a more polished and delicate interpretation of the portrait shot in natural spaces.

                                         

                                              

                                               

Soltysik's work appears to me a more laid-back, less forced way of working: his subjects are more "of" the environment, more naturally "there", in the sense they're not being asked to become a part of a fictional scene. From the examples I have used above, it Soltysik's style seems to fluctuate from environmental portrait, through Editorial, and somehow ends-up at Fashion photography. The definitions and differences of these styles, and the varying nature of Soltysik's work, provides food for thought for discussing the lines between genres of photography. One website classes them thus: Commercial Photography sells a product; Fashion Photography sells a lifestyle; Editorial Photography sells a story (3).

Genre in Photography

On this course, there have been two occasions where we have been asked to define exactly what Documentary Photography is. Many were happy with words such as 'truthful' , 'real', 'historical', 'chronicle' and 'objective'. These are the words that Wikipedia uses to define it, but it also goes on to mention that it may also be a  "an amateur, artistic, or academic pursuit". The debate became more interesting when we were asked to compare Documentary Photography to Photojournalism, which I believe is more immediate, and has more of a bearing on what is actually happening in the here and now. 

        

Documentary photography still exists as a genre, in that the photographer is following the so-called "grammar of photography"; a set of previously acknowledged nous that we now take for granted as the key ingredients of a good photograph. This could mean the way light and form are interpreted and the way the photographer places his/her subject within the frame, or indeed the aperture setting used to eliminate the background as an expression of how little importance this serves in relation to the subject. Above are three photographs by the early "documentary photographer", Lewis Hine, known for photographing scenes of child labour during the early part of the twentieth century. As a student of photography, its impossible for me not to note the difference in form and composition of the first two when compared with the third. There is a definite aesthetic to the the first, in that its subject is positioned just within the circle of the machine he is working on, before our eye is led around the device itself to the bottom left of the image. The second of the girl uses  a shallow depth of field to eliminate the immediate background, whilst keeping in focus the machine she is working on. Lastly, the third image 'appears' to be documenting what is going on between the women of the house without using any of what we know as photography's techniques: its a snapshot. I use the word 'appear' here, for in photography, all we have is what the photographer presents to us. We must suspend disbelief in a lot of cases when viewing photographs, which is implicit within this very argument itself. Placing Documentary within the Commercial template then: Commercial Photography sells a product; Photojournalism sells newspaper; Documentary sells (conveys) an idea. 

1) Thiaps, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Pub November 6th 2011 (http://www.blurb.co.uk/b/2628008-unlimited-grain-2011#about-book). The book showcases the work of those photographers working with film and traditional/historical processes.

2)  http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/art-or-abuse-a-lament-for-lost-innocence-2078397.html
3)  http://www.svenler.com/blog/definition-what-is-the-difference-between-fashion-commercial-and-editorial/

Paper Types

A photographic paper is one coated in a light sensitive chemical formula for photographic use (3). All papers are measured/weighed in GSM (Grammes per Square Metre), and in some cases the type of the paper can effect the quality of the print.

I have been using DS Colour Labs in Didsbury/Reddish for well over two years now. I started using the Glossy paper they offer because- from my novice's point of view- it "looked better" when I first started off (1). However, since toward the end of the Level 2 course, I started using their Lustre (Matt) paper. Both papers are manufactured by Fujifilm, and reading from the data sheets that come with the paper when ordered (or in my case, provided on the website for information), they are also both Silver Halide (2) Colour papers. The only difference being, that the lustre is designed solely for digital, whereas the glossy can be used for both darkroom and digital (Fujicolor Crystal Archive). DS provide downloadable profiles for both of these papers on their website, which is automatically installed into Photoshop, allowing the photographer to convert all images into this prior to printing. I'll never forget the first time I compared the results of this to not using it. I was blown away at the difference.There is also a third paper type offered by DS: Fuji Pearl Specialist paper, which apparently has chemicals in it to produce a more metallic look, whilst making the most of saturated colours. All of these use known C-Type Prints, which is a shortened version of Chromogenic Colour Print.

Speaking of exhibitions, this is a good starting point for discussing other types of papers available. Most galleries exhibiting photography are good enough to provide the viewer with information as to what the image was printed on.

