Sunday 31 August 2014

The Lathe

Whats all this about ?
Although I trained and work(ed) in Civil Engineering I also trained myself, through night school at the local Technical College to use a lathe and other machine tools. I spent four years making a 5" gauge live steam locomotive amongst many other projects and have a well equipped workshop, that doesn't get much use these days apart from making parts for the ageing lawnmower.
For a short while the other day The Lathe became an artefact, a found object but only when I had a need for it to be. At all other times it is just there, it gets oiled and run to keep it in good condition then covered over. Suddenly when studied through the viewfinder it was different. I saw more detail, the swarf from the last job (what was I making ?) and the worn paint from years of operattion. It not only has its own history ( I bought it as a ruin and refurbished it) but where are all the things now that were made with it. The previous users, what did they make with it ?. So for a few minutes this tool had a different life, a photographic subject, a model. Simply lit with florescent tubes and a single work light I spent a few minutes removing items from the suds tray that were not needed and took a couple of frames on 6x6 Acros at EI160. Metering was with the incident meter in the main and with a spot meter here and there to check for any out of DR areas. There were none which was obvious to see but 6x6 makes you check and check again. The next day I processed the film in Diafine, scanned, PP and printed to 24"x24".
The photographic exercise here was to see more of the capabilities of Acros in Diafine and even after years of seeing better and better IQ this took my breath away. Shadow detail, micro detail, tonality and a feeling you get when something is right but not quite sure why. But, The Lathe was doing more that being an inert object that got its picture taken for a film test. Now it did have a platform to tell its story. It has been invited into the house where more people can see it, ask about what it does, what it made, where was it made and why do I have one. But is it art ?. Duchamp entered a fountain (urinal) as an item of art into the 1917 Society of Independent Artists exhibition. The committee rejected the work as not being art, and  The Fountain is nowadays probably one of the most recognised items within the art world. In 1925 Edward Weston photographed his toilet bowl. Weston saw beauty in the shape and was careful in how he dealt with viewpoint to deliver an image that was beyond being a toilet. His daybook entry says "Photography is realism - why make excuse".
I am currently looking for three pieces of my work to enter into a large open competition that will exhibit in King's Lynn during October. I have never entered an "open" before and cannot imagine how the selectors choose from all types of flat art. Last year a photograph won the top £2000 prize so there is some hope rather than expectation that this may happen again. The Lathe may just be one of my three.





The Lathe - (mock up of Matt and Frame)

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Diafine for Medium Format Monochrome

I have recently returned to using my 6x6 cameras and am taking some time out to investigate how the move back to film may change some of my monochrome work. On the face of it there is nothing I cannot shoot digitally. If fact I have more choice of lenses and cameras in that genre but having spent many years in the past shooting 120 film and making silver prints I know that there is an aesthetic difference in the final output, especially when making large prints and I need to see If I can achieve that with a hybrid film and digital workflow. This is not to be regarded as a quality issue, as both film ( I am only considering 120/220) and digital produce outstanding results when a regulated professional workflow is used. Also this is not a technical investigation with detailed references to spectrometry, chemistry etc, but a simple see what works and use it approach.

The whole subject of what film to use, processing, scanning and final print output is possibly the subject of a much wider examination so based upon some previous experience and some online research I have started my own mini project to determine a good best practice fit to two picture making scenarios, still and moving.

Film Stock

Studio / Outdoor Still LIfe (Camera on a Tripod)

A slow film can be used as the slow shutter speeds do not become a problem. Online research shows that for my taste (its all about aesthetics) Fuji Across 100 ISO is suitable, obtainable and reasonably priced.

Street Photography (Camera Hand Held)

A faster film is needed to allow shutter speeds of 1/125 or faster with f8 to f16 aperture.
From previous experience Kodak Tri X ISO 400 and Kodak TMax 400 ISO 400 produce suitable results and can be pushed to higher ISO ratings with suitable developer.

Developing Methodology

The two options available here are to either send it to a good quality processing company or do it myself. My preferred processing house is Peak Imaging. They have a good track record with quality and offer OCA students a discount. They process all their B&W film in Kodak XTol at full strength and can push process if requested. As a reference their output is good and I will use this as a datum.

