Archive for the ‘blog’ Category

Professional tool for 35 mm photographers

Sinar p SLR

The Sinar p SLR was developed especially for photographers who wish to avail themselves of the unique advantages and quality characteristics of a Sinar view camera while using their digital single lens reflex cameras. Exact control of the perspective and selective sharpness – the most important creative tools in photography – can be set and evaluated precisely on a view camera. All these advantages now have also become available to users of 35 mm cameras. This well thought-out solution is further enhanced by the significant increase in quality provided by the use of high resolution lenses developed by Rodenstock especially for digital photography.

Professionalism in the details

The Sinar p SLR can be used with all digital single lens reflex cameras (Canon and Nikon) that are currently available on the market. Thanks to the quick clamping adapter that is included with the set, the change from vertical to horizontal format can be performed with effortless ease within seconds.

When the single lens reflex cameras is connected directly to the camera via USB or FireWire, the integrated strain relief provides safety while working and protection of the USB / FireWire socket on the camera.

A positioning and centering aid serves for the exact positioning of the digital single lens reflex camera on the optical axis. This ensures that the sensor of the digital camera is positioned perfectly in both the vertical as well as the horizontal format setting. This function is indispensable for the unrestricted use of the advantages of the view camera and for working professionally.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Vancouver Olympic Games was the opportunity for creative artists to showcase a wide variety of leading-edge performances and technology through the Cultural
Olympiad’s Digital Edition (CODE).
More than fifty Canadian filmmakers responded to the Bell Canada sponsored program, producing leading-edge short subjects that portrayed the theme of “The Human Body in Motion”. Their work premiered online at the Vancouver Olympic Games website on February 5, and appeared on screens at key locations at the
sporting venues throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Toronto photographer and filmmaker Ryan Enn Hughes pushed the envelope of technology to create a two-minute short film “RGB MOVE”, utilizing the latest digital SLR technology and professional studio flash equipment to create an alternative artistic approach to the moving image – CODE describes this as “a motion-arts film that captures the power of the human body in motion through cutting edge, contemporary
urban dance.”
The RGB MOVE project is a mixture of art forms – modern dance, music, digital photography, and video.
RGB MOVE from Ryan Enn Hughes on Vimeo.

At vimeo there is also a special presentation, “Behind the Scenes of RGB MOVE” describing how photo and lighting technology was applied to the project.
PHOTONews asked Ryan Enn Hughes to describe this fascinating new approach to visual arts.
“RGB MOVE is a motion arts project that captures the style of Krump Dancer Amadeus Marquez using unique camera and lighting processes that reflect his raw energy. RGB MOVE was commissioned by CODE Motion
Pictures and premiered at The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
Shot entirely with digital still photographs and lit with photographic strobes, this motion project blurs the line between photography and filmmaking.
Central to the aesthetic of RGB MOVE was Broncolor’s Scoro Pack. The Scoro’s superfast recycling time and ability to sequence multiple flashes allowed us to light this motion project not with a continuous source – but with a photographic strobe unit.
Two ‘lighting looks’ were developed for “RGB MOVE” – one for an ‘on-white’ set, the other for an ‘on-black’ set. Shooting in burst mode on a DSLR, at 1/15 of a second, with one strobe pop per frame created our
‘on-white’ look. The longer shutter speed of 1/15 of a second mixed ambient overhead lights with our strobe source and created a ‘ghosting effect’. For our ‘on-black’ look we made use of the Scoro’s ability to fire multiple flashes per frame. This allowed us to create the multiple exposure effect of our dancer.
From a technical perspective this project would not have been possible without a unit like the Scoro. Its clean and consistent colour temperture, accurate spread, and its ability to keep up with over 25, 000 pops in a 12 hour period helped make RGB MOVE possible.”

