New York NYC March Meet-Up

Calzone said:
John,

New Mexico is a wild place and very sculptual. I miss "the land of manana." The natural beauty is on a large scale.

Cal
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I bet... I think I'm going to have to travel in the US some over the next few years. Most likely Washington first since my GF is from there.

By the way, I like the Nikon DF so I think it'll still be here in April. I have only used AF lenses with it so far, but will most likely buy some cheap MF lenses eventually.
 
jsrockit said:
I bet... I think I'm going to have to travel in the US some over the next few years. Most likely Washington first since my GF is from there.

By the way, I like the Nikon DF so I think it'll still be here in April. I have only used AF lenses with it so far, but will most likely buy some cheap MF lenses eventually.
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John,

I bet that sensor in the DF (from the D4) kills.

When I was in New Mexico, back when Ronald Ray-Gun was President, I worked on a secrete project at Los Alamos, a Star Wars weapon. At that time what struck me was the drive up liquor stores, one area code (505) for the entire state, and the wild west gun play. There was a report of a shoot out outside a bar in Madrid, N.M. (pronounced Mad-Rid by the locals).

Anyways even though there are only about 2 million people in the whole state it still remains a wild place, and the wilderness is beautiful.

As far as wides go the 28/2.8 AIS is like Leica RF quality and is a rather compact lens. Make sure you get the AIS version which has the close focus CRC. Other versions are not the same. A good clean version can be had for around $250.00. I think you will enjoy the extream close focus ability that is like a macro lens, Also this lens is kinda perfect, meaning highly corrected, and super low distortion. I think this could be your new favorite lens, it is that good.

Cal
 
Calzone said:
As far as wides go the 28/2.8 AIS is like Leica RF quality and is a rather compact lens. Make sure you get the AIS version which has the close focus CRC. Other versions are not the same. A good clean version can be had for around $250.00. I think you will enjoy the extream close focus ability that is like a macro lens, Also this lens is kinda perfect, meaning highly corrected, and super low distortion. I think this could be your new favorite lens, it is that good.
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Ok, I'll check it out Cal.
 
Service announcement for the hood winners from the last meetup,I believe Phil and (other) John (I don't remember who ended up with which one):

The replacement hoods for the misprinted hoods have arrived. I can bring them in next time, or if you can pm me an address, and I'll drop them in the mail.
 
Anything worth doing is worth doing to excess department: almost every year I go to the WWII weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, PA, which attracts 50,000 tourists, re-enactors, vintage aircraft mechanics, historians, etc. In 2014 I brought a working period photo outfit: a 1938 Leica iiib, Summar 5cm lens, SCNOO rapidwinder, WINTU right-angle finder (for stealth portraits), and six FILCA metal reloadable cassettes loaded with Kodak 5222 (which I later developed in D-76 at 1:1.)

Thanks, Sam, for printing the best ones, as well as adding a period-appropriate date stamp (we figured July of 1943 seemed right), and trimming the prints with a vintage deckle-edge paper cutter. Next stop is a photo album with black construction paper pages, and a bottle of white ink for the annotations!

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/focusit/wwii+snapshots/
 
thambar said:
Anything worth doing is worth doing to excess department: almost every year I go to the WWII weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, PA, which attracts 50,000 tourists, re-enactors, vintage aircraft mechanics, historians, etc. In 2014 I brought a working period photo outfit: a 1938 Leica iiib, Summar 5cm lens, SCNOO rapidwinder, WINTU right-angle finder (for stealth portraits), and six FILCA metal reloadable cassettes loaded with Kodak 5222 (which I later developed in D-76 at 1:1.)

Thanks, Sam, for printing the best ones, as well as adding a period-appropriate date stamp (we figured July of 1943 seemed right), and trimming the prints with a vintage deckle-edge paper cutter. Next stop is a photo album with black construction paper pages, and a bottle of white ink for the annotations!

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/focusit/wwii+snapshots/
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Jim,

This is why we love you.

BTW I think you are right. In a world full of mediocrity, I say, "Go big or don't go," like Mark Cuban. That's what living passionately is all about. You go all the way.

Also know I understand your showmanship. Artists by definition are "exhibitionists." Anyways your level of authenticity is greatly admired. You stand alone.

