Photography

Photography is a pet project and more for La Jolla High School senior Sophie Boxwala

Photography is a pet project and more for La Jolla High School senior Sophie Boxwala

For just about all of her 17 years, La Jolla High School senior Sophie Boxwala has been passionate about animals. As she grew older, that developed into wanting to help them any way she could.

When she took up photography as a pre-teen, she combined the two passions and now runs her own fundraising initiative.

To date, she has raised and given more than $1,400 through Pet Photos by Sophie, a project in which she takes pictures of pets for donations. She suggests a minimum contribution of $60 per pet and gives the money to the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas or another animal sanctuary of the client’s choice.

Newsletter

Get the La Jolla Light weekly in your inbox

News, features and sports about La Jolla, every Thursday for free

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the La Jolla Light.

“It really makes me happy to know that I’m contributing to a good cause in a way that combines my passions for animals and photography,” she said. “It’s been a great and rewarding learning experience. I’m extremely grateful.”

Sophie took up photography in seventh grade, and that summer, she went to an event at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society and asked if she could volunteer or lend her burgeoning photography skills to the organization.

As a preliminary project, she took photos of kittens that were available for adoption so they could be put on the Humane Society website. “I was still learning, so it helped me build my skills,” she said. “It was a great opportunity to put in the time and practice and help animals in the process.”

La Jolla High School senior and pet photographer Sophie Boxwala is the founder of Pet Photos by Sophie.

La Jolla High School senior and pet photographer Sophie Boxwala is the founder of Pet Photos by Sophie.

(Provided by Sophie Boxwala)

But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and opportunities for community service were reduced, she could not continue her volunteer effort.

“I still wanted to be able to help them, so I brainstormed another way and came up with this project to raise money for them,” Sophie said.

“Most professional pet photos cost hundreds of dollars, but [this is] a way to get them for less while helping other animals in the process.”

— Sophie Boxwala

When she launched Pet Photos by Sophie last summer, she started with friends, family members and neighbors.

“My first customer was my neighbor who has a poodle named George,” Sophie said.

From there, word started to spread. She launched a website and more and more people started to contact her for her services.

However, Sophie said she takes fewer clients during the school year and schedules more sessions for summer break.

She revved up the project this summer and returned to volunteering at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society to take photos of fundraisers and other events. She donated two photo sessions as prizes for a raffle.

“Most professional pet photos cost hundreds of dollars, but [this is] a way to get them for less while helping other animals in the process,” she said.

The majority of her photos have been of dogs, though she has had two sessions with cats. The results have been “some of my favorite photos I have ever done,” she said.

“The dogs are always frisky and can be hard to photograph, but cats are sometimes a little more still and their eyes are very colorful and beautiful. I grew up practicing my photography on my cats, so it was nice to shoot other people’s cats.”

The key with dogs, she said with a laugh, is “lots of patience and lots of trial and error. You have to take so many shots. I’ll take hundreds of photos with the hopes of getting some good ones. Dogs move around a lot, so you have to take the photos really fast. And then you get to search for the treasure. … It’s a great experience for me.”

Client Linda Kao said it was a great experience for her as well.

Kao, a local author, had Sophie take photos of her dog, Kylo. “She brought such excellent energy, patience and professionalism throughout the entire session,” Kao said. “Her love of animals is apparent. Kylo usually isn’t fond of strangers, but he adored her!

“Sophie managed to capture his playful spirit, tossing a ball with him while snapping pictures, and she showcased his quieter moments as well. His close-ups are sweet and thoughtful, and I think she did a fantastic job.”

Sophie said she will continue to accept new clients until she goes to college next fall. Learn more at petphotosbysophie.com.

People in Your Neighborhood shines a spotlight on notable locals we all wish we knew more about. If you know someone you’d like us to profile, send an email to robert.vardon@lajollalight.com. ◆

Panasonic G9 II Hands-On: It’s Made for Photographers, But is it Really?

Panasonic G9 II Hands-On: It’s Made for Photographers, But is it Really?
[embedded content]

The original Panasonic G9 was quite a revolutionary camera. Built around a modern and intimidatingly professional-looking body, the G9 featured blazing-fast burst rates, an exceptionally good EVF, and motion-compensated multi-shot mode. However, it has been seven years since the G9 launch — a long time to wait for a successor.

