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Last of the Film
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Last of the Film

by Michael Hardeman

Gallery: LandscapePosted October 25, 2012476 views21 comments
Last week, I finally got the last of the film that I shot for the aspen season. I think I spent about $600-$700 on processing both 8x10 and 4x5 film. Out of all that, I got maybe 10 good images. You shoot with digital for a while, and you forget how unforgiving film can be.

But, when it works out, you have something (I think), better quality than digital.

This was my favorite image of the season. I caputured it with digital, then spent the next few days trying to get it with film.

Tachihara 8x10 - Velvia 50 - Nikon 760mm - 60 sec @f 128

Comments

21 comments
Comment posted by Bill Chambers on October 25, 2012 at 4:06 PM
Beautiful Michael. Love the coloration and detail, and the comp is sweet too. IMHO, you're right about large format vs. digital (at least 35mm equivalent digital). Hard to beat the detail of an 8x10!! That said, I would like to see a comparison of the D800 vs 4x5, or a Phase One or Hasseblad digital vs 4x5 & 8x10 - would be interesting.
Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments
Comment posted by Daniel Rappaport on October 25, 2012 at 4:11 PM
Really nice balanced composition.
Registered on September 9, 2009, 294 Posts, 2006 Comments
Comment posted by Peter Richter on October 25, 2012 at 4:28 PM
Michael, your image has great impact on me. The clustered trunks at the left balance the fantastic glow in the distance wonderfully to my eye. I also appreciate the delicate lighting, showing the textures of the barks at their best in my opinion. Furthermore the repetitive pattern of the trunks lead me through the composition in a very appealing way.

Peter
Registered on November 10, 2010, 218 Posts, 2723 Comments
Comment posted by Robert Dayton on October 25, 2012 at 4:57 PM
Well composed with a good feeling of depth and lovely colors.
Registered on November 11, 2008, 281 Posts, 3958 Comments
Comment posted by Navin Sarma on October 25, 2012 at 5:21 PM
very cool michael! i like the contrast in wood & leaves. :toast:
Registered on July 17, 2011, 233 Posts, 1373 Comments
Comment posted by John Mumaw on October 25, 2012 at 6:25 PM
This is the best from your last series of images posted here. The three lighter trunks are a perfect complement and provide great balance to the scenery on the right.
Registered on September 9, 2005, 62 Posts, 2289 Comments
Comment posted by Michael Hardeman on October 25, 2012 at 6:30 PM
Thanks, John! Everyone! :smile:
Registered on November 26, 2005, 150 Posts, 233 Comments
Comment posted by Aaron Feinberg on October 25, 2012 at 7:05 PM
It's hard to even look at an 8x10 on a scale like this. I feel like you need a 50" print to start to appreciate it. Lovely comp/light. Woop!

aF
Registered on October 26, 2009, 399 Posts, 2789 Comments
Comment posted by Darren Huski on October 25, 2012 at 7:45 PM
Excellent image. You are right on about large format. I am very stingy with my remaining Velvia, the scene has got to be perfect to use a sheet.
Registered on August 17, 2008, 61 Posts, 340 Comments
Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on October 25, 2012 at 8:30 PM
The LF and V-50 made this thing really pop, Michael. The white trunks really adds a nice contrast to the powerful back-lit aspen leaves.
I've used V-50 since it was first released, not sure what to expect after I've used all my remaining stock up. For those interested in the response to the signed petition to Fuji on the demise of Large Format V-50 the reports I received directly from the petition originator was a sad commenter on the issue. I spoke again on-line recently with Stef down in Australia and he said after MANY letters sent to various Fuji outlets with copies of the signed petition he did not hear back from ANY of them. What a surprise that was... :mad:
Registered on February 25, 2006, 525 Posts, 8448 Comments
Comment posted by Matt Anderson on October 25, 2012 at 9:13 PM
I like the glow (and look) of the photo. Well done!!

Man, I wish I could have drum scanned this for you. I've had the privilege of scanning on the best drum scanners EVER made. Oil mounting an 8" x 10" a large drum, finessing all the air bubbles out of the mount, carefully adjusting main and fine focus, correctly tweaking nearly 50 potentiometers that control the analogue circuit signals which create the image.

In case you want to see what these looked like .... Just one of nearly a dozen professional drum scanners I've mastered years ago.

This is the Japanese version of the scanner,
the USA version, (I guess because we are taller) had the controls above the scanner
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6560164761_3ca475fa07_o.gif
http://www.wotol.com/images/thumbs/800x800/271915_fbfc2eda96ae42fb4e4f953eac7a8514.jpg
http://www.wotol.com/images/thumbs/800x800/271915_3d65a2c206cc774ede4251187912e15a.jpg


Sorry, I got lost reminiscing.... I wish every film photographer could have had the opportunity to learn and master the drum scanning trade.
Registered on September 6, 2007, 346 Posts, 2696 Comments
Comment posted by Nick Bristol on October 25, 2012 at 9:34 PM
Beautiful... :smile:

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI
Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments
Comment posted by Jim Greenwood on October 25, 2012 at 11:52 PM
Beautiful! I'm sure that the detail in the 8x10 is incredible. Why is the larger photo so small? :confused: :wink:
Registered on November 9, 2003, 229 Posts, 1523 Comments
Comment posted by Joseph Kayne on October 26, 2012 at 12:02 AM
:toast: :toast: :toast:
Registered on November 1, 2003, 573 Posts, 2619 Comments
Comment posted by Youssef Ismail on October 26, 2012 at 12:55 AM
Stunning photo Michael. It will make a fantastic print.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 474 Posts, 5555 Comments
Comment posted by Gary McGhee on October 26, 2012 at 10:55 AM
Very nice indeed Michael, I like the contrast between the bare trunks and the wonderful foliage in the background. Nice colours too.

Gary.
Registered on April 15, 2010, 142 Posts, 2416 Comments
Comment posted by Carl Battreall on October 26, 2012 at 3:12 PM
An 8x10 trans can't be beat!
Registered on August 29, 2007, 24 Posts, 222 Comments
Comment posted by Stuart Williams on October 27, 2012 at 1:04 AM
Love this. the only grumble that i have is that the "larger" version is hardly bigger than the "small" version. would like to see this big - better still on the light table. good aspen season you've had.
Registered on December 7, 2007, 247 Posts, 4792 Comments
Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on October 27, 2012 at 2:17 PM
Lovely, Michael. You've had a great fall.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments
Comment posted by Soubhik Patranabis on October 27, 2012 at 8:14 PM
Beautiful !
Registered on January 25, 2010, 54 Posts, 610 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Hespenheide on October 30, 2012 at 2:03 AM
Oh, this is wonderful. Nice balance of the fields of color to create some movement through the scene, and then the three or four balanced white trunks to give some tension and a focal point. Terrific.

Film versus digital isn't about resolution (or at least, not to me -- anymore). It's about the different rendering. There's not one single solution for everything, but the colors and tonalities are captured differently on digital than on Velvia 50. This is a wonderful usage of it. :toast:
Registered on August 14, 2010, 3 Posts, 61 Comments