Cal
 
MY SPIN ON GOING BIG (Printing Saga): I am very engaged with Digital Silver Imaging, and somehow I'm getting service I never expected. After an initial miscommunication, now I'm getting special attention, where I send an 8 1/2x11 Piezograpghy print along with my file to get proofed. The proof is on a 16x20 that comprizes a full sized crop to display the detail and an full frame image.

Since I'm known to be "worse than a woman," meaning particularly fussy and demanding (and sometimes crazy), DSI is acommodating me with extra service and using my Piezography reference print to match my tonality and contrast in making me a large fiber wet print.

Anyways I'm redefining "Woman Factor." Like they say, "If you can't beat em, join them." LOL.

Another print is on the way, after I first get to optimize my file for detail, contrast and tonality on my Piezography system. Anyways in comparing the two mediums (wet print vs Piezography warm neutral/selenium splitone) there really is no comparision. Both mediums simply are simply taken to the max to exploit their advantages and disadvantages. They are what they are: beautiful.

Game changer is that it makes no sense to print 20x30 borderless anymore because the DSI prints are far from being compact, and now I have the supersized three handle mankiller tough guy portfolio.

Anyways this is my version of Jim behavior. My version of going all the way.

Cal
 
The 28/2.8 AiS is indeed a Nikon classic. I recently got 1 for free from a friend who stopped shooting seriously over a decade ago. Back in the '80s, he used it to shoot skaters & punk shows as was the style (T-Max 3200 or pushed Tri-X, f/16, scale-focus, & flash). Exterior & glass held up well, but I had to put $100 into a CLA to loosen up the aperture blades because it had been sitting in his closet for so long. Still a good deal, I think. The near-macro capability is nice; reminds me of my Zeiss lenses for the Contarex.

Calzone said:
As far as wides go the 28/2.8 AIS is like Leica RF quality and is a rather compact lens. Make sure you get the AIS version which has the close focus CRC. Other versions are not the same. A good clean version can be had for around $250.00. I think you will enjoy the extream close focus ability that is like a macro lens, Also this lens is kinda perfect, meaning highly corrected, and super low distortion. I think this could be your new favorite lens, it is that good.

Cal
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furcafe said:
The 28/2.8 AiS is indeed a Nikon classic. I recently got 1 for free from a friend who stopped shooting seriously over a decade ago. Back in the '80s, he used it to shoot skaters & punk shows as was the style (T-Max 3200 or pushed Tri-X, f/16, scale-focus, & flash). Exterior & glass held up well, but I had to put $100 into a CLA to loosen up the aperture blades because it had been sitting in his closet for so long. Still a good deal, I think. The near-macro capability is nice; reminds me of my Zeiss lenses for the Contarex.
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Furcafe,

When are you ever going to make it to NYC? You are not that far away.

Cal
 
I normally visit NYC several times/year, but recently, sh*t keeps coming up &, unlike Philly & B-more & Richmond, we're just far enough away to make it hard to do spur-of-the-moment trips. This time last year, I was able to clear my schedule to come up for the art fairs, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen this time due to day job-related shenanigans (looking at you, Congress).

Calzone said:
Furcafe,

When are you ever going to make it to NYC? You are not that far away.

Cal
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furcafe said:
I normally visit NYC several times/year, but recently, sh*t keeps coming up &, unlike Philly & B-more & Richmond, we're just far enough away to make it hard to do spur-of-the-moment trips. This time last year, I was able to clear my schedule to come up for the art fairs, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen this time due to day job-related shenanigans (looking at you, Congress).
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Furcafe,

No stress. Keep us in the loop when the time is good for you.

Cal
 
Today an interview and a few of my fashion shots got published in "Le Paradox," an online fashion, art and style magizine.

LeParadox.com

Currently the spring issue of "Grey Magizine" is getting printed in Italy. Should be available any day now. "Maggie" is featured wearing the spring collection.

Interesting to note that I expose to the left (underexpose) a little to dilute detail and suck out contrast to soften the images a bit when shooting the Monochrom.

Cal
 
Congrats Cal, that's awesome. Very cool to see.

By the way, the Df is still safe (from being sold)... and I still like it. Hopefully I feel that way on meet-up day. Would be cool to have some folks bring MF lenses.
 
jsrockit said:
Congrats Cal, that's awesome. Very cool to see.