Panasonic G9 II body shot
It may look totally different than the original G9, but it is just as revolutionary.

The wait has felt even longer than usual because, in those seven years, Panasonic has steadily pushed its Micro Four Thirds (MFT) line of cameras in an increasingly video-centric direction. So, when Panasonic told me that the G9 II had finally arrived and it had been made for photographers, I was eager to play with it.

Panasonic G9 II farmhouse window
For our review we headed to Bar U ranch. A historic heritage sight with plenty to photograph.
Panasonic G9 II  retro bedroom
Bar-U ranch provides so many photographic opportunities to shoot. The camera’s ability to handle dynamic range was definitely tested.

Panasonic G9 II: A New Face for 2023

The first thing I noticed was that at least in the looks department, nothing of the original G9 DNA seems to have been carried over. In fact, the G9 II can be easily mistaken for the S5 II as the body design is nearly identical. That’s not a bad thing since I like the new direction Panasonic has taken its cameras in. Handling-wise, the dials are easy to access with a proper autofocus joystick and even an extra customizable button near the lens mount.

Panasonic G9 II custom button
The G9 II adds an extra customizable button between the grip and lens mount.

One thing I am sad to see go away is the excellent EVF from the original G9. It may have been a modest 3.69 million dots but it had a remarkable 0.83x magnification factor which everyone noticed when bringing the camera up to the eye for the first time. The prevailing perception at the time was that MFT cameras were toy-like and the G9 EVF went a long way towards dispelling that myth. Sadly, the G9 II is sporting a similar 3.69 million dot EVF, yet with a reduced 0.78X magnification. To keep things in context this is a perfectly serviceable and effective EVF for a modern camera from 2023, but I can’t help but feel like something is missing, which didn’t need to be.

Panasonic G9 II multishot mode
The G9 II can now do handheld high-res multi-shot pictures which output 100-megapixel images with improved shadow detail.
Panasonic G9 II classic cowboy
The camera design is almost exactly the same as the full frame S5 II. I find the handling and ergonomics easy to manipulate and straightforward to understand.

Panasonic G9 II: Take a Look Under the Hood

At the heart of the G9 II, we have some major changes, three of which I want to focus on here.

Panasonic G9 II Old Truck
Shooting an antique truck with a modern camera. The G9 II photos delivered pleasing results.

The first thing that has to be mentioned is the outfitting of all new Panasonic cameras with its latest phase-detect-based hybrid autofocus. Sadly, the GH6 came out a little too soon to benefit, so the G9 II is the first MFT camera from Panasonic to gain this powerful AF system. Animal and Human subject detection both work very effectively, not only on eyes but also torso recognition, too. Even in video, the AF was predictable and snappy. This is certainly a camera that can be relied upon to focus where you want it the vast majority of the time. We also get access to motorcar and motorcycle subject detection as well.

Panasonic G9 II autofocus subject detection.
The G9 II is the first micro 4/3rds camera to feature hybrid phase detect AF. The best part is, it works.

The in-body-image-stabilization (IBIS) has also been improved and Panasonic now claims up to eight stops of stabilization. This is a system that should put it on par with OM System cameras and its class-leading technology. Even with lenses that already have optical image stabilization built-in, the G9 II will assist in giving 7.5 stops of shake reduction. This should be the most stable platform to date for shooting low-light situations and wildlife with extreme telephotos.

Panasonic G9 II rooster autofocus
There were plenty of animals around to test out the animal detection autofocus. We can confirm success on a variety of species.
Panasonic G9 II horses eye
The 25-megapixel sensor does provide a little extra detail over contemporary micro 4/3rds cameras like the OM-1.

Lastly, we have the 25-megapixel sensor which seems very similar to the one in the GH6. This isn’t necessarily a good thing, because the GH6 has a very strange trait whereby it has typical dynamic range and noise characteristics at 800 ISO or higher, but way more noise and loss of detail at lower ISOs. Exactly where you weren’t expecting — or wanting — there to be noisy shadows. Because of the pre-production nature of our test sample we can’t definitively say that the G9 II has solved this issue. However, we did process identical compositions on both the G9 II and GH6 by using the respective cameras’ internal raw processing. We noticed marked improvements to the image quality of the G9 II at ISOs from base, up to 800. This makes us very hopeful for the future when we get to test this fully when the camera is officially on the market.

