My take on what Garry Winogrand's stuff would have looked like if he had been a landscape photographer instead of a social documentarian. Damn it, I forgot the tilt. (What tilt?)
I think there's something special about doing B&W in-camera, versus in post.
I've gone digital retro, a Lumix GF1 with the Olympus 14-42 of the same era, set to monochrome, and adjusted for my take on Tri-X. I can't answer why the result is so appealing. I've tried "better" lenses on the camera, but keep coming back to the Oly.
B&W leaves me cold when i see them posted on my DPR m4/3 forum. The assumption that it makes one's pix "artistic" seems naive and delusional (to me). Yet historically there are so many great people pix taken in B&W, when that was all they had? (i m no student of photo-Hist, and I do love your B&W portraits!) Yet Ansel Adams' black and white pictures remain (to me) the greatest landscapes of all time. I have a book of his work in color, and while good, they just don't measure up to the epochal stuff he did in B&W. Go figure
I think Scott Kirkpatrick is correct. It had never occurred to me that fun could be had "channeling" famous photographers. Great idea. Are you up to Sally Mann? Now that would be a challenge.
These are more pleasing (to me) than your usual ‘skyscrapers & blue sky’ snaps. I do think your best stuff is your mono portraits. I’m not sure if you are still using the ovf on the X100 but if so I wonder if the resulting work is affected by your many years using optical viewfinders previously?
I've taken quite a few street shots with the "Winogrand Tilt", but only because I struggle to hold the camera level with waist level grab shots. At first I was quite disappointed with those shots, but now I think if it's good enough for Mr. Winogrand, it's good enough for me! Meanwhile I'm practising holding the camera level when it's not up to my eye.
Nice set. Kirk, you're doing great in portrait photography and street photography too. Been waiting for you to channel your Alec Soth! Best regards, Clipping Path Services Clipping Path
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17 comments:
I think there's something special about doing B&W in-camera, versus in post.
I've gone digital retro, a Lumix GF1 with the Olympus 14-42 of the same era, set to monochrome, and adjusted for my take on Tri-X. I can't answer why the result is so appealing. I've tried "better" lenses on the camera, but keep coming back to the Oly.
Kirk, forget the B&W (hint hint)
[but we love you regardless, ha ha]
No. Never. It's my secret passion. A true "must have" for my legacy. I can't believe it. Everyone knows B&W is sacred ground... etc. etc.
B&W leaves me cold when i see them posted on my DPR m4/3 forum. The assumption that it makes one's pix "artistic" seems naive and delusional (to me). Yet historically there are so many great people pix taken in B&W, when that was all they had? (i m no student of photo-Hist, and I do love your B&W portraits!)
Yet Ansel Adams' black and white pictures remain (to me) the greatest landscapes of all time. I have a book of his work in color, and while good, they just don't measure up to the epochal stuff he did in B&W. Go figure
I think in actuality someone slipped a Lee Friedlander pill into your coffee.
I think Scott Kirkpatrick is correct. It had never occurred to me that fun could be had "channeling" famous photographers. Great idea. Are you up to Sally Mann? Now that would be a challenge.
These are more pleasing (to me) than your usual ‘skyscrapers & blue sky’ snaps. I do think your best stuff is your mono portraits. I’m not sure if you are still using the ovf on the X100 but if so I wonder if the resulting work is affected by your many years using optical viewfinders previously?
I've taken quite a few street shots with the "Winogrand Tilt", but only because I struggle to hold the camera level with waist level grab shots. At first I was quite disappointed with those shots, but now I think if it's good enough for Mr. Winogrand, it's good enough for me!
Meanwhile I'm practising holding the camera level when it's not up to my eye.
You might be having a little too much fun.
Definitely Friedlander. These are some lovely pictures. Thanks
Kirk:
Maybe it is my computer screen but many of these B&W images look a bit too dark?
CDC
Kirk you are a great portrait photographer! :)
I am seeing a lot of Friedlander here.
So you have 4000 memory cards in your desk drawer with raw images that wait for years to be pulled into a RAW development program?
Lee
Sure. You don't?
Been waiting for you to channel your Alec Soth!
Rick
Nice set. Kirk, you're doing great in portrait photography and street photography too. Been waiting for you to channel your Alec Soth!
Best regards,
Clipping Path Services
Clipping Path
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We Moderate Comments, Yours might not appear right after you hit return. Be patient; I'm usually pretty quick on getting comments up there. Try not to hit return again and again.... If you disagree with something I've written please do so civilly. Be nice or see your comments fly into the void. Anonymous posters are not given special privileges or dispensation. If technology alone requires you to be anonymous your comments will likely pass through moderation if you "sign" them. A new note: Don't tell me how to write or how to blog! I can't make you comment but I don't want to wade through spam!
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.