Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => The Coffee Corner => Topic started by: wolfnowl on February 09, 2013, 02:04:01 am

Title: David Burnett’s Speed Graphic Photos of the London 2012 Olympics
Post by: wolfnowl on February 09, 2013, 02:04:01 am
Some great work here...

http://www.petapixel.com/2013/02/08/david-burnetts-speed-graphic-photos-of-the-london-2012-olympics/

Mike.
Title: Re: David Burnett’s Speed Graphic Photos of the London 2012 Olympics
Post by: francois on February 09, 2013, 05:28:14 am
Some great work here...

http://www.petapixel.com/2013/02/08/david-burnetts-speed-graphic-photos-of-the-london-2012-olympics/

Mike.

Impressive work! I never imagined that a Speed Graphic camera could be used for the Olympics.
Title: Re: David Burnett’s Speed Graphic Photos of the London 2012 Olympics
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on February 09, 2013, 10:36:13 am
This really tugged my heartstrings, since my first "big" camera was a Speed Graphic, and I eventually had a 7" f/2.5 Aero Ektar lens, too. How I now wish I had never sold them!

Burnett's sence of timing is terrific. Once he's set up, he knows just when to press the shutter to get the peak of the action. Very impressive.

Thank you, Mike, for this next episode in your series of "Here's how I spend time on my computer when I'm not out shooting."

Title: Re: David Burnett’s Speed Graphic Photos of the London 2012 Olympics
Post by: BernardLanguillier on February 15, 2013, 04:04:36 am
Some interesting images here, thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Bernard
Title: Re: David Burnett’s Speed Graphic Photos of the London 2012 Olympics
Post by: RFPhotography on February 15, 2013, 09:34:11 am
I was watching the Olympics one day and they showed Burnett in the photographer's pit at an event.  The speed that he exhibited in changing the film was incredible.  Not more than a couple seconds to insert the dark slide after a shot, flip the holder and remove the dark slide for the next frame.  Really interesting.
Title: Re: David Burnett’s Speed Graphic Photos of the London 2012 Olympics
Post by: Petrus on February 17, 2013, 09:27:16 am
While some of those shots are quite nice, we have to realize that the camera is here used in a totally alien manner compared to how it was used seventy years ago. A that time the aim was not "art", but a clear and high quality photograph, plenty of DOF and maybe a fill-in flash thrown in. Just look at the great press photos of the time. If a photographer would have come back form an assignment with photos like this, lens sitting crooked etc, he would have been the laughing stock of the whole profession.

Times change, but these reflect the large format aesthetic of today, as we can not compete against 12 fps high ISO digital SLR cameras with Speed Graphic in the field of pure sports photography, and Mr Burnett is not even trying. At the time when Speed Graphic was the best press camera real press (and sports) photographs were taken with them, let's not forget that. And they did not look anything like these Olympic pictures.
Title: Re: David Burnett’s Speed Graphic Photos of the London 2012 Olympics
Post by: Rhossydd on February 17, 2013, 10:34:31 am
... these reflect the large format aesthetic of today...
Do they ? I'd always thought today's LF photographers were rather more 'old school' that these. Many of them remind me of the faux tilt & shift so beloved of the hipsters on Instagram.
Title: Re: David Burnett’s Speed Graphic Photos of the London 2012 Olympics
Post by: Petrus on February 17, 2013, 11:36:14 am
OK, faux tilt aesthetics that has come around to real tilt with Speed Graphic...