New Artwork

by EveNSteveApril 23, 2009April 23, 2009

I’ve been working for some time now with the Overlapping Frame Panoramic Technique I have outlined here on Figital Revolution for my A New Eden Series and I have recently adapted this creative method/ technique to my Leica M7. One beauty of this technique lies in the editive creative possibilities the overlapping frames afford and now with the M7 and my two lenses- the 90mm F2.8 Elmarit and the new 28mm F2.8 Elmarit ASPH- I not only have the option of different focal lengths (something I did not have with the previous cameras I used for these artworks) but now I also have the option of mixing lenses between shots for a Multi Lens Overlapping Frame Panoramic Technique. The artwork below was just made using the 28 / 90 / 28 and results in a sense of space I really like.

Spring Trees, Vermont. 2009
Multi Lens Overlapping Frame Panoramic Technique (28/90/28)
Leica M7, Kodak Ektar 100
Scanned on an Imacon Scanner, Oil Mount
Image Size: 25″ x 10″
Printed on the d’Vinci Fine Art Printing Platform (12 Color) at Indian Hill Imageworks
Paper: Hand-coated Fabriano 640 GSM Rough (22″ x 30″)
Edition Size: One

The Corrupted M7 Meets Kodak Ektar

by EveNSteveApril 5, 2009April 5, 2009

Ah yes I had a bit too much time on my hands Friday… I just figured out a method for slipping film in my Leica M7 using a similar technique I’ve outlined here for the XA and LCA camera systems… somewhere there is a German engineer grinding his teeth!

Early Spring, Vermont. 2009
Leica M7 with 50mm Summilux F 1.4 Lens
In Camera Overlapping Frame Panoramic Technique, 3X
Kodak Ektar Film
Printed 10″ x 25″ on Fabriano 640 gsm Rough, Hand Coated.
Copyright Stephen Schaub 2009

Fuji Acros 100 in Diafine Developer

by EveNSteveApril 4, 2008April 4, 2008

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This is a test in progress post but I feel really good (and excited) about my results so far and wanted to share…

Here is a difficult test image (huge dynamic range) shot with 35mm Acros 100 (Diafine EI 200) with my Leica M7 and a 50mm F1.4 Sumilux at F8.

The processing is very different than suggested on the box or in previous posts- I will be posting the developing “how to” after this weekend as I want to run just one more test. The full size image which was scanned at Indian Hill Imageworks on our Imacon at 6300 dpi, fluid mount, 16 Bit is 24.5″ x 16.2″ (optical resolution). The crop image is a 2.5″ x 2.5″ section of this larger file…do you see the bent nail?! The large file link at the bottom will download a scaled down version (Approx 10″ x 6″ @ 360, 8 Bit) so say around 8MB uncompressed (best for high speed users only) will give you an idea of what is possible with the incredible combo…the full file (98MB) is amazing.

Crop

Large File LINK

The New Kodak TMAX 400 (TMY-2) – Pushed to 1600, Processed in XTOL!

by EveNSteveMarch 4, 2008March 9, 2010

New Tmax 400 Box

As promised here is a sample image (my wife Eve Ogden Schaub of Life=Art) in Puerto Rico pushing the new TMY-2 (Tmax 400) to an E.I. of 1600 and processed in Xtol Straight using Kodak’s suggested time/ temp . The light was very, very low as even at an E.I. of 1600 my exposure was still 1/8 at F1.4 (hand-held.) The image was made with a Leica M7 with a 50mm Summilux.

So what are my thoughts????

Please note: click on the thumbnails for a larger view.

1. Of course there is more grain than the 400 speed test I posted a few days ago (click here) but not a lot considering this is a 2 stop push! It is not as crisp and lacks some fine image detail as the other test image had due to the increased grain and I am sure the slow shutter speed and the f1.4 working f stop ( I do the best I can, but on 10 shots of espresso a day what do you expect?)

2. Good shadow detail and the highlights still have nice separation especially considering the light source.

3. Easy to scan- no problems with excessive contrast or anything…the scan was as easy as my last test scan. (Scanned on an Imacon Scanner at 3200 dpi, 16 Bit, wet mount, no sharpening.)

So what does this mean??? Where do we (I) go from here?

Well I for one will shoot this film as my NEW primary film at box speed (400) – but it is nice to know that in a pinch I can push this film to meet my needs no matter what they are… I am going to continue my exploration of different developers (stay tuned!!) for this film, but for now- Xtol works fine. Once again in my opinion – Kudos to Kodak! (It’s been a long while since I’ve been able to say that twice in one week!)

Image Copyright Stephen M. Schaub 2008

The New Kodak TMAX 400 Film – GET EXCITED KODAK IS BACK!!

by EveNSteveMarch 1, 2008March 8, 2008

Kodak IMHO hit a home run with the new TMAX 400. I’ve been testing the 35mm version- (the box says world’s sharpest 400… and it is!) and having now shot around 30 rolls of this film in Puerto Rico and tested a few more here in Vermont here are some initial thoughts (note- please be sure to click on the images to get a larger view):

1. I tried 3 different developers (D-76, XTOL and PMK… XTOL Straight wins hands down.)

2. True 400 speed in XTOL.

3. Extremely fine grain with a very, very nice tonality…MY NEW FAVORITE FILM!!!

4. I feel that the times posted by Kodak for this new film are pretty darn good- at least the Xtol processing time/ temp produces negs that scan perfectly.

I have posted an example snapshot I took of my wife Eve Ogden Schaub of LIFE=ART while at lunch in Puerto Rico (my Pina Colada is just out of the frame). The image was shot on a Leica M7 with a Summilux 50mm F1.4 at F/2.8 (060 filter on lens). Be sure to check out the detail images as well as they really illustrate why I feel this film is a real winner (remember…this is 35mm 400 speed film!)

The scan was done on our Imacon at 6300dpi, 16 Bit, Wet Mount. Printed at 16″ x 24″ on our d’Vinci Fine Art Printer it blows me away that this is 35mm. Go get this film NOW! This is a film we as photographers should support as it is fantastic (and how often can you say that these days?)

Please note that there is quite a bit of old stock TMAX 400 out there (I don’t like the old film at all)…the new version has only been out since Oct/ Nov 2007 and can be a bit hard to find. The box should have a red rectangle that says “World’s Sharpest !” The Catalog Number is: 894 7947…I purchased mine from a Calumet Store.

Here is a sample preview of my new artworks from Puerto Rico (These are from my Fragment Series). The image is 36″ x36″!

Viva La Revolution!!

Confession of a Bagaholic

by EveNSteveFebruary 27, 2008March 8, 2008

Ok, I admit it…I’m a bag (camera bag) aholic. Are you?This audioblog seeks to give an answer to this “condition” that plagues photographers everywhere. How should you carry your gear? Why do camera bags suck? What is the best way to carry your gear for travel photography? All of these and more are considered and answered in this therapeutic audioblog. The images below are referenced in this audioblog so give a listen and let the healing begin. To order the bag seen below (does not include insert) call: Iomar Perez in Puerto Rico at 787.612.6862.

To order a Y Strap just click on the link.

Lens Selection: In Search of the Goldilocks Lens

by EveNSteveJanuary 7, 2008January 10, 2008

What is the perfect focal-length lens, or the “Goldilocks” lens? And how many lenses do you “really” need in your bag? What are optical and performance considerations you should consider when selecting your lens arsenal? These are just a few points of discussion covered by Hybrid Artist Stephen M. Schaub. The conclusion of this audio blog also provides tools and procedures for helping determine your best lens trinity.

Figital Revolution

A Maverick Manifesto for the 21st Century Photograher

leica m7