Rather than letting the rare opportunity to travel to Asia passes us by, my wife and I tag-teamed as we took turn to use the petite, yet powerful Olympus E-P2 to record life as it happens on the street level.  And we have compiled a heavily edited set in a form of our first photo-book together (my third one).

Actually you can think of this as the second volume with Shanghai LIVE being the first one.

The cover image is taken by my wife from the hotel balcony where these people were walking past.  Where do these people come from? that day was Singapore’s National Day celebration and these folks just came out from the big stadium where the ceremony and performance was held.  When I saw this photo, I knew that it would make a great cover for a photo-book about Asian cities.

This photo-book will show you the down-to-earth side of travel, not the usual touristy, brochure, postcard shots.  But the ones that celebrates how people live their lives as a mirror to our own.

I really enjoy putting this book together, and to feature my wife’s point of view.   To see the preview of this book, click here.  Enjoy, and as usual, your comments and inputs are very welcome.

“Sleek-incarnate”

A martial artist who can reach the rooftop in three side-to-side wall jumps, a blind-folded circus performer who can do triple somersault on a tightrope or a “plastic”-girl who can put both of her feet on top of her head — without the slightest sign of discomfort.

Those are things that make you go: Wow.

And that’s exactly how I feel when this camera literally flop into my palm from oodles of bubble-wrap.  It’s impossibly thin, it’s black, it’s sleek.  And somehow it can produce up to 36-gorgeous images using a roll of film… inside.

This camera will make you wonder how come a film camera can be thinner than a digital one.  Dimension-wise it is similar to everyone’s favorite electronic device:

Before you say, sure there are other digital cameras that are smaller, true;  but none of them has a sensor the size of 35mm film frame, do they?

If the size and shape are the only things that are worth writing, then this could be a short journal entry.  But as if this camera can be more interesting, its lens has seven glass elements in four-groups, two of them are a-spherically constructed.

If that previous sentence just make your eyes roll into the back of your head, don’t fret.  It just mean that this camera is over-engineered optically. Which means if the picture is fuzzy or lacking in details, it is most likely due to shaky…, er, I mean, artistically intentional decisions.  But certainly not the camera’s fault.

Enough talk, show me some pictures, you may demand…

NOTE: I can read the CD labels on the side in the original image size.

Ever heard of the internationally-acclaimed Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama?  Do a search on youtube for his name and you’ll see several videos that show how he use this camera (well, not *this* exact camera obviously) to record life on the streets of Tokyo.

It seems to me that by choosing a small camera like this, he puts the minimum barrier between himself and his subjects.  Due to its small size, this camera is a perfect tool for street-photography.

It even has a mode where the lens can be set to focus on a pre-defined distance.  How does this work? simple, you just use your feet to get yourself within the set distance from the subject, and take the picture with zero shutter-lag.

Another sample from my test roll:

The lens is a fixed focal length at 28mm.  The maximum aperture is f/2.8, which is quite fast considering the wide-viewing angle — thus in normal lighting conditions, everything from front to back will be pretty much in focus.

In nothing-but-normal lighting, the complexity of the lens construction does shine through, rendering immaculate details that I wasn’t expecting to come out of a camera the size of a cassette tape (or iPod for you youngsters).

The following two are taken inside a supermarket with less than ideal lighting conditions:

NOTE: Yep, if you can survive taking pictures in the produce-aisle, you’d make it anywhere else :)

Now, how does this camera handle? Despite its pedigree, which includes a lot of “plastic-fantastic” 80’s point and shoot cameras, this one is made out of a tough magnesium-alloy casing. The over-sized rubber grip is so nice to hold and it is as expected, well-balanced for one-hand operation.

And for a camera this size, the designers could have been sloppy with the placement of the controls and dials, but thankfully this camera is top-notch in this regard also.

Ricoh really outdid themselves with the design, who knows how many awards it won, I hope many.  The motor is not terribly loud, but the sound can be quite grating if you’re in quiet events such as a play or a church service.

One word of caution for those of you who is considering to try to find one out there in the used-camera-market-wilderness, I have read a lot of buying experiences that ended up in disappointment due to electronic malfunction of one sort or another.

Unlike a brass and steel fully manual cameras, this one does have fragile circuitry that can be disrupted through the passage of time.

