Tuesday 7 August 2012

At last! A French vernacular bulding secured on Kodak HIE 5x4 film

It has taken a while to get this image. Holidaying in the Cher region of France, I have for years been driving past this lovely grain tower near St Just, south of Bourges on the D2076. At least I think it is a grain tower...But each time, either I didn't have a suitable camera, no infrared film, or the weather wasn't worth getting the camera out. But at long last, I had the camera - an ancient MPP Technical 5x4 camera - and I had the film, some truly rare Kodak HIE infrared in 5x4 size, I also had the R72 infrared filter, a Bolex tripod, and cable release. Getting into the field was a bit of a mission as it is right beside the rather busy trunk route between Bourges and Moulins. There is a tiny pull in, and I was able to gently trespass and secure this lovely view with nifty cloudscapes that create excellent infrared photography. I took four sheets of infrared, and two of Ektachrome. I processed the film in Kodak HC110 to 'B' ratio, and printed the images onto 20x24 Agfa Portriga grade 3, later selenium toning the fibre prints to increase contrast. OK so this is a bit geeky, but look at the picture! Actually of course this image was scanned from the negative, but you get the idea. I have a handful of sheets of 5x4 infrared left, but this is the first successful outing for this box of film, which expired in 1993. I keep it frozen until I need it.

Thursday 26 January 2012

Don McCullin at The Imperial War Museum, London

Seems years ago since we posted the article on Don McCullin's retrospective show at IWM North, oh wait, it was years ago.  Anyway we went to see the show now on at IWM in London.  The show has great staging - huge enlargements of portraits bisect the gallery and the walls are crowded with original images and contemporary magazine spreads. The video interview is enlightening and the overall experience leaves the visitor in no doubt that they have had insight into the career of McCullin and maybe vicariously experienced a very small part of the trauma and pain of McCullin's subjects. We're not sure if we have any greater understanding of what drove McCullin to put himself in harms way so frequently - he was wounded a number of times, notably in Cambodia in 1970, and there does seem to be a sense of the gung ho and an exhilaration about some of the situations and images he made as a result.  Our original post is still available under the 2010 section- see right.

Don McCullin’s Nikon F camera, damaged by a  bullet at Prey Veng, Cambodia, 1970. Copyright Don McCullin


The show in London closes on the 15th of April and is highly recommended.  A monograph / catalogue of McCullin's show Shaped by War is well worth buying and a copy is now in the College Library.

McCullin is also on show at Tate Britain and the link will take you to a videocast on the Tate site.  This show is on until the 4th of March 2012.