I often see many images that cause me to scratch my head and wonder, "Why doesn't my stuff look like that?"Apparently, I've been overlooking the obvious: The images that I envy--envy for their rich tones, impressive detail, and so much more--were shot with a medium format camera with a digital back!
D'oh! I could'a had a V-8!
I don't care how swift you are with lighting, how talented the MUA and stylist might be, what kind of art direction you throw at the image, or how beautiful and sexy the model is or how incredibly she "sells it," if you snap the same shot, once with a 35mm dSLR and again with a medium format camera with a digital back, the dMF image is going to trump the d35mm image. And it's going to trump it BIG-time!
It's this exact factor (that I've overlooked) that sent me studying HDR techniques. Somehow, in my brain-farting absentmindedness, I believed some mysterious post process was the secret ringer that so effectively trumped my images. I now know that simply ain't so.
I'm not saying everything I shoot lacks that certain something because I'm shooting small format. I freely admit there are many small format, dSLR photographers whose work trumps mine-- and it does so for many reasons, not the least of which is that those shooters are, quite simply, better than me. But when it comes to model photography, medium format rules.
A photographer from the Netherlands, Frank Doorhof, is an active member of the Photo Camel forum. Frank routinely posts terrific pretty girl images on that forum. Lately, I haven't been able to figure out why Frank's glamour photography has been so breathtakingly gorgeous even tho, like me, he often shoots his models against a simple seamless. Yesterday, in one of his updates, I noticed something I hadn't noticed before: Frank has been shooting his stuff with a Mamiya 645ZD, a medium format SLR with a 22mp digital back. If you think the full-frame sensor on a 1d or a 5d is the ultimate in sensors, think again: Those sensors are dwarfed by the sensors on the back of dMF cameras.
If I want to seriously upgrade my images, I guess I'll have to figure out how I can afford a medium format camera with a digital back. Unfortunately, I'm fairly sure that ain't gonna happen in the very near future. Oh well.
The gratuitous pretty girl at the top, shot on location a month or so ago with my Canon 5D dSLR, is Lela. This image of Lela certainly doesn't qualify as breathtaking photography. And there are many who could process this image much better than I'm capable of doing. It also doesn't feature the rich tones and incredible depth and detail associated with a dMF capture. But Lela is still quite easy to look at, no?
8 comments:
This is one of those cases where film actually makes sense. It has the range of a dMF or greater (depending on the film) and it's worlds cheaper to buy a decent MF system and a film scanner. It's about $1-2k as apposed to $$15-40k. Sure film and processing will be a recurring cost, but $13k buys a lot of that!
I'm actually going through this with LF. I wanted higher res and range images for less money and it's amazing what you can buy used for the money. I should have my scanner by the end of the week so I can show ya! Some of the work still needs to be developed as my darkroom is still coming along. LF has a rarity premium attached to it though that MF doesn't really. Pluse if you get a common Hassy or Mamiya even you can eveentually put a digital back on it.
The one thing that amazes me the most abouut larger formats like the medium format (and has always pissed me off about the digital slr) is the way the medium format system takes better advantage of the focal length (both digital and film). For the same focal legnth you get a wider angle of view. I mean, even thow a 80mm lens on a 6x6 is equivelent to a 50mm on a 35, it just looks soooooo much better on the MF due to the increased angle of view for the focal length. Same depth compression, but a wider view. It just works so well with people.
Ever think about renting one for a shoot to try it out? Never know if a really good client would handle it for ya, huh?
Yes, but one thing to consider - Frank got his Mamiya only recently. His previous work was with a 5D, and it was fantastic even then.
Yes, but one thing to consider - Frank got his Mamiya only recently. His previous work was with a 5D, and it was fantastic even then.
I absolutely agree. Frank has always produced outstanding work. But just recently is when I began noticing a new dimension to his work--it seemed to go over the top in terms of color tone, resolution, detail, and depth. And then I discovered he recently got hishands on and has been shooting with that Mamiya ZD
I just wanted to say thanks for your blog...I read it often, Isaw your post on the Erotica convention and bondage ball was right around the corner, I thought I would see you there but I didn't well at least to my knowledge, I ran the photo booth ther and was going to email you but didn't have the time, as I was rushed. thanks for your help wiht lighting. it really is nice of you to share your stuff.
Darkman.
I looked at some of Mr. Doorhof’s most recent uploads to Photo Camel as well as a few he posted in January of last year. I think more than anything else his post-processing style has evolved, which showcases his Photoshop and/or Painter techniques more than the camera he uses.
Given these techniques and the realities of digital compression, it’s hard to imagine there would be a discernable difference between an uncropped 5D file and an uncropped ZD file--once reduced to an 800 pixel jpeg image and viewed with a non-color-managed web browser running on something as coarse as a computer monitor.
However, I have no doubt that these differences would be apparent on a 16x20 or 20x30 print.
Will
Does Lela's head look unusually large for her body in this shot? (Or maybe it just is naturally) Anyway, as I was scanning through the posts it caught my eye
Does Lela's head look unusually large for her body in this shot? (Or maybe it just is naturally)
yeah. it does and it kinda is. she's fairly short and petite and there's other things that are unusually large for her body and that's what usually draws many mens' attentions... ;-)
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