Some experiemental pieces

I have been experiementing with shooting panoramas 'in camera' using my film rfs. Of course, the alignment is not perfect and you get double images and extra exposure where the frames overlap. Also I have to scan in several pieces and stitch in photoshop, which allows additional 'interest' when putting the aligned layers together. I've printed a couple and they have got some mixed reviews with some people liking them and others finding it hard to get beyond the fact they are not a straight representation.

I would be pleased to hear your (constructive) opinions, both on the idea as well as the execution.

Mike

Looking at the intentionally left overlaps in panoramic photography

Mike Shimwell said:

I have been experiementing with shooting panoramas 'in camera' using my film rfs. Of course, the alignment is not perfect and you get double images and extra exposure where the frames overlap. Also I have to scan in several pieces and stitch in photoshop, which allows additional 'interest' when putting the aligned layers together. I've printed a couple and they have got some mixed reviews with some people liking them and others finding it hard to get beyond the fact they are not a straight representation.

I would be pleased to hear your (constructive) opinions, both on the idea as well as the execution.

Mike

Click to expand...

Michael,

Photoshop does not seem to be able to deal with all the axis and origin shift that full fledged stitchers can crunch with ease. The pictures you have shown have two different feels.

The first one has some special surprises to get used to.




This picture is a shock to our expectations. We're not used to the block of double exposure overlaying the center of the picture. But wait, there's more. Look at the trunk of the tree to the right of this, there's a coat of leaves. So we gained from this sandwich. The interruption allows something we could enjoy and pass by to make us stop and say "What on earth's going on?" It's that which lets us stop to explore the image with out own compass and personal values. I like it.




The second photograph has a more stuttering overlap! The pieces doubly exposed are so might lighter. This image is less arresting as we are used to this softer graphic assemblage. It's comfortable. It is still interesting and will make people think about new possibilities, but it's not a rude confrontation like the first construction of the woods. Choice? Depends on how daring we are?

Asher

This technique has the potential to be used expressively, Mike. I know I have seen at least one painter -- circa 1960's?-- use a very similar visual technique.

I encourage you to explore it further. But I suggest that, as with any other technical technique, you begin your explorations from an expressive objective rather than creating an image that just looks cool. I also suggest that you not limit yourself to slicing horizontals.

Ken Tanaka said:

This technique has the potential to be used expressively, Mike. I know I have seen at least one painter -- circa 1960's?-- use a very similar visual technique.

I encourage you to explore it further. But I suggest that, as with any other technical technique, you begin your explorations from an expressive objective rather than creating an image that just looks cool. I also suggest that you not limit yourself to slicing horizontals.

Click to expand...

While I agree with exploring further and not limiting to horizontals only, I think that first mastering the correct merging and blending of well registered images will provide a better foundation to start breaking the rules. To break the rules deliberately and effectively, one first has to master them, IMHO of course.

Bart

All

Thanks for your comments. Very quickly as I'm about to head off to bed...

Asher, I agree the second is weaker than the first, and might be better served by a simple stitch of digital files.

Ken, you found me out on the second image certainly It is just a 'cool' playpiece. I will keep exploring, and slicing verticals or diagonals could also be interesting. One thought there may be around using separate frames and overlaying in photoshop rather than relying on slipping the rewind clutch on the camera.

Bart, Pretty difficult to get perfect registration by slipping the rewind clutch - these aren't digital stiches except for the final reconstruction of the scanned negative. The digital stitching is accurate.

Another one for autmunal exploration.

Mike

Mike Shimwell said:

...
One thought there may be around using separate frames and overlaying in photoshop rather than relying on slipping the rewind clutch on the camera.

Click to expand...

Overlaying differently developed patches of an image onto that image can be an effective visual expression technique, rather like creating small lenses to highlight certain details.

For example, here's a twilight downtown street scene:
(I've amped-up the blues a bit for another purpose.)



If I now invert the entire image and then mask selected areas to restore normal colors:



I can create a collage-like image of the scene:



An infinite number of possibilities exist once you get beyond the rather hidebound arena of "photography".