Question about technique, vintage photo..

Solitude · Jan 24, 2009

Hello!
I'm new here and a rookiephotographer

I try to absorb all info I can get!
Me and my friend found some beautiful pics when we were looking for inspiration. And I've got a question about the technique or so, dont know if it really is one..
anyhow the photos mostly have this beautiful sorta vintage/rustic look that gives them this calm and quiet feeling or how to say, really pretty. So badly want to know how you do that. What do you think? perhaps its photoshop?
Well the thing is, I want to show you what I mean, since I cant explain it so good.. I can link some examples here, but don't know if thats ok since its not mine and havent asked the owners??

mrodgers · Jan 24, 2009

Solitude said:
I can link some examples here, but don't know if thats ok since its not mine and havent asked the owners??

You can provide links to the images. Rules state that you just can't post the viewable image directly into the post (using

).

inTempus · Jan 24, 2009

I did this one using an old school camera, putting a box down to the view finder and inserting my 40D into the other end of the box. I focused on the viewfinder of the old camera and I got this picture.

Solitude · Jan 24, 2009

Thank you for the replys.

Okey so now I'm glad that I can show you because my explaining was really bad. I can start with these beautiful works:

1 * on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

2 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

3 Backstage on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

4 Winter on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I will take a look around and then add some more stuff from other photographers that I know takes really gorgeous pics.

So thankful for your help! And tharmsen, your pic is so cool =)

chrisburke · Jan 24, 2009

well they dont all use the same technique.. for example.. in

#1 they used a vignetting effect, and also dropped down the saturation
#2 they boosted up the clarity used vignetting again and increased the blacks
#3 ^^ same
#4 not totally sure

please note, the edits i suggested are just some of the edits probably done, there are likely more.. but those are the main ones i can see

Solitude · Jan 24, 2009

Thank you!! That's great, I will look up the vignetting effect in ps!

But what I most of all really want to know is how they get that vintagy/romantic/rustic feel.. Because like you say it must be more editing? yeah they seem to have different technique (but maybe similar feel) to them like you say.

I will try and find the other vintagy ones I like too, and you and everyone who wants can speculate in all the possible photo- and editingtechniques. Brainstorm, I want to learn =]

Katier · Jan 24, 2009

As stated above it'll be things like adjusting the saturation and contrast. Other things can be adding noise, or plain old using older cameras or higher ISO film ( or just black and white film.)

That said old cameras can take AMAZINGLY sharp images. I have a Yashicamat ( 50 year old twin lens reflex medium format ) that produces awsome pictures.

37fleetwood · Jan 25, 2009

is this what you're looking for kinda?
unfiltered:

filtered:

unfiltered:

filtered:

this may not show it off to it's best use but it's the best I could do in a hurry. being a Linux user I have a photo manipulation program that comes free with the operating system called "GIMP". GIMP is also available free for both Mac and Windows. to serious users once you get used to it, it is as good or better than Photoshop. I realize that's a bold statement but if you try it and get used to it you'll find it to be very capable. the filter I used comes with Gimp and tries to emulate the effect caused by the Diana or Holga toy cameras. they really are junk but have a neat effect that have a kinda cult following. you can google them and read about them if you like. GIMP has a really neat feature tha't called "Script-Fu" which allows you to make a script of filters and adjustments which can be saved and used later as a single filter. this particular one is called diana-holga2b. on the baby photo I changed to black and white, but then it's all the script-fu filter.
GIMP can be downloaded for free here:
GIMP - The GNU Image Manipulation Program

ranmyaku · Jan 25, 2009

Those first two links you provided don't really look 'vintage' to me. I guess maybe we have different interpretations of what 'vintage' means.

Thought I'd have a go with that image you posted above 37fleetwood

DavidElliot · Jan 25, 2009

tharmsen said:
I did this one using an old school camera, putting a box down to the view finder and inserting my 40D into the other end of the box. I focused on the viewfinder of the old camera and I got this picture.

this shot would have been pretty sweet if you couldnt see the reflection

ksmattfish · Jan 25, 2009

#1 and 2 have very shallow DOF, which when combined with a heavy vignette is reminiscent of old, larger format cameras with simple lenses. #3 and 4 have a different look I'd be more inclined to describe as grungy than vintage; it's probably done mostly by adding texture layers in PS.

Go to a used book store and pick up some cheap photo books that have lots of examples of vintage photos. When you have a bunch to look at it's easier to spot their common characteristics. I just picked up Alfred Stieglitz's "Camera Work" published by Taschen for $15. It's got 100s of photos from the beginning of the 20th century.

inTempus · Jan 25, 2009

DavidElliot said:
this shot would have been pretty sweet if you couldnt see the reflection

Yeah, it was a test shot to see how the contraption worked. I just pointed it out the window and took the shot. But you're right, the reflection is pretty bad.

37fleetwood · Jan 25, 2009

tharmsen said:
Yeah, it was a test shot to see how the contraption worked. I just pointed it out the window and took the shot. But you're right, the reflection is pretty bad.

it was a great experiment. one well worth developing your technique on. reflection aside I really like it.

Solitude · Jan 26, 2009

ksmattfish - thank you for that. What camera-adjustments do you think they use then? to get just that depth of field and such?

And found some other supergorgeous ones, and would love to here your thoughts about cameraadjustments and editing!

5 Change always comes bearing gifts on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

6 Fairy tale on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

7 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

8 Catching the last rays..november sun is setting.. on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

9 *blah* on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Solitude · Feb 10, 2009

Doesn't anyone have thoughts about adjustments/techniques/editing on the photos 5-9 too?
I would love to hear them, and would really appreciate the help!
and more thoughts on 1-4 would be geat too =]