By the way, the Df is still safe (from being sold)... and I still like it. Hopefully I feel that way on meet-up day. Would be cool to have some folks bring MF lenses.
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John,

While "Maggie" is now kinda known as "The Accidential Icon," I'm kinda becoming the ""Incidental Icon" as I'm becoming kinda widely known in the fashion world. Kinda crazy.

I'll bring my 45/2.8P AIS, 55/2.8 Macro AIS, and my monsterous Olympus 24/3.5 shift lens.

BTW some photojournalists are known to use the 55 Macro AIS as their normal lens. I think you would like the short effective focus throw from 5 feet to infinity. Of course the entire focus throw of this lens is mucho big, but the 5 feet to infinity is mucho small.

I've graduated to printing 13x19. Wow the prints really make a statement, but now printing gets expensive. I already have a box of "proofs." At this point 8.5x11's are for making work prints; 13x19 are for proofs; and 17x22 are for final prints. I'm blowing through lots of paper and ink. Also learned about "head strikes" when I went to the larger size of paper. Had to increase the platen gap to get rid of the proble. I think you will like some of the fiber wet print glow that I can replicate, even though I'm ink jet printing.

On the Digital Silver Imaging front I'm scaling up the size of the prints: one will be 20x30 on 24x36; and another 24x36 on 30x40. Of course on fiber. Now that I have a supersized portfolio case that can handle 42x32 printing 20x30 borderless makes no sense. I call my big portfolio my "B-52."

Cal
 
LeCalzone.fr

Cal, your 'b52' sounds like a regular architecture school portfolio. There was this thing in my school where some students were producing extra large drawings. They would then build 10+ foot custom plywood cases to transport them in.
 
CNNY said:
LeCalzone.fr

Cal, your 'b52' sounds like a regular architecture school portfolio. There was this thing in my school where some students were producing extra large drawings. They would then build 10+ foot custom plywood cases to transport them in.
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Christian,

Printing two dimentionally recently has been an exercise in sculpture. Even last night I made 6 13x19 prints, and I invaded "Maggie's" space to use as a drying rack. I bought about $80.00 worth of print protectors and I became very surprised at how much 300 large sleeves weigh. Then I have a warehouse for storage of ink and paper.

Not sure I can bring out the B-52 to the next Meet-Up with Nikon glass for John. I will likely bring out a box of 13x19 prints though. I'll also bring the 13x19 inch DSI "Proofs" to compare against a Piezography print. Very interesting to see a digital wet print against a digital ink jet print of the same file. Both are extream, both have a very different look. I can not say I like one more than the other, but I will say the ink jet print is perhaps higher resolution, but the wet print I think looks smoother.

Should have about 50-60 13x19's printed by the Meet-Up. I'm also printing mucho 8.5x11's of the Dew Tour that I think will make a very cool book. IQ of this action event limits printing size. I utilized "kill zone" as my focusing, but I wish I would of went ultra-ultra high shutter speed because I ended up shooting so close that motion blur diminishes and limits sharpness. At one point I was shooting close with a 28 Cron and I had to be careful note to get hit with an errant skateboard in the face.

I think at 13x19 the size of the print helps seperate the two mediums to make the differences stand out. Perhaps when printing extra huge I might favor the wet print for the smoothness, but maybe this will change with framing and a further viewing distance.

13x19 seems like an ideal size to proof files from my Monochrom. Exhibition prints at 14x21 on 17x22 inch paper is not that much larger.

Cal
 
Gear alert

Gear alert

Today in the mail arrived a new (to me) black Nikon F2AS.
So I went out shooting around Philly today with the F2 and my 2.1cm Nikkor.
I wandered in to Webb Cam to pick up a strap for the camera and lo, found something in the used cabinet that piqued my interest.
A 28mm f/3.5 PC-Nikkor.
I put it in the F2 and started falling in love with that lens and thinking how I could get the cash to buy it. I was heading out the door when I asked John if he would take some gear on trade and he said "what do you have?"
I pulled out the X100 that I bought from him only last November and said "On my trip to New Mexico I took less than thirty photos with this camera, so I'm just not using it much now I'm shooting more film."
So he took the X100 in trade (plus a bit of cash) for the 28mm PC lens.
After that I walked around the city with my friend Ben (Benmacphoto) for a couple hours, shooting here and there. The perspective control lens is fantastic for exaggerating perspective as well as correcting converging lines.

Bethanne and I are going to try to make the April 5th meeting, by the way.

Phil Forrest
 
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