My Toronto – Photo Laureate Geoffrey James

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Robert
Geoffrey James by Fred Lum of the Globe

Geoffrey James by Fred Lum of the Globe & Mail

NEXT TORONTO MEETING: Wed, November 16, 2016
Geoffrey James: My Toronto

Our speaker is well known photographer Geoffrey James. Born in Wales, Mr James became the first Photo-laureate of Toronto. The position began on March 31, 2016 and continues for three years. Mr James is a self taught photographer and an alumni of Oxford in the UK.

Tonight his topic is My Toronto – a fitting topic for our very first Photo Laureate! In addition to photography, Mr James is a prolific author with many books to his credit including one called Toronto, published in 2007.

Since moving to Canada he has lived in Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto.

The public is welcome. Go to our Programs page for times and directions.

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Wedding Photography can be Hazardous

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Robert
Wedding Photography can be Hazardous...

Wedding Photography can be Hazardous…

Toronto, Back on October 24th, George Dunbar sent this comical wedding shot to me.

What makes it so memorable is that it was taken just as the photographer fell off the chair he used to get a better perspective on the wedding party.

The look on the bride’s face is hilarious! So too are the looks of others in the bridal party. Unfortunately there is no credit (or date or location) given for the shot.

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Fading slowly in the Fading Light

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Robert
111 Emerson Ave, Toronto c1900 as photographed in July,1980

111 Emerson Ave, Toronto c1900 as photographed in July,1980

Toronto. Those of us who feel sympathetic towards  the history of people – and places – lament the transformation of an old city into a modern metropolis. In the summer of 1980, I worked at Bloor and Yonge making it a fast subway ride west where my Leica and I spent lunch hours tracking down houses that my mother and her parents once lived in just east of that part of Toronto known as the Junction. I was fortunate the streets and houses were (and are) still there much as they were nearly a century ago when my mother was born in 1907 (in the semi shown here at 111 Emerson Avenue just above Bloor).

What caused this sudden bout of nostalgia you ask? It was a message I received from my friend and fellow PHSC member George Dunbar. George found an article on a site called hyperallergic.com. The article is called “The Photographers of 1870s London Who Documented Their Disappearing City“. In late 1800 London, like Toronto today, houses and buildings were rapidly being torn down and replaced by new structures. Many current Toronto photographers, including George, like to make “then and now” photos of parts of the city while the now photos are still recognizable to us older folk.

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Making Kodak Film 2

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Robert
Making Kodak Film 2nd Edition. Robert Shanebrook

Making Kodak Film 2nd Edition. Robert Shanebrook

Toronto. Robert Shanebrook sent out an email to many people recently to announce the Expanded Second Edition of his book “Making Kodak Film” first published about six years ago.

Mr Shanebrook retired from Kodak in 2003. The first edition of his epic book about manufacture of film at Kodak was released in 2010. Now a 2nd revised and enlarged edition is about to be released. Target date is mid November 2016.

His first edition was a modest 94 pages covering the technology used to make silver halide films at a relatively high level. This edition, some 470 pages, or five times the content gives considerable in depth discussion of silver halide film manufacture at Kodak. Shanebrook consulted over 100 film experts for this edition, and added 225 more illustrations plus over 600 footnoted references. Most of the material in this second edition has never before been published.

According to Shanebrook, “The book is 470 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches and four-color printed on 80-pound gloss paper. It is gloss-film lamination hard-cover bound. Shipping weight is 5 pounds. It was printed and bound in Rochester, NY. USA The price of the book will be $125 after December 31, 2016. Before then the price is $100. If requested books will be signed by the author.

Note all prices are in USD. Visit Robert’s web site here for more views and ordering details.

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Results of Swann Auction

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Robert
Churchill by Karsh

Churchill by Karsh

Toronto. Top prices went to photographs by Margaret Bourke-White (lot 38) and Yousuf Karsh (lot 196). You can see all lots and their results here on the Swann Auction web site.

Julia Margaret Cameron’s portrait of Kate Keown, taken in 1866 sold for $106,250 (USD) while 15 photographs by Karsh sold for $86,500 (USD). Both lots sold above their estimated top value. These were the top two lots ranked by price attained.

If you missed this auction, Swann plans their next photo auction on Valentine’s day next year.

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Macro at PhotoEd – Fall 2016

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Robert
Fly by Paul

Tachinid Fly by Paul Eekhoff

Toronto. The fall 2016 edition of PhotoEd has an article by Paul Eekhoff on macro photography (pp22-25). Since the beginning of photography we have been fascinated with macro photographs.

