vintage look

[Dew]

i got a photoseries project in the works and i want all my b&w images to have a vintage look to them ... how can i acheive this look with a "modern" camera? ... is there a processing trick or something? ... develop it differently? ... older film?

 

[dlc]

What about Sepia toning, but maybe not what you want.

 

[ksmattfish]

BW film, of course.

Older films had thicker, silver rich emulsions that have a different look than modern films. Check out www.candjphotography.com for old style film.

Also, everyone was using MF or LF, so a creamy, grainless look is something that folks attribute to classic images. For 35mm use ISO 100 or slower.

A huge part of the vintage look is the subject. Old fashioned or at least timeless clothing choices are a must.

No smiles and stiff poses! Old time photos took long exposures and people were often braced into chairs.

Other things that I think help make a photo look "old timey":
low contrast
circular or oval viginetting
sepia tone
hand coloring

 

[tr0gd0o0r]

I think you should invest in a time machine.

 

[Dew]

yeh, i thought about the circular and oval viginetting .. the hubby suggested i use a holga .. i was looking at some of the holga photos ... it may be too unpredictable ... i need to feel confident that i will come out with good images ... i will have at least 20 different subjects and i dont want to have to risk a re-shoot :? ... dealing with a holga cam

the hubby has a bessa over here, but the image qualityis too "perfect" ... it doesnt look old enough *puffff*

 

[voodoocat]

You can always get an old camera with an uncoated lens and shoot in bright light.

 

[havoc]

Yeah forget the Holga LOL (Sorry Doxx) Matt had some good ideas, Sepia toner works well for that old time look, Short of buying an old large format camera, definetly use iso 100 or less if you can find it. shoot it at ASA 50 or 64 for richer tones.
I don't know if you want the photos to just look old or to actually look like they came out of an old closet. If the latter some controlled ripping along the edges can give that look, and beat up the corners a bit.
The vignetting can really make a photo look old.
Also just a thought, I know one photographer that tones his portraits in a high consentration of Lipton tea. I know it sounds weird to me too, but it really gives the pictures n old time feel to it. Takes alittle practice but the results can be really cool. Sepia works too, but Sepia toning always scares me with the hole bleaching step. This guy that uses Lipton tea shot mainly cowboy portraits. Gave i really cool look to them.

 

[Dew]

the hubby did mention an uncoated lens as well, do u think i can find one for a canon rebel x (film cam)?? ...

boy, if i can get my hands on some of that older film or go back in time ... aarrgh!!! ... times like these *tsk* ... perhaps i should just keep it simple

they cant wear older clothes cause their going to be nekid ... not what you're thinking .. its going to be a little bit different

 

[voodoocat]

the hubby did mention an uncoated lens as well, do u think i can find one for a canon rebel x (film cam)?? ...

They started coating lenses in the early 40's so I doubt it.

 

[Dew]

he's got 2 old rangefinders over here, perhaps i can find an old lens .. perhaps russian .. something of kinda cheap quality ... slightly faded images with a dark cast to it .. i dunno, maybe i should stick with the vinegetting ... but i want it to be really special

 

[havoc]

i'm telling you lipton tea toning is the shizz nit LOL

 

[Dew]

havoc, do u have a tutorial on that? .. i would have to have a darkroom, correct? ... perhaps i can send my images over to ksmattfish or motcon for printing (im serious :roll

 

[voodoocat]

There's got to be some rental darkrooms in NYC

 

[ksmattfish]

For toning or staining (with tea, coffee, kool-aid, bourbon, etc...) you do not need a darkroom. You can sepia tone with a few trays and a sink in full daylight; it can be stinky though, so you need godd ventilation.

But you probably do need gelatin silver prints. Most labs are using printing processes that allow them to either print BW on color paper or at least use the same color developing chems on BW paper. These prints do not tone well, but maybe they would stain?

Of course I think that Adobe PS and digital prints could be easily made to look vintage. But if you want the "authentic" vintage type print, then I'm sure there are custom printers in NY. My printing prices are on my website; maybe I'm cheaper out here in the midwest than in the big city?

 

[Dew]

There's got to be some rental darkrooms in NYC

let me rephrase that, i have never worked in a darkroom before and dont have any experience *remember, im new to film*