scene from the old time photo lab

[mysteryscribe]

feel free to edit anything Of mine. It would be nice to see different versions of this. Also any comments for discussion.

That nasty old centered composition again.

 

[craig]

I see a bottle of booze a bottle of chemicals and a coffee cup. Definitely elements of some darkrooms. Cool background. Had you not mentioned "old time photo lab" I would have never gotten the point. I still do not get the point so maybe you could explain further.

 

[mysteryscribe]

Oh it isn't meant to be booze. Its just a bottle I came across. My lab, such as it is, has been a variety of things. When I bought the house it was a garrage with no floor. I converted it to a work space building it as my dads fishing cabin was built. It is actually very close in appearance to one of the rooms he had in his cabin. Lots of brown semi finished wood.

The background is a window and it really isnt wet. It was sprayed with matt spray to make it frosted. the droplets are just a freak thing that I liked.

You don't see many photo labs that aren't bright and clean and well taken care of. Mine is just like it would be. if I were working in the early 19th century. There is no studio lighting which everyone dreams of, I gave away or sold most of mine. I have a handfull of 283 strobes I plan to use someday, but now it is only a couple of outdoor spot lights. Even those are incondescent, nothing photo about them. There will be more scenes to come but that is just what is actually in that window today.

It's an old bottle, I think it was pancake syrup that I will use in a still life again. One day when i do a pure still life. It is old, I think, but I don't know how old. An empty chemical bottle that is new for the contrast of subjects that is what I do for some unknown reason. I am saving it to store mixed chemicals. The bottle cap is actually a aperture for my contact printer. The coffee cup is real. I sat it there while I was working on the camera with the 1930's lens with which I made this shot.

I did move them a little bit to make a better grouping, but otherwise it is just a scene from my old work lab. My old beat up studio is very much as it would have been many, many years ago. Of course instead of an enlarger I use a scanner. Another part of my contrasts in time I guess.

Hope that helps but to be honest it really should be just as you see it. If you can make more of it please do. If it is pure trash, say so please. I don't mind hearing that at all. It will be good for me to hear actually. I tend to believe my own press agent (me).

 

[Jeff Canes]

I am little disappoint was hoping to see washing soda & coffee, vinegar and what ever the can be used as fixer

 

[mysteryscribe]

yeah from me I would think so to, but alas just an old replica room with junk everywhere. I hear that fixer can be bought by the pound at the pool supply store but I haven't looked into that yet.

 

[Jeff Canes]

i have used washing soda & coffee, but not vingear stop bath is cheap, would washing soda or baker soda by itself be a fixer?

 

[mysteryscribe]

Ive never tried the alternative chemicals. I have no idea. I am a member at f295.org and those guys know all about this stuff.

 

[skylark]

Just messing about sorry if it's trash to your eyes

I thought I'd lose one of the elements and give a bit of space on the left, toned the highlights a little too. Don't know if it's better or different .

Cheers CJB

 

[mysteryscribe]

I dont have a problem with you editing. It isn't what I would do but thats the idea of editing things. Everybody gets to see what it looks like with different eyes looking at it.

Why exactly did you leave the space on the left... Im curious now...

 

[skylark]

I guess I could say it draws the viewer in and more closely follows the rule of thirds, truth is

i) I like to see space around things, sort of 'is something missing ?'
ii) The better crop imho of those possible was this one.
iii) It looked better to my eye this way.

I think that's why I like photography, I'm scientifically trained so most things have to have a good explanation. With photography - it just works sometimes

Glad you are cool about the edit - you always feel as though you are trespassing on someone's work somehow.

Cheers ; CJB

 

[mysteryscribe]

Its a good thing you have a reason for it. Now if I was going to follow the rule of thirds i would use the rule of thirds as it was taught when I was first learning the art..... a verticle image has two cuts making it "thirds" You set your image up so there is something in each of the thirds true but you dont have to set them off balance so it looks as though the image it going to tilt under its own weight. If I were going to use the same elements you did just the two an go verticle I would have cut it this way...

Did you guys ever wonder why it isnt called the rule of ninths... there is a reason.

And I would truly like to see more edits and more discussion.... I not really that dogmatic... I just hear that rule of thirds, then everybody starts to toss tictac toe boards around like it isnt the rule of thirds its the rule of ninths.

I post images here hoping to start a discussion. It's important that people express different opinion so other people can hear different sides of a discussion.

 

[skylark]

That's a better composition in a lot of ways, but you often get told to leave out the foreground clutter, just shows 'rules are for breaking' but only when you understand them.
Glad to have spent some time discussing this, I agree - we need other views of this image.

BTW glad you enjoy B & W film.

 

[mysteryscribe]

Black and white film shot with lenses older than me is about all I do these days. And I agree one of the beauties of this craft is that you can take an image someone else shoots, and see it totally differently. You can piece and chop it up a hundred ways and they all look different. Some will be better, some worse, but if you learn from the chopping it is a good thing.

I believe that most people don't do it right because they haven't seen it done right. I also believe that so called experts (experts in thier minds sometimes) explain things to each other, not to the poor guy trying to read it from a page for the first time.

That now infamous tic tac toe board was created no doubt by someone who thought that it would be self evident that it didnt really apply to everything. (especially since it isnt even in THIRDS)

But alas people in their zeal for the quick fix think it will solve all their problems. Just wont do it guys. Number one rule is not thirds number one rule is to know a verticle composition situation from a horizontal one. Now that is just my opinion. That is really old style cause we shot for walls and albums not computer monitor screens. But guess what, some of the things you shoot will wind up on somebody's walls, not just on their computer screens.

Now somebody chop this thing differently so we can rant some more.

 

[mysteryscribe]

Or we could just turn it upside down

Please put yours back skylark I like the different look ... I hope i didnt offend you.