Even before 1839, microscopes allowed those curious about macro views to see tiny things up close. Cameras and lenses were designed for the most part to be used no closer than 1m from the subject. To get in closer and stay in focus, auxiliary positive elements, close up tubes, or bellows were used.

These devices needed special guides to keep the subject in focus and “in the frame”. Today with modern digital cameras, there is no problem with focus or framing as the camera shows the image the camera sees whether it is a simple “point and shoot” model or a higher quality DSLR. Paul has many insects displayed on his site (sub menu item –  Commissioned Still Life & Product) – gorgeous.

In this article, Paul shows how to use a white backdrop, a DSLR, macro lens, bellows and a stand. The results are simply spectacular. Pick up a copy of this issue of PhotoEd on your newsstand and have a look!

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Papering things

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Robert
Fine quality paper for halftone pictures

Fine quality paper for halftone pictures

Toronto. George Dunbar seems to find interesting things on the ‘net and asks very insightful questions. George recently suggested that we consider paper manufacturers in our pursuit of Canadian history.

Not the paper we photographers usually think of – the baryta covered, emulsion coated papers used for developing prints in a chemical based darkroom – but fine quality paper used in expensive catalogues and books to reproduce photographs using the half-tone process. The Art Photo Book paper manufactured by the Canada Paper Co. Limited was one such paper.

During the summer of 1985, I bought a large book “Private Realms of Light“. Edited by Lilly Koltun, it was written by members of the Public Archives of Canada (National Photography Collection) and contained reproductions of photographs taken by Canadian amateurs in the period 1839 – 1940. It was printed a year earlier here in Toronto by Fitzhenry & Whiteside. The book reproduced the essence of an exhibition shown in Ottawa at Public Archives Canada from mid July to mid October 1983.

The illustrations are remarkably like photographs. The salesman for F&W told me at the time that it was one of the last books of such a quality to be published in Canada due to the sky-rocketing cost of quality paper needed for such beautiful reproductions. Today with digital printing and print on demand we are once again seeing high quality photographic reproductions in print – like Robert Wilson’s book Secure the Shadow on Benjamin Franklin Baltzly and his photographs.

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Are Kiosk Prints Better?

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Robert
Kiosk Prints vs.Pro Labs

Kiosk Prints vs.Pro Labs

Toronto. George Dunbar raised an interesting question the other evening.

“What process is used today to reproduce prints at Walmart from digital files?”
“Inkjet printers,” I asked?
“Maybe for large prints,” said George, “Smaller prints use a type of dye sublimation.”
Walmart actually uses two Kiosks: Kodak Kiosks and their own design in collaboration with Fuji. They and others also offer remote online printing which uses a central system and mails the prints out to the consumer.

A blog called “Back Impressions Photography“, while not verifying the process, conducted two analysis. The first called “Print Lab Comparisons: Professional Versus Consumer” compared prints from a few popular American sites with the owner’s professional lab. The second, called “Digital Images Printed: Walmart Versus a Professional Lab” discusses the impact of electing to let Walmart print your prints. Apparently not all Walmart’s are the same when it comes to prints from digital files.

The consumer labs seem to use heavier sharpening and a darker colour than Pro labs. The author suggests which consumer processor is better and how to avoid any added sharpening.

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Art & Storytelling: Photographs and Photobooks

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Robert
Image to be auctioned today by Swann Galleries

Image to be auctioned today by Swann Galleries – one of 28 photographs in lot 10

Toronto. Daile Kaplan of Swann Galleries sent me a note saying they are hosting their latest photography related auction today beginning at 1:00 pm.

You can view the online catalog here.

 

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Eaton and Photographers

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Robert
Funeral of Sir John Craig Eaton, Toronto, 1922

Funeral of Sir John Craig Eaton, Toronto, 1922 – Wm James

Toronto. My friend George Dunbar dropped me a note a few days ago regarding a photograph taken by William James back in 1922 at a funeral on St Clair Avenue West in Toronto (fonds 1244, item 1020)  courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives.

Canadians of a certain age remember the famous Eaton’s – Simpson’s competition. The two firms once had large department stores at Yonge St in Toronto on either side of Queen. Both companies published thick – really thick – catalogues each year. Growing up just north of Toronto, I can recall the excitement of going through the catalogues near Christmas time to see what “Santa” would bring. The blog site “Toronto Then and Now” has a wonderful article on Eaton’s. Continue reading →

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