Panasonic G9 II low iso dynamic range comparison.
The GH6 exhibits more noise at ISOs up to 800 than it should. Fortunately, the G9 II shows some improvement in this regard.

Panasonic G9 II: Video Which Gives the GH6 a Run for its Money.

The G9 II gives a very similar array of video recording modes to the GH6, especially for a model that is aimed at photographers. The lack of CF Express as a media option does require ProRes video at 4K or higher to be recorded to an ungainly external SSD. This isn’t that big of a detriment, though, as the H.265 compression which can be recorded to the twin SD card slots is, in most cases, all you’ll ever need. We were also particularly impressed with the over-sampled 4K 120p slow motion capture, which held onto a good amount of detail, and the 5.8K open-gate recording which is the same as the GH6.

AS
Panasonic has added a new black and white profile based off of the popular “Leica” look. I used it extensively and enjoyed it immensely.
Panasonic G9 II Leica black and white
Our pre-production G9 II gave limited ability to push and pull exposure but what I liked the results even still.
Panasonic G9 II portrait
Shane was kind enough to let me take a portrait. The eye-detect AF and Leica profile combined to make it happen.

In many ways, the G9 II actually surpasses the GH6. I’ve already mentioned the better phase detect AF in video, but we also get a lower base ISO of 500 down from 2,000, which is much easier to deal with. The GH6 does have an integrated fan which helps it dissipate heat and this is absent in the G9. However, even without the aid of a fan, the only situation we could really get the G9 II to overheat in was 4K 120p, and it still went for an excellent 26 minutes at room temperature.

Panasonic G9 II dynamic range
Further testing will be required with a full production camera but the G9 II seems to handle bright highlights and dark shadows well.

Overall the G9 II proves to be an incredibly capable video camera with some improvements over the videocentric GH6. For a camera that is intended largely for photography, it sure does look, smell, and feel like a video tool.

Panasonic G9 II video noise comparison
Even against the video-centric GH6, the G9 II had visibly better shadow detail and less noise, even up to ISOs as high as 2000.

Panasonic G9 II: Watch Our Initial Video Review

There are so many other improvements worth noting on the G9 II like the new Leica Monochrome profile and impressive burst rates that this camera brings to the table. Please have a look at our initial review (above) to get a more complete picture of our thoughts about this new camera.

Panasonic G9 II paint cans
The G9 II handles both photo and video situations with aplomb. It may be marketed as a stills camera, but truly it is a versatile hybrid instead.

Panasonic has waited a while to release the successor to the G9 but it certainly did the reputation of this excellent camera justice. Our only real confusion about the new G9 II is that it isn’t being marketed as a powerful hybrid photo/video platform. Perhaps it is to protect the GH6 and its place in the lineup somewhat. Whatever the reason, the G9 II seems to be a very full-featured tool worth taking a serious look at. I myself can’t wait to get a full production unit in my hands to really see if the image quality is improved over the GH6. That really is the big question that needs solving to firmly cement the G9 II as the preeminent micro 4/3rds camera for photo applications.

SANDRA LEE PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART STUDIO CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING IN MARATHON

SANDRA LEE PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART STUDIO CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING IN MARATHON

Marathon once again has a center for creative expression with the official grand opening of Sandra Lee Photography and Art Studio, held in partnership with the Marathon Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 30. In addition to offering limited edition prints and original paintings, the studio is in the process of adding dozens of individual and group art classes, ranging from art education and painting with various media to jewelry making, knitting, mosaic creation, embroidery and more.

“It’s time to bring art classes back to Marathon,” said Lee, a frequent Weekly photography collaborator. “Learning art can be healing, encouraging and uplifting. All ages need an air-conditioned place to express themselves through art. I’ve been doing private art classes in a smaller studio for over a year, and now I’m so excited to be able to expand and offer public classes to the community in this wonderful new space.”

The studio is located in the Town Square Mall plaza, 11400 Overseas Hwy., Suite 216-217. More information is at facebook.com/sandraleephotographystudio. 

