Hokkaido Hills

The past few days I’ve been film processing. I always enjoy the process, because as each roll of film appears out of the development tank, and I put it into the stabiliser, I get a glimpse of what I shot.

Glimpses are important, rather than a steady hard look at the work. Impressions are in my book, much more powerful. It’s the lack of detail that’s important to me. When a picture is incomplete in one’s mind, then the imagination goes into overdrive imagining what is there.

It has now been a decade since I started to go to Hokkaido. It’s educational for me to go back to the very first work I created there, and to notice how things changed over time.

Today is my first day selecting and editing. I’ve literally just begun work, and this is the first edit I’ve made.

I’m well aware that as my editing session goes on, things change, and I may come back and re-edit this one. Or, it may not even make the final selection.

I give myself permission to be freeform for the first while, to see what surfaces, to see if a theme emerges. I’ve got to do this, to allow what is there, a chance to surface, and to show me what it is.

Hasselblad film cameras and extreme conditions

The past few years I’ve been experiencing more and more hardware failures in the field with my analog Hasselblad 500 series cameras that I use.

Admittedly, I am using a system that was never designed for the outdoors. Hasselblad film cameras are really studio systems. Plus, they are old now. Most of my kit dates from around the mid 80’s.

What I have learned is that the system requires regular servicing to operate. Buying ‘mint’ or ‘unused’ film backs or bodies from e-Bay may seem like the right thing to do, but in truth if the item has not been used regularly, then the lubricants inside it have probably expired. If you feel any resistance when winding on, the film back, or the body, or both probably need to be serviced and lubed.

I do go to extreme places though. In Brazil the temperatures can go up to 40ºC and the humidity is very high. I always leave my camera gear inside the bag, and I do not take it indoors with me whilst there. I avoid any condensation as much as I can, and when I am forced to bring it indoors, it remains inside the bag for several hours to help the internal compartment acclimatise to the air conditioned room and difference in temperature.

I’ve become accustomed to doing some partial service while I am in the field. For instance, sometimes the film backs jam, and will not advance. There is a simple fix that requires taking off the back plate of the film back and cleaning out a spring that has got some moisture and dirt in it. When this spring does not work, the back will not advance. It’s rather easy to correct, and I now bring a small screwdriver with me for such occasions.

The main issue for me though, is that a combination of dusty, snowy, freezing and humid landscapes that I am taking the machines to, require that I service the equipment regularly now to avoid failure in the field.

Although this post today is perhaps more of interest to anyone shooting film with vintage gear, it is also appropriate for those with digital cameras. Everything takes a beating when we are using them in different landscapes. Everything requires some care and attention, and if one wishes to photography great / interesting light, then we have to risk the camera being in all sorts of weather. Shooting only when it is sunny and dry will lead to your photos being one dimensional.

If I were a digital shooter, I would not be investing in expensive camera systems for my escapades abroad. I would be looking for bargains - and there are plenty to be had now - many digital systems from a decade ago give great results. Cheap camera systems are less of a worry when working in challenging environments. I will be less upset if the camera falls into a river in Iceland, or dies due to humidity in a sand dune complex in Brazil. Practical comes before desirability. Making pictures comes first, and I would like to be able to risk making images in challenging conditions, rather than worrying about some expensive camera system that I end up putting away for fear of environmental damage.

Our friend in Fukushima

Some lovely new images by our intrepid friend. I am impressed to find out Michael is now 72.

City Lux - Ray Metzker

“A fine blend of street and abstract”

I’ve been a lover of street and reportage photography for as long as I’ve been a landscape shooter. I don’t get much of a chance to make environmental portraits as much as I’d like, and in recent years I’ve been trying to get some projects going where I am shooting more of this, but it’s been difficult, due to my landscape workshop schedule.

One of the ways I always like to seek inspiration is in a good photographic book. When I have had periods of burn out, or feeling I need inspiration, I have sometimes returned to some of the books I first got into. They are often a reminder to me of why I got into photography in the first place. It’s good once in a while to reconnect with your earlier self. It’s perhaps a bit of a mental ‘check in’.

Recently, I bought some new photographic books, for some inspiration, and this one - City Lux’ by Ray Metzker was the top priority for me. A photographer who’s books have been out of print for a very long time (and cost me a small fortune to buy), Ray Metzker’s work is a beautiful blend of street and abstraction.

Just check out the cover of the book. Upon first glance once may be forgiven for thinking they are looking at abstract shapes only. Upon further inspection one may also be forgiven for thinking it is the same repeating image, but it’s not. The cover appears to be a contact sheet. Each frame slightly different. Same vantage point, but with different subjects walking into the rays of light that enter the scene.

