Illuminating

August 29, 2014 Tom Sebastiano

20:30 on a late July evening, two photos only moments apart. Mary sat with her back to the setting sun; the numbers on the meter weren’t great! There was just enough light for one shot, before a compulsory move to the other side of the table. Now sat facing a rapidly setting sun the golden rays transformed the scene and at least gave me the light I needed.

There are many reasons why I like film anticipation is one. Between shooting and seeing the result my imagination has time to reflect on what might have been captured. In the days that pass while the film is at the lab I usually forget the details and as is often the case, but not always, it’s a pleasant surprise to see the results a couple of weeks later.

I have tried to build some sense of anticipation when I use my DSLR by not looking at the LCD screen, it may seem counter-intuitive, after all being able to check as you go along should be a good thing? But by resisting this temptation I learnt an even better thing. For me, constantly looking at the back of a camera is a habit that interferes with rhythm and distracts the connection between my subject and I. But worst than that ‘Chimping' undermines my own photographic instinct, it’s better to trust my own sense than a small screen, and in the end if I ever have a doubt I just look at my film negatives.

All photographed with Hasselblad 500c/m on Kodak Portra 400 film.

Assembly

August 19, 2014 Tom Sebastiano

With a roll of Ilford FP4+ 125 loaded in the CONTAX S2 and Zeiss Planar T* ƒ1.7 50mm mounted, I shot this short series with Sky. They were all taken in natural window light. I've never been much of an Ilford user, but I have to say that this film greatly impressed me especially as it expired in 2005!

Expired 1993

July 14, 2014 Tom Sebastiano

FUJICHROME VELVIA - 21 YEARS IN FOIL

A while ago my friend gave me her late father's old cameras and lenses. In the camera bag pocket were two rolls of expired Fuji Velvia 50. The boxes were covered in mildew. However, Fuji sealed their Velvia in thick foil wrappers and so even though they were 21 years out of date and been stored in the loft space above a garage, through many hot summers and cold winters, I figured it was worth shooting just to see what I got.

Velvia is a highly saturated daylight colour reversal film that's popular with nature and landscape photographers, both of which I'm not. But I do like portraiture so after shooting Izzy with some Kodak Portra 160, I thought why not try that old Velvia? she's got beautiful red hair and the meadow we were in was sort of a landscape!

The transparencies were a real surprise to me, they were so punchy and vivid, but in hindsight, that is to be expected from Fuji famous film. What I didn't expect is the beauty and robustness that emerged from such old and uncared for film. They did have a colour shift toward magenta, possibly due to age, that was reasonably corrected with post-processing. The overall final result suited my unorthodox experiment... using Velvia for portraits!

First Contact

July 5, 2014 Tom Sebastiano

Noel has been developing and printing his own work for over forty years and so as well as knowing a thing or two about photography he is an excellent teacher. I've been spending a bit of time in his darkroom and he has been encouraging me to take control of the ADOX! After developing the film, making the contact sheets was a great way to see how my latest shoot with Elizabeth unfolded and immediately which frames had potential.

All photographed with CONTAX S2 & Zeiss Distagon T* ƒ2.8 28mm using Fuji Neopan 400 and expired TMAX 100.

Bullitt

June 24, 2014 Tom Sebastiano

Another test roll from the Flexaret VII, this beautiful Czechoslovakian TLR made by Meopta between 1966 - 1970, is an impressively solid machine. It's Belar ƒ3.5 80mm lens is really sharp and has a max 1/500 Pentacon Prestor shutter. Around the lens is a toothed ring, that locks the shutter speed and aperture together for EV type exposure. Focusing is done by means of a swinging anchor at the front of the camera. Other than that operation is pretty straightforward. My only reservation is the faint and dark focusing screen, this made composing the subject a lot harder than I'm used to.

In keeping with the age of the camera, I took some photos of one of Bill Shepherd's 60s classics, this superbly restored 68 Ford Mustang 390GT features modern brakes, suspension and power. It's all expertly restored to replicate the car driven by Steve McQueen in the 1968 film Bullitt. The iconic highland green car was used during one of the most memorable movie chase scenes ever shot.

All shot with Meopta Flexaret VII and expired Fujicolor NPS 160Pro

Down in a tube station...

May 31, 2014 Tom Sebastiano

A series of photos taken in and around the Elephant and Castle tube station and for me, inspired by Paul Weller’s Down in a Tube Station at Midnight. It was the second single taken from the album All Mod Cons by British band The Jam released in 1978.

All photographed with Mamiya 6 on Fuji Neopan 400 film.

Mercado De La Cebada

May 30, 2014 Tom Sebastiano

Mercado de la Cebada, La Latina, Madrid.

For me, walking around this indoor marketplace was a wonder. It felt as though the stalls were clinging for their commercial lives. Most of the viable traders were centred on the ground floor, closest to the street for convenient access; they still provide excellent meat, fresh fish, fruit & vegetables. On the upper floors and outer edges stood many unoccupied kiosks, lining the long corridors of shutters and patchy lighting. The building was almost like a time warp, its age was evident, but in many ways, I could see that it was a place held dear by its traders and the community it serves.

All photos taken with Sigma SD15 and Sigma EX ƒ1.4 30mm lens. Foveon RAW files processed with Sigma Photo Pro 5.5 and post processed with Adobe Photoshop CS6.

Quo Vadis, Baby?

April 19, 2014 Tom Sebastiano

All photographed with Hasselblad 500c/m on Fuji Neopan 400 & Kodak Portra 400 film.

Urban Maze

April 14, 2014 Tom Sebastiano

Like vital arteries, these access and service passages exist in every town and city. For me, they are a sort of backstage, an opposite to the often sparkling and gleaming front of house that they serve. Like multi-story car parks, warehouses and subways I find myself attracted by their unremarkable and ubiquitous nature. Maybe the challenge is to find some interest in these mundane but essential pieces of banal infrastructure.

All photographed at ƒ8 and ƒ11 with an exposure of 1 to 2 seconds. Shot with CONTAX S2 & Carl Zeiss Distagon T* ƒ2.8 28mm lens on Kodak Portra 400 film.

Dreamland

March 27, 2014 Tom Sebastiano

Margate, Kent

The area around All Saints Avenue with its brutalist 1960s tower Arlington House and its former seaside amusement park Dreamland offered a fascinating vision of how times change. The whole area patiently awaits renewal and so these images offer only a transient glimpse into their story.

All photos taken with Sigma SD15 and Sigma EX ƒ2.8 17-50mm lens. Foveon RAW files processed with Sigma Photo Pro 5.5 and post processed with Adobe Photoshop CS6.

Fogbound

March 14, 2014 Tom Sebastiano

Looking through the window a shroud of heavy fog blanked out the view. It was 6 am and I stood to think for a moment before I grabbed my camera... Spring will be here soon no time to lose.

All photos taken with Sigma SD15 and Sigma EX ƒ1.4 30mm lens. Foveon RAW files processed with Sigma Photo Pro 5.5 and post processed with Adobe Photoshop CS6.

Poolside

February 16, 2014 Tom Sebastiano

I regularly walk past this small park with its empty paddling pool and really like the turquoise colour and texture of its worn concrete surface. And so, on a cold Sunday afternoon with the light fading fast, Mary and I shot some frames on both Kodak Portra 400 and Fuji Neopan 400.

All photos were spot metered on CONTAX S2 and either ƒ2.8 or ƒ4 at 1/60 or 1/30.