Grainy. Blurry. Out-of-focus. To the average photographer, these are characteristics to avoid at all cost. Fortunately, I never claimed to be "the average photographer." So for all you not-so-average photographers seeking to infuse some low-fidelity grunge into your high-fidelity world, I present the Olympus Pen EE-2 camera for your consideration.
You'd think, after a decade-and-a-half of widespread moaning, bragging, posturing, marketing and pontificating, that every conceivable angle of the film vs digital debate would have been covered ad nauseam by ten thousand bloggers and a hundred thousand forum participants. So how is it I managed to uncover a heretofore un-debated cranny?
Like telegraphs, typewriters, turntables and anvils, the Voigtlander Vito III 35mm folding camera is a relic of an earlier time. To many, that makes it obsolete. But for those who truly enjoy the act of photography, its antediluvian origins do not equate to uselessness. Distilled of all bells and whistles, it performs the same fundamental function as any current-generation digital SLR or mirrorless marvel — it takes photographs. And it does it quite nicely.
Part 2 of the Caffenolog ostensibly discusses developing Acros 100 in Caffenol-C-M. But because this is an ULTRAsomething article, that whole caffenol angle might actually be an elaborate excuse to further hone my Hasselblad XPan skills (and the word "skills," as used here, is infused with irony). Then again, it's entirely possible that both the Caffenol and Xpan threads are diversionary tactics, meant to obfuscate the true topic — my distaste for being labeled "a blogger." Likelier still, it's all of the above.
Everyone redesigns their website now and then. But only ULTRAsomething would use such a mundane task as justification for an observational post on the state of humanity.
Once upon a time, I believed instant coffee was one of the most insipid substances on earth — but that was before I started dunking my film in it.
In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, I spent a tremendous number of words discussing the merits of Sigma's Foveon sensor for BW photography. In this article, I'll look specifically at the DP3 Merrill as a camera, rather than as a box that holds a Foveon sensor.
After Part 1's discussion of the theoretical advantages of Sigma's Foveon sensor for BW photography, this next installment looks at the BW process in detail, making it even nerdier than Part 1. The article includes a discussion of the tonal differences between BW photos taken with Sigma cameras vs. BW photos converted from color images taken with "traditional" digital cameras. It then segues into an examination of the BW workflow required by Sigma, including both the advantages and disadvantages of the process, plus my recommendations for improving both the process and the cameras.
Which of these two is more ridiculous: "Film Photography Day" or "National Biplane Lady Day?" In this article I present the arguments. You make the decision.
Many people love cameras because they love gizmos, gadgets and technology. My love for cameras is more of an adjunct to my true love — photography. But that doesn't preclude me from occasionally going full-on camera nerd — particularly when it comes to something like Sigma's Foveon sensor, which has the theoretical potential to transform my BW photography.
I've often said that photography's closest art form is not painting, but poetry. So perhaps it's not surprising that I've uncovered yet another link between photography and language.
What I see when I see what I saw is not the same fiction as most others divulge.