The second option is process the film myself. Having spent over 20 years (70s and 80s) doing it in the past there is no learning curve for film loading etc although I have to purchase a tank, chemicals and bottles. There is however a wide choice of developing chemicals and formulae which can be used, together with various dilutions, timings and agitation routines, all of which will effect the outcome of the process.

Developer Choice

From previous experiences I had had good results using a wide range of Ilford and Kodak products. ID11, HC110, Perceptol etc etc at their recommended box temperatures and durations. Those negatives were then enlarged and prints made in either a condenser or diffuser type enlarger. The negative contrast needed to be different depending on the type of enlarger being used. Typically the condenser enlarger produced contrasty prints and therefore did not require contrasty negatives.  
The negatives I will produce are to be scanned and this produces a different criteria for the film processing. I am looking for a negative that has a full range of tones and requires a minimal amount of post processing in CS5. From research and anecdotal evidence a 2 bath developer is the way forward and it is from the work of the late Barry Thornton that I have taken advice. The ultimate for B&W film success is to expose to give the maximum detail in the shadows and as little development to the highlights so as to retain detail.   Heinrich Stoëckler had invented a 2 bath developer before 1939 and this was popular with Leica users and Ansel Adams used a version of Kodak D23. The formula for all of these and Barry's own version are available to mix from base chemicals. Diafine is an American 2 bath developer that has a proven track record with research carried out by Stephen Schaub at www.figitalrevolution.com  
Diafine is not readily available in the UK but I have sourced a 1 gallon (US) kit from Germany and made up the solutions A and B. Two bath developers works as follows.
The film is ’developed’ in Bath A with agitation every half or full minute. Actually little development takes place. Mostly the film is becoming saturated with the developing solution. However, some development does take place and agitation is important to prevent streaking. The solution is then poured off and saved. Drain the tank well but don’t rinse or use a stop bath. Then pour in Bath B, and after a quick rap of the tank on a hard surface to dislodge any airbells, let the tank stand still with no agitation for three minutes or so when all development has ceased. In the highlight regions where the developed silver will be densest, the developer available in the emulsion is soon exhausted and development halts, thus automatically limiting the density of the negative at that point. The more the exposure, and the denser the highlight, the faster development ceases. In the shadows, though, there is little silver to reduce and there is enough developer to keep working there to push up the shadow detail density. The less light the negative received at this point the longer the development proceeds.  Unlike conventional developers there is nothing to be gained by changing temperature or times. All films, whether exposed at ISO 100 or ISO 1000 can be processed at around 20c and in each bath for at least 3 minutes minimum. The solutions are used many times and although they become discoloured there is no loss of performance for many months. There is no stop bath required other than a rinse in water and then use a rapid film fixer for 10 mins and wash as normal, using a wetting agent and distilled water for the final rinse to eliminate drying marks. The advantages of this developer are numerous. It is easy to use, requires no special darkroom techniques, accommodates various film types and ratings in the same tank and produces negatives of extremely fine grain and a tonal range that allows the scanner to pick up all the shadow detail with no blown highlights.

Results

Film used so far is Across rated at 160, TMax 400 rated at 560 and Tri X rated at 400 and 1000. 
As one would expect the Acros has almost no grain, extremely full range of tones and a creamy feel that for fine art photography would make it sublime. The TMax 400 is extremely good for general photography with a grain structure that is pleasant. Tmax 400 has a tabular grain emulsion and is perhaps not best suited to the 2 bath process.  The Tri X is gorgeous to look at through a loupe and scans extremely well. It has a reputation for handling contrast very well and with the 2 bath this is extended to give an amazing range of tonality. Diafine recommend rating it at ISO 1000 and that makes it extremely usable in low light although a roll at box speed look perfect.

It is difficult to show the results on the web. The tonality, the minute shadow detail and the creamy nature of the output is marginally different to digital images and only manifests itself in a print that can be inspected under good light.

I have also found that I am getting different results from my scanner (Epson V750 wet mounted) with different software. For colour negatives I use Silverfast 8 and find the control to be fine but for monochrome at 16 bit the Epson software is giving me a richer range of tones. To enhance the film "look" I also want to make as many tonal adjustments at the scanning stage rather than in Post Processing. The less digital manipulation the better the result will be.

