Plakias big photos

[Blake7]

[attachment=273:attachment]I was in Plakias in September with my large format 624 and my medium format swing lens film cameras. My 624 camera gives me negative sizes of 6cm x 24cm and the swing lens camera produces a 140 degree image on a 6cm x 12cm negative - which means I can make BIG panoramic photos. Anyways I did a couple of prints for my parents who’ve been going to Plakias for 20 years and they suggested that a few of the regulars on this board might be interested in getting a nice big photo to stick on there wall just to feel a bit closer to the sunshine when they’re not in Crete. I’ve scanned and attached a photo here to give some idea. The full size photos I normally work with for home display are around 21cm x 75cm which is good for your living room. I can do bigger prints but then when you start looking at frames they can get pretty massive! Anyways if anybody is interested then the cost of a 21cm x 75cm photo produced on quality photographic paper would be around 30 quid unframed (supplied rolled up in a tube) and I can direct you to an internet site where you can purchase suitable frames for the bargain price of 20 quid. I can do framed prints but then I’d have to check up on postage rates. If there is any interest then you can drop me a message here or an email at blakecoverdale@hotmail.com. The attached sample image is copyright Blake Coverdale 2005.

[harribobs]

good photo, no doubt about that

i shoot in digital format these days, still learning my new camera but able to get the odd good shot

a huge part of digital photography is learning post processing, digital darkroom if you like

large format pictures can be created quite easily in photoshop and many other programs available

my advice to anyone wanting panoramic pics of their favourite places is take them yourself! use the highest resolution pics, a tripod  ( they aren't dear) and play around with your editing program



follow this link and click on original...it's a 270 degree view from the top of a mountian in the lakes

[Blake7]

Hey Chris

I started using digital SLRs a couple of years back - they are good for a lot of stuff but I prefer to use large format film cameras specifically for landscape and panoramic work because to be honest the results are just so vastly superior and it's so much easier to get the photo right directly on the camera at the instant you take the photo - It takes me maybe 15 mins to get set up on a tripod, manually focus, measure light, select filters if required, calculate aperture and length of exposure, make the photo and then I'm done - the negatives get developed and then I just select which ones to get printed. I find this a lot more satisfying as a photographer than sitting in front of a computer creating something which a lot of people would consider not a real photograph.
 
As a professional photographer my work normally retails at quite a premium and I've found that large digitally manipulated images just don't cut the mustard and people aren’t willing to pay for them.

Anyways that’s my two cents worth - long live film and real photographers!

[harribobs]

Hi Blake

Not meaning to belittle your work, but you don't have to be a professional to work out aperture and speed settings, and if you want the best from your camera, you will learn about them. In digital you will also have to learn about the make up of light and it's effect on your camera sensors plus all the post processing

I really don't see much difference between being creative in a darkroom and being creative on a computer,  except that in my experience ( and yes I have worked at a professionals) the film processing was done totally separate and NOT by the photographers

Film is vastly superior? maybe several years ago, but i do not believe that is true now. It is easier to get the result right directly on the camera? I don't see that either, unless are there some special settings on your camera that digitals don't have?

good luck with your film, i hope you don't do a lot of BW, i hear that kodak and ilford are stopping making it  

cheers  

chris

[Blake7]

Chris

I think this discussion should be moved to the photography forum!

have you printed any of your panoramics?
whats the bigest print you've made?

film is king for the BIG prints

check this out http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/filmdig.htm#examples

[Graham_and_Karen]

A useful link - thanks. It helped me to understand why my photos will never have the quality or feeling of being there that you can get from a professionally done photo. I am strictly a 'snapper', rarely printing larger than 6x4 and manly viewing images on a PC so my digital camera suits me fine.

[Blake7]

Hi Graham_and_Karen

Keep on snapping!  - that article on the website is really referring to high end photographic equipment so don’t think that because you don’t have the right equipment you can’t turn out quality photos

I use a digital camera heaps but for my commercial panoramic and large prints I reach for my film cameras every time

[harribobs]

Chris

I think this discussion should be moved to the photography forum!

  i have posted on DPreview forums occassionally ( when I am feeling masochistic)

i admit i haven't printed my panoramic pics off from the new camera, i have one new set looking over Prague I'd like to do, I just need to get my arse in gear  

[Ploppy]

Great picture Blake which shows the joys of Medium Format. Film is long from dead in this arena although the new huge digital backs now emerging look interesting (and fantastically expensive).

I love the idea of being a great photographer but frankly i'm too lazy to lug the gear or get up early for the great light. I'll stick with my DSLR for now and try and work on the technique. At least with digital I can afford to bracket and experiment whereas with my film SLR I rarely did because of processing costs.

Cheers,

Paul

[harribobs]

just had a look at what was supposed to be the new panorama...hmmmm

well, at least one of the set made it    

[Blake7]

Its very low resolution and pixilated. Have you shrunk it down for posting on the net?

Theres some funky pixalation going on with the sky that I really don’t like.. also the top half of the picture is really blown out to white..  you’ve lost all detail in the sky..  

Compositionly I would have waited till the ferry was out of the shot..

[janm]

Well I really like it Chris (including the ferry!), but then I'm not a "professional", I just know what I like.
Jan

[harribobs]

Its very low resolution and pixilated. Have you shrunk it down for posting on the net?

yes, 2.5 mb is a little above what we can do here

Theres some funky pixalation going on with the sky that I really don’t like.. also the top half of the picture is really blown out to white..  you’ve lost all detail in the sky..

we call that snow where i come from     i'm not that keen either

Compositionly I would have waited till the ferry was out of the shot..
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=5035\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

yep  it's a terrible pic    everyone has told me and i'm moving one of them bridges next time as well ( i waited for the tram and riverboat)

Well I really like it Chris (including the ferry!), but then I'm not a "professional", I just know what I like.
Jan
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=5036\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

thanks Jan

[beachcombers]

quote=harribobs,Dec 21 2005, 01:31 AM]

Its very low resolution and pixilated. Have you shrunk it down for posting on the net?

yes, 2.5 mb is a little above what we can do here

Theres some funky pixalation going on with the sky that I really don’t like.. also the top half of the picture is really blown out to white..  you’ve lost all detail in the sky..

we call that snow where i come from     i'm not that keen either

Compositionly I would have waited till the ferry was out of the shot..
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=5035\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

yep  it's a terrible pic    everyone has told me and i'm moving one of them bridges next time as well ( i waited for the tram and riverboat)

I did not like the tram    So now everyones problem solved:    

[attachment=276:attachment]

Leen
Beachcombers

[Blake7]

Snow?? Oooh I see

well I dont like the sky.. so that has to go too