Tree stump beacon

John Power
Posts: 94
Joined: 26 May 2021, 10:18

Tree stump beacon

Postby John Power » 24 Jan 2022, 20:23

This was a morning session at a crossing of the Molonglo river that hundreds of Canberrans drive past each day. The stump immediately stood out as a nice thing to shoot. Upon developing the negatives, this was the only sheet that looked thin, but I'm very happy with it. I think the stump clearly stands a subject, something that I think lots of my images lack... a real focal point or "what its of".

This is the same speed graphic/sironar n/ F32/yellow filter/apx100 combo as the other few pics I've posted recently.

ImageCoppins stump beacon by J P, on Flickr

Actually, Walter, if you see this... say I do only stop this lens down to F16 and am shooting scenes such as this, I guess that means I'm in ND filter territory if I'd like to record movement? Something about them feels a bit contrived and modern to me, though I'm sure thats just me being ignorant.

User avatar
Maris
Posts: 882
Joined: 27 Jul 2012, 16:02
Location: Noosa

Re: Tree stump beacon

Postby Maris » 25 Jan 2022, 12:59

John Power, thanks for showing some pictures done on APX100. It was a classic film until its discontinuance in 2004. I used to banter with the reps at AGFA Gevaert about how I reckoned it was actually ISO 64 speed and not really ISO 100. They still weren't convinced when I showed them the negs. And they wouldn't bring it out in 8x10 format even though I asked politely.
Film loses speed with age so your old APX100 might be down to 50 or even 32 by now.

Tree stump beacon has lots of rich dark tones with that stand-out "beacon" stump composed exactly where it should be. Says me, anyway.

Shady side of the river in the morning with a yellow filter I'd guess exposure at about 1sec@f32. Close?

John Power
Posts: 94
Joined: 26 May 2021, 10:18

Re: Tree stump beacon

Postby John Power » 25 Jan 2022, 13:43

Maris, yes you're about right on the exposure :)

Interesting that you rated APX100 around iso64... perhaps the film has lost no speed then, in the 25 years since its expiration.

Oh, and the fix to speed graphic was done over breakfast this morning. I was trying to work out why they didnt ship them the other way around, my only reasonable thought was that it allows parallel lens and film planes with a drop, and thats not a bad thing at all.
Interesting to think of the planning and making of a camera like that for press and other handheld/quick use... different considerations to a field camera.
Down at the river the morning this shot was taken, my mate here unveiled his new Chamonix F2... amazing and beautiful thing. So compact, precise, light, rigid, and just having NEW knobs and gears to turn and lock... what a treat! There is a classic quote in bicycle fabrication (probably stolen from elsewhere) "Light, strong, cheap... pick two". I think it applies to cameras too :)

Walter Glover
Posts: 1270
Joined: 31 Jul 2012, 22:31
Location: Leichhardt, NSW

Re: Tree stump beacon

Postby Walter Glover » 26 Jan 2022, 04:43

"... say I do only stop this lens down to F16 and am shooting scenes such as this, I guess that means I'm in ND filter territory if I'd like to record movement? Something about them feels a bit contrived and modern to me, though I'm sure thats just me being ignorant."


To the contrary John,

Perhaps not ignorant, which might be burdened by negative connotations, but inquisitive, or questioning, which I feel should always be encouraged. My question is, 'How much movement? And where?' A determinant, of course, will be, how windy was the day? With the scale of reproduction with standard lens at the range you are set, and the nature of the trees on the skyline I suspect that it would take a force 9 gale to register anything appreciable. If it is a cloud of movement around the grasses framing the stump that you're hoping for then you might need a 10-stop ND to really get the point across.

Never be surprised by the Photographic logic of the Graphic, it was a camera made by a divvision of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. And be wary of getting too seduced by the Chamonix F2, lovely to look at, delightful to hold but nowhere near the precision (or rigidity) of what you've got. It was the first camera I bought after the stroke and, after trying it around my room I flogged it immediately as 'opened, unused'. Such is their popularity I made a few bucks on the deal. IF I were to consider one ...... and it's a BIG IF ...... I'd consider the H or Hs non-folder model. I found that traditional rack and pinion focussing is far more facile than the Phillips worm drive.
Walter Glover

"We see things not as they are. We see them as we are."
Emanuel Kant

John Power
Posts: 94
Joined: 26 May 2021, 10:18

Re: Tree stump beacon

Postby John Power » 26 Jan 2022, 19:18

Wow, thats interesting intel on the F2 Walter.

The movement that I was thinking here was the water... at 1/30th or so this water looks quite different to a full second or two.
But I can honestly say that you've got me on a mission to use these lenses to their potential and at the same time, using more of the movements available to me on the cameras :)


Return to “Things”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 26 guests

cron