Conclusions

Initially I am pleased to have gone down the 2 bath developer route. It offers benefits over developers that worked well for enlarger use as it provides a full tone negative that is maybe a bit flat (linear) and gives the scanner a better opportunity to capture shadow and highlight detail. I will limit my film stock to Acros, and Tri X once the T Max has been used. With 2 films I can cover most situations of lighting and technique in a range from 160 to 1000 ISO. Further test rolls of Across to be shot at box speed of 100 ISO.

None of this work with film (I personally reject the word analogue to describe this) is going to show huge improvements over my digital output. The differences are esoteric and marginal. I enjoy using the MF cameras (Mamiya 6 and Hasselblad 500 CM) because they require an engagement at another level. The frames are restricted, there is a tenderness about using classic cameras and there is an appreciation about light falling onto silver with its endless range of tone and contrast. The classic lenses produce sharp yet rounded images with bokeh that is not seen in modern equipment. When it all comes together the images have an engaging aesthetic that sets them apart from my other work. Some will say that this is wasting time and it would be better to move forward with technology and look at more contemporary techniques. That may be true but I am convinced that the time spent trying is worthwhile,

Below are two images from T Max 400 rated at 560 Part A 4.5m + Part B 4.5m







Monday 25 August 2014

Exercise - Design Theory and Published Layouts

In preparation for Assignment Three I will research the various page layout options available from contemporary practice, together with some of the theory of basic layout design. Examples from magazines are to be included to demonstrate the design principles.

Part One
 
Basic Layout Design.

Design, ordering and arranging elements into a scheme into a layout that gives the best outcome. This is not generally the work of a photographer (although probably more so with the ease of self publishing) and is more often the domain of an editor or artist in a production team. Following any predetermined rule is likely to result in static and uninteresting work but there are five basic principles of design that a photographer should be aware of.
  1. Contrast
  2. Balance
  3. Proportion
  4. Rhythm
  5. Unity
Every good layout will incorporate in some part all of the above.

1: Contrast

Size.
Two equally sized images will detract from each other and cause confusion as to which one should the viewer look at first. When making a layout with two images a decision must be made which is the most important and make that the bigger one on the page.

 
 

Poor layout with two similar sized images



Two image layout with one dominant image
 
 
1. Shape
 
Repetition of the same shape for important compositional elements will tend to make for a monotonous layout and lack interest.
 
1.1 Tone
 
A page layout should have a pronounced tonal range. Through the tonal range of the photograph to the white of the paper and the grays of the typeface there should be a certain amount of black. The type of photograph will influence this decision. A high key image will benefit from a light typeface and an image with a lack of bold tones will be better served using a bold typeface.
 
1.2 Direction
 
Each unit of a design layout (unless they are equal) points in the direction of the longest dimension. A long vertical photograph points up and down and a large block of bold text will point in the direction of the largest unit. Some working in this field feel it is important to stop each design unit from pointing in a certain direction by using another unit at right angles, therefore carrying the eye to the next unit in a preconceived order.
The careful use of the white space (the area of white paper between the design units) brings together the shapes and perceived direction and order. It also plays an important role in the contrast of size, shape and tone.
 
 
 
Size Contrast but all Vertical (Poor)
 
 
 
Improved Directional Contrast (Better)
 
 
 
Units at Right Angles (Good)
 

2. Balance
 
The design units within the layout must appear to belong in the space they occupy, with a look of stable equilibrium. None of the design units, whether body, headlines, pictures or cut lines should struggle for position or look as if they are about to fall over or fall out of the page. There are no hard and fast rules which will determine a successful balanced layout. Experience with trial and error will eventually bring results although there are four factors which are a help to start with.
  1. The Focal Centre
  2. The Tone of the Units
  3. The Size of the Units
  4. The Shape of the Units
 
 
 



The Focal centre of balance in a layout is on the vertical centre line somewhere between the two horizontal lines dividing the layout into thirds and halves respectively. In the illustration above the mobile telephone is on the focal centre point.

Design units of similar size, tone and shape will form a perfect balance if they are placed equidistant from the focal centre.

