Tag Archives: 35mm

Photography tools

Why I Stopped Using Adobe Products

There are alternatives to Photoshop and Lightroom

I have had some technical difficulties lately. It started when my Mac decided to start making awful noises whenever I booted it up. Granted, I have had that computer for about a decade so I guess I can’t be to disappointed. It was time for a new computer and I started taking inventory of my software tools wondering if I needed to upgrade them while I was at it. Shortly after, Adobe announced that they changed their terms of use so they can basically take any imagery, photograph or otherwise, from their products to train their A.I. model. That was my tipping point… It was time to dump Adobe.

I have been using Photoshop since version 2.0 and have loved using it. It really is a great tool and so is Lightroom. They are the premier tools for photo editing, design, illustration etc. I have become very familiar with them over the years. However, it seems that Adobe wants to bit the hand that feeds it. Hard.

To leverage the very tools that creatives use against them seems very short sighted to me. I could be wrong. I get it, the A.I. tools can be a real boost to creativity and take ideas further, faster and better. I don’t have a problem with that. It’s the idea that Adobe thinks they can just steal previous customers work to make a tool that will impact the opportunities of other creatives.

I have decided not to participate in Adobe taking advantage of the industry it is supposed to empower.

Now, don’t think I am not aware of all the other A.I. models using images from all corners of the internet, I am. I get it, A.I. can be a really great tool but not at my expense (if I can help it).

Tybee Beach Pier and Pavilion taken with Nikon F4, Nikkor 35-135mm, Foma 400 film. Processed in GIMP 2.0 instead of Adobe Photoshop.
Tybee Beach Pier and Pavilion, Tybee Island Georgia.

What am I going to use now?

I decided to go for the most affordable (i.e. FREE) solutions first, figuring that if they didn’t meet my needs I wasn’t out of any cash and it could only get better with other tools if these didn’t work out. Right now I am experimenting with GIMP and Darktable for my digital image editing.

I went with these two because there is an extensive developer and user community behind them. They may not get as regular updates as commercial software but they are stable and get updates on a consistent basis. Not to mention their price tag.

What about GIMP?

GIMP is actually pretty good. The above image was an old scan that I had in my archive and decided to run it through GIMP to see if I could take it where I wanted. Overall, I was able to quickly get where I wanted the final image to be. Photoshop users should be able to transition well to GIMP. It does lack two features (and has one bug) that, if weren’t missing, would make it a perfect replacement for me. Your mileage may vary. Remember, I started using Photoshop back in the day when there wasn’t layers…

A good clone healing tool

The clone healing tool in GIMP is a little cumbersome to use. Not as easy as Photoshop. GIMP makes you select a source area of the image and then you use the clone tool to spot dust or whatever you need. It’ not content aware like PS tools. Not perfect but workable.

Adjustment Layers

This is kind of a big one for me. I used adjustment layers in PS all the time. A great way to do none destructive editing on my original image. Without it in GIMP I am required to create copies of layers before I make an adjustment. Just in case I need to go back a step. Not a great workflow. There is a plan for this feature to be in a future release of GIMP but who knows how long it will take. So I will solder on for now with multiple layers, for a while anyway.

Darktable direct export to GIMP 2.0 doesn’t work (known bug)

After doing general edits in Darktable users used to be able to export directly into GIMP. However, since GIMP 2.0 that export from Darktable doesn’t work anymore. It works with older versions of GIMP but not 2.0. That’s a bummer because if you want to go from Darktable to GIMP you need to export a new file to open into GIMP. I am still learning Darktable so I don’t really know how much this will impact my workflow but I expect it could be annoying. A fix is supposed to be in the works but again who knows how long it will be before it’s released.

How about Darktable?

If someone told you Darktable is like Lighroom, don’t believe them. Both are capable and get you there fast but Darktable works differently than Lightroom in many ways. The workflow in Darktable is close enough to Lightroom that I got confused more often than not. I have to unlearn some things in order to use Darktable proficiently. I am by no means an expert or even very proficient in either one so I don’t have much to say about Darktable beyond this. It is powerful, fast and works really well. It’s just a different process. More to come on that one.