Photo by ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly

Success! Please check your email for confirmation.

image

Alex Rickert made the perfectly natural career progression from dolphin trainer to newspaper editor in 2021 after freelancing for Keys Weekly while working full time at Dolphin Research Center. A resident of Marathon since 2015, he fell in love with the Florida Keys community by helping multiple organizations and friends rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Irma. An avid runner, actor, and spearfisherman, he spends as much of his time outside of work on or under the sea having civil disagreements with sharks.

The Best Of Artistic Photography: 25 Winners Of Creative Photo Awards

The Best Of Artistic Photography: 25 Winners Of Creative Photo Awards

The winning photos of the 2023 Siena Creative Photo Awards celebrating artistic photography have been released by the renowned Siena Awards festival of visual arts. and they are a remarkable recognition to visionary artists using photographic processes and images.

Under the title “I Wonder If You Can,” this year’s contest challenged photo artists to communicate with the world and share their vision and skills via original works that push the photographic medium and experiment with different techniques or creative approaches.

“In this competition, everyone is free to use any technique. Only the final effect counts,” the organizers explain. “We break all the rules, and we want you to break them with us by creating new trends in art.”

‘Aesthetics from Africa’ (below) by Chinese photographer Frank Zhang, honoring global aesthetic diversity and beauty, won the 2023 overall prize.

The competition attracted photographers from 133 countries, and all the winning images across nine categories will be showcased at the exhibition ‘I Wonder If You Can’ that will take place at Siena’s Palazzo Pubblico in the heart of Piazza del Campo, Italy.

Overall Winner

The world of beauty has witnessed the celebration of diverse aesthetics. For a long time, the fashion industry’s perception of beauty was seen through a Eurocentric lens. However, in recent times African American model and influencer Sonia Barbie Tucker, originally from Ghana, has been showcasing the rich and vibrant aesthetics of Africa.

Category Winners

The photo was taken in 2022 using the “Haruhisa camera,” which was designed and built by the Japanese photographer Haruhisa Terasaki. “It is a great honor for me to have the opportunity to use this camera,” Iwona Czubek said. Terasaki is known for his unique method of photographing, which he refers to as new pictorialism. This image is projected onto a dry plate and captured with a digital camera.

“I aimed to capture the elegant movement of a horse in a free rein jump, experiencing the sensation of the snow beneath its feet and its inherent desire for freedom, much like humans yearn for it,” said Lurdes Santander. “This moment was extraordinary, and I persisted through several attempts on my camera to find that elusive shot, a challenge many photographers face.”

The girl with ebony skin frees herself from the chains, and some of them remain attached to her, as she escapes. In the gesture of liberation, the shapes of her hairstyle and neck take on elongated forms.

Capturing this image took patience and perseverance. It started with the search for a single tree amidst a lavender field at sunset. Then the wait for the night sky to unveil its beauty. Combined with a second, long exposure, the light invisible to the naked eye, revealing a truly enchanted world.

“I captured this photo during a beautiful summer wedding in the red wine region of Germany,” said Steven Herrschaft. “The majestic castle on the hill was stunning, and the moment I captured was fleeting yet magical. Sometimes, as a photographer, you need to be in the right place at the right time to create art.”

The Capital Gate Tower in Abu Dhabi was captured in a unique moment from a moving bus. “As we traveled on the highway during late afternoon,” Frank Loddenkemper recalled, “the sun’s rays cast a mesmerizing glow, creating the perfect lighting for the shot.

Featuring a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing from 1955, this photograph was captured at the private collection of Museum METROPOLE Druten in the Netherlands. It prompts us to ponder how humankind would have been and still be without the presence of the natural treasures that inspire us to dream and surpass our limits.

A surreal black-and white photo-art piece featuring several female models whimsically blending together to form a skull. Symbolizing the defiance of mortality, the composition conveys a powerful message of unity in the face of death, evoking reflection and challenging perceptions.

The subject is the conflation of woman and home. A lone woman is surrounded by her domestic objects, activities, and obsessions. The still-life narratives created in the studio for the camera comment on the mania of collecting, accumulating, and decorating a home. In the series, the woman is overwhelmed by her possessions, leading to disaster and mayhem. “Growing up in suburbia provided the basis of my work,” said Patty Carroll. “I photographically create worlds that critique and satirize claustrophobic expectations of perfection that women continue to face, despite contemporary life and careers.”

