5 Alternative Film Emulsions Very Worth Trying

The biggest users of film these days are millennials and people younger than 30. Why? It's a different experience from seeing an image pop up immediately or being able to send it off to all your friends right then and there in that moment. While the tried and true standards like Portra, Tri-X and Velvia are popular, they're not always capable of giving you a look in a photo that digital can't easily do with some tweaking. So instead, we're rounding up a number of films that we strongly recommend you try out.

CineStill 50D

As the lowest ISO film on this list, you should know that CineStill 50D is based off of Kodak movie film that has had a layer removed and is repackaged for 35mm film usage. Due to being rated at ISO 50, it has the finest grain of any color film I've honestly ever seen and it great for shooting outdoors or indoors with studio lighting.

Words of advice: bring a tripod or a wide angle lens to compensate for the reciprocal rule of shutter speeds because you're shooting at such a low ISO.

My only complaint about CineStill film is that sometimes the layers aren't always perfectly removed and so a whole section of a roll can be ruined.

Fujifilm Natura 1600

Fujifilm Natura isn't exactly an alternative film in Japan, but to many of us here in the US it's something rare and tough to get your hands on. The film was developed to be shot in low light quite obviously due to the ISO 1600 rating. However, for what it's worth it also provides a very low grain and in the hands of a skilled photographer can offer a look that will simply blow your mind away.

Oddly enough, this film is daylight balanced. So when you shoot a photo, it's bound to be very accurate based on what you're seeing in real life.

LomoChrome Purple

Photo by Lomography

LomoChrome Purple is one of the really, really weird ones. When it arrived on the scene, we all thought that it was an alternative to Kodak Aerochrome. But instead, it's a negative film and just renders all the greens in the scene into a pinkish purple. It offers a look almost like that of an infrared photo.

For the best results, Lomography recommends using it at ISO 100 and giving it lots of light.

CineStill 800T

While Fujifilm Natura 1600 gives you very fine grain at 1600, so too does CineStill 800T. It too is a movie film that is repackaged. Of all color films currently on the market, it's one of my favorites. Use this film outside on cloudy days, inside with Tungsten lighting, or inside with a flash bounced off a wall or something. It's designed for that.

This is a remarkable film if you're a strobist.

Kono! Tungsten 400T

A film that probably isn't well mentioned or talked about is that from Kono. Specifically I'm falling in love with their 400T. Like CineStill, it too is a Tungsten balanced film that otherwise will make everything look very blue. It's designed for the photographer that goes out and shoots at night. However, it offers a finer grain than CineStill does and is so far proving to be my absolute top choice for portraiture.

Source: 5 Alternative Film Emulsions Very Worth Trying

Infrared Photos of NYC’s Central Park as a Psychedelic Dreamland

Photographer and graphic designer Paolo Pettigiani, who we first learned about on Colossal, transformed New York City's Central Park into a psychedelic dreamland with his recent cityscape series. The artist used an infrared lens to take some expansive shots of the famous urban park, which turned the green grass and trees into a shocking pink hue against an aquamarine sky. The surreal palette is at once sickly sweet and dreamlike, changing the way we view one of America's most photographed places forever.

Art    Central Park    cityscape    infrared    landscape    New York City    newsletter
Source: Infrared Photos of NYC's Central Park as a Psychedelic Dreamland

Hedon Museum – Changes to Exhibition dates 2016

Announcements

DUE to unforeseen circumstances, there has been a change to the advertised programme of exhibitions at Hedon Museum:

200 Years of Childhood will now run until Saturday 16th July 2016.

Alterworld Art – Infrared Photography by Christopher Story will now run from Saturday 20th July – Saturday 13th August.

Stan Pougher – "Every painting is a problem-solving adventure". Wednesday 17th August – Saturday 10th September.

Larry Malkin & Homeworx – "Born with a brush in hand". Wednesday 14th September – Saturday 8th October.

Hedon Museum apologises for any inconvenience.

Source: Hedon Museum – Changes to Exhibition dates 2016

Infrared Photos of NYC’s Central Park as a Psychedelic Dreamland

Photographer and graphic designer Paolo Pettigiani, who we first learned about on Colossal, transformed New York City's Central Park into a psychedelic dreamland with his recent cityscape series. The artist used an infrared lens to take some expansive shots of the famous urban park, which turned the green grass and trees into a shocking pink hue against an aquamarine sky. The surreal palette is at once sickly sweet and dreamlike, changing the way we view one of America's most photographed places forever.

