Know the Past to Convey the Proper Message

Photographers can be influential story tellers, just like any author who weaves carefully constructed words into sentences to form a yarn and while a photographer uses a different set of tools, they have at their disposal tools that require more than just imagination.

Post editing tools have the power to not only change the underlying structure of an image but also the direction and meaning, be it intentional or not, by intertwine the visual with a mood, an evocative emotion that conveys feelings in the viewer.

Autumn Leaves and Acorns

Yet all too often I see mobile photographers applying layers and layers of filters to alter their image, failing to understand what they are doing and how their actions can actually create a wrong connotation. It is similar to a writer who uses poor grammar or spelling, because of a lack of training or worst of all, a lack of exposure to works of greatness.

While digital photography and especially in the last several years mobile photography has changed the appearance of this medium, there is a long established history that should not be ignored, especially since applying an iOS post processing application’s filter to ones image may have direct bearing to an old printing process or film. 

Still Life

Towards the end of 2012, Hipstamatic come out with TinType HipstaPak, consisting of Tinto 1884 lens, which emulated shallow depth of field portraiture of that time period, but the two films, D-Type Plate and C-Type Plate film, replicating photographic images developed on tin plates. The use of either this lens or film in combination with other lens and films in Hipstamatic’s tool box quickly became very popular and to this date remains very popular.

Autumn Leaves and Acorns, II

Another camera application like 645 PRO - Mark II, offers the user a variety of film filters to shot with, VSCO on the other hand, a post processing app, based their filter collection not only on films manufactured by Kodak, Ilford, Agfa and other film manufactures, it includes filters that will change ones photograph’s appearance to emulate a print having undergone light damage or an actual printing process.

San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge southern tower base

One other post processing application worth mentioning that relies on the past is PhotoCopier from DigitalFilmTools, that offers the photographer four different categories like Movies, Paintings, Photos, and Processes. I am going to bypass the first two categories and focus briefly on Photos and Processes.

In Photos we are given an extensive list of photographers and their photographing and printing methods that spans more than a century. On the other hand, Processes exposes the photographer to Ambrotype, Bromoil, Gum Bichromate, Palladium and even modern processes like Polaroid Image Transfer and Emulsion Lift.

Hydrangea

The point I wish to make, is that when using any of these lens and films or photographic processes, it is important to understand when these lens, films or processes were first used and what they were meant to achieve artistically. By having an understanding of the fundamentals of photography’s past, will only give your post processes the authenticity so many of today’s photographic works lack. 

Most of all, this knowledge will only empower you and make the message you wish to communicate through your photographs not only more clear and direct, and not lost in layers of layers that may offer only disorder and bewilderment in the end.

Box Car

San Francisco Fort Point

While composition, lighting and a good eye, even timing now and then, are all essential ingredients in the making of a good photograph, editing, and post production, including digital or traditional darkroom techniques are just as important, along with presentation, in completing the artist’s concept.

So the next time you’re getting ready to post process one of your captures on an iOS device, give some thought before clicking on any application by letting your imagination wonder until the photograph reveals a dialogue to pursue, then map out your course using the hidden secrete language that the filters hold.

All photographs taken with an iPhone 4S by

©2014 Egmont van Dyck - All Rights Reserved

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Looking Back - Russell Lee

I have always been fascinated by the body of work created by the photographers working for Roy Stryker, the director of photography project at the FSA (Farm Security Administration) during the American Depression years, especially since they have had a profound influence upon my own photographic vision; and while Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans are names more recognizable then Arthur Rothstein, or that of Russell Lee, today’s Looking Back post focuses upon Russell Lee.

Young migratory couple living at the Agua Fria Migratory Labor Camp, Arizona, 1940

Russell was born in July of  1903 and grew up in Ottawa, Illinois., he received a degree in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University. He had an excellent position as a chemist, but after marrying Doris Emrick in 1927, he gave up his position to become a painter just as his wife. Shortly later the two moved  to a small artist’s community in Woodstoock, New York.

