Photo Bombing

Photo walks are always the best way to get out and test your creativity. As opposed to bringing your camera with you just in case you see something a photo walk is when you go out with the intention of taking photos of absolutely anything you can! Sometimes the results are brilliant and often times they aren't. On this Photo Bomb mission, I met up with local IG'er asim_overstands. He picked up some new gear so we went out to try it out on the streets. Both equipped with 50mm lenses and of course our iPhones we went shutter happy and bombed everything we could. Honestly, we got enough content to fill up our IG feeds for weeks. But I'm one of the few remaining photographers that still use a camera these days so here are the images from my DSLR edited in Photoshop and Lightroom. These were way over due; I think they ripened enough for sharing. Enjoy!

Photo of the Day: 06/03/13

Da Bubble Boy by Small Time Visionary

Monochrome Encounters: Lilac Festival 2013

It seems like the entire City heads central on the last Sunday of every May for the Lilac Festival. The first of many festivals of the year, the Lilac Festival indicates the official start of Spring for snow hardened Calgarians. Emerging from their dens after a prototypically harsh winter, much like our Punxsutawnian rodent friend, Suburbanites take over the city core in search of both their shadow and churros. The influx of pasty skinned bodies creates a furious frenzy of sun craving maniacs migrating slowly North and South on 4th Street SW. Birkenstocks afoot, strollers at the helm and toy dogs tucked tightly under arm the zombies weave in and out of the merchant stalls distracted by shiny beaded jewelry, bubble guns and foreign foods not commonly approved for sale or consumption in most suburban strip malls. Yes my friends, Spring has arrived to Calgary and the Lilac Festival is Mother Nature's red carpet.

Ok, I’m sorry for being so cynical! I’ve been watching a lot of Anthony Bourdain’s new series on CNN and his tongue–in-cheek brand of narration is quite engaging and strangely infectious. The truth is, 2013 was my first Lilac Festival in many years and I was not prepared for the throngs of people taking to the streets. I live downtown but I haven’t been the biggest fan of crowds these days. They are messy and confused and I find I have a hard time concentrating on composing good photos. I usually am quite social in most scenarios but Sunday’s Lilac Festival didn’t particularly inspire me. As a street photographer this is something I need to work on; crowds are an inevitable evil in this pursuit. It’s ones ability to work the crowd that makes them a successful street photographer. No disrespect the the Suburbanites; I've got mad love for ya'll!

Photo of the Day: 05/27/13

I Just Called to Say by Small Time Visionary

Summer Is In The Air

Five signs that Summer has found Calgary:

1. Flowers bloom and the grass turns from turd brown to a vibrant green.

2. Winter beaters get parked and The Judge is loose on city streets.

3. Mechanics would rather work out in the sun then in the shop so they can work on their tan.

4. The Shells Angels are taking siestas after having too many beers or white wine spritzers or whatever.

5. The used bicycle market becomes over saturated and extremely competitive.

Film vs Digital

I thought it would be interesting to see a head to head shoot out for film and digital. In one corner I have the Canon A2 and loaded it with expired Fujicolor NPZ 800 film and in the other corner I had my Canon 5D Mark II DSLR. For the lenses, I gave film the advantage by equipping it with the faster EF 35mm f/1.4L whereas digital was fitted with the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L (V.1).

As with any test, consistency is the key so that the results are not skewed in any direction. However, this is not a scientific test and I don't really care about consistency here. What I was looking for is which camera can produce a better photo of the same subject. There may be discrepancies with shutter speeds and apertures but I tried to keep the ISO at 800 with the DSLR so it is at par with the film of choice. No digital enhancements have been performed on any of the below photos. The film files are straight from the scanner and the digital files are raw files converted to jpg in Aperture 3. Without further delay, enjoy the photos below and let me know what you think about the photographs!