Ray’s work was all about embracing shadows. Much mystery can be imparted when areas of the frame have no detail whatsoever. Highlights are treated similarly, often with his prints having no mid tones. He is looking to reduce a scene down to it’s structural framework.

But as the contact sheet provides, he understands that shooting for graphic qualities first means finding a location where the light works to his advantage and then waiting for subjects to enter the scene. Planning, recognition of a location that may work, and then adding in the chance encounter. A beautiful blend of planning and experimentation - all there in the contact sheet for us to study.

And Studying City Lux is an education. Not only in utilising spaces, but also at working with the unexpected.

These abstractions, or mirrored patterns are often emphasised by the way that Metzker has chosen to print his work. Seeing extremes in hi-key tones and absolute blacks, we are left with nothing more than the shapes and patterns that I think Metzker saw in his mind’s-eye, when choosing what he was drawn to.

The book City Lux is available from Beyond Words here in the UK. Beyond Words is a small independent book shop run by my friend Neil Mclwraith. Neil is a fountain of knowledge about photography books and a browse through his website will probably inform you of photographers that not only did you not know about, but perhaps introduce you to work that you will be glad you found.

If you are interested in buying this book, then please consider buying your books from small independent book shops such as Beyond Words rather than the Amazon’s of this world.

Voightlander 40mm Single Coated Lens

I’ve been fondly thinking back to my first days making street images back in 2005. I made this beautiful image with 35mm film, and when I look at it printed up, it’s beautiful. I think we often given 35mm film a hard time, but also, I marvel at how much this image looks like a medium format image, all because of the beautiful lens (and conditions of the location) I shot it with.

Tonight I chose to buy another Voightlander Nocton 40mm lens. I remember it having some kind of ‘glow’ to it. It is also tiny, and a real joy to use.

Back in 2005, I was keen to try out some street photography. I have a love for street photography books over landscape books.

I decided to go to Cambodia with three systems:

1. Canon EOS 1v
2. Voightlander Bessa R3a
3. Mamiya 7II

The most unusable system was the Canon. Everyone thought I was a ‘pro’ as soon as they saw the SLR. It wasn’t the noise of the machine. It was just recognisable as a ‘serious’ camera.

I got on very well shooting the little Voightlander Bessa R3a because most folks thought it looked like a toy. They either ignored me, or thought me less intrusive. I liked the 1:1 ratio rangefinder window. I could keep both eyes open and watch someone walk into the frame. I also liked the grey colour of the camera. It is somehow less intrusive or noticeable when held up in front of your face.

I also got on well with the Mamiya 7II camera, despite it being large. It is almost silent, and it looks odd, so folks didn’t take me too seriously. Limited by a close focussing distance of a metre or so, it was mostly a contextual / environmental picture making machine. It was nice to use it for street photography for sure. But I think the one I loved the most was the BessaR3a (which is rather poorly made and the paint flecks off the camera body very quickly).

I’m still dreaming of that Nocton 40mm single coated lens. One of the nicest lenses I ever shot, after the Mamiya 7 lenses, which in my view, are some of best lenses ever made.

Aomori '26

It was the most wintry, snowy conditions I’ve seen in northern Japan for my three visits so far.

I loved the snow covered trunks of the trees on the island, and the mottled reflection in the frozen sea of Japan.

I’m a film shooter. So for me, I find my mind always remembers the strongest images, or at least the images that made the biggest impression on me at the time of the shoot.

This is important. Impressions are a big deal, and I always think we should listen to them.

As a non-digital shooter, I cannot review the images the night I made them, to find out if I’ve made any errors. This may be a limitation but it is also a positive in the way that I am free to enjoy the evening, because there is no pressure to review the work.

But mostly, I have just had to adopt a philosophical approach to this - I shot what I shot, and I can’t change it. So whatever it will turn out to be, will just become apparent once I am home.

It’s mostly a matter of caring for oneself and one’s own creativity. Compassion is key. When dealing with things that you didn’t get right, or images that you failed to capture, it is always best to treat oneself with compassion. Be kind to your mistakes and above all, be kind to your creativity. Nurture it and try to avoid giving yourself a hard time when you perceive failure in your photography.

Tomorrow, the sun will rise in the east

I’m sometimes asked which photographers I follow, or admire. The root of the question is to find out what inspires me. The question I feel should be re-phrased to ask what inspires me, rather than ask which photographers. Because even if I did have a list of photographers, many would actually not be landscape photographers.

