For the past several years Richard Sayer @vignouse has issued a challenge for the month of September to take and post images using only a 50mm lens (or full frame equivalent) and post the JPEG as captured in camera. This year I am joining Richard as co-host of this fun and challenging exercise.
In past introductions to this challenge Richard talked about how, back in the day, when photography enthusiasts purchased a camera it was invariably either a 35mm range-finder or a 35mm SLR. In most cases it was fitted with a "standard" 50mm lens. A roll of film was then exposed and sent to the lab and several days later, when you got it back and viewed the prints (or slides) there were some good, some bad but you were stuck with the result of your initial in-camera composition and exposure.
Digital has changed everything. Freed from the cost of film, photographers can snap happily away taking dozens of shots until they get something they like. Zoom lenses enable you stand stand in one spot zooming in and out until you are happy with your composition and modern software allows you to fiddle with your files until the image pleases you. Not that there is anything wrong with all of that. That is my modus operandi and I suspect the same is true for many of you but, as Richard points out, it does tend to make us all a little lazy. "I'll fix it in post" is the refrain. When I first tried this challenge last September I didn't think I would last more than a few days but to my surprise I went the whole month and thoroughly enjoyed it. Richard has created a challenge that requires us to put more thought into the end result before we press the shutter. Beware of highlights, watch out for dark shadows, are there any unwanted elements creeping in from the edges, is the horizon level? If this return to the "old days" sounds interesting to you, if you think you are up to the challenge (of course you are) then please join us for September SOOC. Use a 50mm lens on a full frame camera, a 35mm lens on an ACSP camera or a 25mm lens on a Micro 4/3 camera. If you only own a zoom lens, set it to the appropriate focal length and zoom with your feet. Post the resulting JPEG on 365 and remember NO POST PROCESSING. (That's the hard part for me). This includes cropping and horizon straightening so be careful when composing.
Please join us in this challenging, but fun, exercise. It really makes you concentrate when shooting and will help make you a better photographer. Take part for the whole month or just post the occasional image.
Tag your post nf-sooc-2022
Richard and Chris look forward to seeing the results of your old school photography. Have fun.
@joemuli good heavens - I can’t imagine why not! I have a 25mm and a 20mm for my oly…. Assuming I play (I’ve been soooooo inconsistent lately) I’ll prolly use the 20mm…. It equates to 40mm on full frame and is still an “F” 🤣🤣
Wooohoooo!!! That time of the year! I think this is one of my favourite challenges here. Thanks Chris and Richard for keeping it up. I'm off to change my lens.
I have just finished the Abstract August challenge and was looking for something else to keep me taking a shot a day ( have managed to post daily for over a year now) I am also taking the AYWMC course and am at the 'Composition' stage, so using my 35mm lens and only taking one shot will certainly help me focus and improve my skill ( still a lot to learn) Thanks for posting this.
Perhaps this challenge will be a back-to-basics reminder. I normally shoot full frame with a Canon EOS R; yesterday I took an old Sigma 18 to 200 lens, which of course means I have to crop the image size on the camera, with some reduction in quality. I was pretty happy with yesterday's results, particularly how easy it was to move from 18 to 200 without any change of lens.
I read this challenge and thought I would give it a go. My main issues are getting the image that I want without cropping and adapting to only having a 50 mm lens; though I suppose that is the point of the challenge. The advantage of course is that my 50 mm lens opens as far as 1.4.
@vignouse@cdcook48 Thanks a million Richard and Chris, for setting up this challenge. I will give it a try, but I do not know, how long I can cope. No pp is sooooo hard for me. As I think, I'm not really good at photography, but I know how to fix it later on screen, to make something "pleasing". Or I even use the "in-camera-processing-thingy's", that help me achieving what my inner eye sees. So I do not promise a whole month, but when I post a nifty-fifty (Sony 1.4/50mm) this month, it is SOOC too, with only my initials added.
@cdcook48@vignouse Thanks both, my wife @carole_sandford and I are intrigued by this challenge and are hoping to partake for the full month. It’ll be difficult for me to stay out of Lightroom but will follow the rules of the challenge.
This too will be a very good challenge for me as I too enjoy post -processing. Allowing jpeg to do it all will be strange but I enjoy the fact that it will make me a better photographer.
So, what about B&W? If you’re doing film of course, just pop in a B&W film but, if doing digital, do we set in camera to B&W if that’s an option or do we shoot colour and then convert later? But that’s post processing.
@gardencat Using the B&W option in your menu is no different than choosing to use a roll of B&W film. In your Sony it is under Creative Styles, and in fact you could use any one of those colour styles. Again, it is the same as choosing a particular type of colour film for its aesthetic.
@busylady You could, but it would be better to shoot in JPEG and post that. The reason is that RAW files have no in-camera processing and tend to look very flat whereas when you shoot in JPEG the camera automatically adds a little contrast, saturation and sharpening to give the files some life. And before you say "Wait a minute! I thought this challenge didn't allow processing!" remember that was POST processing. What your camera does to JPEG files is in-camera and is no different than choosing different types of film for the way it makes your images look. Thanks for joining in Judith, I hope you enjoy the challenge. For those of us who enjoy post processing it is difficult but that is why its called a "challenge"
This project challenge within 365 is wonderful. I grew up with a 35mm film camera and use Polaroid 600 quite often. I had to use digital cameras in college(2010ish) for Photojournalism. Even though I don't use film anymore (besides the Polaroid shots) between growing up with film cameras and learning photography from a Journalism stand point I rarely do post edits of any kind. I will admit I take more photos on a digital point and shoot or digital phone camera than film, however I still analyze the situation, move around to get the angle and perspective I want, and try to work in the best lighting I want. I also have always been aware that some shots will not come out, on film or digitally, and take those moments in mentally to enjoy and verbally tell others if I chose too.
Thank you Richard and Chris for sharing your photographs and I will enjoy seeing what photos y'all have taken so far.
Regards,
Sam Sutlive.
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Thanks Richard and Chris, I was going to post something about it today if nothing popped up 😊
This will prove to be a challenging challenge.
I read this challenge and thought I would give it a go. My main issues are getting the image that I want without cropping and adapting to only having a 50 mm lens; though I suppose that is the point of the challenge. The advantage of course is that my 50 mm lens opens as far as 1.4.
This project challenge within 365 is wonderful. I grew up with a 35mm film camera and use Polaroid 600 quite often. I had to use digital cameras in college(2010ish) for Photojournalism. Even though I don't use film anymore (besides the Polaroid shots) between growing up with film cameras and learning photography from a Journalism stand point I rarely do post edits of any kind. I will admit I take more photos on a digital point and shoot or digital phone camera than film, however I still analyze the situation, move around to get the angle and perspective I want, and try to work in the best lighting I want. I also have always been aware that some shots will not come out, on film or digitally, and take those moments in mentally to enjoy and verbally tell others if I chose too.
Thank you Richard and Chris for sharing your photographs and I will enjoy seeing what photos y'all have taken so far.
Regards,
Sam Sutlive.