Photo #1: Loading Dock of Doom
Expired Fujicolor NPZ 800

Canon 5D Mark II DSLR
Thoughts: While I do enjoy the texture of the film photo, it is hard to deny the fact that the digital version looks much cleaner. The shadow details are much more defined and the white balance of the the digital image is much truer to the actual scene. This final critique I cannot fault against the film because it is a portrait film that shoots a little warmer then most types of films and with that being said I actually prefer the yellow tone to the film photograph. Verdict: Digital Wins


Photo #2: Underpass Light Streaker
Expired Fujicolor NPZ 800

Canon 5D Mark II DSLR
Thoughts:This one is pretty easy. I have a hard time getting great results with film when doing long exposures and while there is a huge chance of it being due to user error it's hard to deny that the digital photo is the winner. The grain of the film photograph is extremely distracting and there is next to no definition. Big time fail for film. Verdict: Digital Wins


Photo #3: Body for Hire
Fujicolor NPZ 800

Canon 5D Mark II DSLR
Thoughts: This one is pretty tough. While again the digital photograph has much better definition and shadow detail I actually prefer the colour, grain and glow of the film photograph! I has an old school kind of charm to it that adds more depth to the photo that is otherwise missing in the digital version. This is a character of film that is desired and celebrated by film shooters. Digital tends to be sterile compared to film and above is a great example. Verdict: Film Wins


Photo #4: Hit the Ice
Fujicolor NPZ 800

Canon 5D Mark II DSLR
Thoughts: The film photograph is so terribly flawed. A major lack of sharpness is quite evident when comparing the film version to its digital competitor. It's really easy to see when you look at the buildings in the background. With all this being said, you are going to call me crazy when I say that I prefer the film version! Again, it comes down to that X-factor that film possesses, which is the unique character that it adds to an image that cannot be emulated by any digital process (yes, that even goes for you Instagram and VSCO). Verdict: Film Wins


Conclusion: Did you expect a draw? C'mon; you can't expect me to say that one format is better then the other when I obviously enjoy shooting both film and digital! All I can conclude on is that both have their time and place. Obviously, when it comes to shooting something for a client or for large fine art prints where characteristics like sharpness and detail matter, digital is the clear champion. But when it comes to adding some depth and uniqueness to my images film has the characteristics that digital can never truly possess. What do you think? Do you prefer one over the other? Do you think that my verdict of some of the images above are incorrect? Let me know! I'd love to hear your input!

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this post.

Bookmarked

Photos captured on Lomography CN 800 using a Canon EOS A2

The Streets Have Eyes

Images shot with a Canon EOS A2 w/ Fujicolor NPH 400

Photo of the Day: 8/28/12

Looking Within by Small Time Visionary

Photo of the Day: 6/25/12

Rats in a Cage by Small Time Visionary

New Toy: Fujifilm x10

I've been looking for a new camera for the longest time now. Not something to replace my beloved Canon 5D Mark II, but something that is compact, lightweight and discrete. I was looking for something that I can carry comfortably while traveling, cycling and snowboarding. Obviously, while the 5DMkII is my favourite, it is cumbersome. After careful research, I decided on the Fujifilm x10! I actually own one Fuji compact camera, which is the Fujifilm Natural Classica film compact. I loved the camera so much that I gave Fuji a second shot with their brand new x10!

Fuji is well known in the industry for their extremely sharp lenses, vibrant colour saturation and for their beautiful camera designs. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for the old school look and feel of the x10, borrowing design cues from the 1971 classic Leica M5 Rangefinder. However, the functionality and operation of this camera is all 21st century. The 12MP CMOS sensor is a gem! Low light and high ISO performance is outstanding for a compact camera. Shadow detail and dynamic range is comparable to that of Micro 4/3 cameras (ie; Olympus Pen and Panasonic G-series). The lens is not interchangeable but will prove to be all you will need, offering a variable f/2.0-2.8 aperture and around 4X optical zoom! I couldn't really ask for much more from a compact camera

Did I forget to mention she's good looking?





Alright, enough camera porn and gear talk! The proof is in the pudding! Here is a little taste of what the little black beauty can do! I've only owned the camera for just short of two weeks now and here are some test shots from around town.























BYE!!