Film in Fashion Photography - Mamiya RZ67

As you all know I am a student (For now), and with the student budget I can't afford to buy my dream camera PhaseOne 645 IQ180.
Because I don't have the medium format + Digital back camera that doesn't mean I can't have a Medium format camera.
Old cameras now are a lot cheeper than they were back in their time thats why couple of months ago I bought my very own Mamiya RZ67 ProII.

However as I mentioned before digital is only very recent development in Photography.
Digital photography used in fashion photography since early 2000's
1990's were mostly Film and before that was Film and Film alone.

If you look at todays results and comparison in film and digital one can easily see Film can still easily compete with Digital.

However there are some drawbacks in film that makes the current Commercial/Fashion photographers go for digital and the biggest one of that is Film Slows the Workflow. 
There are still some really good photographers like Annie Leibovitz, Patrick Demarchelier, Ara Guler, Bill Cunningham and many more using film.

I am not going to sit and write about which one is better which one is the best. As a person who shoots film and digital I can say that I like them both and I'll use both of them as long as I can.

Since I shoot film in fashion as well as digital, I'd like to share what I go through while I am shooting film. 

Some people might know I am sometimes greedy on certain things when I know the real cost and thats the reason I don't give my negatives to develop to developing/processing Labs.
I process and scan the negatives my self and sometimes I find that faster since I use dip and dunk tanks to process negatives (dip and dunk tanks can take 9 medium format or 12 35mm film in one go).

However here is what happens when I shoot film.

Shoot  Day > Process negatives > Dry Negatives > Cut Negatives > File + Label > Scan > Photoshop > Print

And here is what happens when I shoot Digital. 

Shoot day (tethered  camera to laptop) > Photoshop > Print

But seing the result of the film makes you appreciate that you shot film. 

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)

Makeup artist: Alice Bizarre

Model: Gina Harrison

Camera: Mamiya RZ67P ProII + Mamiya Sekor Z 127mm 

Film: New Kodak Portra 160 

Scanned with Hasselbald Flextight 1 scanner 

Pink

Fashion Photography - Beauty Shoot - Pink 

Camera: Nikon D700 + 24-70mm 

Photographer: Bruce (ME)
Hair & Makeup: Alice Bizarre
Model: Gina

BEHIND THE MAKEUP

Behind every great Makeup there is a great Makeup artist. 

Watch on 720p or 1080p on youtube

OR enjoy on Vimeo

Video Shot on Nikon D7000

Not bad for a camera which doesn't even have sync  socket. 

Frustrated (test)

Fashion Photography - Beauty shoot
Here is a photo that I'll be printing large soon (7hours from this post time)

Camera: Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)
Hair and Makeup: Alice Bizarre
Model: Dasha

Killer RED

Fashion photography - Test Beauty shoot 

Brace your self beauty shoots are coming. 

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 70-200 VR II 

Photographer: Bugra ERGIL (Bruce)
Makeup artist: Laura Kate Rzemienicka
Model: Ekaterina
Assistant: Anup K Pandey

On this photo I'll actually explain it how I lit it.

2 strobes (SB900 units)
1 softbox - Key light Above her (light meter reading is f11)
1 octobox - Fill light infront of her looking from up to down 45° (light meter reading is f8)
+ silver reflector on her lap

Chimping - Is photojournalism dying ?

Will the photojournalism become uncommon like blacksmith or chimney sweeps? 

This video should be viewed by any PHOTOGRAPHER (Fashion photographer, photojournalist, commercial photographer, wedding photographer, sports, event, entusiast  etc. . . )

Out of every photographer, the ones that I respect the most are photojournalists, not the photojournalists that work for the tabloids which I mean by celebrity and stupid news stuff such as "monkey running from zoo and driving a car" to take the front page or "some celebrity drinking and driving" but those photojournalist that take the photos of war, those journalist that show the world how much people suffering.

In my opinion that is one of the professions that should not change. Other people taking photographs for news are fine for me but those actual photojournalists has to be there because they are willing to push the limits to get the photographs.

Fashion Photography - Beauty Shoot

Snak peek of my current project. 

