Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/04/27

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Old time look
From: lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin)
Date: Thu Apr 27 17:03:33 2006
References: <200604272216.k3RMFrwp045878@server1.waverley.reid.org>

On Apr 27, 2006, at 6:16 PM, Gerald wrote:

> I've thought of that actually.  There's an old Combat Graphic 45
> sitting in the back room of the PhotoLab at the school, that being
> the lab aid, I could probably get permission to borrow for the
> summer...  I spent some of my time this last semester when things
> were slow getting the focal plane shutter on it working again.
>
> But there's also a cost issue for film and such.  No financial aid
> for supplies this summer, so all expenses are out of pocket.  A very
> small pocket at the moment...
>
> Gerald
>
> On Apr 27, 2006, at 7:59 AM, Lawrence Zeitlin wrote:
>
>>
>> On Apr 27, 2006, at 3:04 AM, Gerald wrote:
>>
>>> This summer one of my classes is photo journalism, and I'm wanting to
>>> shoot images a bit "old school", or retro style, just to be
>>> different.  Already decided I'm using the M6 and I'm going to use
>>> Pyro to develop (everybody else is shooting digi), but I was curious
>>> if anybody had recommendations for an old style thick emulsion, high
>>> silver content film as well as a paper and paper developer that will
>>> have a similar feel to it.  I was thinking maybe ADOX paper and maybe
>>> the JandC Classic Pan 400 film, no idea yet for paper developer other
>>> than to stick with dektol, but I'm definitely open to any and all
>>> suggestions.
>>>
>>> Any and all input is gladly welcomed.
>>
>>
>> Forget the M6. Borrow a 4x5 Speed Graphic and shoot with a camera
>> mounted flashbulb. Develop your Super X sheet film in D-72. Print
>> on Kodabromide #2 or #3 from a wet negative. That's the way we and
>> most big city newspaper photographers did it in the '50s. That's
>> the way WeeGee did it. That's the way Margaret Bourke White did it.
>> In the macho USA only magazine wimps used Leicas and Rolleis.
>>
>> Larry Z
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>

Gerald,

There is a qualitatively different look about pictures shot with 1930s 
to 1950s era press equipment and pictures shot with modern 35 mm and 
digital cameras. Many of these differences derive from the differences 
inherent in the equipment. A Speed Graphic with an attached flash gun 
weighs four to five pounds. Operation with sheet film holders is quite 
slow. Most photograpers used only one lens, usually a F4.5 127 mm 
Graphtar, Wollensack, or Ektar. This was a comparatively wide angle 
lens, roughly equivalent to a 35 mm lens on a Leica. Cropping was 
usually done in the darkroom, the large negative size permitting 
considerable freedom in composition. Photographers usually carried only 
six film holders on an assignment. As a result shots were often set up 
in advance. Photographers jockeyed for position at public events and 
fired off one or, at most, two shots. Flash bulbs were used, even in 
daylight, to make sure we got a picture. You don't need 36 exposures 
and a motordrive if you plan carefully. Pictures were developed to a 
relatively high degree of contrast to provide "punch" when printed on 
newsprint with a 65 screen halftone pattern. That's not to say that the 
old equipment was incapable of high quality results. Press cameras 
were, after all, modified field cameras and some mighty fine pictorial 
images were taken with the same equipment.

What I have said was largely true of US newspapers. Editors had a low 
tolerance for the fuzzy, low key, available light photos taken by 
European photographers with their Leicas and Contaxes. Life magazine 
photographers took the middle ground with Rolleis. Bigger film, sharper 
results, more flash. I was almost fired from my paper for daring to use 
a Kodak Medalist with its 6x9 frame size because my editor felt that it 
was too small to get good results.

So if you really want to give your students a taste of old time 
photojournalism, dust off that old Graphic and buy a box of sheef film. 
You can develop the film in trays in D-72 paper developer. It certainly 
will be an educational experience.

Larry Z


Replies: Reply from kd7olf at xmission.com (Gerald Homeyer) ([Leica] Re: Old time look)