ryan hoffman photography (analog)

some az

2011-12-31T10:51:00.000-08:00

A few shots that I took on Kodak Ektachrome E100VS. This was my first roll of transparency film in medium format. Loving the Ektachrome.

new favorite

2011-12-30T19:40:00.000-08:00

Cholla near Massacre Meadows in the Superstition Mountains.

more owen

2011-11-30T17:05:00.001-08:00

reavis ranch

2011-11-30T16:57:00.001-08:00

Here are an additional handful of photos that I took on the Reavis Ranch trip. The last two are a tarantula and the grave of Elisha Reavis. All taken on Kodak Gold 200 (the cheap stuff).

las vegas

2011-11-13T10:49:00.001-08:00

more owen

2011-11-13T10:48:00.001-08:00

cowboy

2011-10-31T23:06:00.000-07:00

Halloween 2011

bruise

2011-10-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

reavis ranch

2011-10-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to go home over a long weekend and hike to Reavis Ranch with some good friends. Reavis Ranch is deep in the Superstition Mountains. It was once the settlement of an old hermit named Elisha Reavis. When he wasn't fending off indigenous marauders, Reavis cultivated the land and sold his produce in the nearby mining towns. Apple trees populate the little valley where the recluse once settled. The apples are small but sweet, and it seems that we picked the right time for our trip since there were plenty of apples. The hike to the camp site and orchards was a little more physically demanding than I expected - and I also discovered that my own physical conditioning was more pitiful than I anticipated - but it was not the most strenuous hike I've done. It totaled approximately seven miles one way with quite a few switch-backs. Overall, it is a hike that I highly recommend in an area that is both scenic and historic.

expired

2011-10-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know. It's morbid and gross. It started with the bird, which I found in our house upon returning from a vacation. I don't know how it got in while we were away, but it did and it was dead when we returned. Not only did we find the dead bird in our house when we returned, but we also found a dead rat in our yard. It must have washed up with the irrigation or something. Since I had two dead critters to dispose of, I impulsively decided to capture a gruesome photo of each. From there, I decided that I would make a project of dead animals that I found. Why would I want to do that? I don't know that I have an answer. I think part of it was that I felt compelled to depart from always taking photos of nice and pretty things. Some of my favorite photographers (i.e. Irving Penn and Diane Arbus) shot things that weren't so pretty. I suppose I wanted to stray into something different and interesting. I wanted to begin working on actual cohesive projects, and the two dead animals presented an opportunity to start one. This was the result.

The fish and the crawdad I actually caught on a camping trip and ate them, after photographing (and cooking) them first. The elk, cat, and rabbit were roadkill (not my doing). I found the rat and the bird, as previously mentioned. I will likely limit this project to the seven images shown here. That is to say, I probably won't be looking for dead animals anymore, since it may give the impression that I am disturbed or something. Though, if I happen upon something interesting while equipped, I might not be able to help myself.

tryon creek state park

2011-09-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

That is my brother-in-law, Porter. We were at Tryon Creek State Park in Portland, Oregon. I almost moved there for law school. Beautiful place. I am now in Las Vegas for law school. This is the reason for the lack of posts. No time. Arizona is still the most beautiful state. The end.

bear canyon lake

2011-06-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

bear canyon lake

2011-06-08T16:53:00.001-07:00

Camping with my dad at my new favorite place up on the Mogollon Rim.

my people

2011-05-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

easter sunday

2011-05-06T08:54:00.001-07:00

My beautiful wife and my skeptical son.

wild animal

2011-05-04T11:30:00.001-07:00

dinosaurs

2011-04-30T07:47:00.001-07:00

I wanted to make a few prints for my son's room, so I went with a dinosaur theme. I think he'll like it someday.

sister, part II

2011-04-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

A handful of less serious photos.