Category Finalists

“The idea was to take a photo of a pink cocktail in a playful and fun way,” said Elena Otvodenko. “For this, I used complementary colours and props to accentuate the beauty of the drink and its colour and freshness.

All the Open Theme winning photos here.

Djaxx, is a sphynx cat “with an attitude, but very willing to pose under my studio light,” said Pieter Clicteur. “I used one flash light, placed just above his head (butterfly light, as they call it) to emphasize the wrinkles on his head. He looks mean, but he isn’t.”

“The title comes from the fact that, like most Border Collies, my puppy too has a Psycho face,” said Alessia Monaco. “It is a composition of several shots, in this case seven, then joined with the support of Photoshop.”

All the Animals and Pets category’ photos here

“Tree of Life” depicts a solitary old tree on the horizon of undulating South Moravian fields, accompanied by a flock of birds. The composition, created from photographs, evokes the cycle of life and its phases, representing youthful vigor to the serene tranquility of wise old age.

According to legend, the ghost of the Gray Lady haunts the tree-lined avenue located in Ballymoney, in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It seems that a mysterious woman appears among the trees at sunset, slips silently along the road and vanishes near the last beech tree.

The winners of the Nature and Landscape category are here

All the winners of the People category here.

Humans are like puppets. With their hands and feet and their intellect, they have been plundered and commanded. They have nightmares, create nightmares and become nightmares.

Here are all the winners of the Fine Art category.

Featuring a Jaguar xk150 Cabrio 1958, photographed at the private collection of Museum Metropole Druten, the Netherlands. How would humankind be, and have been, without the natural treasures that make us dream and exceed beyond our limits?

For all the winners of the Advertising category go here.

Haldi ceremony is a traditional pre-wedding ritual in India where turmeric paste is applied on the bride and groom’s bodies. It symbolizes purification, beautification, and the auspicious beginning of their journey together. Here, the groom’s friends cover him in turmeric water.

For all the winners of the Wedding category go here.

The picture showcases a colonnade in a residential area. Light and color enhance the space, create accents and rhythm, and bring balance to the structure. Without these elements, neither space nor architecture would be perceptible. “I used the bird as an eye-catching detail to draw attention,” said Margit Lisa Roeder.

Here are all the winners of the Architecture category

Here are all the winners of the Series category.

Capturing Chicago: Meet the man behind Windy City lens

Capturing Chicago: Meet the man behind Windy City lens
ByTony Smith WLS logo

Tuesday, September 12, 2023 1:30PM

Chicago photographer Barry Butler releases book

CHICAGo (WLS) — Barry Butler is a Chicago-based, internationally published landscape and cityscape photographer. He’s now selling his second book.

It’s called “Chicago – Morning, Noon & Night book.” It starts shipping photography lovers’ on September 25.

Butler joined ABC 7 to talk about capturing our beautiful city and how his came up with the idea for his new book. For more information, click here.

Copyright © 2023 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Related Topics

Ballet dancers and a rescued caver: Tuesday’s best photos

Ballet dancers and a rescued caver: Tuesday’s best photos
image

American researcher Mark Dickey is carried in a stretcher after being pulled out of Morca cave, more than a week after he became seriously ill 1,000 metres (more than 3,000 feet) below its entrance. Teams from across Europe had rushed to the cave in the southern Taurus mountains to aid Dickey, a 40-year-old experienced caver who became seriously ill with stomach bleeding on 2 September

How to Improve Your Photography

How to Improve Your Photography

We all want to be better photographers, but the journey to that destination is often anything but straightforward. If you find yourself feeling a bit stuck and unsure of how to move forward, check out this helpful video tutorial that features an experienced photographer sharing some insightful and actionable advice that is sure to put you on the right track.  

