Flowers, Lines and Curves

[Dawid Loubser]

As somebody who usually aims for compositions that are geometrically "correct", I have recently been producing more and more work (including shooting with a fisheye lens) where things are very off-kilter, yet trying to maintain a pleasant balance.

This was such an instance. While waiting for fast food next to a usually-busy road, this quietness of the following scene struck me. What struck me even more was the combination of the slanted "primary lines" in the image (this road runs downhill) but how the ridiculous curvature of the road, and the (perfectly horisontal) lines on the building offset this subtly. Throw in the shapes and textures of the flowers on the tree (and the ones that fell to the ground), as well as the ever-photogenic VW Bug, and I saw a scene which I though worthy of capturing and printing:

"Flowers, Lines and Curves"

Media: Fomopan 100 (35mm), analogue print on 12x16in Ilford MG IV Multicontrast paper​

 

[Mike Shimwell]

Hi Dawid

Lovely tonality and I agree that I would keep a print of this. Off beat maybe, but apeals to me as a slice of life.

How do you liek the Fomapan? and do you find it is really iso100?

Mike

 

[Dawid Loubser]

How do you liek the Fomapan? and do you find it is really iso100?

Hi Mike,

Glad you like my off-beat capture of a slice of life! I am not "smitten" with Fomapan in the same way that I am with Kodak TMY2-400, but I do really like some aspects of it. The "old school" rendering is great for subjects like these. I have often shot Fomapan at ISO64 (With the necessary decreased development), but this roll I shot at ISO100. Since I do not use a light-meter, I guess this translates into me either guessing exposure at ISO46 or ISO100. When you're out a stop, it doesn't matter that much

But seriously - shot at ISO 100, one may lose some shadow detail, but that punchy old-skool goodness of Foma comes though more clearly. When an exact tonal rendition is less important than conveying strong contrast and "mood", I prefer it at ISO100. For example, this one was also exposed at ISO100:

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/292/f/e/towards_a_bright_future_by_philosomatographer-d313aql.jpg

What I have noticed, is that Fomapan appreciates very contrasty, well-corrected lenses. Every time I've shot it through "gentler" lenses - having had to push the contrast too much during printing - it gets quite grainy and less convincing (for my tastes).