Photographer’s Spot

A week and a day ago now, we published Jim Hughes’ article “Fugitive Color,” a meditation around Kodachrome. In the article, Jim talked about Harald Mante’s new book from Rocky Nook, Photography Unplugged, which was published last September.

Here’s the U.K. link. And of course it’s available from Amazon Germany—it was originally published by dpunkt Verlag in Germany.

I was in the bookstore a couple of months ago and had just picked up, flipped through, and put back down yet another of those agglutinations of purty scenics, thinking sarcastically to myself (I’m often sarcastic with myself), “Sorry, but I need photographs to have a little more substance than that.” Just as I was thinking that, I picked up Harald’s book and thought, “Whoops! Well, maybe I don’t, after all.”

I flipped through it, then sat down and looked through the whole thing carefully, then came back the next day and looked through it again.

And then bought it.

The simple, straightforward layout serves the work.

It’s true that Harald casts the book (in a brief note in the front matter) as a “Goodbye to Kodachrome,” since most of the pictures were taken with Minolta cameras (as he told me in an email recently) and the famous Kodak film. But I really think that this book will appeal to anyone who works in color, whether film or digital.

Harald work in bold, elemental compositions, a strong and vivid sense of geometry and design, and, most of all, vivid and coordinated palettes of colors. This ain’t Deep Stuff—the work really doesn’t have a lot of “meaning” past the exaggerated sense it imparts of the joy of looking and seeing. There’s a sense of playfulness, almost of fun. But I’m fascinated by the fact that the book doesn’t seem to have any weak spots, and that, despite the photographer’s relatively simple project, he doesn’t repeat himself (much) or fall back on worn-out tricks and tropes. You won’t come away thinking you’ve seen anything new, yet there’s a lot of invention here and a surprising variety. It’s consistent and strong.

The reproduction and book design are outstanding—I frankly wouldn’t mind if every photographic book were laid out in a such a no-nonsense manner, one picture per page, no distractions; it simply serves the pictures. In fact, the only criticism I can muster of the book is its cover, which is somber and featureless. So many book covers are bright and inviting and promise more than the contents deliver. This cover is the opposite.

Harald Mante with his new book. Photo by Ralph Bodemer, derwesten.de

All in all, this is joyful and enjoyable. Harald Mante was unknown to me before I saw this—apparently he’s well-known as a teacher and writer on photography in Germany. It’s distinctive, individual, and just very, very well done (I’m avoiding the term “eye candy,” but I can see how this would get to be a guilty pleasure for many). I suspect 90% of the people who read TOP would truly enjoy at least a single trip through this tour of Harald’s work, and a strong majority would get a lot of enjoyment out of repeat visits. Whatever kind of equipment you use, if you like strong design and clear, vibrant colors—and you don’t mind optimism and an affirmative outlook—a sparkling surf without the undertow—you’ll like this.

Mike

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One of the most famous of vaporware products is vaporware no more. Originally announced in 2005, then again in 2007—failing to materialize on both occasions—the Pentax 645D is about to become a reality in Japan.

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Sample image by Tanji Toshiaki (from a reduced-size original)

The MSRP will initially be ¥850,000, which is currently less than $10k. The BJP is reporting that there are no plans to export the camera to other markets.

Based on the venerable Pentax 645, which was first a manual-focus and then an AF film camera, the 645D has a 40-megapixel Kodak-made CCD sensor that is 33×44 millimeters in size, or 1.7X what is called “full-frame” (i.e., 35mm film size), which allows for a still-generous 6 micron pixel pitch. Like most medium-format digital cameras and backs, the sensor will reportedly be optimized for extended dynamic range rather than high ISOs, and will have no anti-aliasing filters (the Leica M9’s trick for increasing image sharpness).

The camera is weatherproof, and so is the initial offering in the new Pentax-D FA 645 lens line, a 55mm ƒ/2.8. This is the equivalent on the new format of Pentax’s justly famous 43mm Limited lens on a 35mm. The newly-designed lens pulls out all the stops—it’s a 9-element aspherical, with ultrasonic, internal focusing, and Pentax says, “all lens characteristics are optimized for digital photography.” That means, among other things, that the rear elements will be coated like the front ones, a crucial modification for best performance with digital sensors, which reflect considerably more light back at the lens than film does.

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Sample image by Siratori Sintarou (from a reduced-size original)

I personally haven’t used a Pentax 645 since the “N” version of the AF camera came out, but I found that one to be ergonomically a honey, with very sensible and intuitive control configurations and a satisfyingly grippy shape.

A few more high points from the press release (which I assume you’re capable of reading for yourself if you’re interested): 14-bit A/D conversion; dual card slots (it takes SD/SDHC cards); tempered glass protecting both viewing screens; a newly-designed 11-point AF system; an ISO-priority exposure mode; 77-segment multi-pattern metering; and a 98% finder with a huge –3.5 to +2 diopter correction range.

There’s going to be a special website, but it’s mostly still under construction and I assume it will be in Japanese.

Despite the Digital 645’s longtime Lucy-with-the-football tease, this might well be the best time for this camera to come along. It would have been too primitive in 2005, and too expensive in 2007. It even makes sense—well, a little sense—for it to be Japan-only, since “645″ (shouldn’t it be called 3344?) was always much more popular in Japan than it was in the rest of the world even in the days of film, and the film versions always sold much better in the home market than anywhere else.

Anyway, it’s probably a good thing for me they’re not bringing this to the States. If they ever do, tie me to the mast, boys, tie me to the mast.

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