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Behind the Shot

Walking on the beach with some 35mm Kentmere 400 (and a little Tri-x)

In the summer of 2022 I made a quick trip to Wilmington, NC. I was there to help some family members pack up and move out of town. It was a quick in and out over a weekend. I knew I would have one evening to myself so I planned on going down to Kure Beach to make some black and white photographs of the sand and surf.

Kure Beach, NC
Rippling sands in between the grass on Kure Beach, NC. (Nikon N90s, Nikkor 24-35 AF, Kentmere 400, Xtol 1:1)

After a long hot couple of days of packing and loading I grabbed my gear with about 2 hours before sunset and headed out to Kure Beach. I knew there was a pier on the beach and some vehicle access but I had not been there before, so I didn’t really know what to expect. The sky was clear so there was no hope of getting a moody sky over the ocean. I had to work with what I had. I wasn’t disappointed when I arrived.

Kure Beach, NC sand ripples
Ripples in the sand at Kure Beach (Nikon N90s, Nikkor 24-35 AF, Kentmere 400, Xtol 1:1)

The sun was long and golden, but setting pretty fast and getting softer and softer as my time on the beach went on. I started out with a roll of Kentmere 400. I had not shot this film before and wanted to give it a try to see how it held up. I normally shoot Kodak Tri-X, but I was looking for a new film to switch to because the cost of Tri-X has gotten a bit high for me to just throw in the camera and shoot.

After looking at the spec sheet of Kentmere 400 and the curve that Ilford provides I thought it could be a promising replacement. I love the way Tri-X has some separation from the mid tones from the blacks. Something about it is just fantastic. I was hoping Kentmere 400 could get close. All the other films I have tried up to this point were either too even (flat) in their tonal rendition or too expensive.

Kure Beach, NC sand ripples
Sand ripples in the grass at Kure Beach, NC (Nikon N90s, Nikkor 24-35 AF, Kentmere 400, Xtol 1:1)

I started shooting the sand and the grass as the sun started heading down casting long raking light across the ripples revealing wonderful patterns and texture. I had to keep in mind to make sure I didn’t just walk over the sand and leave footprints all over, ruining any possible compositions. Metering was tricky for sure but I used the matrix meter on the shadow areas of the beach and decided to let the Kentmere 400 put the highlights where it wanted. I have to say I was pretty pleased with how this film handled it.

kite boarder Kure Beach, NC
Kite boarders race across the surf at Kure Beach, NC. (Nikon N90s, Tokina 300 f4 AT-X AF, Kentmere 400, Xtol 1:1)

Once I was done with the sand and grass I started down the beach. There were a dozen or so kite surfers out jumping and carving the waves. What cool thing to watch. I stopped and pulled out my tripod and swapped my lens for my 300mm Tokina prime. Once I got set up these guys saw me and started showing off. What a treat. I was loosing some light as the sun kept dropping and my shutter speeds were just on the edge of too slow but I managed to get a couple acceptable shots.

kite surfer jumping in the air
Kite surfer jumping in the air over the waves at Kure Beach, NC. (Nikon N90s, Tokina 300 f4 AT-X AF, Kentmere 400, Xtol 1:1)

There wasn’t many people on the beach that evening but I wanted to test the limits of the Kentmere with a backlit silhouette shot of some people walking on the beach. I am a sucker for back lit black and white photographs. I hung out a little, while the kite surfers were starting to come in for the day. Up the beach, with the sun almost at their backs, was a family doing some beach combing. Perfect. I kept the 300mm on and swiveled my camera around on the tripod and made a few exposures. I metered for the sky and stopped down one stop and took some shots.

beach combers Kure Beach, NC
Family of beach combers on Kure beach, NC. (Nikon N90s, Tokina 300 f4 AT-X AF, Kentmere 400, Xtol 1:1)

I knew I wanted to head down the beach to the Kure Beach Pier for some minimal long exposure shots. It was a little bit of a walk so I packed up and started down the beach. I remembered seeing some amazing wave photographs by some photographers I follow on social media and thought I would try to get some images of the waves on my way down to the pier. The waves weren’t much to look at compared to the giant ones I have seen but why not… So I shot a bunch of frames as I walked. It was fun.

