Film Photography - Ideas/Courses?

[Big Dave]

I have a friend who proclaims 'I'm an artist - I only shoot on film'.
I paraphrase that to meam 'Photography is my hobby' - because it just makes it real hard to make a buck the old way.
I'm also of the opinion that generally a photographer is an artisan rather than an artist - It's mastery over a tool and it's application.
But whatever, Enjoy it - it's all good. fwiw I get better results with a high end digital than from a series of 35mm slrs.

[Marknz]

If the course you find happens to cater for digital too, then you can count me in. I've a Nikon Coolpix 5700 with extra teleconverter and a wide converter. Would love to know how to get more use out of it.

Cheers
Mark

[RiderInBlack]

What would be cool would be a dig thingie that you could put in the back of your old SLR instead of film. Shit I'd love that. Have an old SLR Ricoh going to waste because the light meter is fu*ked but has a blood good lense (Vivitar 75-210 zoom lense) and El cheepy DSE 4Mpix with a shitty lense. Fu*k I would so like to combine those two. Miss my blood good optical zoom, F-stops and shut speed settings

[Ghost Lemur]

My advice would be to just do it.

Sure, get a couple of books so you can learn the technical aspects.

As far as taking "good photo's". Style is something (at least in my opinion) that can only be discovered through self discovery. But use people you know as sounding boards for criticing.

Look at photos you like. Study the details they combined to create their images. Compisition(sp?), etc. Photo mags can be good too, as often they have photos with details on the exposure/apature/focal length/etc.

[jazbug5]

What would be cool would be a dig thingie that you could put in the back of your old SLR instead of film. Shit I'd love that. Have an old SLR Ricoh going to waste because the light meter is fu*ked but has a blood good lense

Cheap handheld light meter...?

I've a really good one hewn out of rock, done me proud it has all these years...

[RiderInBlack]

Cheap handheld light meter...?

I've a really good one hewn out of rock, done me proud it has all these years...

Yep, but would still have to dig the pics for it to be of use to me now.
Why waste money on film? I used to prefur slides to film back in my underwater photography days. They were much better than itty bit pics and cheaper than getting your photo's enlarged.
I feel the same is true for Digial. Size is only limited by your screen, plus it is easier for you to crop them, edit them, and you can send you dig pic's fast and cheaper to your mates. You take up least phyical space with you dig pics as well. My "Photo Album" is CD/DVD disc size and will out last my old slides and photos.

[Slingshot]

Cheap handheld light meter...?

I've a really good one hewn out of rock, done me proud it has all these years...

Hell no....get hard....use the F16 rule.

If it's a nice bright day, set the camera to F16, 1/125sec when using 125ASA film (125ASA is close enough to 100speed).
That gives you the starting point and just adjust from there.

Modern colour films have a room for error...better still, go black and white and print it your self...then you can fix any cock-ups in the darkroom.

[Slingshot]

I have a friend who proclaims 'I'm an artist - I only shoot on film'.
I paraphrase that to meam 'Photography is my hobby' - because it just makes it real hard to make a buck the old way.
I'm also of the opinion that generally a photographer is an artisan rather than an artist - It's mastery over a tool and it's application.
But whatever, Enjoy it - it's all good. fwiw I get better results with a high end digital than from a series of 35mm slrs.

Regardless of the actual medium (film or digital), the art is in making the image, my view is that this involves more than just composing and clicking, it's involves every decision you make about the composition, camera settings, film choice, lighting etc. Similar to a painter...there are decisions to make about the meduim, brush type, paint type, technique etc.

I believe photography is an art, on a high end digital SLR the only choice you can't make is the type of film...on the filp side, modern film SLRs more often than not have varing states of auto, so when using these settings...that's the choice you're losing.

[Big Dave]

Regardless of the actual medium (film or digital), the art is in making the image, my view is that this involves more than just composing and clicking, it's involves every decision you make about the composition, camera settings, film choice, lighting etc. Similar to a painter...there are decisions to make about the meduim, brush type, paint type, technique etc.