Coming to you from Shoot on Film, this great video tutorial offers a range of useful advice on how to become a better photographer. One of the most important points, in my opinion, is the idea that gear and technical skills are not the most important parts for improving. We have heard a million times about how gear does not matter anywhere near as much as the hype machine might lead us to believe, but the idea of technique is a lesser-discussed issue. Of course, that is not to say you can get by without solid technique. Rather, it acknowledges the fact that sometimes, technical image quality is overly emphasized at the expense of a creative and original approach. Technique should be a support for creativity, not the main point of the process. Check out the video above for the full rundown. 

hiroshi sugimoto’s photography retrospective explores time and memory at hayward gallery

hiroshi sugimoto’s photography retrospective explores time and memory at hayward gallery

Hiroshi Sugimoto: Time Machine at Hayward Gallery

From October 11, 2023 to January 7, 2024, the Hayward Gallery in London presents Hiroshi Sugimoto: Time Machine, the largest survey exhibition to date of the Japanese artist, architect, and photographer. The exhibition showcases Sugimoto’s best-known works, as well as lesser-known projects, and highlights the artist’s interest in the history of photography, mathematics, and optical sciences.

Featuring key works from all of the artist’s major photographic series, the exhibition illuminates his philosophical yet playful exploration of our understanding of time and memory, as well as the ambiguous nature of photography as a medium that lends itself to both documentation and invention. ‘The camera is a time machine capable of representing the sense of time… The camera can capture more than a single moment, it can capture history, geological time, the concept of eternity, the essence of time itself… The more I think about that sense of time, the more I think this is probably one of the key factors of how humans became humans,’ Hiroshi Sugimoto shares.

hiroshi sugimoto's photography retrospective explores time and memory at hayward gallery
UA Playhouse, New York, 1978 | all images courtesy of Hiroshi Sugimoto

natural history & architecture through Hiroshi Sugimoto’s lens

Time Machine at Hayward Gallery (find more here) begins with a selection of the artist’s black-and-white photographs of natural history dioramas, a series he began in the mid-1970s. The diorama photographs draw attention less to the natural world than to its theatrical display in museums, while evoking what Hiroshi Sugimoto (find more here) has called the ‘fragility of existence.’ The theme of time is also explored in two other works on view in the exhibition: Sugimoto’s Theaters (1976 – ), shot in both movie palaces and drive-in theaters, capture entire films with a single long exposure, compressing all the dramatic action seen on screen into a single image of brilliant white. His famous Seascapes (1980 – ), which show evenly divided expanses of sea and sky without any trace of human existence evoke the immediacy of abstract painting while expressing Sugimoto’s interest in focusing on vistas that, as he notes, ‘are before human beings and after human beings.’

In Architecture (1997 – ), a series of deliberately out-of-focus studies of iconic modernist buildings-from the Eiffel Tower to the Twin Towers-Sugimoto demonstrates the wide-ranging ambiguity that characterizes his art, while conveying a sense of the visual germ of an idea in an architect’s mind, as well as ghostly images of what he has called ‘architecture after the end of the world.’ For his later series, Portraits (1999), the artist pointed his camera at wax models of famous historical figures at Madame Tussauds. Rendered in black and white, the more lifelike figures, from Queen Elizabeth to Oscar Wilde to Salvador Dali, seem disarmingly alive, underscoring the camera’s potential to alter our perceptions. As the artist noted, ‘However fake the subject, once photographed, it’s as good as real.’

hiroshi sugimoto's photography retrospective explores time and memory at hayward gallery
Lightning Fields 225, 2009

evoking different notions of timelessness

A final section of Hiroshi Sugimoto: Time Machine focuses on photographs that evoke different notions of timelessness, including his Sea of Buddha series (1995), which features an installation in a 12th-century Kyoto temple with 1000 gilded wooden statues of the Buddha, and Lightning Fields (2006 – ), off-camera photographs created by exposing sensitized paper to electrical pulses from a Van der Graaf generator. The exhibition concludes with a gallery dedicated to Sugimoto’s Opticks (2018 – ), intensely colored photographs of prism-refracted light. Inspired by Newton’s research on the properties of light, but also borrowing from color field painting and artists such as Mark Rothko, Opticks presents deeply penetrating fields of subtly varying hues. Presented alongside his photographs are two of Sugimoto’s polished aluminum sculptures that allude to both mathematical equations and abstract forms favored by modernists such as Constantin Brâncuși. 