3. Proportion

Proportion is the size relationship of the various component units to one another or to the complete layout. A pleasing layout has a great deal to do with how space is divided and obvious proportion is often considered as poor proportion. The more subtle the scheme the better, with ratios of 1 to 3, 2 to 5 and 3 to 5 offering better effect than say 1 to 1.




 
4. Rhythm
 
This is defined as a regular recurrence of design elements and is characterised by separation of form, development of a graduated tone, repetition of common tone and interrupted rhythm. Any of these techniques impart a feeling of movement or "flow" to a layout.
 
5. Unity
 
The units of layout must be assembled in such a way as to form a unit, or single impression. If the units are scattered around the page visual confusion will occur. The eye must move easily from one design element to another so that the various parts assimilate into a logical order.
 
Layout Styles
 
The five principles of layout (contrast, balance, proportion, rhythm and unity) are difficult to express equally in every piece of creative work. The layout artist should draw upon knowledge of each to add appeal to the page. There are three design concepts that most work will fall into. They are classical, editorial and modern.
 
Classical layout consists of two facing pages as in an open book with a narrow gutter dividing the type, wide margins, top sides and bottom.
 
Editorial layout uses pictures, headlines, cutlines, copy and other design units grouped into a single continuous mass. The layout is characterised by two large units: a unit of pictures and display matter and a unit of text
 
Modern format is based on simple geometric arrangements of lines parallel and at right angles to each other, an internal framework holding the design units together.
 
 
Part Two
 
Examples of contemporary practice (limited to Editorial examples)
 
 
 
 
  © National Geographic Magazine Fig 1.
 
 
Fig 1. is a good example of the layout artist using the Focal Centre of the page to attract the viewer with bold headline text and one dominant photograph. On the left hand side the word "Chernobyl" is positioned on the vertical centre line and exactly within the one half and one third page division that form the Focal Centre. On the right hand side the photograph is on both centre lines although the main feature within the image (the long sweeping curve of lights) is within the Focal Centre zone.
 
Included in the above are good use of tonal contrast within the text. The text has varying size and font which provides a tonal range while the use of white space makes for an airy and light feel.  The greater area of white space above the layout is an inverse of the traditional architectural proportions ( 4 bottom, 12 main, 3 top) and works well in a story where the natural order was completely reversed after the explosion. Balance is achieved by utilising the Focal Centre within the text and photograph without further text on the right hand page.
 
 
 
© National Geographic Magazine Fig 2.
 
 

Fig 2.shows the skill of the layout artist with excellent use of space utilisation. The standard editorial four column arrangement has been broken by the inclusion of a photograph spanning two and a half columns. There is tasteful use of white space above column four and the area below the caption. The full bleed photograph on the left hand side and top introduces balance to the right angle text layout.
 
 
 
© Tatler Fig 3.
 
Fig 3 is a variation on the Classical layout and makes use of the shapes within the photograph to complement the text. The two page layout has balance and rhythm. The photographs have been carefully chosen and are the dominant design units. The text is well balanced with white space above and makes good use of the capital T (Not sure if that is a feature of Tatler or a coincidence). The caption on the left hand side is placed neatly within the steps and fits the space and is level with the end of the main text. The full bleed image on the right has the same boy as the left image and this provides more rhythm and balance. The image also has the correct composition of elements within it to keep the layout within the page. Dark areas of book case and the left facing chair make a suitable frame.
 
Conclusion:
 
Prior to this research I had not aware of the laid down rules of page layout and composition. I am now more aware of the intricacies of the layout artist/editor and fascinated by the use of rhythm and balance. Clearly there are occasions when the rules can be broken but for most editorial uses the pre determined standards seem to work. The techniques become obvious when there is an understanding and it is now difficult to look at any printed mater without being aware of the good and bad examples. As a photographer I am not likely to manage a layout but it is an interesting subject to continue with and develop a notional amount of skill.
 
 
References:
 
Kerns, Robert L: Photojournalism - Photography with a Purpose, Prentice Hall
 
National Geographic Magazine, December 2013
 
National Geographic, Greatest Parks of the World 2014
 
Tatler, August 2014