About The Director
Ryan Enn Hughes is a Toronto based Filmmaker-Photographer working in the fine art and commercial worlds. Ryan’s work is promoted commercially by Westside Motion. With the support of a Chalmers Arts
Fellowship Ryan is currently exploring new technologies and experimenting with interdisciplinary
production. Ryan’s clients have included The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, TD Bank Financial Group, The Canadian Armed Forces, The CFL, Magenta Publishing, Laforet Visuals, Lithium Studios, St. Josephs Media, The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, Report on Business Magazine, The University of Toronto,
and Ryerson University.
Ryan’s work has been recognized and awarded by a diverse set of organizations, including The New York Times Photography Prize through Barnstorm XXI, Grand Prize Winner of The Show Your Ontario Photography Contest through The Magenta Foundation, Digital Pix Competition Multimedia Winner through PDN Magazine, and most recently a Chalmers Arts Fellowship through The Ontario Arts Council.

A New Form of Photographic Expression!
In the terminology of the performing arts, the Broncolor Scoro A4S could be referred to as the “Best Supporting Actor” – without this technology, the fast recycle times required for projects like the RGB MOVE would not be possible.
Offering an easy to use interface, and 3200 watt-seconds (joules) of power, the Scoro A4S is rated for three lights, compared to the dual light outputs of competitive models. You can dial-in any combination of power settings to create the ideal lighting combination, from a minimum of 3.3 J right up to 3200 J per head. LED displays for each panel show you exactly what your light settings are at a glance, with ten f/stop levels. The LCD control panel provides a comprehensive menu of the full range of Scoro settings, including colour temperature adjustments in +/- 200K steps from -400K to +800K, flash duration, and light output levels in joules. The Scoro A4S uses ECTC (Enhanced Color Temperature Control) for electronically stabilized colour temperature – the result is very consistent output, and you can use any Broncolor lamp manufactured since 1972.
The Scoro A4S is very fast, with a maximum speed of 1/12,000th of a second. In “speed mode” the Scoro can recycle fast enough to provide up to 50 flashes per second. At t.01 the flash duration is 1/8000 second. You can “lock in” eight user mode settings for fast set-up in the studio, or in the field.
In low ambient light settings typical of the photo studio, the backlit LCD panel can be dimmed, and it can be adjusted for better visibility in daylight situations. The silicon keypad is also backlit for visibility in all lighting conditions.
The Scoro is designed for portability – at 12.5 kg, it can realistically be taken on location, as many photographers are now doing. Teamed with a portable generator for remote field work, this power pack is certain to be a favourite among commercial and fashion photographers. The Scoro A4S is a very clever design – the RFS antenna is built in to the carrying handle – where it is out of the way, and more durable than conventional styles. Rubber bumpers on the sides of the power pack offer protection, and reflect the real-world practicality of the design. The connections also reflect the experience of the Broncolor engineers – positive locks “click” the cables in – removal is quick and easy, but only when you want to disconnect the wires.
For more information on the Scoro Power Pack, please visit www.bron.ca

Konrad Witz (around 1400, c. 1445/46), Joachim and Anna at the Golden Gate, 15th c. Varnished tempera on canvas, on oak wood 156x120.5. A present from Louise Bachofen-Burckhardt 1894, Inv. No. 647, to the Art Museum Basel. Photographed by Martin Bühler, by the courtesy of the Art Museum Basel

In the course of time, paintings were often altered. This occurred intentionally as well as unintentionally. Restoration and retouching fit into the first mentioned category and all kinds of damages into the second category.

If, after many years, new and also very thin layers of paint were applied in such cases, they could react differently to the ultraviolet light than the older layers that are underneath (due to the changed chemical composition).
This becomes more apparent when picture varnish (also protective coatings) is applied over the paint after the processing. Both the varnish and the paint colours alter in the course of time. Depending on the artist, this protective coating was applied large-area, locally or not at all. Particularly because this varnish (according to the composition and the way it is applied) reacts differently to ultraviolet light, many conclusions can be drawn about the past of the painting when it is photographed in UV light.
This analysis can be executed in a simple way using a broncolor UV attachment in combination with a broncolor lamp and the corresponding power pack. Please note that the protecting glass of the lamp, coated with a UV blocking filter, will have to be removed during shooting. However, longer wavelengths in the infrared area are used particularly for the visualisation of so-called preliminary drawings and pictures, which have been painted over.
With normal shooting conditions (i.e. sufficient distance to the subject, without long flash series with full power) and using the UV- attachment, UV radiation is no problem; analogue to flash tubes with a UV protecting glass.