sister, part I

2011-04-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

My baby sister is graduating high school. Last weekend we took some portraits at Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. It was a little more breezy than we had hoped, but we managed and the weather felt really nice. We enjoyed a packed lunch in the middle of our day, and had a great time shooting and enjoying the outdoors. This is the first roll of Kodak Ektar that I have shot. I like it. The greens are cooler than I expected from a Kodak film, but I think overall the film is very pretty. I will post a few of the less serious shots soon. I'm glad I got to spend one-on-one time with my sister at this beautiful state park.

swing

2011-04-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

I have since mowed this yard and taken care of the weeds.

death of a giant

2011-04-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

Dead saguaro. Loving the abstract and textural possibilities in nature lately.

ice on the desert ground

2011-04-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

I really liked the abstract quality of this ice that I encountered while hiking Boulder Canyon Trail. I thought it would turn out nice as a black and white.

gun fun

2011-04-20T19:12:00.001-07:00

My father-in-law, brother-in-law, and I went shooting last weekend. We drove out to the desert near Sugarloaf Mountain and did some target shooting with a couple of .22s and a few other guns. We had a lot of fun.

the orpheum theatre

2011-03-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

The Orpheum Theatre

Phoenix, Arizona

oh, when?

2011-03-16T19:29:00.000-07:00

This guy is growing up much too fast.

boulder canyon trail

2011-01-13T06:05:00.001-08:00

On New Year's, my brother-in-law and I hiked the Boulder Canyon Trail. The trailhead is right across the road from the Canyon Lake marina. We left in the predawn dark and arrived at the trailhead as the gray morning light spilled over the landscape, diffused by an overcast sky. The day prior, a chilly winter storm system dumped a steady rain on the valley, leaving the higher elevations dusted with snow. We found the trail to be icy in places, and the views of snowy Four Peaks seemed strange in that desert surrounding. Though yet obscured by the cloudy atmosphere, the emerging of the sun over the horizon was evinced by the rosy tint in the clouds. The hike is not a difficult one. It leads to a magnificient view of a creek running through a small canyon that is home to a couple of distinct landmarks, namely Battleship and Weavers Needle. We ended the hike at that point, though the trail continues down, leading into the canyon. It is a great hike and not very strenuous, making it - in my opinon - suitable for most hikers of various experience.

feliz cumpleaños

2011-01-12T21:22:00.000-08:00

A handful of images from my nephew's two-year-old birthday party.

frog-o

2010-11-19T05:49:00.001-08:00

Halloween 2010

tjo wedding

2010-11-18T04:59:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos from TJ and Jordan's wedding.

jo

2010-11-17T19:42:00.001-08:00

Before and after. Jordan before she met TJ, and Jordan after she met TJ.

going to california

2010-11-10T05:12:00.000-08:00

I'm going to California. My family and I will be going to Disneyland this weekend. I'll have new photos next week. In the meantime, this was one from another trip to California. I took this from the moving car, as evinced by the blurring foliage in the foreground. The windmills have always been iconic of California vacations for me.

owen continued

2010-10-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

My favorite on-going project. Photographing my son.

owen

2010-10-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

more flagstaff

2010-10-21T06:26:00.000-07:00

These are a few more images from Flagstaff. In the previous post, I explained that I had to estimate my exposures because the battery in my light meter died. This was only the case for the medium format roll. My 35mm camera has a built-in light meter. All images are straight out of camera, including the last image. I did a zoomburst to achieve the sort of abstract quality.

flagstaff

2010-10-20T19:53:00.001-07:00

My dad and I went camping in Flagstaff last weekend. The weather was perfect. We woke up early saturday morning, had some oatmeal, and then left camp to go fishing at Lake Mary. There was a wispy fog creeping from the surface of the lake. As I went to take a meter reading, I found that the battery in my light meter had died and that I didn't have a spare with me. I was forced to estimate my exposure for each frame. These four images were my favorites, and I was relieved to find that all of the exposures that I had to estimate turned out exactly as I had hoped. I am especially pleased that the morning fog was discernable and manifested itself nicely in the second and third images shown here. it was a great trip and I am grateful for the time I was able to spend with my dad. I have more from this trip on a roll of 35mm that I will post soon.