‘Hiroshi Sugimoto is a brilliant visual poet of paradox, a polymath postmodern who embraces meticulous old-school craftsmanship to produce exquisite, uncanny pictures that reference science and maths as well as abstract art and Renaissance portraits. Juggling different conceptions of time, and evoking visions ranging from primordial prehistory to the end of civilization, his photographs ingeniously recalibrate our basic assumptions about the medium and alter our sense of history, time, and existence itself. Amidst all his peers, his work stands apart for its depth and striking originality of thought.’ shares Ralph Rugoff, Director of the Hayward Gallery. 

hiroshi sugimoto's photography retrospective explores time and memory at hayward gallery
Mathematical Model 002 Dini’s Surface, 2005

hiroshi sugimoto's photography retrospective explores time and memory at hayward gallery
Manatee, 1994

Grain, grit, texture: in a digital world, film photography is thriving

Grain, grit, texture: in a digital world, film photography is thriving

Get TPR’s best stories of the day and a jump start to the weekend with the 321 Newsletter — straight to your inbox every day. Sign up for it here.

In the middle of downtown San Antonio, a block or two from Texas Public Radio’s downtown headquarters, photographer Kat Swansey is lining up a shot. Standing dead in front of the 18th century De La Garza house, she carefully pulls focus.

“It looks like something you would see in West Texas,” Swansey remarks.

After every shot, Swansey cranks a handle on the camera to advance her film to the next frame.

“It’s all manual,” she explains. “There’s no autofocus on here, I have to manually line up every shot and focus, get the aperture right.”

Based in Austin, Swansey shoots on film, exclusively. She’s part of a growing number of artists who are choosing film as a way of expressing their unique vision — and keeping the analog film industry alive. You might be surprised to learn that Kodak and Fujifilm are still very much in business. And 30 years ago, a company built out of a kind of an artist collective opened up shop.

Yosemite National Park, shot on purple tinted Lomography film.

Brian Lincoln

/

Lomography

Yosemite National Park, shot on purple tinted Lomography film.

Digital photography was still in its infancy when Lomography started selling film. And since the company’s founding they’ve offered brilliant color or tinted film stock for an artistic touch, says Birgit Buchart, the New York-based General Manager of Lomography in the United States.

“These people decided to treat film photography as like a fun and experimental kind of hobby that is not trying to be the best quality depiction of reality, but just like a creative tool in your daily life,” she explains.

That emphasis on everyday art, and celebrating the time it takes to develop, has helped the company sustain its business through the digital takeover of the industry.

“Nowadays, especially for people who grew up with digital or even smartphone cameras in their pockets, a lot of the time, the appeal for film photography is you have to wait, you have to be patient,” Buchart said. “And [there’s] that surprising moment when you get the film back from the lab and when you have something fun! Like completely different colors, that that’s really exciting.”

Lomography

Shot using Lomography’s “Metropolis” film stock.

Back in Texas, Swansey muses, “I’ve just always been really interested in a life that happened before me.”

Swansey grew up in Brenham, taking road trips on the backroads with her grandfather, who she says was a wealth of information about Washington County.

Now, her new book “Texas Textures” looks at old gas stations, farmhouses, and classic signage, and features not only her photographs, but a narrative about the places she’s visited that’s full of historical information.

“I wanted to make sure I was doing right by these places.”

Swansey spends a lot of time on the road in West Texas. Of the film photos she takes, she says, “I love the grain. I even love the dust that occasionally makes its way into your shots. I feel like it adds a little bit more texture to the images. And I just love that with each photo I take, I’m creating something physical and something that’s tangible that I can hold.”

Kat Swansey

A West Texas view, from Kat Swansey’s book “Texas Textures.”

Swansey isn’t the only one that feels that way today, says Lomography’s Birgit Buchart.

“The more digitized our world gets, the more people are longing for something analog,” Buchart says. “We are less of a niche company than we used to be 10 or 15 years ago.”

Like many hobbies, film photography can get expensive, if you let it. But point and shoot cameras can be found for less than $50 online, and a roll of film is somewhere between 10 and 15 bucks. Some chain drugstores still process film (although it takes several days), and independent labs will process and scan negatives for sharing online.

Web Extra: Interview with Birgit Buchart of Lomography.