I lucked out with this particular camera, for what I paid for it, I almost half-expecting a broken LCD screen, or sand trickling out of the back when I opened it.  But all systems go for this one… at least for the time being.

And while it last, this camera is the personification of ’sleek’.  I for one am looking forward to use it more.

NOTE: This somehow reminds me of a very-skinny cape-crusader

]]> http://zuikography.com/?feed=rss2&p=533 http://zuikography.com/?p=525 http://zuikography.com/?p=525#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:18:00 +0000 admin http://zuikography.com/?p=525

It is becoming harder these days to produce something without the help of some kind of computerized tools.  The books that you read today most likely are written using a word-processor.  The chair that you sit on, most likely are CAD-designed.  The list goes on: microwave-ovens, cars, TV’s and — oh yeah, cameras, and…

… photographic prints.

Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with digital (a.k.a computerized) ways to showcase your artwork.  Those are very good at improving both efficiency and productivity.

However when it comes to quality, which in its very nature a matter of subjectivity, we cannot say for sure.

But let’s say that the final output of both digital and darkroom process are indistinguishable (as they often are), it only serves to emphasize that there are two valid ways to achieve those end results.  And according to my experience, you would have to choose one or the other, unless you have almost unlimited amount of resources to do both at their highest level of excellence.

And I choose the darkroom path.  At least most of the time, I also enjoy making photo-books that are of course edited, submitted, and printed digitally.

But take a look of the picture above, no computer was involved in creating the framed print.

From the moment of exposing the film using the all manual camera, developing by hand using steel reels and tanks, measuring chemicals against lines made by markers, to printing using enlargers.  And after that signing the mounted print using my Fischer Space-Pen (if you know my penmanship skill, you’d appreciate how difficult it is to write a consistent signature for me :).

I wouldn’t be writing this if I didn’t enjoy the whole journey.  In my view, this is something that anyone who likes photography should experience at least once.

Imagine that… no computers.

]]> http://zuikography.com/?feed=rss2&p=525 http://zuikography.com/?p=465 http://zuikography.com/?p=465#comments Sun, 01 Aug 2010 03:04:10 +0000 admin http://zuikography.com/?p=465

“street-kit”

DISCLAIMER: This writing aims to describe street-photography to those who are not familiar with it.  If you are one of those master-ninja-street-photographer-dude/dudette, feel free to write me corrections, suggestions and additions in the comment box down there.

Street Photography

One of the most intriguing yet often misunderstood style of photography is what some call “street.”  Unlike other styles that are easily recognizable and defined such as wildlife, wedding, macro, still-life, commercial, sport, or astro-photography, street-photography is quite elusive in terms of clear definition.

To emphasize this fact, ask ten people who like to do street-photography the “what” question, most likely you’ll get either vague or overly simplistic definition, and a whole bunch of enthusiastic opinions.

Perhaps one of the more interesting way to define street-photography is by listing what it isn’t:

• It is not posed/staged.  Posing a scene is considered the antithesis of doing “street.”  I personally tend to be on the camp that is rather strict on this “rule” because what would be the point of taking “candid” pictures of a re-enacted scene?
• It is not a expected.  You often heard photo-journalistic or candid style wedding coverage.  Despite the name, this is as far as you can probably get from “street” because of one single point: in a wedding, people expect to be photographed. Meanwhile capturing human expression as they are without any preparation is one of the allure of street-photography.
• It is not voyeurism.  Street-photography takes snapshots of a kaleidoscope made out of the complex interweaving of human life.  Its goal is to create images that resonates with our own life experience, why? because as the viewer, we are fellow human beings.  It is important to understand this distinction, so when we are subjected with some kind of perversion of this basic tenet, we can spot it and declare it as one.
• It is not for everyone.  It is especially not for those who cannot laugh at themselves :)

The closest styles that intersect street-photography are photo-journalism, photo-documentary, and a small subset of travel-photography.

The Look

What does street-photography look like?  One way to find out is by going to your favorite photo-website like flickr and type in street-photography on the search box.  Google images can also be a good reference point. I’ll give you one more source towards the end of this writing.

But let’s take a moment to look at two samples.

