indian hill imageworks

Photo Expo…Same old, same old

by EveNSteve

By Stephen M. Schaub

Yesterday was a marathon trek from Vermont to NYC and back to witness first hand Photo Expo 2007. Was it worth it? Am I a changed person? Are my images now sharper?

In one word, NO.

Some new products that are worth mentioning (note how small the list is):

New E3 by Olympus and new lenses by Olympus
New Satin Canvas by IJ Technologies

That’s about it for things new and worthy. Much of the show was a rehash of PMA from last winter. Sure there were new systems from Nikon and Canon and tweaks to current software and stuff but nothing earth shattering. Everyone I met kept asking “have you seen anything good- anything new?” Universal answer- NO.

It seems to me that the industry (The Photo Industrial Complex) is suffering from the recoil effect of the last few years…when there is huge growth there is always a healthy contraction for a breather. Lets hope that accompanied with this breather is a bit of long term planning or else we may find ourselves very soon on a respirator!

I also notice that several companies had come out with or were about to launch in the coming months cheaper versions of their current products…is this to strike a new market, or to help keep their current and now impoverished one? You decide.

I know there will be web sites proclaiming this amazing new gizmo or that fantastic new optic but in the end the best part about expo for me was chance to reconnect with some friends and just talk.

Nostradamus of the Photo Universe

by EveNSteve

By Stephen M. Schaub

My predictions are usually right…I have successfully predicted over the last few years with clairvoyant accuracy many of the new trends in the photographic community (it’s a gift… and a curse).

So what is next, you ask?Let me gaze into my crystal monitor…

I see in our collective future…LENSES and more LENSES. Think about it…you’ve upgraded everything you own and the world is not perfect…a-hah! Caught you enjoying the remaining few dollars left in your wallet, didn’t we? Never fear …it’s time for new digitally optimized glass (lenses). This does make sense? Well, as most glass used by photographers today was designed for film and not digital capture… yes there is a difference, especially on the wide angle. But who will this really affect? Not all glass is created equal. Which systems will benefit the most from these new “future” offering (code for: the current glass is kinda sucky)?

Nikon and Canon users get ready for new glass. Nikon and Canon do have some good lenses to offer (a few) but nothing I would regard as really amazing and as such it’s UPGRADE time. Leica users are pretty much ok especially with many of the new lenses released over the last decade or so…even old Leica glass can go toe to toe with the best made by most other company’s lenses. I know Nikon and Canon users will bitch forever that I said that their lenses are of a lesser qualtity than Leica but they ARE- so get over it. Ever see an M8 digital capture using a great 50mm Leica lens, say a Summilux 1.4 and compare that to any Canon or Nikon with their best 50mm…have ya?… once you’ve seen it, all becomes clear.

Also interesting is that Zeiss and Schneider are getting into the SLR game and offering what is predicted to be some amazing glass (Schneider already offers a 28mm PC lens in Nikon mount that I looked at a year ago…it was simply stunning with a huge image circle.

Olympus and their 4 thirds system seems in my opinion to be right on track as their lenses are optimized already for their current digital generation cameras. No hold-overs here, they built the whole system from ground up…this took guts I’m sure but from what I’ve seen they may have been right.

So now that you’ve spent all your money on software, printers and a new camera body and were filling pretty smug with more resolution than you need, get ready for one of the biggest real advances in photographic technology that will really make your images sharper…new digitally optimized glass.

"I’m doing it all for you buddy!"

by EveNSteve

By Stephen M. Schaub

As a young boy I collected comic books among other things and in my home town there was a dealer who’s closing sales line was always…”I’m doing it all for you buddy!” Give me a break! Teleport decades into the future and I sometimes have the same feeling when the Photo Industrial Complex releases their newest offerings…they’re doing it all for us? Really? Are you sure?

I will be at Photo Expo Plus in NYC this coming week delivering to needy companies everywhere (yes I double as Santa with an attitude) their own personal copy of the Figital Revolution Manifesto (sure to win me friends) and also looking to see if there are any real “diamonds” amongst all the repackaged junkyard we call a Photo Convention. I am preparing to hear sales lines like “simply the finest color possible anywhere” or “sharper, faster, quieter” and maybe even “I’m doing it all for you, buddy!”

Stock or Schlock…The Death March of an Industry

by EveNSteve

By Stephen M. Schaub

Stock photography…seemed like a good idea some years ago. Turn those old jobs and personal works into revenue again and again or take the plunge and just shoot and shoot, amass a huge catalog of images and sell away.

Great, right? NO!

Stock photography has become the muzak of the visual industry. Sure, it fits tight budgets where good imagery is needed (and there is some good stock photography available) but all of this stock imagery used to be actual jobs photographers got hired to shoot…now it is just a click on any stock agency screen…no photographer to hire, just enter your credit card and done. Add into the mix the incredible shrinking day rate for working photographers and stock is a spike through the heart. How can you pay your bills, feed your family and expect to compete with the bargain rates stock imagery sells for?… you can’t. You may disagree with me but- you’re wrong. Want great work, need great imagery- HIRE a photographer!

