Archive for April 2008
Fotofestival Knokke-Heist
Till 1st of June a lot to see in Knokke-Heist. Plan two days in May?
(depanne)
Hasselblad mood
Updated, 15 July 2008
Nina – H3D | © 2008 judith den hollander
Okay, let me update you on the title and theme of my post.
On 7 April 2008 I had a great day in the studio of Hans van Ommeren (Hasselblad master 2001) where I attended a masterclass Hasselblad H3D.
It was quite an experience to hear, see and learn from the master, organisors and participants and to work with an amazing camera : state of the art 39 (!) megapixels.
I’m still digesting my very first experience with this camera and am studying my photo files. Not all photos are sharp, as I was shooting with camera hand held and not comfortable with the size and weight of the camera and portrait lens. But the images that are sharp, are razor sharp and of stunning quality. I’ve never seen such quality output before. And now I’m awkwardly aware of the “limitations” of my digital camera…
Read the story “flower power”, about the quality of images and a camera that changed a life.
I wonder if/when I will hold a H3D again. I would not mind testing it extensively, with and without tripod, indoors and outdoors…
Maybe I need to enter the Hasselblad competition one day as ten winners get :
“a framed diploma and the free use of a superb Hasselblad H3DII DSLR camera system for four months. During that time, they will be able to use the equipment as they wish, although they will also use it to capture images to be included in the production of a unique, high quality, photographic book”.
But then again, it seems one should only submit photos that are made with a similar quality camera (phase one)?
“…the 2009 contest to all established professional photographers using large and medium format cameras, regardless of brand”. (the latter is new, before only own brand was permitted)
Meanwhile I just continue shooting nordic landscapes with my own equipment, including Rolleiflex, as I love the square image format. Upcoming, a shoot in the north at end of this month. I’m in the Swedish mood.
Related reading : article by Ben Hattenbach about workflow and image quality. (BTW great Iceland and Alaska bears photos).
Nina – H3D | © 2008 judith den hollander
On 8 July Hasselblad sent out their newsletter announcing the H3DII-50!
Also they offered me the H3D-31 for a new low price. This is getting interesting. But, it needs to get more interesting for me, as other investments like new hardware, external hard disks etc. would also be necessary…
Hasselblad slashes its prices | BJP – 1 October 2008
But I do think a Hasselblad looks good on me. We go well together?
Thanks Josee for sharing!
Double-elephant folio of 250 floral images | Jonathan Singer
It’s quite a lengthy article but good reading. From podiatry to photography to wealth, with good equipment and contacts :
“Botanica Magnifica is largely a record of endangered tropical plants of the world.
“Double elephant” is the technical term for a rarely used, very large book-paper size, in this case approximately 100 by 75 centimeters (39½ by 29½ inches). Singer’s deliberate model here is the original edition of Audubon’s Birds of America, the greatest picture book ever published and the best-known double-elephant folio. Each of the volumes of Botanica Magnifica will weigh approximately 35 pounds.
My images are taxonomically perfect, they look like paintings, and they’re large.
Recently, an extremely wealthy Japanese businessman who wishes to remain anonymous, at least for the time being, agreed to pay $2.5 million for the world’s second set of Botanica Magnifica in the double-elephant folio size. (Singer plans 10 such sets and no more.) The sale price of $2.5 million would appear to give Singer the undisputed world record for a contemporary book of photographs”.
Read the full article : Vanity Fair | Photography | Flower Power, March 2008
! The University of Pittsburgh owns one of the rare, complete sets of John James Audubon’s Birds of America. Recently the University Of Pittsburgh Library System (ULS) has digitized and mounted online its collection of John James Audubon. The University presents the complete double elephant folio set of Audubon’s Birds of America, accompanied by his Ornithological Biography, through the website : University of Pittsburg.
See also information resources for everyone.
Historic photo “Leaf” pulled from auction
Updated 17 April 2008
New York Times | 17 April : An image is a mystery for photo detectives
“A primitive image believed to have been taken decades before what is widely considered to be the dawn of photography has been pulled from an upcoming auction to allow further research as to its authorship”.
Business Week | 2 April : read the full article
CBS News | 28 March : Early “Leaf” Photo Could Fetch Fortune
Sotheby’s To Auction Historic Photograph; Believed To Date Back As Far As 1790
The Getty | explore art | artists : William Henry Fox Talbot
V&A | exploring photography | photographic processes : photogenic drawing
Oudste foto wordt nader onderzocht
“Leaf, het fotogram waarvan het vermoeden bestaat dat het de oudste bewaard gebleven foto is, zal voorlopig niet worden geveild. Dit heeft veilinghuis Sotheby’s gisteren in New York bekendgemaakt. Het besluit is genomen in overleg met de huidige eigenaars, de Quilllan investeringsgroep. Op verzoek van internationale fotomusea en onderzoeksinstituten wordt Leaf beschikbaar gesteld voor nader onderzoek”.
NRC | 3 april : lees het volledige artikel
Article Le Monde | A-t-on retrouvé la plus vieille photo du monde ?
Indeed, ideas worth spreading
How is it possible that I’ve never visited this gem website before?!
I found TED when I was searching for Hans Rosling’s presentation : New insights on poverty and life around the world.
After that I saw and heard : James Nachtwey | TED Prize wish: Share a vital story with the world, April 2007
“I am a witness and I want my testimony to be honest and uncensored. I also want it to be powerful and eloquent and do justice to the people I’m photographing.”