First, this is a very famous photograph by a man that some would regard as the “father” of street-photography, Henry Cartier Bresson (1908-2004):

© Henri Cartier-Bresson/MAGNUM

DISCLAIMER: This image is copyrighted by Magnum Photos, it is not public domain.  It is displayed here solely for educational and referential purpose.

The above photo is an excellent example of street-photography that does more than just recording what happened.  It is clearly unposed, the subjects most likely weren’t even aware of the shot, and it is as far from voyeurism as the east from the west.

But the genius of Mr. Bresson in this case is his ability to see beyond just looking at a scene, his composing of the photograph so clearly done that the intention and the subjects are striking and unmistakable.

Next, we’ll see another shot that is clearly inspired by the above photograph:

I took this photograph when I visited Boston, I was walking among the weekend crowd and suddenly there it was, a scene that just begged to be photographed.

Again, here we see the same components, I didn’t stage the scene, the subjects are not expecting to be photographed, and it’s definitely not voyeurism.  It’s a celebration of humanity as-is.

Of course it will take much more than looking at two photos to “get it.”  But we all have to start somewhere don’t we?

The Gear

In terms of gear, street-photography is probably the least demanding compared to the other styles mentioned above.  You don’t really need an expensive lens, you do not want a big camera, and the use of tripod is almost unheard of.  Although I have read pages after pages of discussions on which wrist-strap to use ;)

Take a look at the image that started this journal entry, that is my street-photography kit.  A sturdy canvas shoulder bag, a manual camera, my handy light meter, and film, that’s it.  The total cost of ownership of this kit is less than some entry-level DSLR, I kid you not.

The photo-book is  just a shameless plug (just kidding)… no, on a serious note, that photo-book contains some sampling of street-photography from my recent trip to Shanghai, China.

Ironically, one of the brand name that is closely associated with street photography is Leica, which is not exactly catering to tight-pursed consumer demographic.

Truth is, you *do not* need a Leica. Any camera can be used for street-photography, as long as they don’t attract attention to itself and to you.

NOTE: I (and many others) happen to find that rangefinder-style cameras fit street-photography like a glove, but I’ve also seen truly excellent photography produced using anything from big-black-DSLR to tiny point-and-shoot cameras.

In fact, check out street-photography works by Daido Moriyama, his tool of choice is an autofocus point-and-shoot camera called Ricoh GR1.

In majority street-photography is shot on either black and white film or converted digital shots.  This is not to say that there are no excellent color street-photography.  Search online for Nick Turpin or the later works (after 70’s) of the late Helen Levitt.

As for myself, I like grain, so I prefer to use B&W.  I also like to print in the darkroom, so I prefer to use film.

The Subject

People is by far the most popular subject in street-photography.  However unlike documentary or travel photography, where a set of photos illustrates an underlying story (documentary) or a set of photos highlighting interesting locale (travel), the emphasize here is on the action that the person is doing (or not doing).  Within a single frame.

Although I’m sure they exist, it is rare that a street-photography exhibition displays a set of photographs that are sequential.

In graphic compositional term, we often hear the word “tension” or “dynamic tension.”  This is used extensively in street-photography to express humor, drama, irony, etc.

Conversely, I rarely see minimalism being used in street photography.  Of course right after I publish this journal, you’ll link me to a thousand of street-photos that contradict this statement.

The second ingredient of a typical street-photography is the environment with which the subject is either interacting with or oblivious of.  This is the main reason why most street-photographer prefer wide-angle lenses to telephoto.   It is much easier to include the environment along with the subject that way.

The Location

Cities.  The more crowded, the more hectic, the livelier, the better.  New York City,  Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, these have been the centers for street-photography for decades.

But that’s quite obvious.

You can actually go “street” pretty much anywhere there are people.  I have seen the loveliest set of street-photography whose settings is in a rural Italy or Indonesia.

Remember, street photography is all about capturing those fleeting scenes where the subject and the surrounding meet to create a visual embrace, locked for eternity within a frame.  This of course can happen anywhere, the question is, can your eyes spot it?

The Legality

Is it legal to take pictures of people without them knowing it?

A long (but very thorough) answer can be found here: http://photorights.4020.net (yes, it focuses on Australian laws, but many of the points are applicable here in the US and probably Europe or Asia also).

The short answer is: know your rights, and know your limits.  In general, you can take pictures of people in public space.  But you need to be aware of what constitute public areas.  For example malls (both indoor and outdoor) are not public space.  They have every right to tell you not to use your camera.  Subway trains are public space.