Struggling with his art, Russell turned to photography, only to become interested in photography for its own sake, focusing on the struggling working class and the lives they lead. In 1936 he became interested in a group of Washington, DC’s photographer doing social documentary work. Shortly later he met Stryker, who shortly thereafter hired Russell to develop a collection of propaganda to document the success of federal rural relief project.

Mother of FSA client, Southeast Missouri Farms, 1938

Russell was covering the Midwest for the FSA, visually recording the struggles of the farmers struggling through the Great Depression and the droughts of the 1930s. It was during this time that his marriage to Doris Emrick ended and he married Jean Smith, whom he met and married in 1938. The two worked as a team, with Jean writing short essays to accompany his photographic images.

By 1940, Russell was well established and known as one of the best FSA photographers.

Lee created some very iconic images of his own for the FSA, but also left us with his photographic studies of Augustine, Texas and that of Pie Town, New Mexico a year later in 1940.

Negro family with supplies in wagon ready to leave for the farm, 

Saturday afternoon, San Augustine, Texas, 1939

His work is very different from Dorothea Lange or Walker Evans, even though their subject matter was the same. Russell approached his subjects differently, in part to put a more positive spin on the situation, where people engage with each other, appear relatively happy, but then was it also the propaganda that he needed to accomplish for the FSA. 

Regardless of the situation, Russell’s images of individuals, convey a sense of dignity, regardless of their lot in life. Yes, most of their faces reflect an uneasy hope, but hope never-the-less. Then there are the faces of despair, and even here his photographs treat these individuals with humanity and not exploitive, as we have seen with Migrant Mother. Also many of his photographs do not have a cold clinical documentary appearance, appearing more like family album snapshots.  

You can learn more about Russell Lee by visiting Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas, by clicking on the following two links: Introduction to Russell Lee and Russell Lee Exhibit, as a good portion of his work is housed there. Also there is an article about the Humanities Texas exhibition in 2008 of Russell Lee.

Wife of carpenter and her baby who live in community camp, 

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1939

Husband and wife sitting on settee encamped by the roadside, 

Wagoner County, Oklahoma, 1939

Veteran migrant worker and his wife camped in Wagoner County, Oklahoma, 1939

Group of Negro cotton pickers resting during lunch hour, Lehi, Arkansas, 1938

Southeast Missouri Farms. FSA clients preparing greens for canning, 1938

Children of Alonzo Heath, farmer near Black River Falls, Wisconsin, 1937

Daughters of wage laborer working in the sugarcane fields near New Iberia,

Louisiana, 1938

Children of FSA client, former sharecropper, Southeast Missouri Farms, 1938

Indian children in camp near Little Fork, Minnesota, 1937

FSA clients near Carutherville, Missouri, 1938

Audience listening to orchestra playing outside grocery store on Saturday afternoon, 

Phoenix, Arizona, 1940

Heaping the plates at dinner on the grounds, all day community sing. 

Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

Eating dinner at the all day community sing, Pie Town, New Mexico, 1940

Gernie Marshall and family, near Ringgold, Iowa, 1937

Family of FSA client, former sharecropper, on porch of old shack home, 

New Madrid County, Missouri, 1938

Family of Glen Cook, who rents his farm from a loan company, 

Woodbury County, Iowa, 1936

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First Friday of the Month - Södermalm HipstaPak

How quickly a month passes and here we are once more taking a closer look at the latest from Hipstamatic and August’s First Friday of the Month, Swedish inspired Södermalm HipstaPak.

At first you will notice that the Södermalm HipstaPak comes not only with a lens and film, but also this time a new flash is being introduced, the Triple Crown — Hipstamatic’s first bulb flash. As for the other items, the Södermalm HipstaPak film, Gotland is described as giving ones prints a little ‘rough texture,’ and the Bruno lens being finally crafted.

