How do you take photographs when foreground , mid-ground and distance are all a mass of unremarkable white?
Which makes the photographs of Herbert Ponting all the more remarkable. They are amongst the 20,000 stunning images just launched on the new photographic website of the Scott Polar Institute in Cambridge entitled Freeze Frame.
Throw in a few technical problems like an ambient temperature of -40C and a camera system of cumbersome glass plates requiring exposure times in minutes (when "exposure" is not a popular concept), and you have a bit of a problem.
Which makes the photographs of Herbert Ponting all the more remarkable. They are amongst the 20,000 stunning images just launched on the new photographic website of the Scott Polar Institute in Cambridge entitled Freeze Frame.Ponting seemed to have a particular genius for spotting a memorable image and it is difficult to believe that these wonderful photographs were taken with large format glass plate cameras in 1911. I particularly like the first two images above and this last one which features a sled-dog called Chris listening to a phonograph.
10 comments:
Is Chris listening to an HMV record?
Kaz: I should think he was. He looks very much like Dave, the Farmer's Dog at the other end of our village. Oz listens to RCA records but only because he's like the first two letters.
Oz is a Roman Catholic? I'd have guessed Buddist if you'd asked me.
Can I make it clear that Dave, the Farmer's Dog, is no relation.
Amazing images! They look pretty sharp too. Something to aspire to, I think.
Dave : Chris looks a bit like Dave. I'm sure they'd get on well listening to their record player unless Mr RC got involved.
Sir B: Perhaps the sheer palaver of setting up a 10kg Camera and exposing for 30 seconds makes you think more about the actual image. The temperature alond would put any lesser mortal off.
I remember the second one from an old review of the first half of the 20th Century I had when I was a kid. Can you remember it from the papers, Rog?
I vaguely possibly remember Richard - I was far too young of course!
Some absolutely stunning images on the Freeze Frame web-site. Makes one realise that there truly is an 'art' to great photography: superb composition, spot-on exposure, excellent printing and, of course, using a tripod!
Think I'll chuck the Canon 350D in the bin and go back to using a 'real' camera.
BTW. How reassuring to know that only the 'eccentric' British would think of lugging a phonograph all the way to the south pole.
Magwitch: Yes I think there's inspiration aplenty for us digisnappers. I'd be there with a Canon 400D and an MP3 player but it wouldn't be the same...
Was Chris one of the dogs that later got eaten?
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