Giclee Fine Art

The word Giclee comes from the French "to spray", but more-often-than-not the word is used to describe any print that is of a higher quality than any other inkjet paper. Many printers claim the process involves a more sophisticated process that means the ink is digitally sprayed on to the paper, making better use of the full range of colours, with a sharpness and clarity unrivalled with any other inkjet papers. For this reason, the paper/process is regularly used in the exhibition of fine art prints in galleries. I cannot count the amount of times I have seen this word on the information panel that accompanying a framed print.

Gelatin Silver Prints

These are resin-coated, usually for Black and White film photography. Traditionally, the process of creating the prints was known as dry-plate, which is what replaced wet-plate in the 1880s. It is basically a photographic process, rather than a printing process, but these days a gelatin silver print can be made from a digital file, made by specially designed printers filled with silver chemicals and then washed and sealed at the end.

Textured Papers

These are papers that are textured with the use cotton woven into each sheet for extra quality. One of the best papers for exhibiting is Museum Etching, which used 100% cotton and is fit for any sort of photography exhibition. Perhaps the most professional brand is Hahnemühle (German), but Canon also run a line of this type of paper.

Watercolour Paper can also be used for photographic printing; again offering a greater texture than the ordinary inkjet papers. These are also for Fine Art/exhibition prints, and as one would imagine from their name, they are waterproof.

Satin Papers 

These have a special polyethylene coating to ensure optimum ink control and absorption. They are also resistant to ozone light and scratches. One specialist I was looking at (4) offers Satin papers at various strengths, and with different coatings/finishes. For instance, the Microporous coating makes the ink dry quicker, which would increase the printer's turnaround. They also offer one with a polypropylene finish for extra high quality. by the looks of other suppliers I have been perusing, Pearl is just another name for Satin.

Baryta Coated

Not necessarily a type of paper, and more a specific coating that allows for greater expressions of colour, greater sharpness and colour graduation. This makes it perfect for fine art and limited edition prints.





1)  The biggest drawback of glossy for me is that it is obviously a reflective surface, meaning any lights would distract one from the image whilst looking at it.
2)  A compound formed between Silver and one of the halogens (silver bromide, chloride, iodide etc.).
3)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographic_paper
4)  http://paper-graphics.com/en/products/all_ranges/c/22/photographic

Alternative Research Methods: The Research of One's Environment

In breaking with traditional methods research, such as spending hours "googling" different photographers and concepts, I went out to Whitworth Park off Oxford Road in South Manchester on Thursday 21st March 2013 at 2.30pm, armed only with my mobile phone, an A4 lined pad and my photographic sensibilities (1). The Aim: to practice a different type of research that was reliant upon acclimatising myself to the surrounding area, and using all five senses to get a feel for the place before photographing it with my mobile. Why mobile? Answer: to further break out of the mindset of using the same old devices to photograph our surroundings.

I used my mobile phone (Samsung Galaxy S2) to-not only take snapshots of the area- but to record its sounds. Unfortunately, this phone has long since died, meaning I have lost the sound clips. Luckily, though, I still have the images I took, thanks to my amazing foresight in emailing them to myself for safekeeping. Below are the pictures I managed to keep from the day, along with written annotations of what was going-on around me (2).

Desolation. After sitting here a while, the cold made my head tense. I needed the toilet 

Suffering for my art in the cold. Took a few shots of this slide at different "focal lengths", but this seems 

As I was walking around to keep warm, I could feel the brittle feel of twigs and leafs underfoot. Whilst sat on the swing later-on I could see a single leaf blow passed me in a very poetic fashion. Felt like I was fully drinking it all in here. This is what the exercise was all about.

I was sat on a two-seater swing to the right of this thing, and thought  it'd be good to frame a tree through it. Birds were singing intermittently, but I was beginning to feel the cold, and feeling quite uncomfortable with it. I needed the toilet while I was sat there too. This added to it.

Would have been nice to just hear birds and other natural sounds. Unfortunately there were workmen interrupting this, which could be heard quite prominently on my sound recordings. I thought one of those pompous thoughts that do my spirit no god here. It was this: "workmen, bane of a poet's life". One to work on this. At one point one of the pick-up trucks dropped something (ironically). Thought this was a good shot, mind. Perfectly framed.

Nice little winding path. I went up this at one point. Or as it down? There were also a few joggers and cyclists goinf passed while I was sat there.