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)
Makeup artist: Laura Kate Rzemienicka
Model: Stephanie
Assistant: Anup K Pandey

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 70-200 VR II

Here is a Photo, of the project I always Wanted to do.
Out of every type of photography beauty photography is my favorite, then comes Diptych and after that is the editorial.

There are four more shoots scheduled ahead that means four different models and 8 different looks.

Photography - Past - Present - Future

We are living in era of technology and information.

With the technology changing and improving really fast and new super functional cameras coming in the market every year, us photographers become really picky with the with the current cameras out in the market.

I read the Flickr discussion boards, and people are just discussing about what their cameras can do, how fast does it focus, how many FPS it has, how much noise it gives at 6400 ISO, and looking at these things as minor problems.

It becomes hard for me to understand them and why are they making such small things in to big problems.

Those of you who remember, know or used old cameras will understand and agree.

Lets look back in the time, when photojournalists were using 35mm film and medium format cameras.

They carried one camera with Color film, one camera with B&W high ISO and other camera with B&W low ISO. They used TLR cameras (twin lens reflex), rangefinder cameras.
They didn't have auto focus system, 12 frame per sec.

My favorite sports photograph is take by Neil Leifer.
He used Kodakcrome and medium format camera without metering built in.


He didn't have any of the advantages of todays technological monster cameras.

This photograph is selling for thousands for print.













Nowadays if such thing is happening like the boxing match, the photographers will capture every frame from the last punch till he falls on the floor.

I am not saying this technology is bad, but this technology makes the value of the photograph less specially if it is on internet (The Digital Wasteland)

Now Look where we were and where are we now. 

We don't need to carry 3 different cameras with us.
We don't need an extra bag of Films.
Camera does the focusing and metering.
Focusing can track the subject.
Now they call 4 FPS a slow camera, seriously what is wrong with people.
When I am using a Sinar I spend 1 to 3 minute on focusing only, then I measure the distance between lens and the film and calculate the exposure change, then load the film and take the photograph.


The discussion that I hate the MOST is when some one says D800 has too much pixels and files are too big I barely shoot 150 images in one card . . . seriously ? I can only shoot 10 photos with my Mamiya RZ67 and 36 frames with my Nikon F100.

Everything is perfect but no one is happy. 

Nikon/Cannon Fanboys instead of comparing Cameras and specs, just be happy with what you got, go out there and shoot.

What is the future of photography?
With the technology being so easy to use, and pushing the limits of photography, every one with a DSLR can come up with good results of photographs, and every one can call them selfs photographers.

Who knows maybe in future, Cameras will cook for us and walk our pets in the park.

Nikon D800 VS Hasselbald H4D-40

Many Nikon fanboys have been waiting for a video like this for some time. I am a nikon user and I don't expect that Nikon to beat Hasselbald or any Mediumformat on a comparison. I don't think that any 35mm DSLR will be better than any Medium format DSLR. I'd chose Mamiya DM22 over D800 (DM22 has 22 Megapixels DUH) 

1. Nikon is 35mm    -   Hasselbald is 6x4.5 and even 6x4.5 I find it small. If they will make a medium format with 6x7 size sensor and revolving back I'll sell my house to get it. Imagine how much I don't like crop sensors in DSLR like Nikon and Cannon 

2. Hasselbald has Leaf aperture so as most of the medium formats, that means Flash sync speed up to 1/1600s flash sync speed up to 1/800 (onH system).  Mamiya and PhaseOne can go up to 1/1600

3. The DoF of medium format is way better than 35mm
4. 35mm DSLR has 14bit raw and medium format digital cameras or digital backs has16bit raw

However I am planning on selling my D700 and buying either D3X or D800 (probably D800+grip cuz of my budget) WHY? Because I need more Pixels. Photographers shooting Fashion and going in to commercial photography industry will never have enough pixels :D 

But my dream camera is 645DF with IQ180 digital back and one day I will buy it, I will buy it with the money I earn from photography, well maybe when that day comes there will be better cameras out there but still I'll buy some awesome camera. 

Mamiya RZ - RB Focusing Hack

Easy Manual Focusing for Beauty, extreme closeups, macro, Still Life and more the limit is your imagination.

