The Invisible Photographer

~ A look at the widely varied world of light-created imagery.

Category Archives: “photography”

A Chip off of This Old Block?

04 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by castl23 in "photography", Photographers, Travel, Uncategorized

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Tags

abstract photography, architextural photography, candid photography, chicago, patterns in photography, photographer, photographer in chicago, photography in chicago, urban landscape, urban photography

My son is a PhD student in film studies at the University of Chicago. He’s been in that city for quite a while now and has found many chances to capture some great images on his smartphones, mostly. He sees patterns in quite ordinary scenes and makes the viewer aware of them forcibly. There are dramatic pictures of the lake and other places in the city and on the university campus.

I’ll say that my own contribution was minimal. As a child he saw me with a camera probably more often than he would have liked to, especially as it was often trained on him. In reality, I find myself learning from him how to see photographically. My theory is that in his area of particular research into the development of spatial expression in video gaming he has developed an acute sense of what it is to see strongly, to narrow down the confusing array of visual input that surrounds him in that complex city into powerfully succinct statements of what he sees and feels.

The website he has just inaugurated is here:

http://www.chriscarloyphotography.com

I hope you will visit. There are many places there worth a pause or two.

Go Away, Kid, You Bother Me!

03 Tuesday Jan 2017

Posted by castl23 in "photography", Digital Photography, nature, Uncategorized, wildlife

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Tags

bird, bird of prey, birds, digital, Digital Photography, hawk, mockingbird, nature, nature in texas, nature photography, nikon d7100, rapine bird, red tailed hawk, sigma 150 - 600, territorial instinct, texas, wildlife

I was out yesterday with my little Nikon D7100…I call it little because attached to it was the Sigma 150 – 600 lens. It’s a relative perception. This lens could register on seismographs out in Alpine if it were dropped. Anyway, I was sitting on the grass in the park waiting for the red tail hawk you see here to fly back over to a tree that was on public property. In the photo he’s currently perched atop a tree in someone’s front yard. While I was waiting, I noticed this mockingbird, whose territory the rapine creature was apparently encroached upon, attempt to show enough bluster to make his visit a shorter one. Not that the mocker is a bad host, but the feisty feathered flyer was fresh out of rabbits in the fridge and didn’t want to disappoint his guest. I took several shots totally depending on a chance depression of the shutter button at the right instant to get something…good…goodish? I chose this particular version of the situation to try to impress people “out there” whom I’ve never met and whom I’ll never meet, such as one lady who liked my pond sunset yesterday and whose western photos make me look like my granny with her Box Brownie that she just dropped into her gruel…anyway, I chose this one (speaking of rabbits) because the red tail had his or her head turned back enough to see the profile. The bird did soon return to my legal territory and I’ll post a shot of it below. Thanks for looking and for thinking this was a good bit of luck.

 

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On a Still Pond

01 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by castl23 in "photography", Digital Photography, hasselblad digital, landscape photography, nature, Uncategorized

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Tags

sunset; pond; lake; reflection; hdr; hdr photograph; hasselblad digital photograph; landscape; seascape; bare trees; water; colorful sky; texas; carrollton texas; nob hill greenbelt

I took my new Hasselblad H5D 50 megapixel camera out expecting a possible nice sunset with no wind, a rarity in Texas, for a reflection on the still water. This is a shot I took earlier while I was waiting for what I THOUGHT would be a better, blazingly colorful sky a few minutes later; that didn’t materialize as the day ended with a dull, gray thud photographically speaking. As I arrived about an hour before sunset, I watched the progress of the young man who was fishing from the left side of the frame here to the position you see him in currently. I’m glad he was there then. As this was an HDR photo with three exposures, I’m surprised I got him so well in a non-blurred way. As I was waiting I was approached by some local neighborhood people. One lady asked if I was waiting for the sunset. Upon my reassuring her that I was, she and her husband and dog wished me well in getting a nice one. Another lady came out of her house across the street and observed that I had been standing out there for a while. Looking at the intimidating Hasselblad with equally awe-inspiring lens mounted she asked if I were from the newspaper or from the television news. I assured her that I was only an ordinary citizen taking a pretty picture. She departed, seemingly with peace of mind.

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A Still Life

12 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by castl23 in "photography", Alternative Photographic Processes, Digital Photography, Film Cameras, film photography, Uncategorized

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Tags

Digital Photography, film, film camera, film photography, hasselblad digital, large format photography, still life

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I recently got an old CF 120mm macro lens to use on my new Hasselblad H3D-39 vintage camera. I set the fruit up on burlap and did some HDR. I’ve printed on Epson Hot Press Natural paper.

While I had this set up, I got the 8 x 10 camera and made a black and white negative for a platinum/palladium. It came out OK, even though I made the negative what we used to call “bullet proof” by intentionally overdeveloping by 50%. I put a diffuser on the back of the view camera lens for a nostalgic effect, as though the platinum/palladium isn’t nostalgic enough.