Above all, remember that you are doing street-photography to celebrate humanity, not to disrespect it, not to mock it.  At the same time don’t take it too seriously, and have fun with it.

Personal story: I was told to shove it by an angry fish-monger in the streets of Hong Kong, who seemed to think that I will somehow get rich by taking pictures of him and his fish :)

Who is doing it?

So why the lengthy explanation? who cares? who are these photographers on the fringe that traverse the streets for those golden photography nuggets?

The answer may surprise you, more people are getting into street-photography than ever.

Why?

The first reason is because digital photography has leveled the playing field for almost anyone to start with. Notice I said “start”, it is still equally difficult to attain the ‘master’ level either you do it with digital or film of course.

The second reason would be international travels, the world is becoming much smaller when it comes to travel opportunities and once you become a street-photographer, you’ll start seeing things that you used to ignore or were oblivious to.  I know from personal experience that I enjoy traveling more now.

The third reason, which is probably the most poignant one, street-photography caters to two of the most basic human nature:  curiosity and adventure.  To follow through the visual footsteps of the photographer, to lost ourselves in the world that may be half a globe away, or within earshot, is quite satisfying and unpredictable at the same time.

How to learn more?

If you just type in “street photography” in the search box below (which will search the online sources that I handpicked), you will get more info on it than you can digest in one sitting.

Probably one of the more useful websites on the internet (when it comes to street photography) is the Rangefinderforum.com (or RFF for short).  I learn more there than any photo-club I can find in my neck of the wood.  Be warned, it can be quite stuffy there at times, but hey, that’s applies to all internet forums these days.  In a good day, RFF is full of intelligent, passionate photography enthusiasts; more importantly, those with significant affinity towards street-photography.

Beyond that, just like any other “branches” of photography, you learn by seeing, practicing, and synthesizing. The more you do those, the more you will get out of it.

Now my question to you, do you think you have what it takes to do street-photography? it really does not take much.  But once you “get it,” it’s very rewarding and addictive.  Definitely falls into the satisfying photography, which as always, is the theme of this journal.

You have been warned.

Here it is, folks. A new photo-book from me to you. This one is the product of jet-lag-induced sleepless nights.

Be that as it may, I am quite content that I have planned for this book even before I left for Shanghai two weeks ago and that is reflected in my choice of cameras to take with me on the trip.

One of which is the Olympus E-P2.  All the photos in this book is taken with this camera, either using the kit lens or the Panasonic 20mm 1:1.7.  This to me proofs that you do not need a big black camera to do some photography work these days.

So, what’s this book about?

I’d like to think of it as a traveler’s view of how life unfold in modern Shanghai.  Given her rich heritage historically and culturally, Shanghai is probably one of the more unique cities in the world to visit.  And I’d like to capture the living-breathing rhythm of the city.

That’s why I choose black and white photographs, not because Shanghai is not full of splendid colors, but because we can break down B&W photos easier, taking in the essence of what the photographer is trying to convey.

In this 74 pages book, I am giving you as readers, my interpretation of what I saw at street level.  And if you like B&W photograph and/or street photography in general, I think you’ll share this interpretation

Now that you’ve read this far, this is a link to the preview of what’s in the book.  Have a look and drop me a line on what you think of it.  Of course, I wouldn’t complain if you buy a copy also :)

Edit:

The pilot copy of the book came.  It looks cute at 7×7 inches :)

An importance of a small handheld meter cannot be understated when you want the most accurate exposure for your shots.

Why use a meter?

It is more likely that nowadays people would ask the reverse, why wouldn’t you use a meter. Since almost all new cameras out there sports a built-in meter, you’d think that this is not even an issue, correct?

Well, it is a problem if you are like me, who enjoy using old cameras that do not have meters onboard (yep, *meters*. You read it correctly, some cameras have more than one meters). Most of the time, in daylight situations, I can use such cameras using the ultra-cool Sunny-16 offset system.

But if I’m stuck in a place that has a lot of irregular shades (like in the forest) or situations where I want to get the subject’s face even when there is a strong back-lighting going on, I want a meter.

Why handheld?