For those of you who used Large Format cameras might know this or understand it really easy.

Have you ever wondered how did the Professional Photographers get in focus crispy sharp images with Medium format Manual focusing cameras, back in the time when a person can only imagine of auto focusing or see it in their dreams?

So in large format camera they put black curtain or blanket or what ever that doesn't allow light pass through, and then they look at the focusing screen and use a magnifying loupe which is around 8x or 10x and with that they focus. (fun thing to do, makes you spend more time to take the photograph and at the end you appreciate it)

However medium format cameras has their own focusing eye piece, or waist level focusing or what ever; but if you remove that you will end up with a smaller version of large format cameras focusing screen. Then just like Large format you can use the Magnifying Loupe.

You can do that with almost every medium format camera with manual focusing.

Here are some photos of what it looks like (For those people lazy to read what I've written above)

So what ever you are taking for example if it is beauty shoot and the model is right infront of the camera, you can look through the loupe and look at her eye and focus in to her iris.

The F%^&ing Nikon D800 vs. Canon 5D mkIII Shootout

Just like what the title says. 

Software I use and Recommend

As every one knows editing, retouching, developing is as old as photography. 

Before the Digital age photographers developed their image in darkrooms with using black papers with a hole on it. Some of them even tampered negatives to get the results they are looking for. However with computers and software this process got a lot easier and faster. I am not going to write how that process evolved DarkRoom to Computer today, I'll simply say which software I used and which I am using. 

In every shoot, I try to use CaptureOne a program made by PhaseOne. (I say I try because sometimes due to weather or location conditions I can't have a laptop with me) 

I have CaptureOne in my 15 inch MacBook Pro, and the I Macs in Studios has them as well. 

This program allows me to shoot the images directly to Computer. I am not a chimper and I don't like chimping. 

For those don't know what is Chimping. Chimping is when a photographer is checking LCD screen behind his camera after every exposure. I'll write more about Chimping in another day. 

So I only look at the LCD screen to see the exposure, read the histogram, and the framing once I got everything I don't look at it anymore, but shooting fashion is different, there is a team behind you and they want to see the photographs. CaptureOne allows me to shoot directly in to computers memory and display images in computer as I am shooting, that way I don't stop and show my camera to people around me, also it allows me to make some adjustments as I am shooting such as white balance. More info on CaptureOne click here.

Every Fashion, Commercial, studio, photographer and people who want to be in the industry of, Fashion, Commercial, Studio photography should try this program. (use if you like I don't care)

Adobe Photoshop LightRoom and Adobe Photoshop CS5 extended. 

LightRoom and Photoshop are both programs made by Adobe (DUH) and they are very similar in someways. I think Adobe developed the program LightRoom for oldschool photographers, and photo enthusiasts. I used LightRoom and Photoshop CS4, CS5, and what I think is Photoshop can do everything LightRoom can do and even more. Camera Raw of Photoshop has the same functions of Lightroom and photoshop itself is a magnificent tool. What LightRoom has and Photoshop don't is a Picture library, LightRoom organizes photographs in a really good way and labels them in a easy to find way. However I don't need that when I am using CaptureOne 95% of the time. 

LightRoom Is decent program for photography, and if you are a wedding, event, sports photographer or even a photojournalist, It will match your needs. 

I use them both but I use Photoshop in academic, fashion and commercial work, and I use LightRoom when I snap something I Like, behind the camera, less serious stuff and, etc . . . 

Fashion Photography - BabyDoll - Looking 3.5 Years Back

One of my very first WELL ORGANISED shoot. 


It was three and half years ago, when my Ex asked around in her University (Instituto Marangoni) that if any styling student wanted to shoot their projects with me, and that was the beginning of many shoots and good friendships.


So about this Photograph below, I was going through my old hardrives to see my old work and do some new photoshop with my old work.

Camera: Nikon D2X

Lens:  To be honest I can't remember.

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)

Stylist: Ekaterina Nishanova 

Makeup artist: Janna Rean 

Hair Stylist: I Can't Remember (Will look in to it)

Model: I can't Remember (Will look in to it) 

Fashion poses in Real life.