Film: Gotland - Lens: Bruno

Apart from capturing numerous images with the Gotland and Bruno combination, I also selected 10 different Hipstamatic films and lenses to be tested with Gotland and Bruno. While 10 different lens/film combinations is about 20% of the arsenal that is available to the photographer, it does at least offer a glimpse of the Södermalm HipstaPak potential.

After reviewing the first few casual captured, the Södermalm HipstaPak gives one the impression of faded color prints from the 70s or Ektachrome slide film of the 80s that were over exposed. Yet when the Södermalm HipstaPak Gotland and Bruno combination is paired with  other film/lens from the Hipstamatic collection, we are in for a pleasant surprise.

Film: Sussex - Lens: Lowy

The above two photographs represent what the test scene looks like under normal condition, using one of Hipstamatic’s most neutral film and lens, Thereby establishing a guide for the viewer to judge the Södermalm HipstaPak. It should also be noted that there has been no post process of any kind applied to any of the images in this review.

Film: Gotland - Lens: Americana

Much depends on the various colors of a scene as to how any of the Hipstamatic’s film or lenses will react and render the image. While this months evaluation contains no reds or strong yellows, when Södermalm’s lens and films are paired with other Hipstamatic’s lenses and films, we still can make a fair assessment as to Södermalm capabilities.

As for the photographs above with the Americana lens, Gotland film appears not as faded or over exposed and actually very pleasant, especially in the way the building was rendered. You will notice that a green-blue tint layer influences the image.

Film: Gotland - Lens: Diego

The Diego lens captures the scene and brightens the overall image and brings out more detail in the dark areas because of it. The tonality is a slight beige shift in the light grays, as we see evident in the concrete and a desaturation of the green eucalyptus trees.

Film: Gotland - Lens: GSquad

With the GSquad lens both scenes are given an extra punch of color, rendering the image more saturated and reversing the desaturation the Södermalm HipstaPak will be known for. Please note the tonal appearrance being more yellow-brown.

Film: Gotland - Lens: James M

In this combination the James M also reverses most of the desaturation, color fade or over exposure of the Södermalm original combination and represents the scene most accurately, with just a slight tonal layering of pale blue. 

Film: Gotland - Lens: John S

The John S lens is a favorite of many, including myself, especially when paired with Claunch 72 Monochrome or other Black & White film, however when used with the Gotland film, there are some very dramatic alterations of the image occurring, making it less likely to be used with Gotland.

Film: Gotland - Lens: Lowy

By now yo should know that I personally favor the Lowy lens over all others for accuracy and sharpness, and we see why when viewing the results of these two photographs.

Colors are just about rendered with 100 percent accuracy and there are no exaggerations of any kind. We should note that due to the Gotland film rendering darks lighter, that there is just a small portion of this occurring here too, in revealing a touch more detail in the dark and shadow areas of the image.

Film: Gotland - Lens: Sergio

Sergio is noted for its strong blurriness and especially yellow ochre tint dominating the over all appearance of the photograph and these qualities are certainly still very evident when paired with Gotland film.

Film: Gotland - Lens: Tinto 1884

I have to confess that I was very pleased with the test results when Gotland was paired with Tinto 1884 lens. The blue cast in both images is just wonderful, with the greens being more saturated and giving the Art Deco building a cool and lovely appearance. This combination just might be perfect for portraiture and especially for a fashion layout. 

Film: Gotland - Lens: Wonder

This was also another combination that pleased me in the way the two interacted with each other. While the blue tones are not as subtle and delicate as with Tinto 1884, they are still evident in the over all results, rendering the photograph a little more dark grey and thereby toning down the over all colors.

Film: Gotland - Lens: YUЯI 61

Depending on your personal tastes and what you are trying to achieve, this pairing left me wanting more. The YUЯI 61 blue-violet casts did little for the image, other then to adjust the overall colors.

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Lens: Bruno - Film: AO DLX

Now we come to the part where we pair Södermalm Bruno lens with other films. I was most eager to try AO DLX from the Nike HipstPak, as it is one of my favorite Black & White films when paired with the GSquad lens for street photography.

