in monochrome, photography, silent thinking

Like good old film

Scotland. The Lighthouse at Strathy Point.
Scotland. View from the Light House at Strathy Point.

While I appreciate many great things in modern digital photography it always draws me back to the soft, atmospheric look of the images of the good old film days – film is not dead! – as we all know. 

 

There are lots of presets for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom promising to give you the exact look of your favorite film back in the film days – nevertheless you will never be able to proof it’s exact match – unless you start using film again and compare it – if your favorite film is still available.

I do not use those film presets – no one! Is it really necessary to achieve the exact look of a certain film emulsion? Wouldn’t it be enough to simply try to get the look you like most – no matter if it is exactly the one of film A or film B? The main thing is that it suits you – instead of playing brilliantly and loosing at the end. Remember: Develop – and keep your own style! Be creative.

My recent images look similar to those made with Kodachrome 64 long years ago, by the way my favorite slide film! – well maybe a little less red tinted, and of course having a ‘slightly’ desaturated blue sky – I love this atmospheric look.

Sutherland, Scotland, near Syre, B871, view to the North-West.
Sutherland, Scotland, near Syre, B871, view to the North-West.
Sutherland, Scotland, near Syre, B871, view to the North-West.
Sutherland, Scotland, near Syre, B871, view to the North-West.

In my opinion the process of making a good photographic image takes a lot of inside-out visualization – being capable and having a strong vision of the photograph you want to make even before making it.

You don’t take a photograph, you make it. – Ansel Adams
I love this kind of slow photography.

Kodachrome 64, Fomapan 100 Classic, Ilford FP4 Plus
Kodachrome 64, Fomapan 100 Classic, Ilford FP4 Plus – my favorites, still some in stock in my darkroom. 

Images: Ricoh GR II, GR Lens f=18.3 mm 1:2.8. .DNG RAW format. Edited in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.


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    • Thank you Cécile! That was on the northcoast of Scotland, at at Strathy Point. This year we were very close to it, only a few miles away. Do you remember those endless white beaches? Thank you once again!