Art    Central Park    cityscape    infrared    landscape    New York City
Source: Infrared Photos of NYC's Central Park as a Psychedelic Dreamland

Update of sharptail grouse lek survey

In May, I wrote about a new technique that might be used to survey sharp-tails and prairie chickens on their dancing grounds (lek). The technique uses aerial infrared photography that is supposed to be able to not only document the number of birds present on the lek but also even tell the difference between males and female birds.

The pilot study was completed over two confirmed leks in the Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge and likely others in a large search area. The total cost for the flight was $1,600, a lot less than originally thought as they were able to piggyback on another project that saved some costs. The Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society kicked in $850 and the Minnesota Sharp-Tailed Grouse Society kicked in $750.

The Fish and Wildlife Service regional office is covering the cost of the GIS specialist to process the imagery. It will be interesting to see the results to see if this technique can be used to better survey these birds so stay tuned.

Nesting chickadees

I had three pairs of chickadees use some of my nest boxes this spring. One had six eggs, another had seven, and the third had nine eggs. It must have been pretty crowded in the nest with nine eggs but they all grew up and left the nest.

No wonder there are so many chickadees around!

Another nesting bird

Last summer, we had a pair of red-headed woodpeckers nesting nearby. Very unusual. I had seen one perhaps twice in the past. And they appear to be back again this summer.

I suspect they are using a very large aspen that died a few years ago. It just shows that dead trees are very important in the forest for many species of birds and should be left and not used for firewood. With five species of woodpeckers visiting our feeders, we are going through a lot of suet.

Dave Dickey is a retired DNR Area Wildlife manager. Anyone with a question, comment or story idea should email him at whitetail99@yahoo.com.

Source: Update of sharptail grouse lek survey

Iconic pagodas turn into a dreamland in infrared photos(1/9)

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, a landmark of Dali city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, seen in an infrared photo. (Photo/people.cn)

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, a landmark of Dali city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, exude a dreamy, timeless ambiance in a series of infrared photos. Located at the foot of the Cangshang Mountains and facing the west shore of the Erhai Lake, the Three Pagodas are one of the best known Buddhist architectures in China. The main pagoda, known as Qianxun Pagoda, is 69.13 meters high. The other two, standing to the northwest and southwest of Qianxun Pagoda, are 42.17 meters high. The Pagodas were once part of Chongsheng Temple, also known as Tianlong Temple in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, a martial arts novel by Louis Cha Leung-yung (Jin Yong). Although wars and natural disasters destroyed the Chongsheng Temple, the Three Pagodas have been preserved and were listed as a national cultural relic preservation site in 1961.

Source: Iconic pagodas turn into a dreamland in infrared photos(1/9)

Iconic pagodas turn into a dreamland in infrared photos

Source:Ecns.cn Published: 2016-6-17 22:19:25

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, a landmark of Dali city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, seen in an infrared photo. Photo: People.cn

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, a landmark of Dali city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, exude a dreamy, timeless ambiance in a series of infrared photos. Located at the foot of the Cangshang Mountains and facing the west shore of the Erhai Lake, the Three Pagodas are one of the best known Buddhist architectures in China. The main pagoda, known as Qianxun Pagoda, is 69.13 meters high. The other two, standing to the northwest and southwest of Qianxun Pagoda, are 42.17 meters high. The Pagodas were once part of Chongsheng Temple, also known as Tianlong Temple in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, a martial arts novel by Louis Cha Leung-yung (Jin Yong). Although wars and natural disasters destroyed the Chongsheng Temple, the Three Pagodas have been preserved and were listed as a national cultural relic preservation site in 1961. 

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, a landmark of Dali city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, seen in an infrared photo. Photo: People.c n

 

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, a landmark of Dali city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, seen in an infrared photo. Photo: People.cn

 

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, a landmark of Dali city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, seen in an infrared photo. Photo: People.cn

 

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, a landmark of Dali city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, seen in an infrared photo. Photo: People.cn

 

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, a landmark of Dali city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, seen in an infrared photo. Photo: People.cn

 

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, a landmark of Dali city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, seen in an infrared photo. Photo: People.cn

 

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, a landmark of Dali city, Southwest China's Yunnan province, seen in an infrared photo. Photo: People.cn

 

An infrared photo captures the reflection of one of the Three Pagodas in the Erhai Lake, Dali, Southwest China's Yunnan province. Photo: People.cn

 
Source: Iconic pagodas turn into a dreamland in infrared photos