While the results were not similar, I was also not disappointed, especially since it appears that when paired with Gotland, there is a little more retention of detail in the highlight areas and that is always good.

Lens: Bruno - Film: Blanko 일

For me the film Blanko 일 will always be an art film due to the very soft fiber textures that remind me of high quality rice paper. So when using Blanko 일 film, I feel I am making a mono-print. If you decide to use this film with the Bruno lens, note that there will be also a color shift and in this case towards warmer yellow tones.

Lens: Bruno - Film: Claunch 72 Monochrome

I mentioned earlier that when this film is paired with the John S lens, it is one of my favorite combinations. When it is combined Bruno the results are not as dramatic as with John S and the Södermalm trademark of rendering scenes lighter and colors faded, we see this to be the case here. The typical color cast of Claunch 72 Monochrome is lighter but does retain its greenish tones.

Lens: Bruno - Film: C-type Plate

For many of us, either the D-Type or C-Type Plate film is one of our favorite, in which you can include me and we are not disappointed in the way Bruno renders the scene.

Lens: Bruno - Film: Ina’s 1935

I like all three Ina films, so I just selected randomly the Ina’s 1935 to see how it would react with Bruno. As you see, the colors are slightly punched and given a warm yellow cast. 

Lens: Bruno - Film: Pistil

I normally have more color saturation to the point of being unrealistic  when using Pistil film, but as you can see, this certainly is not the case here. We do see the Södermalm trademark of rendering the scene lighter and so effecting the colors.

Lens: Bruno - Film: Robusta

Here was another pleasant surprise when using Robusta with Bruno. THe increase in saturation with a slight shift in tones towards red, giving the eucalyptus trees nice definitions and making them appear more full of life.

Lens: Bruno - Film: Rock BW-11

I have to admit that so far the Södermalm HipstaPak when paired with other lenses and films reveals a greater benefit then just by itself. For here with my favorite all-around Black & White film Rock BW-11, I am once more pleased with the results and in this case the Södermalm trademark of lighting the scene and bringing out detail in the dark area are a benefit since Rock BW-11 tens to really provide rich and deep blacks. 

Because of the films richness, the pairing with Bruno does not compromise the richness, making this combination perfect for that greater 16 Zone range between whites and blacks. For those of you too young, I am referring to Ansel Adams Zone System for achieving a greater range in negative and print when working in Black & White.

Lens: Bruno - Film: Sussex

Sussex is currently my favorite Hipstamatic color film, having dethroned DC. While I prefer a borderless film, there is a certain beauty with Sussex border as well as the films overall ochre warm qualities. While we are not disappointed, once again Södermalm qualities of brightening the colors or as one might say desaturating them, this is evident here too but to a much lesser amount, making this also a nice pairing when faced with a scene with increased shadows and darks.

Lens: Bruno - Film: W40

We now come to the last film tested with the Bruno lens. While I am not a fan of vignetting, which many of the early Hipstamatic films and lenses are, this is one combination I personal pass on. Yet for those of you who like vignetting may just like this combination, as W40 blue tones are evident in the sky and a little int  he greens, it is less so with the other photographs.

          Final Verdict

While I felt the previous month’s HipstaPak, The District was “rather limited in its range of usefulness,” the Södermalm HipstaPak when paired with other lenses and film in the Hipstamatic collection is a nice addition to have. Yet the Södermalm HipstaPak by itself is limited. It just goes to show, one should not judge a book by its cover and I am glad I went beyond my initial reaction and tried the Södermalm in conjunction with other combinations. For I certainly have a few favorites in which Gotland and Bruno will be beneficial with other films and lenses.

Film: Gotland - Lens: Bruno

Hipstamatic in-App purchase screen shot

All photographs taken with an iPhone 4S by

©2014 Egmont van Dyck - All Rights Reserved

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