skateboarding

2010-10-07T07:06:00.000-07:00

The temperature is cooling and better weather is on its way. This means it will finally be bearable to skate again. The problem is that every year I get older. Each year I feel a little less supple, a little more fragile. Skateboarding gets more difficult for me each year. Maybe skateboarding is just juvenile anyway, and it is just as well that the course of my aging phase it out from my life. I don't know. It is hard to give up something that one has enjoyed so much for so long. Anyway, I don't think I need to give it up completely too soon. And when I can no longer physically enjoy skateboarding myself, I can still photograph it.

These are a couple of older shots I took about five or six years ago. The first one is actually a scan from a print I made as part of a finally project for my first photography class.

at work

2010-09-27T06:44:00.001-07:00

This book really captivated me. I found the insight into the work of Annie Leibovitz - quite probably the greatest living legend in photography today - profoundly helpful and inspiring both times that I read this book. I am certain that it will continue to be insightful the many times that I will yet read it. I highly recommend it.

want: gossen starlite 2

2010-09-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

I really want this light meter. I already have a light meter that works very well, but it reads only reflected and incident light. This meter would benefit me in two ways that my current (much less expensive) meter cannot.

One: not only does this meter read incident and reflected light - as mine done - but it also takes spot readings. This would allow me to implement the zone system more effectively and to take precise readings from a specific part of my subject.

Two: this light meter can take flash readings. I have two off-camera strobes that I really enjoy using, but haven't really used since I have transitioned back to shooting film. The off-camera strobes lend a very different quality, texture, and look altogether from natural light. While I love natural light and it is sometimes more appropriate for the subject matter, having the option of using artificial lighting is important and in other instances more appropriate. Since I have not been able to meter the flash, I have not been able to use the lights. I know that there is a means of determining the exposure with a flash by using the guide number - the guide number divided by the flash-to-subject distance in feet gives the lens aperture - and I may have to use that formula sometime, but it doesn't negate the fact that this light meter would be extraordinarily convenient. It will be mine. Oh, yes. It will be mine.

sunflower

2010-09-16T07:39:00.001-07:00

This is another photo from that first roll of chrome that I shot.

transparency

2010-09-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

These photos are from my first roll of slide film that I took over a year ago. I finally got around to scanning some. Unfortunately, I don't have an exposure record, nor did I write on the film type on the sleeves. I don't even remember what the ISO was. It seems like a little thing, but it really bothers me. I know that it is Fujichrome and that is all. Astia? Provia? Sensia? Velvia? I don't know! I do know that I enjoy transparencies immensely and will probably shoot some in medium format soon.

I love my nephew and his sleep hair. Fun kid.

want: view camera

2010-09-12T06:55:00.000-07:00

I love shooting landscapes. I consider myself extraordinarily blessed to live in a place where there are so many unique features and diverse landscapes to photograph. There may not be many people who know this, but Arizona is third in the nation for biodiversity. That means that because of our geography, Arizona has a greater variety of plant and animal life than every state in the nation, save California and Texas.

Lately, I have been capturing landscapes in the square, medium format. I could be wrong, but to me it seems like an unusual format with which to shoot landscapes. In my opinion, that can be a good thing, because it lends a somewhat unique quality to those photographs. I have no doubt that I will continue to shoot that way for a long time. However, I am starving to shoot landscapes - or any kind of photograph - on 4x5 large format.

A 4x5 view camera captures on a much larger film - and film with a larger surface area means more detail and larger print capability. So, instead of getting an image that is 6x6cm (2 1/4 x 2 1/4 inches) the image is 4x5 inches on film. And while shooting square may or may not be a relatively unique approach to landscapes, the rectangular and horizontal composition is a much more natural way to view a landscape. In fact, anytime I am shooting 35mm, I tend to shoot horizontally almost exclusively. Afterall, because of peripheral vision ,the human eye sees horizontally. It seems like the more natural compostion, especially in landscapes.