waves at Kure Beach, NC
Waves rise and fall onto the beach at Kure Beach, NC. (Nikon N90s, Tokina 300 f4 AT-X AF, Kentmere 400, Xtol 1:1)

By the time I got down to the pier I shot through all of my Kentmere 400. I had to reload with Tri-X. With my Nikon reloaded I started taking stock in what the pier had to offer. The sun had set, and the last of the light was fading. Lights on the pier came on and it was a beautiful evening on the beach. I made some images on either side of the pier but nothing that excited me. Then I decided to go under the pier for that long look down the pylons.

Kure Beach Pier
Soft long exposure under the Kure Beach Pier. (Nikon N90s, Nikkor 24-35 AF, Kentmere 400, Xtol 1:1)

I set up directly in the middle of the pylons looking down the pier out to sea. I just loved the way the pier made a little house shape at the very end. Nice piece of interest to direct the eye. Directly behind me were some teenagers hanging out in some hammocks they strung up between the pylons. Right behind me… like 3 feet behind me. I made my meter reading in camera, calculated reciprocity and started shooting with my cable release. I wanted something smooth but still some view of the waves instead of the totally flat ghosting of the water so I kept my shutter speed on the shorter side. The image above is my favorite of the series I captured.

What to I think about Kentmere 400 along side of Tri-X? I have to say that I really liked it. I wanted to find a black and white film that would fit in with my existing development process that gave me similar results. Kentmere 400 in Xtol 1:1 is pretty close to Tri-X in my view. Contrast and tonal range is very similar. The grain structure is very similar too. I was happy enough with my results I ordered a bulk roll of the Kentmere 400. I will do some more experimenting on development times with the Kentmere 400 to see if I can get a closer look to Tri-X but I think if I were to put two images side by side, one Kentmere and one Tri-X, it would be hard to tell the difference.

If you are wondering if Kentmere 400 is worth adding to your creative workflow I would say it is absolutely worth it. Your mileage may vary, but I wouldn’t hesitate. Load it up and get out and shoot.

Behind the Shot

Keeping it Simple

Last summer my wife and I made it back to Montana to visit some friends and hang out in the area we used to live in. There were a lot of things to do, people to see and general catching up. I didn’t really make big photo plans for this trip so, photographically speaking, I packed pretty light. Limiting myself to my 35mm camera, a couple lenses and a few rolls of black and white Tri-x we hit the road for Montana.

We were able to spend a week with some close friends on the Gallatin river just outside Bozeman and hit all of our favorite restaurants. Our dog was in heaven again. Being able to roam freely along the river and hang out in the sun whenever and where ever she wanted. It was a very relaxing time.

Photographically, it was a place I had been many times before, for some reason I wasn’t really inspired to make photographs. Maybe because it felt so familiar. Not really sure, because it is a beautiful place to photograph.

Simple black and white composition of bridge at Sacagawea Park. 35mm, Tri-X, xtol 1;1

With a few days left in our trip we moved to different accommodations. We booked an Air BNB “down the hill” in Livingston, MT. I had been there many times but I hadn’t spent more than a couple of hours there at a time. Mostly to go get some lunch or dinner at one of the great places in town. My wife had plans that took her away from town for those few days leaving me without transportation, so I was relegated to hoofing it around town on my own.

At the edge of town, along the banks of the Yellowstone River, is Sacagawea Park. I had not spent much time there before, but it was pretty close to where we were staying so I decided to explore it a little. While shooting black and white photographs I look for simple compositions, I wasn’t really looking for an epic view of the mountains. (The forest fires were raging then and the sky was filled with smoke anyway.) I was able to isolate a few of the charming features of the park while I explored. One of them being the bridge that accesses the park.

The final photo turned out pretty much like I wanted. It has the calm feeling I wanted to portray with the still water reflecting the arches of the bridge and the discovery of peaking through the woodland to find the old bridge just beyond the water. Keeping the composition and gear simple when I made the photograph, it helps me remember the sounds and smells of that day when I made it. A very good memory.