Why limit yourself in your photography skill to one simple aspect ratio? There are so many powerful aspect ratios that aren't taken advantage of because it just isn't convenient. There have been hundreds of cameras in history that have had peculiar aspect ratios.
Give it a shot sometimes it comes out better with a fine crop.
If you are talking about taking a photograph ( with a normal 3:2 or 4:2 ratio) and then converting that photograph to someing like a 6:6 or 6:12 then I have to say, I compleatly agree with you on that and I think it is something more people should promote and do (myself included). However, If you are talking about people buying an older camera that has a ratio of 6:6 or even 6:12 (I don't even now if they would have such a camera like that) than I have to say that I would have to ABSOLUTLY disagree with you on your statment.
ReplyDeleteBy the way are the photos on this post edited to make them 6:6 or 6:12 ratio or are they the ORIGINAL ratio? My guess is edited?...
No actually half of the square 6:6 images are film medium format shots from my Diana+ that I shot and developed in my home lab. The other half are shot on my Olympus PEN E-PL1 I changed the aspect ratio to 6:6 . Why? Because it forces me to frame the shot in a square during the shot, and not after.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom shot is a crop of one of my favorite wide aspect shots. As to finding cameras that will do these aspect naturaly you would be increadibly surprised. The diana+ goes for $40 and a holga goes for $30. They will do the natural 6:6 aspect. I have two cameras that I picked up for around 5 dollars each that do a 6:7 ratio.
As for 6:12 this typically would be a crop, However many DIY pin hole cameras do this format. The holga Pin wide is an example lf this.
The cameras are all film except my Olympus PEN, and use 120 medium format film which unless you can develop it isn't cost effective. However if you develop 5 roles of film it begins being cost effective.
I would not like to use film cameras. The reason behind this is not that it is expensive to buy and develop the film, but rather a lot of people see it as a long and difficult process when compared to the digital age we are in now. I like the "idea" of taking film photographs because they are really cool and you feel like you are resalvaging history. However, to me I just do not see the point of it when we live in the digital age. We should use that privlage/gift to enhance photograpy and make it "better as a whole" instead of trying to cling unto film photography as we see it slowly slip away.
ReplyDeleteIf I could add one last remark I think what you are doing with Olympus PEN is something that is REALLY cool and it is to be appretiated in the photograph world. I just don't like the idea of doing it with film, but If you want to do it you go right on ahead and I will respect you for that (because the majority of people do not do that and it is the dying side of photograph) just don't ask me to develop your film :)
Honestly it does not matter your tools.
ReplyDeleteI can tell you that a medium format film camera can and will best everything short of a $30,000 camera and that is a fact the recording surface is 95 times larger than the recording surface of the camera you are using. It takes twenty minutes to process a role. I will spend upwards of an hour on a single shot in the feild to get a shot that will work. Time isn't important.
However that doesn't matter if you make good photographs with your digital camera then you do. It isn't the equipment, or the medium its the eye that captures it.
I will lend you a film camera if you like and develope the film for you if you like. I pursonally wouldn't shoot another shot in digital if I could afford film. Digital has created an instant gradification montra that keeps many people from slowing down and thinking about the shot. However the majority of your shots are excedingly well thought out.