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Common Egret

23 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by castl23 in "photography", Digital Photography, nature, Uncategorized

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bird, bird in tree, common egret, nature, texas wildlife, wading bird, wildlife

It’s an exciting day today because I’ve gone out and taken a picture I’ve postponed for a while. We notice an egret sitting in a tree in a park during our cycling outings and I’ve often thought about returning there on foot with my little Nikon D7100 and huge Sigma 150 – 600 to see what is possible. The fellow here can be a little skittish, so I stay low and slowly, in stages, scoot my way towards him, allowing time for getting accustomed to my presence and to the presence of the threatening-looking Sigma (OK, BIGMA!)

I took 58 clicks of the button and narrowed that to these, using content aware fill in PS CS6 to eliminate some stray twigs obtruding into the area near the bird and providing unneeded distraction.

It was nice to get out again with a camera!

 

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A Slow Approach

23 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by castl23 in "photography", Film Cameras, film photography, Travel, Uncategorized

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"photography", 4 x 5 film photography, analog, black and white film photography, black and white photography, film photography, large format, large format photography, sinar camera, view camera

Our Shed from PS Merge-Edit.jpg

One day in late winter Christy and I were taking a drive to Washington on the Brazos to try to see the remains of the old Baylor campus.

We passed this old shed and came back to consider taking a film photo with the Sinar F 4 x 5″ camera we brought along just in case any subject seemed to justify the ordeal of using it. It is a real pleasure, actually, to have to force yourself to work in an orderly, methodical, careful manner with this camera.

Digital scenario:  Step out of car (maybe), take off lens cap, turn on camera, compose, shoot, check LCD and maybe histogram, post process.

View camera scenario: Definitely get out of car. Determine where to place tripod. Assemble camera onto tripod piece by piece. Open shutter on lens. Go under focusing cloth and compose your photograph. Make any necessary adjustments (rise, fall, shift, tilt) you might want to control the image. Use the loupe on the ground glass to get fine focus. Close the shutter on the lens. Attach your green filter to lighten the foliage and darken the sky. Use your 1 degree light meter to measure the shadow area where you want some detail. Use the number you get reading this area. Make your exposure to be 3 stops below this to place your shadow where you want it. However, open up a couple of stops to compensate for the light lost due to the use of your green filter. Move one ring on the lens to set your aperture. Move the other to set the shutter speed. Cock the shutter. Attach cable release. Place film holder in back of camera under ground glass. Remove the dark slide. Make your exposure. Replace the dark slide. Remove film holder. Disassemble the camera and repack. Develop film at home in trays. Seriously, just as I got back into playing vinyl records for the tactile, direct, analog experience, but won’t toss out my iPod,  so I will continue to work with film as long as it is around. Given the resurgent interest among, especially, young people rebelling against digital, it may be around for a while. Check out youtube on the subject. Still, there are just some things digital cameras and editing software can achieve that cannot be done with film. Even Ansel Adams anticipated the day that digital would come along. Also search yt for an interview with him on that topic. So, I’ll keep using my digital with great joy, but will also appreciate the approach that film forces upon me.

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Bikes on the Wall

06 Monday Jun 2016

Tags

bicycles, iPhone photography

IMG_4755-2.jpg

Posted by castl23 | Filed under "photography", Uncategorized

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Deferred Maintenance in Texas

04 Wednesday May 2016

Posted by castl23 in "photography", Digital Photography, Real Estate, Travel, Uncategorized

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abandoned, abandoned buildings, decay, decaying buildings, old buildings, texas, vintage car, west texas

These photos are digital all the way, shot on a trip or two across Texas. This is why I really don’t go out with my camera where I currently sojourn in Houston:  Everything is too CLEAN! Hardly a molecule of ferric oxide or a fleck of peeling paint or a bare board to be seen.

I like to imagine how it was when all these things were new and in good repair. How did their owners feel? When did neglect begin and why? Maybe these hard-living people didn’t care about the aesthetics of their structures and vehicles as much as simply how they served to help them survive over a few years of life. If the possessions succumbed to decay, so what? Plenty of this to see in Texas…except HOUSTON!! (Unless you’re talking about the roadways, then that’s another matter.)

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Old home somewhere in west Texas. Not too long ago judging by the fact they had television…oh, wait, that WAS a long time ago!

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Corner fillin’ station somewhere in Texas. Surely there was a market inside as well.

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When was the last meal served? Somewhere in west Texas.

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In west Texas.

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In west Texas.

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Outlaw bars…Either Talpa or Valera

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The F. D. I. WHAT?

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Old farmhouse not far from Rowena, Texas.

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In Rowena, Texas.

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In Rowena, Texas.