"It's hard for me to frame subjects in a vertical format. It doesn't seem natural. The eye sees horizontally...A vertical image by its nature is going to be a formal photograph" (Annie Leibovitz, At Work).

On top of shooting a larger film, the view camera affords more creative control than other cameras because of the use of tilt. The ability to tilt the front and back of the camera allows for much more dynamic focusing planes and depth-of-field. These are just a few reasons why I will someday own a good 4x5 view camera. Perhaps even this beautiful (and very expensive) Linhof shown above. It will be mine. Oh, yes. It will be mine.

more sedona

2010-09-10T06:58:00.001-07:00

These are just a few extra shots from Sedona that I omitted from the previous post. I guess I wanted to keep them separate from the first post because these photos include some man-made features and I wanted the other post to focus on the natural world.

The first image is a photo of the scenic drive through Oak Creek Canyon. It eventually leads to Flagstaff. It is a stunning drive and is highly recommended.

The second photo is Midgley Bridge. No, it isn't a bridge for tiny but proportionate people. There are a few hiking trails that begin near this bridge, and there are terrific views of the canyon and Oak Creek.
The third photo is of the Chapel of the Holy Cross. This catholic chapel was built right into the rocks in 1956. It is an impressive sight and one of the many icons of Sedona.

sedona

2010-09-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

Last saturday I took a solo day trip to Sedona. I needed to escape the valley and the heat. The original plan was to stay overnight in Flagstaff and spend my time there, but Sedona is a little closer and the weather was suppose to be nice there too. It was cloudy and a beautiful seventy-five degrees. This was the fourth or fifth time I have visited Sedona. Each visit to this strange and inspiring place is no less exciting than the first.

I just got the film developed - though the last two images are from a previous trip - and I couldn't be more pleased. I am so pleased with the texture retained in the overcast sky. It was something I worried about as I was taking the shots, and I am sure that had these been digitally captured I would have had to do some postproduction to save that sky, but I am relieved by the outcome in-camera. If you haven't been to Sedona, go.

the negative

2010-08-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

Reading this for the third time. This is an essential read for anyone who is seriously interested in 'mastering the craft.'

"Our ability to produce a final image that lives up to the potentials of our visualization will be limited by our command of the craft. By study and practice we can achieve mastery of the craft, which we can then employ according to our creative intentions" (Ansel Adams, The Negative).

"Photography is like this this baby that needs to be fed all the time. It's always hungry. It needs to be read to, taken care of" (Annie Leibovitz, At Work).

inside analog photo

2010-08-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to this insightful and entertaining program. Get the free podcast from iTunes. Good stuff.

al

2010-08-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

I love this girl.

want: rolleiflex

2010-08-25T07:02:00.001-07:00

Rolleiflex 2.8 FX TLR with brown alligator embossed leather. It will be mine. Oh, yes. It will be mine.

the aviator

2010-08-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

porter

2010-08-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

Canon Rebel K2
TMax 100

red mountain

2010-08-22T07:04:00.001-07:00

This was taken a while ago. I believe it was also from my first roll of medium format film. I decided to make the sky a little more prominent than the actual subject (Red Mountain) in this photo. I would love to hike Red Mountain, but I believe it is on reservation land and may be prohibited.

the sonoran desert

2010-08-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

I just recently rediscovered this shot I took on my first roll of color medium format film (Fujicolor 160). It is a simple photograph, but a new favorite of mine. One of the likely reasons why I have suddenly grown fond of this photo is that I love the desert, but during this time of year I don't want to be anywhere outside. The torrid summer months feel (and can be) deadly. This photo sort of allows me to feel like I'm in a place where I want to be even though I can't right now.

The Sonoran Desert is something that I didn't always appreciate. But I lived away from it for two years and was awakened to its unique and special beauty. The light in this photo is soft and gives the desert a more tranquil feel. It also depicts a green desert, contrary to the perception of many people, both foreign and native to this region. In times of heavy precipitation, the Sonoran Desert can be shockingly verdant; replete with wild grass, flowers and other plant life - not to mention animal life. This photo reminds me of why I love this place.

a river runs through it

2010-08-20T07:56:00.001-07:00

One time, this river washed out this road.

!

2010-08-18T07:57:00.001-07:00

feeling emulsional

2010-08-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

I learned a sad thing today. Apparently it is somewhat old news, but Kodak has discontinued the production of their 220 medium format film in the Tri-X 320 ISO emulsion. What does this mean? Well, I am relatively new to medium format photography. I acquired my first and only medium format camera a year ago from last month. It is a Hasselblad 500cm with an 80mm 2.8 Planar lens and a 220 film back. It is in pristine condition. A 220 back is a type of magazine that holds the film. It is not really a normal back since it uses a longer roll of film which is capable of 24 exposures. Most medium format films are 120 film - half the length of 220 and only capable of 12 exposures. Anyway, if I want to shoot black and white film in medium format now, I will need to acquire a 120 back for my Hasselblad. Tri-X is available in the 120 film - along with a number of other black and white emulsions - but the news still leaves me feeling wistful. It is an indicator of the market. There are simply fewer photographers shooting film nowadays, especially with the proliferation of DSLRs. It wasn't long ago that we saw the discontinuation of the 75 year famous Kodachrome film. Not to mention Polaroid. Without consumers we will loose a tremendous legacy. If there is anyone within the sound of my voice (or type) who loves photography but does not practice the art of analog photography, discover it! You do not know what you are missing. There is so much that you cannot experience if you are not shooting film.

my people

2010-08-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

tjo

2010-08-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

Here are three more shots from the session with TJ and Jordan, my sister-in-law and her fiance. These were shot with Fujicolor 160.

tjo

2010-08-14T05:27:00.000-07:00

These are recent images from a session I had with my sister-in-law and her fiance. TJ proposed to Jordan on this dock, so we thought it would be appropriate to get some photos here. These four images were shot with the Canon FT and Kodak 400 color. I really liked the results from this roll of 400. It was more grainy than I expected and it had a sort of warm and dusty feel.

the olympic whites

2010-08-13T14:35:00.001-07:00

Some friends of mine had a band called The Olympic Whites. I went to their final show a few weeks ago. These are some photos I took in the basement where they practiced. It was a great setting, and I got to enjoy some good tunes as I shot. These were taken with Kodak Tri-X 320.

flat iron

2010-08-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

These are some shots from New Year's Day 2010. Me, my dad, brother-in-law, and one of my best friends camped out at the top of Flat Iron in the Superstition mountains. I packed in my Canon FT and shot Kodak 200 ISO. The views were spectacular. It was a great hike/campout, and I am sure we'll do it again sometime.

analog

2010-08-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

My first real exposure to photography was through a friend who was really enthusiastic about photography and specifically film. It was something I was always interested in but never really sought out, and in retrospect, I wish I had sooner. As I spoke with my friend about it, my interest was piqued and I purchased my first 35mm camera; a Canon Rebel K2. I have since inherited a fully manual 35mm Canon FT and acquired a Hasselblad 500cm - my favorite material possession. Film has since been a very special thing to me. It is a marriage between art and science. This strange and scarcely explicable thing called light, making contact with an emulsion full of light sensitive silver halides. A photochemical reaction. It is amazing to me. Though my client work has primarily been digital, I have always had a special attachment to film and prefer it in my personal work. More and more I feel drawn to film and the desire to forsake digital entirely. The proliferation of DSLRs has played a small part in these sentiments, but the greater factor is my love for film, its legacy, and what it has to offer. I have created this blog so that I can have a place to focus on film and the classical and technical aspects of photography.