Topic: Holga Panorama Experiments

[seekingfocus]

Hi everyone...

Just wanted to offer up something I've been working on for a bit of comment and critique.

While this is a new technique to me, it's not original... I first came across it from one of Zeb Andrews posts (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zebandrews/691675029/), and his words (as much as the beautiful image) inspired me. Also, for a bit more comparison,  Ted Orland does some very interesting work using a similar technique (http://www.tedorland.com/panoramas/panorama.html).

While I'm not entirely happy with how this image turned out, I really am quite intrigued by the technique and hope to give it another try in the near future...

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[Skorj]

Nice powerful colors! The subject is appropriate that's for sure. I am more a purist myself, preferring to make panoramas in the camera, that is one of the benefits of using a Holga or similar camera! Being film-based included.

This work, and the ones you show, appear to rely more on PC skills than photography or camera skills, and could be effected with any type of source file - digital or otherwise? You appear to be throwing away the benefits of your camera and in using film.

You mention you are not happy with it, what is it perhaps you are not happy with? Still, imagination and creativity can find an outlet in a million ways, and if you like this way of expression - go with it!

[db]

I don't have a problem with post- camera composites, but I do prefer the hand-made feel of the classic Hockney style arrangements
http://jwatrous.org/art18/hockney-web/FrameSet.htm where small postcard prints are arranged on a board after the event, with sometimes great abstraction.

I'd like to the same with cut up transparencies or negs under an enlarger too.

[This-is-damion]

like the picture, but agree prefer the more mechaincal approach.   love that hockney stuff also, i recall seeing a shot of his studio -brilliant it was!

I toyed with similar ages ago, no doubt for a TC collab or similar.



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[seekingfocus]

This work, and the ones you show, appear to rely more on PC skills than photography or camera skills, and could be effected with any type of source file - digital or otherwise? You appear to be throwing away the benefits of your camera and in using film.

You mention you are not happy with it, what is it perhaps you are not happy with? Still, imagination and creativity can find an outlet in a million ways, and if you like this way of expression - go with it!

Skorj, thanks for the reply and comments.

you make a good point about this perhaps relying more on PC skills than camera skills. Still, I think it's something else altogether than an in camera Holga pano for instance. For me, the end result is quite different.

I'm not sure why I said I'm not quite happy with it- mostly it just being a phase one version of an idea. I think it has possibilities, but I'd like to try a much different subject. Now that I know how it works, and the technical challenges to put it together, I feel I could take a better try at doing so in the future.

And your last comment: everything is just experimentation for me- I saw something I liked and wanted to give it a try, for better or worse! I've tried many similar in camera holga panos as well as the hockney-type collages, but I just wanted to go in a little different direction!

I toyed with similar ages ago, no doubt for a TC collab or similar.

Great stuff, Damion! Thanks.

[seekingfocus]

This work, and the ones you show, appear to rely more on PC skills than photography or camera skills, and could be effected with any type of source file - digital or otherwise? You appear to be throwing away the benefits of your camera and in using film.

Also, just wanted to add- I'm not sure I agree with you in respect to something like this: http://www.tedorland.com/panoramas/seabright_winter.html

I think that particular one is incredible, particularly the parts of the exposed film in the right part of the image. I don't really think that (or the general feel of the individual images) could really be duplicated through other (digital) means. I believe there was a discussion here (or somewhere else, can't remember) about using photoshop filters or effects to create the feel of a toy camera image- you may be able to come close, but inevitability loose some of the feeling that a toy camera would have given you... I guess the same applies here.

Also, coming from an artistic background including things like painting and sculpture in addition to photography- it really excites me to be able to combine media- film and digital technologies not excepted. So, to each his own in that respect- of course I'd love to see someone pull off something similar completely in darkroom! I'm sure it can be done, and if so that would put the icing on the cake for me.

Thanks again for the replies and discussion everyone!

-Jason

[LT]

I like these montages a lot, but I am with Skj in that I limit myself to what can be done in camera and darkroom.  the only way I can see these as being able to be achieved using film and darkroom only is to print each transparency then do a "hockney" on them, unless you can make a digi interpositive to print from - but that still relies on digi manipulation.

I'm not saying I dont appreciate them as individual pieces -  I like the aesthetic very much - I just wonder how far removed they are from photography and how far towards the graphic arts they lie (nothing wrong with that yet again!).  I'm not sure I agree that you couldnt get the individual frame characteristic using non-toy cameras ...  you could get damn close with a lensbaby or similar crappy lens set up on a digi camera, then crop to square and some black rebate borders added here and there, et voila!

It's still a very nice picture though

[Skorj]

Good discussion this. I realized after reading the comments here, my `preference` is based not on any philosophical objection to the post-camera work, but merely the results vs. efforts. I suppose I am inherently lazy, and your post camera work smells too much like hard work to me... I too have tried both in- and post-camera.

There is also a bit of how will this look on my wall to it too. The work I did try was based around this, and not an internet presence... You could frame all this stuff, but some will work better in a frame than others. Bad examples of each effort from me follow:


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[seekingfocus]

Good discussion this. I realized after reading the comments here, my `preference` is based not on any philosophical objection to the post-camera work, but merely the results vs. efforts. I suppose I am inherently lazy, and your post camera work smells too much like hard work to me... I too have tried both in- and post-camera.

Haha! Skorj, I doubt you'd hear many people contend that creating an image completely in camera and in darkroom would qualify as lazy- most seems to pass off photoshop work as for those who are lazy or don't have the appropriate darkroom skills to achieve a given result. As far as the post-production of the above image posted by me: The scanning and processing of the negatives was by far the toughest part. Lots of dust to remove, but once that was done, they were just layered and I erased bits of one or another to show the layer beneath it... so, not incredibly complicated (and I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to photoshop in general).

I really like that second one you posted, especially the layering of the images that don't quite line up and the movement of the people through different frames. Still, I see both examples as a bit of a different animal- demonstrating a different aesthetic, all equally viable, but suitable for different situations. (Like any given medium).

Good stuff everyone!

-Jason

[rdbkorn]

Many fine examples here, and I like the variety of approaches. Most of my own experiments have been purely digital, but I did go for a film double dipper - the "cliche-pano"...

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[Skorj]

I really like that second one you posted, especially the layering of the images that don't quite line up and the movement of the people through different frames. Still, I see both examples as a bit of a different animal- demonstrating a different aesthetic, all equally viable, but suitable for different situations. (Like any given medium).

Sorry, been away with other stuff. I should have made it clear; the first one is multiple prints laid on the scanner and scanned as one image, and the second is in camera. That's about as tricky as I can get! Arigato. Skj.

[moominsean]

yeah it's fun to mess about with panorama comps. really my only successful try so far, here, with polaroids. i have some other ideas. i think what i'd like to see with your image (way up there before all these posts) is more of maybe cut out all or most of the frames and just overlay them without the blending. the way it is now with the fading out frames doesn't do much for me. it looks like you could have taken a single image and added the frames. so while it is unique in idea (at least as far as i've seen), the comp works but not the technique, in this case. in my opinion. 


i can't post the shot becuase "the upload folder is full"