I get my inspiration from anywhere, and one source of inspiration today was this video. The photographer has a great way of interacting with his subjects. I’m pretty much convinced that all creatives tend to be curious.

I loved the message in this video. I thought it inspiring, and Thomas came over as such a lovely man.

You can never escape yourself

I sometimes feel that I just take my sensibilities with me, wherever I go. I make photos that fit my own aesthetic, which I would like to think is the aim for most : to show others what ‘you’ saw.

To find some kind of individuality in what you do, so your work stands out from others. Which I think is extremely hard to do in photography.

Making a nice picture is one thing, but being able to make your imagery stylistically recognisable as 'you' is another thing entirely. It’s also one that I don't think can be consciously worked at. Style tends to surface over time, if it surfaces at all, and it will only surface if we're paying attention, and reviewing our work from time to time.

The images above were shot in Mongolia this past year. I am finding the landscape there to have so much great potential.

But these images could almost be of anywhere. Which is the point of this post today. I take my sensibilities with me wherever I go.

The one thing I cannot escape is myself. I am always there in my photographs, one way or another.

Film vs Digital

It’s an old debate, one that for most folks now is irrelevant. Besides, there are probably photographers around these days that were never around when film was prevalent.

Fuji Velvia 50 vs Nikon D4s RAW

But for me, since I am still 100% a film shooter, I am often being tempted by the digital thing. You can do so much more, shoot in low light hand held for instance. My film cameras are rather bulky. So I’m often tempted.

But I’ve always found that the look of both mediums is different. Not better or worse, just different. And I like the look of my film images. And as the saying goes - “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

Fuji Velvia vs Nikon D4s processed to make it look as close as possible to the Fuji Velvia image.

For my Mongolia project, I chose to bring a Nikon D4s along with me so I could shoot in the dark interiors of the Yurts. But this got me thinking as to whether I could make the digital files look more like my film files.

I have been here before, and I failed last time.

The above samples may convince you that it’s possible to get digital files to look like their analog equivalents, but I disagree. You see, the only way I was able to get the Nikon D4s files to look like my Velvia files was by having a Velvia file to compare against, and to use as a ‘target’ for where to aim with the editing.

I have found that Velvia and all films react differently under different conditions. There is no ‘find one Curve adjustment to fit all’ scenario. For instance, the adjustments used in the above sample will not work with other subjects. So I would always require to shoot some film files for reference.

Also, perhaps not evident in the samples above, but there is a different tonal scale roll-off happening with the highlights in film that is hard to reproduce digitally. I have always struggled to make the highlight look softer in digital because I tend to have to manipulate the file so extensively to get it close to the film image to begin with.

With photography, it’s always a compromise. You can’t get to shoot everything you see. You’re always missing things, and so I long ago learned that I had to accept that with film, there are times when it’s not possible to shoot something that is possible in digital.

I think I will remain a film shooter for the time being. I think that if I am to use digital in the future, it will be for certain projects where I can’t use a film camera, and sometimes to supplement portfolios where I need to with captures that weren’t possible any other way.

I do feel that I should be exploring digital a bit more. But not as a replacement. Just perhaps as another tool, that can be used when it suits, and can be integrated into my film photography.

I’ve never really enjoyed the look of digital files. I’ve often felt I’ve lost something of my film work when I’ve tried to use digital, but this is where I’ve perhaps gone wrong: looking at one as a replacement for the other is perhaps folly for me. I should still be playing around with digital, and exploring what it offers. But I suppose I’m always worried that it may affect my film photography. It’s the reason why I stayed away. I like what I do with film and I don’t want to mess with it.

I think we should use the mediums we like or simply enjoy shooting. For me, it’s always about how the final result looks and I’m happy to put up with the constraints and limitations of the film medium (and believe that limitations and constraints can be a good thing). Perhaps for others, the final aesthetic is not such a priority. Perhaps for others it’s more about whether the medium is inspiring to use. It’s really up to you. There are no rules.

5-Year Eizo Monitor Death

I bought an Eizo monitor 5.5 years ago. I’ve only noticed this week that it is going pink around the edges, so I searched Google, only to find out that many others have had the same issue. Seems to be with the same model of monitor by Eizo.

Eizo’s support is fantastic. I got through straight away and they asked for the serial number, and knew I’d bought the monitor in June of 2020. They also told me I was out of warranty by six months. So no free repair for me.

The repair cost would be the same as buying a new monitor.

I suppose I’m writing this today to you, to advise that maybe you should check the edges of your monitor now and then, so you can utilise the warranty. Many monitors come with several-year warranties.