The Photo Industrial Complex has also screwed photographers (yes again) in this area of day rate and making a living as well. Ever notice how after convincing us to lighten our wallet for the next studio upgrade or latest software gizmo that they then come out with a slimmed down and affordably priced version of the product you just bought…and then proceed to sell it to: your client. Ask any wedding photographer or table-top photographer and they will tell you that digital and small product photography set-ups have killed a large segment of their revenue.

In the the end it is the photographers themselves that are the worst whores and imbeciles because we allowed this to happen in the first place…why? Greed, laziness take your pick…maybe lack of business vision. Yes, stock photography does have it’s place, as do do-it-yourself setups, but nothing can or ever will replace the creative eye of the professional photographer. Amen.

Film is Not Dead…No Kidding!

by EveNSteve

By Stephen M. Schaub

Film is not dead…yeah we know. Today I received a catalog from KEH proclaiming that Film Is Not Dead on the cover. Additionally, I also got a copy of an interesting study recently done by Kodak- to summarize:

9,000 professional photographers in the US were surveyed and over 75% said that they will continue to use film even as they embrace digital technology.

68% preferred the results from film to digital
48% find that medium and large format films capture superior quality
48% like the traditional photographic look
45% find film has better highlights and shadows
42% like film’s wide exposure latitude compared with digital
38% like film’s archival storage

The article goes on to state that Black and White in film is a big reason most photographers are still keeping film around (90%).

So what does all this mean?

In a nut shell…do both. Shoot film! Shoot digital! Do what you want and let the advertising hype just pass you by. I also received a copy of PDN today (current issue)…not surprising that almost every ad and new product review is about digital…how is that for reflecting what photographers are interested in (see above survey as a reminder).

We maintain that a good film scan is near impossible to beat in terms of quality and cost. Digital capture does have a place but… for now the Photographers have spoken.

Film is Not Dead…No Kidding!

by EveNSteve

By Stephen M. Schaub

Film is not dead…yeah we know. Today I received a catalog from KEH proclaiming that Film Is Not Dead on the cover. Additionally, I also got a copy of an interesting study recently done by Kodak- to summarize:

9,000 professional photographers in the US were surveyed and over 75% said that they will continue to use film even as they embrace digital technology.

68% preferred the results from film to digital
48% find that medium and large format films capture superior quality
48% like the traditional photographic look
45% find film has better highlights and shadows
42% like film’s wide exposure latitude compared with digital
38% like film’s archival storage

The article goes on to state that Black and White in film is a big reason most photographers are still keeping film around (90%).

So what does all this mean?

In a nut shell…do both. Shoot film! Shoot digital! Do what you want and let the advertising hype just pass you by. I also received a copy of PDN today (current issue)…not surprising that almost every ad and new product review is about digital…how is that for reflecting what photographers are interested in (see above survey as a reminder).

We maintain that a good film scan is near impossible to beat in terms of quality and cost. Digital capture does have a place but… for now the Photographers have spoken.

All Things Must End

by EveNSteve

By Stephen M. Schaub

Today was a hard day. After water damage to my old studio this last winter destroyed my 4″ x 5″ and 8″ x 10″ enlargers- today, at last, was dumpster day. My 4″ x 5″ had traveled with me occupying 4 different darkroom configurations in different states spanning the last 15+ years. My 8″ x 10″ was the relative new kid on the block and I feel that it’s end was way too soon. Fortunately my lenses were fine (I will post them on ebay later) but my emotions are shot. I’ve also been cleaning out and rereading “old” photo magazines (good ones and suckie ones alike) and marveling at the rapid change our medium has gone through in just a few short years…it is very scary.

I have never been one to get too attached to equipment as I have always viewed gear as just that- gear to make my work with, period. But this was different. Now that I no longer have enlargers and my former darkroom is empty the option is gone to revisit the wet darkroom (unless of course I lose my mind and buy a new enlarger…not going to happen.) I’m ok with this (sort of) but it does bring up many of the points illustrated in the Figital Revolution book and today they all landed square on my doorstep with a bang and a thump of my enlargers landing one at a time in the dumpster.

The Figital Revolution – THE BOOK!

by EveNSteve


After months of writing, editing, editing and more editing we are PROUD to announce the official release of The Figital Revolution Book- A Maverick Manifesto for the 21st Century Photographer. To order your copy today just click on the LuLu buy book link on the right column of this web site. In the coming weeks this no-holds barred look at the photo-world today will also be available from other online book sellers but why wait? Order your copy today! The Revolution has begun…

It’s the Print That Matters

by EveNSteve

By Stephen M. Schaub

Morning Quickie…

I heard over and over needless concern from fine art photographers about which media to print on and which media is accepted by the industry and which is not. This disturbs me as we are talking about a work of ART and not something which can easily or should necessarly even fit into a neat category or process. If your work is printed on canvas, hand-made paper or Saran Wrap who cares as long as it is the correct media for your work. Collectors buy work based on what they love. Archival is nice but way overemphasized by photographers- brilliant color and deep blacks can be great but it depends on the work. If archival was king Pollock wouldn’t have sold a thing.

In the end it is your work, not a gallery’s or publisher’s or anyone else’s- it is up to you to decide how it is printed and displayed…let the Photo Industrial Complex and the ART world control this part of our medium and I think I’ll take up lawn mowing for a living.