When I think back on all the crap
I learned in High School
It makes me wish for the days of that fine old Chrome. I was never and will never be a good enough photographer to take advantage of the subtle beauty of Kodachrome, but there were those that could- and even in the hands of an amateur, Kodachrome could really do some amazingthings. And in large format- jumping Jehosophat.
This is a collection of large format Kodachrome images from the second world war. Not the faded old snapshots in a cigar box we’re all used to, but the real deal, big saturated sharp color positives of staggering beauty.
Look at this one, and be amazed. hell, look at them all. This one is a print of the whole film. The notches on the edge allowed you to feel- in the darkroom- which side was the emulsion and which was the back, so you could load it in the camera properly. Eventually you could “read’ the notches so you knew what the type of film was.
Makes me want to dig out my old Speed Graphic. You can still get Velvia, I think, and I might just have to take a couple shots for old time’s sake.
12 comments Og | Uncategorized
I have a roll of 120 Kodak Lumiere for my Rollei Magic II TLR. But trying to find a lab to develop it becomes harder by the day.
I wish someone would make a digital back that didn’t cost more than a new car. (Or even a good used one.)
I’d totally pay $500 for a 6-10megapixel back for my Graflex.
(Even if it was for the 2×3!)
They all used good lighting too. Not just whatever the light-logic chip decided was good enough. More to it than just the film. Those were set managed productions.
Indeed. and damned nice ones.
Was talking with Sandy at the Rendezvous about darkroom-stuff and the endless hours spent in there – and utterly COULD NOT remember what to call…the enlarger. Too much fixer in my drink I guess.
My buddy back east had three broken Speed Graphics that he assembled into one working unit, but now he shoots a Fuji X100 retro-type – but I could do without a viewfinder anymore if the back is all lit-up…
North Coast Photo out in California will still develop and scan your slide film. They’ll do an excellent job, too, with dip-and-dunk developing and a 17MP “enhanced scan” you can print pretty much any size you should happen to want. I still use them for medium format whenever I’m feeling serious about shooting landscapes, which is all too seldom these days. My poor Mamiya 645AF is feeling mighty neglected these days.
I never did learn how to use a large format film camera, and I wish I had.
Kodachrome is tough tough tough film to get right. I screwed up a couple of rolls of 35mm right before you couldn’t get it any more.
Mama don’t take my Kodachrome aw–
Too late.
I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one who misses film.
Ektachrome, Agfa, Fujicolor, even Henry left loony Fonda and GAF (or Gaff as even he called it later).
Digital is quick, cheap, and easily sent to the computer, but as a stand-alone image, you can’t beat film. I feel like the only wine connoisseur in a world that is all too happy with Charles Shaw and Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill.
Nope, I still love it.
Two good things about Film: Really really good cameras are CHEAP. Not everyone even has a clue what you’re doing.
Back in ’03, I sold off a battleship’s worth of Nikon F2a and F2as gear, with prime lenses of 17 f/3.5, 24 f/2.8, 28 f/1.8, 50 f/1.4, 85 f/1.8, 105 f/2.5, 300 f/4.5 (all Nikkors), and an E series 70~210 f/4.5. With flashes, brackets, NiCad pacs, etc…..probably about 50 lb. worth of gear. Really opened up some space on the New Dawn, and I got good money on the gear as film was still a viable medium, even then.
What’s amazing now though, is how cheap you can get Hassleblad 500 c/m gear for on e-bay. DIRT CHEAP.
If I could find a good digital back for one, I’d ’bout go hog wild buying those gorgeous bits of photographic jewelry.
As it is, I might still buy a fully assembled, basic ‘blad, with the classic 80 f/2.8 Planar, A-12 back and standard finder….put it in a lucite case, and just display it as an artwork, which it is.
Just like old Pioneer, Kenwood and Sansui “silver face” stereo gear, the good old days really WERE good old days, at least in terms of a level of artistry and craftsmanship unmatched by today’s mostly disposable dreck.
Older guns tend to be prettier than new ones, too.
Older guys like me though, not so much.
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
Film. Wonderful, lush film. With the same camera, you could create different photos based on what emulsion you dropped in the back. Tri-X, Pan-F, Agfa, Ilford, the slower, the better, for chocolate syrup goodness. And nothing was like HIE infrared. Then you have fun with it and use warm wash to crack the emulsion, or pull-push process, or with color see what reciprocity failure gives you. Now that the world is for digital, buy an unloved Rollei or even large format, find a film, and shoot. I guess they still make D-76.
Now you’re going to make me shoot a roll of film.
These days, Photoshop has a feature called HD, which allows the user to get some pretty damned nice images out of crap. And there are HDR images, which used to take hours in a darkroom. Couple of mouse clicks. Soon, cameras will take them automatically.
But it all reminds me of the way music went in the mid-70s, with compressors and expanders and companders and that hurt-your-ears, metallic-slick sound typified by Rick Derringer’s All American Boy album.
::sigh::
Progress, they call it.
M