Black and White

While most of what comes next is a talk about photography it is still a testament to this wondrous victorian cemetery, Brompton, that Sid and I photographed together.

Suburb of the dead

I've always been a fan of black and white photography. Back in the day (as they say) I even used to roll my own, film that is, and do all the development rigamarole (I liked using HC110, particularly for infrared) and then there was the alchemical magic of the solutions and the trays. The only things I have left from those (I hope) not so long ago times are a couple of film cameras and the condensers (lenses) from my old enlarger. You have to keep a souvenir. It's like having a hostage to a memory. Everything else, though, has gone away, sacrificed to the dumpster of progress.

The digital age of photography and the computer darkroom allows me to play around with images in a similar way, even convert them into b&w information. I can almost (but not quite) get the effect I used to with infrared negatives. Okay, stuff gets lost, I get that. But, on the plus side, there's quite an extensive tool kit of new toys. There are some really cool things you can do. But back to b&w.

Peace Perfect Peace

I used to have to use a deep red filter (A25 I think) with the infrared stuff. You lost a couple stops of light using it. And you had to mount the camera on a tripod, you couldn't hand hold that puppy. I can't remember what the effective ASA (pre ISO) rating of the film was. It seemed just as slow as that old Kodachrome film you could get, what was it, 25 ASA? Or was that Panchromatic X? Or all of them. It was really slow is all I'm floundering around to say.

Still life with cross

Oh, I almost forgot, when you did finally manage to find the location you wanted, set up the tripod, attach the camera to the top, got your shot framed, you still had to refocus the camera's lens to compensate for the infrared shift. Then you took the shot, simple.

The photograph that Sid was so kind enough to include as the background for this blog is one of those early infrareds.

Now, though, I can handhold the camera and get most of the effect. Cool. And when you convert an image into b&w you can actually pick which spectrum of the light you want use, much like using filters over the lens.

Red Roses

My only beef is that I have to use 3 different pieces of software in order to get to a point where I'm happy with the image. I've already started thinking, in advance of my sitting down at this computer, what 'softwares' I'm going to use and in which order. It makes a difference you know.

Don't ask about my continuing ongoing struggles with proprietary softwares.

Sigh, such is life and death.

Colin