Reason #1: Because we can use a handheld meter along side the cool vintage cameras without adding anything to the camera which could disrupt the coolness :)

Reason #2: Because most handheld meters have dual mode, incident and reflective.  The incident mode measures the light as it falls on the subject (given that the subject is within reach, of course).  This is something that not even the most expensive built-in meter in a camera can do.

Next question: Why *small*?

Simple, because small handheld meters makes us look cool when we pull it out of the pocket and it disappears when we’re done measuring.

Which brings me to the point of this particular journal entry.  Look at the slideshow above (which you can pause, by the way). I have selected for you two of the cutest, smallest handheld meter I know. There may be more like those two out there, but I definitely suggest that you go for one of these.

I happen to get the Gossen Digisix along with a big stash of Nikon gears that I purchased last year from a retired photographer.  Since then the meter and I were inseparable.  It is accurate enough for my use and it’s small enough to fit in any pockets.  What more can you ask?

Why are they expensive?

Trust me, they are worth their weight in gold. Problem is, they don’t weight much at all :) … but I digress.

To me, they are not expensive because first, they last a lifetime - not much moving parts in them - and second, they do produce better looking images through more accurate exposures. So if you aspire to produce masterpieces, then you will increase your chances a lot if you bite the bullet, purchase one and use it.

“Fireworks (use your imagination, and Happy 4th to you as well)”

NOTE: Read Part I if you have not.

Let’s see … one dollar for a pack of 4 plastic film canister, picked it up at a bargain bin in a camera show, never opened, and forgotten since everyone now shoot digital.  These rolls are super easy to load film into; the top just screws open and close.  Next, a ten-dollars Lloyd bulk-loader which still has quite a bit of Kodak Safety 5062 film (a.k.a Kodak Plus-X) in it.

Pair these two and what do you get?

A cool 15 frames rolls perfect for testing new old cameras :)

I finally get to finish the roll and develop it.  As I suspected the viewfinder of the Zenit 3M is quite far from 100%, or even 90%.  Want proof?

I didn’t include the power lines in the viewfinder … seriously.

It is both weird and reassuring to have the viewfinder went completely black after a shot, at least I’m not going to be confused whether I’ve cocked the shutter or not with this camera.

“Two of a kind”

I don’t quite know how to explain the feel of this camera, yes it’s solid and heavy, no it’s not smooth and sophisticated (think Olympus or Nikon), yet it feels comfortably-industrial.  How’s that for a new phrase, I’m so dialing Library of Congress to copyright it… (heh!).

Now let’s talk about the lens for a second.  We’ve established that it’s quite a bit wider than the viewfinder and I noticed that it is sharp!

I read that some Zenit 3M requires an adjustment because the distance from the mirror to the prism isn’t exactly equal the distance to the film plane.  The cause? manufacturing quality variance, which is known to be quite flexible with these particular …  um, pedigree.  However as you can see in the above picture, the focused area is exactly where I wanted it to be.

This lens also has the snap, that’s a technical term for describing highly detailed rendering of the foreground as contrasted with a soft background.   Usually, that also means the lens renders Out-of-focus area in a creamy way (no obvious/distracting patterns).

By the way, in case you are wondering, I did not apply any sharpening filter onto these pictures. Zero, nada.

This particular lens is the older version.  Many claims that it is a direct copy/redesign of the Zeiss Flektogon.  And that it has superior optical performance than the more modern version the Mir-1V (or B in Cyrillic).  I don’t really care one way or the other, it’s just a nice trivia knowledge.

And finally, this is the second 4th of July -themed photograph in this journal entry:

“True Spirit”

As this test roll indicated, nothing wrong with the lens or the camera.  And I may add that I enjoy using them a lot.  Still have to get used to that viewfinder, though.

But hey, where is the fun if every camera behaves the same way, yes?

Technical info:
Film: Kodak Plus-X shot at 125 ASA expired who knows when.
Developer: Rodinal 1+50 for 14 minutes.
Metering: Sunny-16 (a.k.a the Force).
Disclaimer: No animals were hurt in the writing of this journal entry.
The horses and eagle are inanimate objects... seriously.

For someone like me, who is a fan of Olympus *and* a fan of old cameras, to find a Twin Lens Reflex (that’s a really old camera that has twin lens, hence “Two-eyes” for you young digital shooters) that bears the name “Zuiko” on its lenses, is akin to finding a free ice-cream stand on a hot summer day, at least if you ask my daughter who would eat ice-cream for breakfast.