After this I left the park and took myself home to get warm. Actually, I got warm walking to the bus. Then even warmer on said bus. But, more to the point, I was a lot warmer once I got in the house.

 Its just a shame I lost some of the other pictures and all of the sound recordings whilst transferring phones.







1) Strictly, this is not true: I also had my main camera, three lenses, a flash-gun, a set of close-up filters and a spare battery, but for the sake of this post, I'd like readers to suspend disbelief at this point. Or at least bear with me.  
2)  Obviously, I'll be putting the images on straight from my phone (save for resizing for web-use), for anything else would surely be defeating the object.

Camera Types, Digital vs Film and Sensor Size

Before I knew much about photography I thought digital was bound to be an improvement on the types of cameras I used as a kid, and the way we relied upon the likes of high-street processors to get our film processed. However, after studying photography for at least two and a half years, I now know the differences between film and digital couldn't be more different in terms of the way they record light and create images. Film is raw and random, in the way it relies on actual chemicals and film emulsion in the creation of grain. Digital, on the other hand, is based on a more linear process of ones and zeroes (binary) resulting in pixels. 

A bit about digital sensors

The size of the sensor is what determines the resolution and image quality. A lot has been made of high mega pixel counts over the years, but this is mainly a marketing strategy to shift more cameras. Manufacturers basically rely on the consumer's lack of knowledge of sensor size, prone as they are to assuming the higher the mega pixel count, the better the camera. Not the case. A mobile phone (like mine) that boasts a 8mp camera means very little, for the sensor is very small. This means the sensor is not picking up as much light in its photo-sites than that of a larger sensor of the same mega pixel count.   

Most of the students on this course use dSLR cameras with an APS-C sensor. This is a Digital version of the traditional Single Lens Reflex camera that I will be looking at shortly. APS-C stands for Advanced Photo System (type C), which is basically a cropped version of a a full frame sensor: the size of a traditional 35mm negative. Digital SLRs with full frame sensors are generally a lot more expensive because of this. 

The scaled-down size of the APS-C sensor also effects how we think of the focal length of the lenses we buy for them. For example, a 50mm lens on a APS-C is the equivalent of 75mm on a full frame. Why? Because you need to mulitply the size by 1.5 (for Nikon; 1.6 for Canon) to arrive at the full frame equivalent.

SLR:

As I've mentioned that the full frame dSLR is basically a digital version of the traditional film SLR, I might as well start this section by discussing what exactly this is.
SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex, which refers to the fact that what we see when looking through the viewfinder represents how the resulting image will look.

We see the scene through the viewfinder because the mirror is held out of the way, until the shutter is pressed, when it raises to allow the light to pass through the pentaprism and eventually onto the focal plane (film negative).

Digital SLR

As I mentioned above, most people interesting in photography nowadays will have one of these. This is because they are easier to work with, and there are less scope for mistakes. I read an article on Adobe's website over two years ago about Gamma Curves and the difference in how information is recorded between digital and film. I do not plan to regale you with the details of this very mathematical article, but I will reference the famous Ken Rockwell, in saying that digital has issues recording highlights because- once they reach White- the highlights start to clip/go off the scale. Film- on the other hand- "overloads gracefully when things get too white and wash out" (2). 

Medium Format

This is the Mamiya 645 Medium Format camera. We used a version of this when shooting our Serrano-type portraits in the studio, along with when we shot out still life flowers.

Medium Format can be said to refer to any camera that uses a negative bigger than 35mm, but smaller than a 5x4", which is the smallest Large Format cameras come in, which I will discuss below. Medium Format can also be separated into a few sub-types, such as folding cameras, Twin Lens Reflex (these are what we deem as the real "oldies") and SLR (similar to what most of us have, but the viewfinder is at the top, so we look down into it- above). Replaceable viewfinders can also be bought for the SLR-type.

Medium Format cameras generally use a 120mm roll of film, but the size of each negative ranges from 6x4.5 (in the case of the Mamiya above), to 6x6 square, to 6x7, right through the rarer models of 6x24 panoramic. The film is basically ripped-off at different points according the size of the camera's focal plane. 

When I used the above Mamiya, I had great difficultly focussing the thing (especially when trying to focus on the eyes for my portraits), but I guess this is where the fun is, for it brings us closer to more traditional photography.