WE fashion photographers, we always create something out of the ordinary. We are not like other photographers, We don't capture the moment we always create it. 

We do art direction, tell the model to get in certain poses, we bring the model in to location, light the model in a unnatural way create a fairy tale come true in magazines and more . . . 

But have you ever considered how these poses that we shape our models looks in real life ? ? ? 

Is it Art? Is it Fashion? Is it Funny? Or just ridicules 

Diptych for Portfolio

I don't know if it is just me or not but I really like making Diptychs or Triptychs from my shoots.
If the shoot makes an editorial I like it as it is but some how I make my own Diptychs or Triptychs out of every shoot, If I am shooting something like a look book one image won't be enough to stand alone in my portfolio, repetition of outfits but in different moods and angles are acceptable for Diptych but not for Triptych (in my opinion).

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)
Stylist: Darien Mynarski
Designer: Sarmite Ostanevica
Asst photo: Anup Kumar Pandey
Model: Kamila

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 70-200mm VR II 

 

Tick Tock - Fashion shoot

I always wanted to make a video like this and I made it ! 

A video that shows what was happening in the shoot. 

Diptych from Exhibition

These photographs has a good story behind them. 

It all started with a student projects. In the project given to me, I had to find some one (client potential person) and work/shoot for them, and the goal was to shoot for some one who will be like my boss. The outcome (The photographs) of this project has to be viewed by public. So basically the photographs cannot be for ones private use such as portfolio etc . . . 

What I had in my mind was a look for any designer because I was the least complicated idea for a shoot. 

"simple lighting, 1 model, many outfits, A5 size LookBook, no need of medium format, and huge prints"

What I didn't add to my plan was the element of surprise! My designer was pleased with the results as we were shooting and asked me to add them to her exhibition. 

That changed the entire shoot. It wasn't only LookBook poses any more, more art directing was required also they had to be good enough to stand with other Photographers images and those people actually shoot for the exhibition. 

Everything turned out the way it was planned at the end. 

Bored in Photography Studio.

Let me tell you guys the story behind this photo. A photographer friend of mine booked a studio for her shoot but somehow the shoot got cancelled in last day. So she had the studio to her self for 6 hours. Because of the school rules she has to be there if she doesn't want to get fined. So she called Anup (my friend) and I to chill and do different light setups in studio and play around. 

The studio has 5 Strobes, and 2 redheads (redheads are 800w tungsten continues lights) 

I piked the redheads and positioned like in the way shown in my sketch below. (damn bad handwriting) 

Since they are fixed powered, 800W all the time I used the barn doors and distance to position them. 

Main light was away from the subject and had narrow barn doors, and I added another one almost from the same angle but closer to subject with the barn doors wide open to get highlights which will add more dimension to photograph. 

It took me less than 3 min to set up the lights and get this result :D 

Fashion Photography - AUTOMATIC - LookBook

Here is a sneak-peek of my shoot with Sarmite  Ostanevica.


Some of the Photographs will be shown in the exhibition.

Weather Sealed D700

As you might know yesterday 04.02.2012 Saturday was a snowy day in London, it was a big deal for many people since they haven't seen much snow in their life however, I found that was a great opportunity to test my D700 on weather conditions like that.
I used my D700 on a mountain which was very cold, in a really hot and humid Island at the Aegean Sea, under rain in London, but never at under the snow.
So I got the D700 and 50mm 1.4 G lens and head out side. The result is Camera is Put Together well, the camera nor the lens didn't have any problem at all, worked perfectly.

Here is a snap of how D700 looks like when I was back home.

Too bad all the snow on the Camera melt as I stepped in the house. 

After a Fashion Shoot

So 2 days a go, I shoot a look book for a designer friend of mine (Sarmite Ostanevica). And that shoot was a great opportunity for me to take my Mamiya to a teset and see what is my Baby can do. (I already know what it can do, I used it before but never used my own before) it feels great to use your own camera, way better than renting it.

In the shoot, I used D700, F100, and Mamiya RZ67. The reason I used all 3 cameras are simple. 