This camera is indeed old, its production years goes back to 1949, and why I mention that? because it has mechanical features that was quite modern, such as… no red window on the back.  And probably the coolest cable release thread design I’ve ever seen on a camera.

It came with a leather case, which is pristine in condition:

Needless to say, I am eager to give it a whirl, so despite the muggy Sunday morning, I took the tripod, light meter, and two filters, and head out to the nearby nature preserve area.

Now, y’all probably know by now that I take contemplative photographs, nothing fancy, just basic black and white that hopefully is nice when printed big in the darkroom.  Here are a few from the test roll (as usual, you can click on the photos to see a bigger version):

“Stretched”

“The Floats”

“Flair”

And my favorite:

“Alone”

Let me just get my geeky fascination out of my system: I like this camera from the moment I saw it. I think for a Japanese camera whose design was copied from German, it was built very robustly with a lot of well-though-out additions.  As for the lens, well, for me, there is no such thing as a bad Zuiko lens.

As I walked through the park, contemplatively took my time and fell into the rhythm of setting up the tripod, looking through the viewfinder, checking the light meter, I was reminded again at how simple photography can be… when you choose to do it simply.

All it takes is the willingness to go back in time and relive those days when photography is more “human” :)

Here it is:

Not another rangefinder, interestingly, but an SLR. A Zenit 3M to be exact.

As far as my reading goes, this camera is exactly the Zorki 6, which I like a lot, minus the rangefinder assembly, plus a prism and a mirror box. That means I’m getting a small-ish, all metal, industrial-styled SLR. Yay!
I like this camera already, it feels good in my hands.

The overall build quality is amazing for an FSU camera.  And it’s in a pretty good working condition, film advance is smooth if a bit heavy (remember, they have to move a whole bunch of additional stuff with the mirror in place). The shutter speed sounds correct, we’ll see with the test roll.

The mirror assembly looks complicated, even though the mirror didn’t automatically come back down after taking a picture, which is pretty odd for a camera manufactured in 1965.

Usually, a Zenit 3M comes with a 50mm lens, either the Industar 50/3.5 (a Tessar clone) or more uncommonly a Helios 58/2 (a Biotar clone).  But this one comes with the Mir-1, which is bordering rare !!

What is a Mir-1? you may ask.

Mir-1 37/2.8 is one of a few lenses that wins the Grand Prix award in the 1958 World Fair in Brussels Belgium.  For what reason? I have no idea.  But the manufacturer seems to be pretty proud of that fact because it is engraved on the front of the lens barrel.

What is the performance like? I will find out soon, but since this is a clone of German optical formulas, it can’t be *that* bad now can it?

The glass is clean, but the lens barrel is quite dirty, old gunk in the small grooves of the focusing and step-down aperture rings but the aperture blades are clean and dry.  I cleaned the body as much as I can.

Now the viewfinder.  It’s big, not as big as Olympus OM-1, but close, and nothing but the image in it with depth perception.  Really beautiful, it’s like looking at a mini ground-glass.

Finally, there’s film in it.  And since there’s no way to find out what kind it is until I opened the back, it’s a *mystery* :)

So I’ll see if I can develop it when I finished it.

Finally, if the Zorki 6 is any indication, this camera will be very conducive to satisfying photography.

Addendum:

The film was broken inside the camera, something caught when I tried to advance the last frame and it snapped when I rewind it.  Therefore no found film.  But since it’s a Kroger branded film, not some ancient Russian film as I would have hoped, it’s not a big deal.

Continued in Part II.

From time to time, there are photographs that just confounded me.

And in this case it’s my own, from a couple of months ago.  When I saw this frame on the scanner software, I was ready to chuck it into the trash bin, but somehow I just couldn’t do it.

Somehow after staring at it for a long time, I found that I kinda grew to like it.  Trust me, this does not happen often.

The only thought that came to mind is “odd.”  I don’t know what makes it odd, is it the awkward composition? is it those little non-descript ducks? or those off-corner legs walking in the snow?

One thing I know, this one is hard to stereotype, maybe it’s just odd enough to be interesting.

Or I just may have forgotten to take my medications — just kidding, a little…