Buchart says “Browsing and getting inspired by other photographers is also a great way to get into it.”

The benefits of the art form are as endless as the Texas backroads Swansey travels.

“I’ve met people around the world that I would have never had an opportunity to connect with or learn from,” Swansey says. “And it’s fun. It gets you out into the world. You can see things that you maybe have driven past a hundred times, and never even looked at a second time.”

Like the De la Garza house, just steps from TPR’s downtown studio. Take another look at the top of this page, to see it again, for the first time.

Photographer Kat Swansey lines up a shot in downtown San Antonio.

Nathan Cone

Photographer Kat Swansey lines up a shot in downtown San Antonio.

Preserving aerial photography with recirculating fume cupboards

Preserving aerial photography with recirculating fume cupboards

The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP) is one of the world’s largest repositories of aerial imagery, boasting millions of historic images capturing significant events and locations across the globe.

Key objectives

NCAP’s primary responsibility is to collect and safeguard these valuable records, encompassing digital and physical formats, ensuring their preservation for future generations.

To address the considerable challenges related to handling and conservation, Alan Potts, the Digital Imaging Manager, sought out Monmouth Scientific for a solution to establish a meticulously clean environment for the NCAP team’s secure collection management.

Monmouth Scientific’s solution

  • Circulaire® Recirculating Fume Cupboard

Image Credit: Monmouth Scientific Limited

Upon relocating to a state-of-the-art collections care and digitization facility in Edinburgh, the National Collection of Aerial Photography gained the necessary space to address these crucial challenges.

Monmouth Scientific’s proficient team identified the Recirculating Fume Cupboard as the optimal answer to meet the team’s requirements, providing the technicians with a safe and efficient workspace.

Due to the archive’s age and previous storage conditions, certain items have suffered degradation over time.

This resulted in mold growth on around 6.5 million photographic prints. Before creating digital replicas, these prints require careful mold removal within a Recirculating Fume Cupboard, along with suitable personal protective equipment (PPE).

For the film archive, a distinct issue arises, as the acetate base of the film can autocatalytically degrade, generating acetic acid.

Although not harmful, the smell can be unpleasant and cause irritation over extended exposure. This concern is mitigated by carrying out film preparation and digitization within a Recirculating Fume Cupboard, ensuring a healthier workspace for all staff members.

The Circulaire® Fume Cupboards offer the advantage of not needing external ducting, enabling flexible installation within the workspace.

These cupboards efficiently channel airflow towards the interior, capturing vapors at their source and confining them within a controlled working area. With the utilization of Activated Carbon filters, clean air is then expelled back into the laboratory.

By implementing this recirculating technology, which consumes minimal energy while delivering optimal performance, substantial cost savings are achieved, contributing to a greener and more sustainable laboratory environment.

With the new facility and workflow improvements, the NCAP experiences a significant transformation in addressing critical conservation issues as a top priority.

Working with Monmouth Scientific has been excellent. We had no knowledge of Recirculating Fume Cupboards within the team prior to this, so relied on Monmouth Scientific to guide us through the process of identifying and defining our risks and selecting the most appropriate equipment for the job.

Our unique application has required some bespoke solutions and Monmouth Scientific have been a great partner in engineering and building cabinets that fit our needs. Having the correct equipment and practices means that The National Collection of Aerial Photography can now move ahead with the monumental task of preserving this unique record of world events as seen from above, for future generations.”

Alan Potts, Digital Imaging Manager , Historic Environmental Scotland | National Collection of Aerial Photography

About Monmouth Scientific Limitedimage

At Monmouth Scientific environmentally responsible recirculating technology is the core of our expertise. 

Our specialised Fume Cupboard, Laminar Flow, Biological Safety, Powder Containment, and ISO Class Cleanroom solutions provide the best protection and performance for your personnel.

A UK Market Leader in Clean Air Solutions and at the forefront of the industry, we           employ cutting-edge technologies and innovative engineering, to ensure that our solutions consume minimal energy while delivering optimal performance.  

As experts in clean environments and laboratory personnel safety, our team continue to proudly pioneer innovative new technologies to guarantee the highest levels of safety for a diverse client base including; 

  • Laboratory
  • Research
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Electronics
  • Aerospace

Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments.