Uncle Jonesy's Cameras Podcast #66: When Your Photography Inspiration Goes "Poof!"

It's a brand new year and a brand new show ("Our best show of 2024," says Wayne). The Shutter Brothers are back and very excited  about what we hope to accomplish with not only our photography in 2024, but also our podcasting. We are hopeful that our listeners will have plenty of content this year, so lets get started with show #66!

To begin with, we have some really helpful input from our listeners. Our friend, Mike Kukavica (@drunk.darkroom), shares his experience with film testing using a 6x6cm step wedge with medium format film. Film testing is a good way to determine a film's "working ISO" for your particular metering, shooting and developing workflow. Some films are spot on with their "box speed" ratings while others . . . not so much. Determining your working ISO will help you get the most out of your favorite films. Testing film entails using up a certain amount of film to complete the process, so when you are testing 4x5" large format film, one can't help but to consider the cost. However, thanks to YouTuber Mat Marrash, Kevin has heard of a way to save film by using a 4x5" transmission step wedge (this process is also described in a terrific blog post that can be found here). But what about medium format film? Good ol' Kuks has found a way to test 120 film by taping a 6x6cm transmission step wedge inside in his Yashica-Mat 124G. Here are a couple of photos contributed my Kuks:

Mike Kukavica's Yashica-Mat 124G with a Stouffer transmission step
wedge taped inside. The light coming through the lens will pass through
it and expose the film to create . . . 

. . . a negative that can make a step wedge contact prinuseful for
determining working ISO and film development times. 

Wayne has discussed an effective way to test 35mm or 120 film without using a step wedge in UJC Podcast #49, and you can see his notes here.

After reading an email from listener Robert about a resourceful method of using 35mm negative sleeves, the Shutter Brothers turn their attention to a question from Sherry Christianson (Embrace the Grain Podcast and the Frugal Film Project):  What to do when your photography desire and/or inspiration goes "Poof!?" As creative people, all photographers experience dry spells when we just don't feel like being a photographer. Personally (Kevin here), I've experienced times when I felt as though my days of making good photographs were over. However, we must remember that most, if not all, creative slumps are temporary, so listen to the show for ideas on how to get back into the photography groove.

Next, we turn to a topic that is relevant for both Wayne and Kevin:  What camera(s) to take on a vacation cruise? Wayne and his family are taking a cruise to the Bahamas, while Kevin and his wife, Debbie (both of whom have never before been on a cruise), are going on an Alaskan cruise in the fall. Because this will be Kevin's first cruise, we put out the call to our listeners (especially those who are cruise veterans) for advice on camera and film. If you have suggestions, please leave them in the comments below, comment on our Facebook page, or email them to unclejonesyscameras@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!

Finally, we've been thinking about our 2024 Photowalk with the Shutter Brothers, and we already have some tentative ideas for location and date. Listen to the show to find out more.

We always are grateful for our listeners who take the time to send us some feedback, so please keep those emails and comments coming! You can send us an email with comments, questions, tips, reviews, and stories to unclejonesyscameras@gmail.com.  You also can find us on Facebook and Instagram, and feel free to leave your feedback there. Until next time . . .

Happy Photography!

Uncle Jonesy's Cameras Podcast #65: Happy Holiday(s) Photography!

The Shutters Brothers wish you the happiest of holidays and the happiest of holiday photography, and to that end, Wayne and Kevin share their tips on how to best capture the spirit of the season on film (or sensor!) And since many of us use flash to make things merry and bright, Wayne does a deep dive on flash guide numbers and how to make them work for you. Look for some helpful notes below.

The Bros. also answer some listener email, discuss the Platypus, a cool 4x5 sheet film drying rack from Simon Forster, and look forward some photographic goals for 2024. 

The Platypus, a 4x5 sheet film drying from
Simon Forster.

The show ends with Kevin's brand new holiday single, "Christmas Home."

We know you are busy with holiday activities, but we would still love to hear from you. Please send us an email to unclejonesyscameras@gmail.com and tell us about yourself and your photography. Feel free to ask us questions, give us advice and tips, talk about your gear, and share your favorite photographic stories. You also can find us on Facebook and Instagram, and feel free to leave your feedback there. Until next time . . .

Happy Holidays from the Shutter Brothers!

In the show, Wayne refers to a photograph he made of some columbine flowers that was made possible by the use of his flash guide number.

And here are Wayne's notes regarding flash guide numbers:

Also in the show, the Shutter Brothers answer a question regarding film testing. Here is a link the the notes for show #49. And you can find a very useful blog post on Fomapan 400 by Alex Luyckx here.

Kevin's new holiday single, "Christmas Home," can be streamed on and/or purchased from all of your favorite music platforms by clicking here.

Uncle Jonesy’s Cameras Podcast #64: Podcast Recap and Virtual Mailbag

Wayne and I are back with plenty of fond memories of our 2023 Photowalk to recap. Lots of fun was had by all, and the photography that came from it looks amazing. Both Wayne and Kevin hope to be able to share some of their photos very soon. Thanks to everyone who participated, and we look forward to doing it again next time.

Wayne has been busy in his darkroom working his way through the many rolls of film he shot while in Norway earlier this year, but he has run into a problem - actually, two problems. First, his process timer, a Heathkit PT-15000, stopped working (a process timer is the timer used for both developing film or prints and as an enlarger timer). This brought Wayne's print making activities to a halt while he searched for a replacement. He found a Vivitar PTC timer, but Wayne didn't like the way it worked, extending the printmaking pause. Finally, he found another Heathkit PT-1500 just like his old one, and Wayne resumed making Norway prints. However, a second unexpected problem arose, one having to do with motivation/inspiration. Listen to the podcast to hear how Wayne is dealing with it.

Wayne's process timer, a Heathkit PT-1500

Meanwhile, I traveled to Philadelphia and Baltimore with his wife, Debbie, to explore three world-class art museums, the Barnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (both in Philly, obviously) and the Baltimore Museum of Art. While in Baltimore, I noticed the many vintage photographs of the Baltimore harbor area hanging in his inn (the Admiral Fell Inn), all of which were made by a local photographer named A. Aubrey Bodine. I was intrigued by their "straight" representational style and that they all were the product of a large format camera. After some research, I learned that Bodine was a very prolific press photographer who published a number of photo books and won many awards for his work. I found his work to be very inspiring, as I am interested in using my 4x5 camera to photograph the urban environment in which I live. I'll be acquiring one or more of his books soon so that I can discuss his work further on a future podcast. In the meantime, I urge you to check out some of his work here.

For the second half of the show we opened our virtual mailbag and read some great listener email. It never ceases to amaze me how helpful and knowledgable our listens are, and they teach us new things on every snow - even with their questions! For example, listener Todd Barlow wrote in about a localized test strip printer that he makes (listen to the show to learn how a localized test strip printer works and why they are a great idea in the darkroom). He calls it his Fixed Image Test Strip printer, or "FITS." It looks very well made and very functional, but what amazed me was an idea he shared in his email that had not occurred to me. Listen to the show to learn what it is.

Todd has generously offered to send me one of his FITS printers, so look for a discussion of how it works on a future show.

You can see a photo essay on how Todd makes his FITS printer by clicking here.

Todd Barlow's Fixed Image Test Strip printer

By the way, Wayne made his own localized test strip printer some time back. Here is what it looks like.

Listener Paul Rampant wrote us with more to say about the FADU F-Stop Enlarger Timer we talked about on a previous show. This timer is app that works on an Android device and will control an enlarger that is plugged into a wireless network smart switch. I was skeptical about the reliability of such a setup, but Paul's description of how it works is very convincing. If only I was an Android user . . .

Click here to learn more about the FADU F-Stop Timer.

Mark Fohl wrote to us defending his practice of trying to get extra shots from a 36 exposure roll of 35mm film, and we can't disagree with him! Also, Billy Sanford wrote a fascinating email about the concept of idiosyncratic photography. Plus, Sherry Christensen wants to know what is our favorite photo book.

As always, we wholeheartedly invite your feedback, so please send us an email to unclejonesyscameras@gmail.com and tell us about yourself and your photography. Feel free to ask us questions, give us advice and tips, talk about your gear, and share your favorite photographic stories. You also can find us on Facebook and Instagram, and feel free to leave your feedback there. Until next time . . .

Happy Photography!

Uncle Jonesy's Cameras Podcast #63: Picking a Photowalk Camera

The Shutter Brothers are back, and both Kevin and Wayne have some decisions to make! The 2nd Annual Photowalk with the Shutter Brothers is fast approaching, and camera/film choices must be made. Actually, Wayne already has decided which cameras to bring (listen to the show to find out), but Kevin is still waffling between his Leica iiia 35mm camera with a Leitz Elmar 35mm f3.5 lens (perfect for photowalks),  or his newly CLA'd Rolleicord Va (version 2) twin lens reflex camera. Both are German made cameras, which makes perfect sense, given that Volkswagen makes its Atlas and the all electric ID.4 vehicles right here in Chattanooga (also assembled here was every Passat from 2011 to 2022!) Because it is such a tough call, Kevin is asking for help from our faithful listeners. Send your choice to Kevin at unclejonesyscameras@gmail.com.

Help Kevin choose a camera for the photowalk!

Speaking of photowalks, our 2nd Annual Photowalk with the Shutter Brothers will happen on Saturday morning, October 7 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We will meet outside the Hair of the Dog Pub (334 Market Street) at 8:30 am and twice walk across the Tennessee River over two historic bridges before finishing up back and the Hair of the Dog for lunch and fellowship. This year's photowalk is all about urban landscape, architectural, and street photography, and participants are encouraged to bring any type of camera they wish. There is no fee to participate, but you are responsible for your own lunch and drink. Our photowalk is presented by the Uncle Jonesy's Cameras and Safelight District Community Darkroom. Please go to our Facebook event page and let us know you plan to participate, and we'll see you on 10/07!

Next, Wayne and Kevin dive into the UJC mailbag for some questions, comments, tips, and stories from our faithful listeners. We absolutely love the feedback we get from our listeners, and we always learn something from them. If you enjoy listening to our podcast, then please send us a note and tell us your photography story, review your camera or film, ask us a question or send us a tip. We think of our podcast listeners as a community, so please feel free to participate. Once again, that email address is unclejonesyscameras@gmail.com. We also invite you to follow us on our Facebook and Instagram pages (both can be found by searching @ujcpodcast). 

Thanks for listening, and we hope to see you in Chattanooga on Saturday morning, October 7!

2nd Annual UJC/Safelight District Photowalk with the Shutter Brothers - Scenic City Bound!

Get out your calendar, because we are really excited to announce our 2nd Annual Photowalk with the Shutter Brothers, Wayne Setser and Kevin Lane. The date is Saturday, October 7, and the place is the Scenic City, Chattanooga, Tennessee. That’s right, this year we are going with a urban landscape/street photography theme, and the Chattanooga riverfront will provide plenty of subject matter for your camera lens.

You can let us know you are participating here.

Here are the details:

We will meet outside the Hair of the Dog pub prior to 8:30 am. Hair of the Dog (Kevin’s favorite Chattanooga pub) is located at 334 Market Street. There is plenty of cheap street parking near Hair of the Dog, and there  are lots nearby also. At 8:30 al we will start walking north on Market Street to First Street, where we will turn right. We’ll walk up the hill to Walnut Street, where will stop at the Ed Johnson Memorial to learn about the not only the history of the Walnut Street Bridge, but also the role the bridge played in the sad history of racial intolerance and injustice. 

Ed Johnson Memorial

Then, we will turn left on Walnut Street and cross the Tennessee river. The Walnut Street, which now is a pedestrian bridge, affords views of the Chattanooga riverfront and skyline as well as other bridges and river traffic. The bridge will take us to the Chattanooga neighborhood known as the North Shore, which is known for its eclectic variety of art shops and restaurants.