This is a comparison of 35mm film (right) and regular medium format film (left) (1)

Digital Medium Format

There are two main types of digital medium format camera: those that are fully digital, and the analogue versions that can be fitted with digital backs (like we used whilst shooting our portraits and still lives).

Hasselblad H4D-50, 50 megapixel Medium Format camera.
These are more often than not used for advertising and fashion shoots due to their large sensors and huge resolution.

This the Leaf Aptus II digital back on a traditional medium format camera. We used a leaf digital back when we shot our images in class, but our's didn't have an LCD on the back, so we had to tether it to the computer, where the image would appear seconds after the shutter is pressed. In short: the digital back allows an analogue camera to take a digital image (usually in the TIFF file format). The digital back helped with the above difficulty in focussing to some degree, for at least we could view our images on the computer screens a few seconds after they were shot.

Large Format

Arca Swiss Monorail 5x4.
This is similar to the model we experimented with in class.

Large Format is a term applied to any camera with a focal plane larger than 5x4 inches. They normally consist of two standards (plates) connected by a set of bellows, used for perspective control, in the middle. The front standard houses the lens, and this can rise to eliminate the converging verticals we see when we photograph buildings. The rear standard can also be moved into the position of either landscape or portrait orientation. The monorail model above allows for the most movement of all the Large Format types, which is what makes it perfect for studio work. 

The first thing I noticed about this format was how we do not need to second guess what is going on within the workings of the thing like we do with digital bodies. A lot of the time we are made to understand how a digital camera works without actually witnessing it for ourselves. With Large Format, when we are told that a lens of 150mm, we know that the glass is exactly 150mm away from the focal plane where the film is loaded. 

Most students of digital are familiar with the likes of 'tilt shift' techniques afforded to us by specialist tilt-shift lenses, products such as the Lensbaby, and various effects in Photoshop, but Large Format offers us the original tilt shift with the use of the bellows. By moving the front standard left and right, we can choose our own perspective and sweet spot of focus: basically by shifting the lens and altering what is recorded by the film. 

Other Camera Types

Compact

Basically, everyone, has had one of these at one point in their lives. They are generally point-and-shoot cameras, but these days manufacturers have started adding more features to them, such as bigger LCDs and higher zoom capabilities; basically, edging in more high-end features for lower prices. Low-end compacts are suitable for your average night out or just taking pictures of friends, but for those wanting better image quality and more features, people generally opt for something a little more high-end.

Compact System Cameras 

   

Sony NEX-5N

                                                                

These seem to be all the rage these days, due to their interchangeable lenses and compact size. They often use the same CMOS sensors- and have many of the same features- of dSLRs, but their compact size is perfect for the man/woman who refuses to walk around public places with a something as big as a dSLR. I have met many a photographer/camera obsessive who also own one of these for ease of picture-taking, and so they don't have to take their large bodies everywhere they go. However, the disadvantages of these types of camera is that a lot of them don't have viewfinders (rather you view the image on the LCD), and they are a lot slower to start up (3).

Bridge Cameras

When I started taking a real interest in photography in September 2010, this is what I started off with. These are meant to "bridge" the gap between compact and dSLR cameras. They have many of the same features (inc. a viewfinder), but they generally don't allow for the changing of lenses. Rather, the focal length is controlled by a digital zoom, like that of of compact, but a lot more powerful. For me, use of my friend's Sony Cyber Shot HX1 was a good way to introduce me to the aperture and shutter speed, whilst letting the camera doing half the work. 

Rangefinders

Leica M3

Rangefinders show two images in the viewfinder, and when these two are the same, the photographer knows the image is in focus. There are many advantages of the Rangefinder over that of the SLR. For one, they don't have a mirror, which means there is no sound of it moving out of the way to allow the light to hit the negative/sensor. No mirror also means the camera takes a picture a lot quicker. This is perhaps the key advantage for me. With the SLR there will always be a delay between pressing the shutter and the sensor receiving the light needed. So if we are taking a picture of someone who blinks at the last second, we risk having their eyes closed, whereas with a rangefinder, what we see is more likely to be what we get. Leica are probably the most coveted example of this type of camera, known for the use by the roving reporter or street photographer because of the quietness of the shutter.

1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_format_(film)#120_and_220
2)  http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/filmdig.htm
3)  http://www.which.co.uk/technology/photography/guides/compact-system-cameras-explained/