Added some tone to this for some reason.
9/12/2005
In The Rubber Broom
"Not only does it pick up dirt from tile, but you can mop with it, sweep with it, it can even be used to clean your windows... Now on t.v. you will see a broom like this that has sold millions. But that broom is rubber and falls apart. This broom is metal - covered by rubber. Go ahead, try and bend it... You see folks - this is a once in a lifetime buy. Not $40. Not $30. But $22. And if you buy within the next five minutes - I'll throw in this mop as well. Think about it. A mop and a broom for $22."
9/11/2005
Street Fair
I spent a few hours at the 3rd avenue street fair. I actually shot three rolls which is the most I've done for one location. All M3. I guess I'm always surprised by what I find at these events. I really only saw one other "pro" photographer there. Ladened down with two big zoom dslrs. I just felt so comfortable with the camera. I put an ND filter on (my trade secret) because I really do like to shoot at about f5.6 if I can and I don't like using more than one film type.
Speaking of Tri-X, I finally spent time printing some of the recent shots. Three very good prints. Funny thing: one handheld of the Crucified Christ at the Met - just very dark and mystical. And a few shots done on the tripod at night.
I had a thrill when I saw the 8 x 12's. Even did one 11 x 14 which held up well. Pretty productive day.
I wanted to write something about today being 9/11. In fact, I wrote two posts and then saved them as draft. I could feel myself falling into the chasm of red-state blue-state opinions. And the media is filled with that spitting head syndrome. Does anyone think their mind can be changed by some photographer's opinion? I doubt it. Do you think my mind could be swayed by argument. Nope.
Some states believe the country is going to hell in a red handbasket. The blue states think the handbasket is blue. The independents borrow from each handbasket. Locked in battle to the death. So I think I've only said that the country is polarized and everyone knows that. Now if I can keep my mouth shut about New Orleans disaster, The Supreme Court hearings; the war in Iraq; the use of SUVs; Homeland Security et. al.
Fair and balanced from now on. That's my motto. What does it mean? It means what I say it means - no more - no less.
Speaking of Tri-X, I finally spent time printing some of the recent shots. Three very good prints. Funny thing: one handheld of the Crucified Christ at the Met - just very dark and mystical. And a few shots done on the tripod at night.
I had a thrill when I saw the 8 x 12's. Even did one 11 x 14 which held up well. Pretty productive day.
I wanted to write something about today being 9/11. In fact, I wrote two posts and then saved them as draft. I could feel myself falling into the chasm of red-state blue-state opinions. And the media is filled with that spitting head syndrome. Does anyone think their mind can be changed by some photographer's opinion? I doubt it. Do you think my mind could be swayed by argument. Nope.
Some states believe the country is going to hell in a red handbasket. The blue states think the handbasket is blue. The independents borrow from each handbasket. Locked in battle to the death. So I think I've only said that the country is polarized and everyone knows that. Now if I can keep my mouth shut about New Orleans disaster, The Supreme Court hearings; the war in Iraq; the use of SUVs; Homeland Security et. al.
Fair and balanced from now on. That's my motto. What does it mean? It means what I say it means - no more - no less.
9/10/2005
New York Morning
Oh, I was thinking as I fell asleep last night, I'm tired of what I've been shooting. I want to go somewhere different. I've done the night thing to death. I was mulling over different changes of scene - but it felt like I had been everywhere in this monumental city. That's not true - I haven't really explored a lot of places in the outer boroughs - and definitely haven't tried Staten Island and very little in Queens.
My thoughts circle around in this virtual tour of the city. I let them fly around until, much to my surprise they land at 59th street and 5th avenue. This just seems to be the navel of Manhattan for me right now.
But it's not the great navel it used to be with the Plaza closed down. And lately a lot of the lights are out by the fountain, and you just stand there in this murk and smell the horse manure.
I'm imagining it at different times of day. Dawn. Dawn on a weekend morning. So the alarm got set, and at 6 a.m. or so I was standing in front of the Bloomberg building waiting for the sky to change.