Walnut Street Bridge

We will turn left on Frazier Avenue and walk toward Market Street. Along the way, participants will be able to walk down to Coolidge Park, Chattanooga’s most popular park. Participants looking for street photography opportunities will be rewarded near the carousel and the interactive children’s fountain. Landscape photographers will enjoy the views of the river bridges and city skyline across the river.

North Shore Storefront

Southern Bell on the Tennessee River

When we are ready to move on from the North Shore, we will cross back over the river on the Market Street Bridge, a handsome bascule drawbridge built in 1917. The bridge will take us to the Tennessee Aquarium Plaza, which will provide plenty of photographic subject matter. We’ll take our time photographing in this area, and when we are ready we will walk along Market Street back to the Hair of the Dog, where we’ll go inside, have lunch, and get to know each other. We’ll wrap up the event 

Aquarium Plaza Street Musician

Other things to know:

If you want to make this a family event, the Tennessee Aquarium, the Children’s Discovery Museum, and the IMAX theater are close by.

Participants may bring any kind of camera they choose.

There is no fee for this event, but you are responsible for food purchases and parking.

As you might expect, an event like this is dependent on weather. Please monitor our Facebook and Instagram pages for last minute bulletins.

Finally, please please click here to go our Facebook even page and let us know that you are participating. It will greatly help us.

It’s going to be a great of photography, so mark your calendar and make your plans to participate!

Uncle Jonesy's Cameras Podcast #62: Mistakes and the Photographers Who Learn from Them

After a summer break, the Shutter Brothers are back with a show that addresses an unpleasant subject . . . MISTAKES! Yes, we all make them, so let's all learn from them! Our faithful listeners join Wayne and Kevin by sharing stories of mistakes so that we can avoid them.

If we know anything about photography, we know this:  You will make mistakes. You'll make them as a beginner; you'll make them as an intermediate, and you'll make them as an advanced or even professional. The trick is to learn from mistakes so that they are not repeated. That is the focus of this show. And let's give credit to our faithful listeners who submitted their mistakes to us to be shared with you. We can never thank them enough for their contributions to the educational aspect of UJC. Shout outs to all of you!

During our summer podcast break, both Wayne and Kevin have been busy in the darkroom making prints of their vacation photography while solving problems along the way. For Wayne, a failing enlarger bulb wreaked havoc on his usual printing workflow. For Kevin, For Kevin, trying to make prints with a portable enlarger in a small condo bathroom continues to prove a challenge. Nevertheless, they both have some mice prints to show for their efforts. Furthermore, both Wayne and Kevin have print projects in the works! Wayne's project is his newly opened Etsy shop, which he aptly titled Wayne's Darkroom. As for Kevin, he plans to turn his vacation photographs of Folly Beach, South Carolina, into a souvenir post card box set. It's not ready yet, but when it is, it will be available on his Etsy shop, Chattalog Photography.

Some of Kevin's Folly Beach postcard prints. The top row was 
the first try, and the bottom row the second attempt. 

Wayne's 8x10s of Norway, shot with his Plaubel Makina 67.

While we would love for you to visit our Etsy shops, we want our listeners to know that we don't monetize our podcast in any way, including print sales. However, if you want to know what our shops look like, you can click on the links below and check them out yourself. And we certainly don't mind if you share these links with others. Thank you!

Wayne's Etsy shop:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/waynesdarkroom/?etsrc=sdt

Kevin's Etsy shop:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/chattalogphotography/?etsrc=sdt

Finally, it's that time of year again - time to talk about a photowalk! The Shutter Bros proudly announce the 2nd Annual Uncle Jonesy's Cameras and Safelight District Community Darkroom Photowalk, which will be on Saturday morning, October 7. This year's photowalk is going to take place in Kevin's neck of the woods, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and we are thinking of it as an urban landscape and street photography event. We are still putting the details together, but there will be a Facebook event page very soon. Please use it to let us know your participating . . . and we really really hope you will be!

Our listeners played a big part in show #62, so please consider contributing to our next show! Send us an email at unclejonesyscameras@gmail.com. Also, check out our show notes at https://unclejonesyscameras.blogspot.com and our Facebook and Instagram pages (both can be found by searching @ujcpodcast). 