More Adventures in Platinum/Palladium

04 Wednesday May 2016

Posted by castl23 in "photography", Alternative Photographic Processes, Digital Photography, Portraits and People, Uncategorized

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"photography", alternative photographic process, black and white, platinum/palladium printing, platiumn/palladium

Just some more work in this arcane medium:

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Existing digital file from which I made an inkjet negative using Photoshop and Pictorico film. First effort very contrasty. I finally lucked into a version showing some highlight textures on the cheek.

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Houston in Fog. Same as photo above. Shadow detail is there in print when you see it in “person.”

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Onion and Garlic. I set up this still life during my pt/pl printing session out of frustration, in a way. I wanted to prove to myself that there is a way to defeat the empty highlight areas. My idea was, of course, to lessen the strength of light on the subject that caused these areas to appear. I shielded the onion from getting the direct window light and added a little fill on the shadow side using a scrap piece of white paper. I did get the feel of this old process I was wanting, the soft contrast. The blacks, however, are richer when you view the print itself. Shot with a Nikon D800 at 50 ISO using an old manual focus 55 f2.8 micro Nikkor lens at f11. Negative for printing, of course, produced on the Epson R3000 using Pictorico. Notice my pencil lines on the corners to mark off where I was supposed to apply the light sensitive platinum/palladium emulsion with the push rod.

 

 

 

People Photographs Continued

27 Wednesday Apr 2016

Posted by castl23 in "photography", Digital Photography, Film Cameras, film photography, Portraits and People, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

"photography", black and white, black and white photography, candids, film photography, people, people photography, portraits, portraiture

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Young man in Silver City, New Mexico.

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Card player in Gila, New Mexico, whom I found sitting outside a farmers’ market. He was proud of the Minolta film camera and lenses he still owned. I can identify with that, at least with Canon and Nikon film cameras!

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A good friend of mine many years ago. I’m not sure who the person is that was with him. The camera was a Contax RTS II with  a Carl Zeiss 50mm f1.4 lens.

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Performer at an event in Denton, Texas.

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Photographer in Denton, Texas.

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Revelers in Denton, Texas.

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I enjoy shooting bearded subjects.

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Young lady from Bulgaria I met at a park and later met her there for a portrait session. Canon 5D Mark III.

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Aoife O’Donovan, folk singer, performing in Silver City, New Mexico’s Pickamania.

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Mrs. Roy, librarian at one of the schools where I taught, Wonderful person! Hasselblad 500CM by window lighting with fill.

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A senior portrait moment, using Nikon D700.

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Candid in Hatch, New Mexico, at the Chili Fest.

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Canon AE-1 program candid near downtown Dallas.

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Canon AE-1 in downtown Dallas.

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Canon AE-1 in downtown Dallas. She was helping coordinate a Walk for the Cure event.

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A group of young journalists I found along the route of the 2015 Tour of the Gila Bicycle Race Criterium in Silver City, New Mexico.

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Pinhole candid. Camera was Canon 5D Mark III with the body cap being converted into the lens.

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Ron, in downtown Silver City, New Mexico. He designed motorcycles.

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Biker in Silver City.

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Another beard, Silver City. 5D Mark III.

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In Silver City also.

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Cyclist at Cow Creek Classic Ride starting in Waxahachie, Texas. Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 100 – 400 zoom.

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Self portrait of a much younger me. Shot, probably, with 4 x 5 using Polaroid back, judging from the goo on the edges resulting from the coating process. Never was much good at that.

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Candid shot of a biker in Silver City, New Mexico.

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Candid portrait, Silver City, New Mexico. Canon 5D Mark III.

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Semi candid beard portrait in Silver City.

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In Silver City.

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Three more senior moments in Silver City.

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I liked how the mouth had to speak for the rest of her. Silver City.

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Young man in the outback of Silver City.

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Silver City. I wish I could recall all the names.

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Cowboy in Silver City.

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More Silver City. A good place for this!

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This young man was in town to attend a convention of hippies in a nearby national forest. I’d have liked to have gone there to shoot, but couldn’t get any idea of where it actually was! In some parts of New Mexico, it really is a step back in time.

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In town for same convention!

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Lorenzo, street musician.

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Street musician in Silver City also.

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One day I was attempting to sell photos by the street in Silver City. These two young ladies happened by.

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This gentleman was a classical scholar in earlier days.

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I saw this young Irish woman across the street with her guitar case. She was traveling all over the US and was leaving to return to Ireland in a few days. Canon 5D Mark III.

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Local merchant of antiques.

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Young man outside the Javalina Coffee Shop.

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I was put in mind of Wild Bill! Silver City, Canon 5D Mark III.

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Jim, a cowboy in New Mexico from Nebraska.

 

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Gentleman in Boquillas, Mexico.

 

 

 

 

 

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