The Technology of Cameras L5

Week 1

In our introduction to the technology of camera's we learnt the benefits of photographing in film, as it provides a better dynamic range than digital photography, as it offers a wider range of shadows and highlights. Some of the most famous photographers are known purely for their shots in film, such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Ansel Adams. Printing in film displays more skill and expertise than digitally printing. Shooting in film slows you down and makes you think more about the shot, the final photograph is believable, as editing or faking in film is much more difficult than with digital. We then went on to learn about the differences between DSLR's and SLR's. Single Lens Reflex cameras only have one lens, the light follows a reflex or a reflected path through the lens, up to the viewfinder where the photographer will adjust the picture to suit, then the picture will be shot onto a roll of film, typically 35mm. Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras are shot in a very similar way, but they have a digital sensor, and the photographs are composited onto a memory card instead of film. Less effort goes into shooting digitally, as most of the time, you do not compose the exposure, as it automatically does it itself. A prime lens has one focal length, and gives a better image than a zoom, a 50mm lens gives the same image as a human field of vision. We looked at the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO/ASA scales. 

http://godigitalslr.com

We looked at how you move up and down each scale in 'stops' to demonstrate a correct exposure. We did two test shots on a polaroid camera to see if we could get the exposure correct, and to have a hands on experience shooting with film and how the peel-apart film develops.

After the lecture, I researched into Edwin Land, who was the inventor of polaroid instant photography in 1947. Him and his Harvard physics instructor established Land-Wheelwright Laboratories for polarising technology in 1932. Once they had received funding from Wall Street investors in 1937 the company was renamed Polaroid Corporation. Not long after Land demonstrated the first instant camera named the Land camera, and the technology of cameras rocketed from that moment. I also did further research into Don McCullin, Lewis Hain, and WeeGee photographs. 

http://vintagecameraclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/edwin-land.jpg

Week 2

This week we looked at standard length lens' for a specific format. To work this out we used the theory of pythagorus. The field of view of a lens is dependant on the focal length, an adequate focal length is dependant on sensor size, you must determine the effective focal length on the sensor. The diagonal of the sensor can be accomplished adequately using the Pythagorean Theorem if you understand the width and height of the sensor. 300mm is eye distance, and a focal length focused on infinity. We used the Fuji point and press instant film on automatic for further experience using film. In class we designed the following exposures dependant on our environment.

1. Sunny with hard shadows outside F11@ 1/125th 100ASA

2. Overcast F5.6 @ 1/125th 100ASA

3. Small dark lecture theatre F4 @ 1SEC 100ASA

4. Mac room F5.6 @ 1/4SEC 100 ASA

http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/camera-diagram4.gif

Focal Length

http://www.stsite.com/camera/cam02.php

Week 3

In the third week we had an induction to the dark room. It is important to have a light-tight dark room when developing film so it doesn't over-expose. We learnt how to load 120 onto a spiral, and its difficulties doing it in the dark, as its a tricky task. However, this can also be done in a light-tight changing bag. We learnt the sequence of chemicals for developing film; developer, stop, and fix, and the timing relevant to this. These are some tests we did in the dark room: 

Week 4

This week we were to have completed Task A and B of the live briefs. For task A we had to visit a passport photo-booth, and take at least 4 different images, that showed 4 different disguises. Each disguise could be altered by the use of props. I managed to get through this exercise by planning. I had all my disguises in order of shooting. I also practiced at home, by getting a friend to quickly take 4 photos of me, in my different looks. I found this helpful as I perfected my changing technique. Below is my five different disguises: 

Research 5 Photographers

Brassai (1899-1984)

Brassai was born as Gyula Halasz in 1899 in Transylvania, Hungary. He was best known for his photography of the streets of Paris. He was able to artistically produce wonders of imagery, light, atmosphere and shadow. He aimed to portray the city and its environment, such as bridges, boulevards, alleyways, coffee houses etc. He also represented those who worked on the margins of society, such as: prostitutes, pimps, and street cleaners. Mostly, Brassai used a collection of plate cameras. He believed that with 35mm film, there was chance of him being careless with his photography, and he would lose concentration in composing the ideal shot. The plate camera considerably slowed down the process, bringing a special alchemy to his final exposures.

"Bijou" of the Montmartre cabarets
 from "Paris by Night"
 1933

Notre Dame from the Ile Saint-Louis 
from "Paris by Night" 
1933

Prostitute at angle of
 Rue de la Reynie and Rue Quincampoix 
from "Paris by Night"
 1933

Ansel Adams (1902-1984)

http://thecommittedindian.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Ansel-Adams_2.jpg

Ansel Adams was an American  photographer and environmentalist, and may be one of the most recognised and arguably the most influential photographers of all time. He was most well known for his expertise of the dark room and his stunning landscape photography. Adams' used large format cameras throughout his career and continued to use them even later in life.

The Tentons and the Snake River (1942)

Evening, McDonald Lake, Glacier National Park (1942)

Church, Taos Pueblo (1942)

Brian Duffy (1933-2010)

Brian Duffy was an English photographer and film producer, best known for his fashion shoots in the 60's and 70's using a rangefinder camera. He started freelancing for Harper's Bazaar in 1955, it was here that he took inspiration from the photographic contact sheets and fell in love with photography. In his later life, Duffy lost interest in photography and burned the majority of his portfolio away. Some of the photos were saved, and Duffy revisited his love of photography began to shoot once again a year before his death. 

David Bowie

Jean Shrimpton 

Pret a Porter, 1977

Richard Avedon

American photographer Richard Avedon was best known for his work in the fashion world and for his minimalist portraits. He shot for Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, demanding that his models convey emotion and movement, a departure from the norm of motionless fashion photography.Avedon enjoyed the clarity of his 8x10 Deardorff. This also posed challenges because of the inherent slowness of the lens/film. 

Dorothy Horan, best known as dovima, with elephants (1955) 

An image from harper’s bazaar (1955) 

Ronald Fischer (1981)

Ellen Rogers

Ellen Rogers is a Norfolk born analogue film maker and photographer, she studied at Goldsmiths College and finished a master’s degree in photography in 2007. Her imagery is notable for its dark, dream-like overtones. She uses 30 to 40 different cameras to capture her ideas on film, after which a bit of alchemy comes into play. Behind the closed doors of the dark room, Ellen experiments with alternative processes to straight silver gelatine to secretly develop her unique photographs. 

Week 5

Dark room - enlarge/contact to glass/paper