Happy Photography!

Uncle Jonesy's Cameras Podcast #61: Depth of Field Deep Dive

Kevin is here, Wayne is back from Norway, and the Shutter Brothers are together again and ready to take a deep dive into everything about depth of field - what is it, how can it be controlled, and why it matters. Learning how to make depth of field work for you can take your photography to a higher level, and that's a good thing! (You can find Wayne's notes on depth of field below.)

Wayne also shares his recent experiences in Norway and the approach to photography he took while there. He had many memerable experiences along the way, including a visit to a truly awesome analog photogrpahy shop in Bergen (where Wayne was able to replenish his film supply). He used all three of the cameras he brought wih him, and he shot mmost of his film. We can't wait to see the results!

Finally, the Shutter Bros read some interesting listener email from a couple of Mikes, one of which may have an impact on Kevin's Condo Bathroom Darkroom Project.

We always are grateful for our listeners who take the time to send us some feedback, so please keep those emails and comments coming! You can send us an email with comments, questions, tips, reviews, and stories to unclejonesyscameras@gmail.com.  You also can find us on Facebook and Instagram, and feel free to leave your feedback there. Until next time . . .

 

Happy Photography!

Wayne's Wide World of Depth of Field

1. What is DOF?

Basically, it’s the distance between the closest and farthest points that are in “acceptably” sharp focus, kind of a “zone” of sharpness. 

What is “acceptably” sharp?

A point focused on the film is considered sharp as long as it is perceived as a point. As you focus in front of or behind a point, that point becomes a small blurry disc. When the size of that blurry disc, known as the circle of confusion, becomes perceptively larger than a point it’s no longer considered “sharp”. The size of an acceptable circle of confusion has been standardized and varies with film format. Sharpness is also measured in terms of line pairs per millimeter (lp/mm).

Negative Format	24x36	6x4.5	6x6	6x9	4x5
Circle of Confusion (mm)	0.022	0.039	0.042	0.052	0.089
Min Negative Resolution (lp/mm)	45	26	24	19	11

These numbers assume a minimum viewing distance equal to the diagonal of a full frame print.

Print Size (inches)	4x6	5x7	8x10	11x14	16x20
Viewing Distance (inches)	7.2	8.6	12.8	17.8	25.6

2. How to control DOF?

(1) f/stop: The depth of field doubles if the f/number is doubled. For example going from f/8 to f/16 will double the depth of field.

(2) Focal length of the lens: Depth of field is inversely proportional to the square of the focal length. Reducing the focal length by one half will increase the depth of field four times. 

(3) Distance to the subject: Depth of field is proportional to the square of the distance. Doubling the distance to the subject will increase depth of field by four times, triple the distance, the depth of field increases nine times.

(4) Amount of enlargement and viewing distance.

(5) Use of view camera movements or a tilt/shift lens can alter the plane of focus.

(6) Use neutral density filter if you’re after shallow depth of field.

3. How to know actual DOF?

(1) Depth of field scale on the lens.

(2) Depth of field preview, if your camera has it.

(3) Web sites and phone apps.

(4) Spend some time with a good web site or phone app and make yourself a chart.

(5) Many old Kodak photo data guides had depth of field calculators. 

4. Tips on focusing and subject placement.

(1) Position camera to place important elements the same distance from the camera.

(2) Focus on closest point you want in focus and check distance on focusing scale. Repeat for farthest distance and either use the depth of field scale, app, chart, or calculator to place those distances on the extremes of whatever f/stop they fit.

(3) Focus 1/3 of the way between the near and far points and stop down as much as you can.

(4) If you’re going after shallow depth of field, use a long lens and use the smallest f/stop you can. Use a neutral density filter if you have to.

(5) Use the hyperfocal distance.

5. What is hyperfocal distance and how is it used?

Hyperfocal distance is the near limit of the depth of field, for a given lens focal length and f/stop, with the lens focused on infinity. If you refocus the lens to that distance, the depth of field extends from half that distance to infinity. This is especially useful for scale focusing cameras.