This time I put the tripod in the middle of the empty street - and photographed with the guards small in frame watching me. I was - after all - on public property so there was nothing they could do but watch me.
And then I moved on. The homeless hadn't been swept from the avenues yet. One was sleeping in front of a ad that has Greta Garbo. Oh - the contrast is a little too obvious. I'm sick of the obvious. More homeless. I'm finished with that.
And I walked past the obvious irony. But the image stayed in my brain and I had to return. That was a shot I had to have and I'd be pissed if I didn't. And I took several shots. Obvious. And can't wait to see it.
Windows were being cleaned everywhere. Construction workers sitting around eating breakfast waiting for things to start up.
The sky glows behind the buildings.
How beautiful the city was without New Yorkers. Stay in bed and let me watch the gleaming patterns form without the usual frenzy.
Into the park and there is this multi-seated bicycle by duck pond. Red. About 10 seats facing each other. As I approach it - a guy on a walkie talkie asks me if this (meaning the Party Bike) is mine.
No. Not mine. Never saw one before.
So he's on his walkie talkie trying to explain to some security guy: There's this bike - this party bike down here unattended.
But party bike sounds like something else to the guy on the other end of the crackle and I hear: There's a bike down there?
- Not a bike. A PARTY bike. You know - one of those bikes with like 8 seats on it. You'd better come down here and investigate.
- Roger that. Party bike. Stay there - I'll be right over. Over.
And I walk off and do some nice reflections in the duck pond - thinking of that question from Catcher in the Rye - but where do the ducks go in winter?
And on my way back - there are three park security guys standing around the red bicycle hydra trying to figure out how to move it. Could it be a new security threat?
I just stand around watching the show. I had no desire to take a picture of it. I'll leave it to your imagination. One of the security guards climbs into it - there is a seat in the center - and there might be a small motor in it. I'm not sure.
But the next problem seems to be what to do with the thing. It's like 8 bikes all pointing to a center hub where the security guy sits.
So they're going through where to bring the thing - and that's about as much of the show as I have the patience for so I continue on my way until the roll is gone. Hop in a cab and by 9 a.m. I'm back in my bed - sound asleep.
My thoughts circle around in this virtual tour of the city. I let them fly around until, much to my surprise they land at 59th street and 5th avenue. This just seems to be the navel of Manhattan for me right now.
But it's not the great navel it used to be with the Plaza closed down. And lately a lot of the lights are out by the fountain, and you just stand there in this murk and smell the horse manure.
I'm imagining it at different times of day. Dawn. Dawn on a weekend morning. So the alarm got set, and at 6 a.m. or so I was standing in front of the Bloomberg building waiting for the sky to change.
This time I put the tripod in the middle of the empty street - and photographed with the guards small in frame watching me. I was - after all - on public property so there was nothing they could do but watch me.
And then I moved on. The homeless hadn't been swept from the avenues yet. One was sleeping in front of a ad that has Greta Garbo. Oh - the contrast is a little too obvious. I'm sick of the obvious. More homeless. I'm finished with that.
And I walked past the obvious irony. But the image stayed in my brain and I had to return. That was a shot I had to have and I'd be pissed if I didn't. And I took several shots. Obvious. And can't wait to see it.
Windows were being cleaned everywhere. Construction workers sitting around eating breakfast waiting for things to start up.
The sky glows behind the buildings.
How beautiful the city was without New Yorkers. Stay in bed and let me watch the gleaming patterns form without the usual frenzy.
Into the park and there is this multi-seated bicycle by duck pond. Red. About 10 seats facing each other. As I approach it - a guy on a walkie talkie asks me if this (meaning the Party Bike) is mine.
No. Not mine. Never saw one before.
So he's on his walkie talkie trying to explain to some security guy: There's this bike - this party bike down here unattended.
But party bike sounds like something else to the guy on the other end of the crackle and I hear: There's a bike down there?
- Not a bike. A PARTY bike. You know - one of those bikes with like 8 seats on it. You'd better come down here and investigate.
- Roger that. Party bike. Stay there - I'll be right over. Over.
