Documentary Photos - G1

[JoeV]

How about posting your documentary-style G1 photos?

Okay, I'll start. Stewart's Ostrich Farm, on I-40 east of Winslow, Arizona. Good dinosaur shootin', too. 14-45 kit lens.

~Joe

 

[back alley]

kit lens / 45-200

 

[Audii-Dudii]

Arnold Motor Sales

Arnold Motor Sales

Superior, Arizona ... shot with the kit lens

 

[gdi]

 

[Al Kaplan]

"Kit lenses"? On THIS forum?

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Al, they have been assimilated. 😱

 

[Avotius]

Looking at those first 4 shots I think we all have different ideas of what documentary photos are but whatever

anyway, here is a photo

This is what they call "cultural protection" here. 7 stone tablets carved several hundred years ago and in this protected site of cultural heritage. 2 were destroyed on the spot, the rest are gone now.

(taken with an adapted zeiss 50 planar)

 

[Audii-Dudii]

Looking at those first 4 shots I think we all have different ideas of what documentary photos are but whatever

FYI, my photo above was taken as part of a project to document the current state of Superior, Arizona, a copper mining town that has been in decline for two decades now. Since I started this project on May 1st, three of the scenes I've photographed there no longer exist: One of them because a building was torn down, another because a building fell down, and the third because construction of a new building on an old foundation slab had started.

You can see more of my "documentary" images of Superior at http://www.sofobomo.org/2009/books/Audii-Dudii/Superior/ and http://www.sofobomo.org/2009/books/Audii-Dudii/superior-after-dark-vol-two/.

 

[gdi]

Looking at those first 4 shots I think we all have different ideas of what documentary photos are but whatever

anyway, here is a photo

This is what they call "cultural protection" here. 7 stone tablets carved several hundred years ago and in this protected site of cultural heritage. 2 were destroyed on the spot, the rest are gone now.

(taken with an adapted zeiss 50 planar)

Personally, I always think of it as photojournalism - your photo is consistent with that - but I guess most any time you photograph you are "documenting" the scene. So a broad interpretation is understandable...

 

[back alley]

i have been 'documenting' that same part of town for years...

 

[JoeV]

Oceanside Pier

Oceanside Pier

We returned last week from vacation in Oceanside, CA via I-40 and Flagstaff. The culture of the narrow strip between the ocean and the desert, called the beach, is surreal. This image, set to monochrome via channel mixer (minus the blue channel) captures my feelings of the affluent tourists, headed to the end of the pier for lunch at Ruby's, contrasted with the Asians and Hispanics fishing for their meal.

14-45 kit lens.

~Joe

 

[35mmdelux]

We returned last week from vacation in Oceanside, CA via I-40 and Flagstaff. The culture of the narrow strip between the ocean and the desert, called the beach, is surreal. This image, set to monochrome via channel mixer (minus the blue channel) captures my feelings of the affluent tourists, headed to the end of the pier for lunch at Ruby's, contrasted with the Asians and Hispanics fishing for their meal.

14-45 kit lens.

~Joe

Ive been on this pier many times and I dont know that affluent tourists eat at Ruby's -- maybe they do?? Most of the affluent tourists eat across the street at the Crab Cooker or down a pint at Blackies on the other side of the parking lot.

 

[Jamie Pillers]

Jeff,
I just went through your first volume of the Superior After Dark images. I grew up in a similar small mining town in central Nevada. I feel like your images REALLY nailed it! Doing the work at night so accurately conjures up the feelings a place like Superior gives you, in my opinion. Its that feeling of being in something that is slowly dying.

I've returned to my home town a few times to try and capture what it is now. I never thought of doing it at night. Hmmm... looks like another road trip lies ahead for me. 🙂

Thanks again.

 

[mfunnell]

I don't know from micro-4/3rds, or from the G1 or, well, anything much. But having looked at this thread for the first time I think I must point out that nobody has improved on the 1st photo from the original poster.

Just saying...

...Mike

 

[Audii-Dudii]

But having looked at this thread for the first time I think I must point out that nobody has improved on the 1st photo from the original poster.

Hmm ... I didn't realize this was a competition. Thanks for the heads-up!

That said, though, I agree with you that the first photo is a very good one ... nicely seen, indeed!

 

[Audii-Dudii]

I feel like your images REALLY nailed it! Doing the work at night so accurately conjures up the feelings a place like Superior gives you, in my opinion. Its that feeling of being in something that is slowly dying.

Thanks for your kind words! Your reaction was exactly the impression I was hoping to convey, although I hope it doesn't prove prophetic, as Superior has a charm about it (despite its increasingly dire circumstances) that would be unfortunate to lose.

The decision to photograph it at night was initially accidental (I found myself there at 8:30pm with nothing to do, so I started photographing on Main Street and was surprised by how well the images turned out) but I quickly realized it was a key factor in portraying the character of the town.

I've returned to my home town a few times to try and capture what it is now. I never thought of doing it at night. Hmmm... looks like another road trip lies ahead for me. 🙂

I suggest you get started ASAP! As I pointed out above, in the short time I have been photographing Superior, three of the scenes I captured no longer exist. This is why I felt compelled to photograph it as quickly and thoroughly as I did (16 trips / 2000 miles / ~100 hours over the course of seven weeks).

As an FYI, I started a new project last Saturday night: Miami after dark. Miami is another of Arizona's moribund mining towns and it's located a further 18 miles along US 60. Here's the very first image I captured there (and Yes, I am thinking of doing this one in color):

 

[Burkey]

Joe,
Your tonal range in the Oceanside image is wonderful. Would you elaborate a bit about what settings you used in the channel mixer aside from the "minus blue"? Again, a wonderful image.
. . . Burkey

 

[JoeV]

Joe,
Your tonal range in the Oceanside image is wonderful. Would you elaborate a bit about what settings you used in the channel mixer aside from the "minus blue"? Again, a wonderful image.
. . . Burkey

Appreciate the complement, Burkey.

The images were JPEGs (I know; gasp!) ISO100, standard film mode, with contrast dialed down maybe one notch in-camera (to tame the bright sun.)

In Photoshop, minor levels adjust (not much needed,) then Channel Mixer 50% red, 50% green. Then a curves adjust, just a very slight "s-curve."

The G1 I find easy to get good B/W images from. In low light, ISO800 and higher, much of the noise is from the blue channel. Converting to channel mixer and dispensing with blue helps a lot there, plus whatever electronic noise left in the image gives it a bit of tooth.

~Joe

 

[250swb]

rock'n'roll

rock'n'roll

This was made at a 1950's rock'n'roll revival.

Inside a large building with very poor ambient light I spotted this sharply dressed woman and her partner waiting to dance. I knew something would happen eventually so waited for a gesture or movement of some sort. The womans partner started to whisper to her and then her eyes opened up. That was the moment.

Derbyshire, UK, with G1 and 45-200mm.


Steve