1. D700 to get instant results in Capture One in Imac and Digital files are fast, from camera to Photoshop 
2. F100 to use transparency film and get slides if necessarily. 
3. I just love the 6x7 images that comes from Mamiya.  

13 exposed rolls from Mamiya (130 photos)

4 exposed rolls of Slide film 

and 18 GB of Digital Data. 

Photoshop will take forever O_O 

New Toy Mamiya RZ 67 Pro II

Finally I found what I was looking for, my very own clean almost unused Mamiya RZ67 Pro II.

The reason why I wanted this camera and why buy it?

1. My current school has 3 Mamiya RZ67 Pro II and a digital back, but I cant always know if they are available & I will not be a student forever.
2. This camera can be  film, Polaroid, or digital. just change the backs.
3. I love the results from a 6x7 camera, specially the portraits.
4. Medium Format cameras are a lot better for fashion and beauty shoots.
5. These cameras doesn't get old that easy.
6. It has a leaf shutter with the RZ lenses which allows camera to have 1/400 sec sync speed.

Also I changed my favorite C-41 negative to Porta. Now on Fashion I will be shooting Kodak Portra 160 with my Mamiya, Juji Provia 100F with my F100.

The reason I don't use Ektar is the Hasselblad flextight scanner I use, has the color profiles and presets for all portra negatives but doesn't have anything for Ektar. Also I find Ektar to give too orange skin colours.

Sarah Moon is a master of photography

Just Listen . . .

Fashion Photography - Olympian Goddess

This is a Photo from Olympia project which was given to us by Perry Curties. 

Wendy kept the styling clean and simple, wich looks great with the theme. 

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)

Stylist: Wendy Ford

Hair & Makeup: Laura Kate Rzeminiecka       

Model: Winter

Camera: Nikon D700

Lens: Nikkor 70-200mm VR II

Light: 1 Large SoftBox 

Fencing with Cucumber - Urban Olympics

Something I played when I was a kid ... fencing with any long object in my hand. I bet any boy who watched or read about the 3 Musketeers done the same.


Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce)
Stylist: Wendy Ford
Makeup artist: Sandy Monica
Model: Michael
Assistant: Anup Kumar Pandey

Press Pause Play

Recently I've written a essay about Fashion Journalism "In what ways internet changed fashion journalism" and some how in my research I come up to a documentary film that interested me a lot.

The Documentary Films title was Press Pause Play showing how the internet, technology changed the industry. 

I would recommend this film to any one who is interested in videography, photography, music, art, digital world, and media. 

By the way this film is literally every where on web, free download, watch at YouTube . . . etc 

Is this how THE SARTORIALIST works ?

I like Scott's style of photography, by saying that I mean I like the result of his photography. But I didn't know he was shooting like this. I always imagined he was shooting in more natural ways.

Update: 22nd April 2012

Interesting, looks like some one didn't like to share how Scott was actually working, or some one didn't want others to share. 

Shooting with Film

This photograph is taken by Kodak Ektar 100 ISO, Bit too orange on skin tones don't you think?  There is no editing, manipulating, retouching, only re-sized. straight from the scanner.

Photographer: Bugra ERGIL (Bruce)
Stylist: Wendy Ford
Hair & Makeup: Laura Kate Rzeminiecka
Model: Winter

Camera: Nikon F100

Lens: Nikkor  24-70mm 

Film: Kodak Ektar 100 ISO 

Film Scanned by: Flextight X1

Urban Olympics (student work - test shoot)

This is one photo from my Olympia project which was given to me and my classmates from Perry Curties the editor in chief of 125 magazine.   

Lights: 2 SoftBox 61cm square(singel defuse) with SB900   at 1/2 power 

Camera : Nikon D700 with 24-70 lens.

Exposure: 1/100 sec at f11 - ISO 200

Photographer: Bugra Ergil (Bruce) 

Stylist: Wendy Ford

Hair and Makeup artist: Laura Kate Rzemieniecka 

Model: Audrey 

Joe McNally "The magician of the light!"

Nikon CLS :: Joe McNally from Bertrand Haulotte on Vimeo.

Its amazing how he gets everything right in the camera, like the grey sky, put gels on the flashes and have your white balance set to  tungsten.