I believe photography is an art, on a high end digital SLR the only choice you can't make is the type of film...on the filp side, modern film SLRs more often than not have varing states of auto, so when using these settings...that's the choice you're losing.

My digital has 9 presets but I still shoot mostly in 'manual'.

I did say 'generally' - but even so, I admire the work of a Newcastle NSW photographer Carl Hensil greatly - his compositions feature ornate sets depicting a tattoo parlour and harley-davidson theme, wonderful art - but the photograph itself was merely the means of preserving it. You could say enhancing it too. But the photo wasn't the art, the set and it's creation was.

I guess it's chicken and egg, and what do i know - most of what I shoot is widgets on a white background.
no art in that baby.

chz

[StoneChucker]

How much you asking for that B&W Develloping thingiemajig? Can't see a Buy Now price, or other details on the Trade-Me add.

Skunk, I also got a Canon, an EOS 3000 N with the standard lens. Also bought a second "telephoto" lens (90 - 300 from memory). Got a UV filter for the lense too. Planning on buying a lens hood, to reduce glare on sunny days. Tripod is in the pipeline too. All I really need is an attachable flash unit.

I don't plan on becoming an artist, I guess my ultimate goal is to have pictures that when someone looks at them, they are impressed. There are lots of variables in photography from what I can deduce:
Film : Black & White or Color, at least 3 different speeds/types (100, 200, 400)
Apature Size
Shutter Speed
Light Levels
Subject / composition of photo
Different levels of focus in the pic
And those are just the basics I reckon?

Ok, so once I'm done with your book Skunk, I'll start looking for a course we can all attend. Slingshot, will keep your offer in mind too, thanks

Dave.

[Slingshot]

How much you asking for that B&W Developing thingiemajig? Can't see a Buy Now price, or other details on the Trade-Me add.

Reserve is $50

(90 - 300 from memory)

It'll be a 75-300mm

Film : Black & White or Colour, at least 3 different speeds/types (100, 200, 400)
Aperture Size
Shutter Speed
Light Levels
Subject / composition of photo
Different levels of focus in the pic

Your film choice will impact the colour saturation, contrast, graininess of the image & sensitivity to light.
Aperture will impact the depth of field (amount in focus).
Shutter speed will impact the ability to freeze action or blur it (and at the extremes, reciprocity failure or colour shift of the film.)
Light levels in conjunction with the film speed will determine the shutter and aperture settings that you can choose.
Composition...start with the rule of thirds...divide the image into three and place the subject on the division.
Focus...again, impacted by the aperture that you choose but also on where you focus. For any given depth of field, the subject will be in focus 1 third in front and 2 thirds behind the point you focus on. The smaller the aperture (bigger F number) the more will be in focus.

[riffer]

Dave - pop around to my place - I'm just up the road - most of my photography books are in storage while they rebuild the gargre after the fire but I may have a few books lying around you can borrow - I'll have a look and pm you about them.

FWIW we have a few cameras at our place:

Olympus OM-1 and OM-2N (both recently rebuilt by Phil Jacobs), with a full compliment of lenses (Zuikos and Tamron SP's), teleonverters, winders, flashes, etc.

Canon T-90 with Speedlite 300TL flash, 28-85 FD zoom, 300/4.5 prime.

Olympus IS-1000

Olympus Mju 35-135 Superzoom.

and for digital:

Canon Powershot A75
Olympus C770UZ

[StoneChucker]

Thanks Slingshot and Riffer

Hey, it's cool that what you said actually made sense! I got a roll of film develloped from the new camera, and the prints looks amazing compared to our old shitter camera. Even took some pics with small and large aperture setting, those came out great (sharp/focused primary object, varying grades of out of focus objects behind it).

Must find a fountain so I can try fast and slow shutter speeds, to blur the water, creating a sense of motion

Riffer, will reply to your PM, NO RUSH though, got lots to read first

[FEINT]

I personally use a Nikon D70 Digital SLR and a 1GB CF card. I can take 200+ shots and I worry about the composition and all that later on. It really depends on what you wish to take, taking motorbikes and cars, you really have to be fast and pan with the bike / car.

Hope that helps.