Category Archives: Photographers

Night Photography: An Interview with Joe Reifer

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A Newport Custom with No Key reaches out -- by Joe Reifer

A Newport Custom with No Key reaches out — by Joe Reifer

[On a note related to the interview, the image above contains light painting in 2 places. Can you tell where?]

A short while ago I was contacted via email by Mark Welker, who interviewed me for a college photography class. The interview  included my ramblings about night photography, light painting, and location access. Here it is:

To start off could you give me a brief bio with some of your history with photography. When did you first start taking pictures, educational background, major influences, when did you start making money/doing shows, etc.

I got interested in street photography in college, and learned traditional black and white printing from a friend. I started as a music major in school, and ended up with an English degree. I worked in a custom black and white lab for awhile, and enjoyed shooting with crappy thrift store cameras. After college I didn’t do much shooting beyond regular snapshots, because I was focusing on playing music. In the late 90’s I started a project documenting peeling billboards in my neighborhood, inspired by my love of collage artists like Rauschenberg. Around this time I became friends with professional photographer Jay Watson, who was instrumental in reawakening my interest in photography.

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Benefit Auction: Help buy a normal lens for the New Yorker Photography Department

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Obama Inauguration Ball Photos by Platon

Obama Inauguration Ball Photos by Platon

Platon became a staff photographer for the New Yorker last year, primarily shooting black and white portraits on a white seamless background. Standing in the shadow of former New Yorker staff photographer Richard Avedon has never been an easy task, especially when working in Avedon’s trademarked style. While Platon’s portraits of military personnel last Fall entitled Service showed a range of full length portraits along with tighter detail shots and a sprinkle of documentary work, his latest series of Portraits from the Obama Inauguration Balls in the New Yorker led to some concern amongst the staff here at the Words photography blog. We all know that times are tough for photographers, but we’re worried that perhaps either Platon or the New Yorker were forced to sell off their normal and telephoto focal length lenses on eBay? All of the shots in the inauguration ball portraits show evidence of being taken with a wide angle lens.

Now if you’re shooting with a 4×5 camera, and are limited to one lens, a wide angle is a great choice. With a big negative you can always crop. But for a magazine that primarily features portraits, we really recommend a normal or telephoto lens for full length work. Female subjects will really appreciate the slimming effect that a longer focal length has on their hips, and those wearing sleeveless attire will be pleased by the reduction of the dreaded “trucker arm” syndrome. No portrait sitter wants to be burdened with the feeling that their hands look really big — so until this benefit is over, we’re advising all portrait subjects of the New Yorker to keep their hands in their pockets, and to stand as parallel to the camera as humanly possible to eliminate the risk of funhouse mirror head shrinking or enlargement.

Because we want to ensure that future portrait features in the New Yorker are a bit more flattering to their subjects, we’re auctioning off a limited edition of 15 prints at a very reasonable price: the Mad Mouse Rollercoaster panorama will be available for the month of Februrary in a 5×20″ print for $40 + shipping. Please inquire via email if you would like to help the cause. If the edition of 15 prints sells out, we’ll be able to use the $600 to purchase the following items for the New Yorker photography equipment room:

  • A used 150mm f/5.6 lens for 4×5 ($200-250)
  • Canon 50mm f/1.8 AF lens ($90)
  • Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AF lens $(140)
  • Bogen 055XB tripod ($160) — raises higher than waist level, in order to not cut off portrait subjects’ heads

By helping us purchase these important pieces of equipment, you’ll not only be doing a big favor to the photographers who shoot for the New Yorker, you’ll be doing a great service for over 1 million readers from all over the world. Won’t you please purchase a print today. Thousands of future portrait subjects need your help!

Interview: Photographer David Hibbard

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The Sky Beyond -- by David Hibbard

The Sky Beyond — by David Hibbard

I met landscape photographer David Hibbard in 2003 during one of Brigitte Carnochan‘s portfolio workshops. David consistently presented beautiful prints of his quiet, contemplative coastal landscapes. I was impressed with both the images, and his meticulous craftsmanship. Eventually the conversation turned to workflow — David was shooting slide film with a Pentax 6×7 camera, scanning on an Imacon, and using either Epson or Lightjet output for prints (depending on the print size). Recently David has added a Canon 5D digital SLR to his toolset. I currently shoot with a 5D and 6×7 film as well, and David agreed to conduct an interview to talk about cameras, workflow, and his forthcoming book. The interview was conducted via IM on 3/5/2008.

Joe: Let’s start with your Latest Work gallery – the abstract, moody street work is a departure from the more quiet coastal and forest landscape images I’ve seen from you in the past. Is this work a product of your recent plunge into the digital world?

David: It really is a return to work I did when I was much younger and just getting into photography. Back then, I lived in SF and wandered around the city a lot, armed with my trusty Nikon F. Acquiring my Canon 5D brought me back to that type of work. It is a great camera for taking quick, visual impressions. The image-stabilized lens I got with the camera helps a lot in that regard.

Joe: Sounds like you’re using the 5D for street and travel photography, and sticking to your Pentax 6×7 workflow for serious landscape work?

David: Yes, that is how and I working now. I love the resolution of fine detail that I get with the 6×7 system, and that is what I need for my landscape work. The 5D does not quite match that level of resolution. Although I love my Pentax 6×7, and I love working with film, I don’t know how much longer I’ll stay with that. I’m very tempted by medium format digital.

Joe: Your largest print size is 32×40 from a 6×7 chrome. How large have you printed from the 5D, and have you done side by side testing against 6×7?

David: I’ve gone as large as 13×19 so far and I may try some bigger enlargements soon — maybe 17×22 or even larger. I haven’t done any side by side comparisons yet. That’s probably because I tend to use one system or the other when I’m in the field — but not both at once!

Joe: You’re wiser than I am – I’ve been shooting with a 5D and a Mamiya 7II in the field, and carrying two tripods hurts after awhile. I’ve found I don’t like printing bigger than 20×30 from the 5D.

David: How do you decide then which camera to use? I did take both systems down to Point Lobos the other week and having to decide which to use drove me crazy.

Joe: That’s part of what I was going to ask you! I’ve been immersed in digital since 2002, and only last year started shooting more 6×7, due to the long exposure advantages and look of Fuji Tungsten slide film. So I’m mostly shooting 6×7 at night. My choice is easier because I have a full 35mm digital kit, but only one lens for the Mamiya 7II (a 50mm).

David: It sounds like you have a specific reason for using 6×7. I would think that the decision as to when to use it would be fairly easy for you.

Joe: Yes. But seeing the results on the light table makes me want to use it more. Even though scanning gets tedious, and paying $10 per roll for the combined cost of film and processing can add up.

Have you been keeping an eye on the 1DS Mark III and rumors of a new big megapixel Nikon dSLR? Seems like a more affordable alternative to medium format digital.

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Bearings: Jon Haeber

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Play — by Jon Haeber

I spent a couple hours hanging out with photographer and writer Jon Haeber last night, who kindly let me test drive his flatbed scanner and check out his 4×5 processing setup. Jon has a real passion for urban exploration, and often does research to find out more about the history of locations. Jon doesn’t just look stuff up online, he goes to the library and really does some digging to find out more about the locations he photographs. He showed me a 1910 postcard from Byron Hotsprings, an abandoned resort that we’ve both shot at night a few times.

Jon’s writing and photography can be seen on his excellent blog, Bearings. He also posts images to Flickr under the name Tunnelbug, including both daytime urban exploration photos and long exposure night photography.