And I walk off and do some nice reflections in the duck pond - thinking of that question from Catcher in the Rye - but where do the ducks go in winter?
And on my way back - there are three park security guys standing around the red bicycle hydra trying to figure out how to move it. Could it be a new security threat?
I just stand around watching the show. I had no desire to take a picture of it. I'll leave it to your imagination. One of the security guards climbs into it - there is a seat in the center - and there might be a small motor in it. I'm not sure.
But the next problem seems to be what to do with the thing. It's like 8 bikes all pointing to a center hub where the security guy sits.
So they're going through where to bring the thing - and that's about as much of the show as I have the patience for so I continue on my way until the roll is gone. Hop in a cab and by 9 a.m. I'm back in my bed - sound asleep.
9/09/2005
TMZ
All you 1600 ASA gurus - I know you're out there. I'd like a film that I can shoot at 1600. I've seen your work and you're doing great stuff. What's your favorite formula. The whole thing - temp / agitation / tap water? / time / cosmic vibrations.
I love what I'm getting with Tri-X and DD-X.
Diafine with Tri-x was a disaster.
Delta 3200 @ 1600 with DD-X - I don't know - the emulsion seems thin and grain is the usual golf-ball size.
Tri-X pushed to 800 with DD-X - not great in low-light situations but fine in bright sunlight where I don't need it.
I love what I'm getting with Tri-X and DD-X.
Diafine with Tri-x was a disaster.
Delta 3200 @ 1600 with DD-X - I don't know - the emulsion seems thin and grain is the usual golf-ball size.
Tri-X pushed to 800 with DD-X - not great in low-light situations but fine in bright sunlight where I don't need it.
Dimage 5400 Scans
Okay - somebody kick me. Kick me hard.
I have been using the Dimage 5400 film scanner for a long time. I have been using it with the "grain dissolver." I set this up as a job a long time ago, and never really did tests with the dissolver on and off. The scanner is also set to do a 2x multi-pass to pick up more in the shadows. I did do tests with the multi-scan option and found enough difference in what was picked up in the shadow areas to double the scan time. But --
This morning - just for the hell of it - this is what I discovered: To do a full 5400 scan with the dissolver @ 2x passes takes about 7 - 8 minutes. The same image scanned at 2x with the "dissolver" off takes 2.5 minutes.
Maybe worthwhile if the results were significantly better with the dissolver - but in fact the dissolver gives a slightly softer rendition which is then "fixed" when you unsharp it later which also brings back the grain.
The difference between the two renditions is so slight - that looking at both versions of a scan side by side - if I didn't know which was which - I don't think I could tell.
So there you go. How could I not have noticed this way back when? I think I need a supervisor to watch what I'm doing or at the very least, a wizard to pop up saying - are you sure you want to increase the time it takes to do a scan? Or - you might want to look at the manual - page 32 before you press that nice icon on the toolbar.
I have been using the Dimage 5400 film scanner for a long time. I have been using it with the "grain dissolver." I set this up as a job a long time ago, and never really did tests with the dissolver on and off. The scanner is also set to do a 2x multi-pass to pick up more in the shadows. I did do tests with the multi-scan option and found enough difference in what was picked up in the shadow areas to double the scan time. But --
This morning - just for the hell of it - this is what I discovered: To do a full 5400 scan with the dissolver @ 2x passes takes about 7 - 8 minutes. The same image scanned at 2x with the "dissolver" off takes 2.5 minutes.
Maybe worthwhile if the results were significantly better with the dissolver - but in fact the dissolver gives a slightly softer rendition which is then "fixed" when you unsharp it later which also brings back the grain.
The difference between the two renditions is so slight - that looking at both versions of a scan side by side - if I didn't know which was which - I don't think I could tell.
So there you go. How could I not have noticed this way back when? I think I need a supervisor to watch what I'm doing or at the very least, a wizard to pop up saying - are you sure you want to increase the time it takes to do a scan? Or - you might want to look at the manual - page 32 before you press that nice icon on the toolbar.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)