Observation: film photos on flickr

[B&Wpositive]

I've noticed for a long time that many film photos on flickr look underexposed and bland in color. Even shots on Velvia look like this. Take a look at flickr. I can almost guarantee that if you search for any film and view the photo results, you'll see lots of images with low color saturation and nearly transparent shadows.

As a traditionalist, I learned not to underexpose negative film, and I've learned to dislike the smokey look that doing so creates.

I don't get it. Is this some sort of new "look" or trend? Or are people just using a lot of expired film? It's certainly not an accurate representation of the films in most cases.

And yes, my monitor is set properly. Don't get me wrong. Not every photo looks that way. But many do.

[2F/2F]

Lots of people are crummy photographers, content wise, technique wise, or both. Flicker does not disallow these people from signing up.

[Ektagraphic]

They probably don't expose properly and don't correct the scans.

[B&Wpositive]

Lots of people are crummy photographers, content wise, technique wise, or both. Flicker does not disallow these people from signing up.

I think you guys are right. It's misleading though. I mean, I went to flickr to see how a film I have never used might be expected to perform. Big mistake. Had I not been experienced with film, I would have thought this was the way film renders things. I would have surely concluded that digital was better. It could be confusing for people just getting into film.

[apconan]

Could you link to some images? I'm curious to see what you mean

[B&Wpositive]

Could you link to some images? I'm curious to see what you mean

I won't do that. It could be incriminating to whoever owns them. Just do a search for Provia 400X and some will surely pop up.

Better yet, type in 800Z. No wonder no one is buying the stuff!

You'll have to scroll through the various pages a bit.

I'm thinking this underexposure thing is a new trend with young film users who are new to film and are using Holgas. But even some people using MF gear are turning out these bizzare, low-contrast results. (I'm young myself and can't stand how it looks.)

Maybe the limiting factor is the scanning technology people have access to...

Some of these images get comments like "Gorgeous Capture!"

They look somewhat cross-processed (even thought they aren't).

Lots are scanned on flatbeds...or by Walmart.

[Ektagraphic]

Well, the I shoot Kodak film group has links to click to see diffrent films and when you look at thumnails of a bunch of them at once you can get an idea.....

[Tim Gray]

Or are people just using a lot of expired film?

yes. that and underexposure.

[dances_w_clouds]

Maybe the limiting factor is the scanning technology people have access to...
That is one of the biggest flaws in converting analogue to digi...
I didn't get better, I only replaced my scanner. :D

[Brian Legge]

It is at least partly an intentional style call. A lot of people playing with film like vintage looks - and low contrast, etc shots are part of that. I think it is similar to the popularity of holga style shots.

I think it is also a reaction to the highly processed, high saturation, photoshopped, perfect images people see so frequently. Something of a 'flaws are beautiful' attitude.

[B&Wpositive]

It is at least partly an intentional style call. A lot of people playing with film like vintage looks - and low contrast, etc shots are part of that. I think it is similar to the popularity of holga style shots.

I think it is also a reaction to the highly processed, high saturation, photoshopped, perfect images people see so frequently. Something of a 'flaws are beautiful' attitude.

In short, a fad that might pass.

This look is not what I want the majority of people to envision when people speak of "the beauty of film" or "the earthiness of film" or "digital is sterile compared to film".

I think it's gone far enough.

Either that or we'll all have to start underexposing our print film to keep up with the flickr Joneses. Honestly, I think that's a waste of my money in most cases. Very rarely do I want that look.

I much prefer Jose Villa's bright, overexposed Fuji Frontier scanner look to these bland underexposed ones. But I like well-exposed, well-scanned negs the best.

I'm not against the look if anyone is successful with it. But it's at the point where people are going to start thinking this is how film is supposed to look ideally.

[fschifano]

Lots of people are crummy photographers, content wise, technique wise, or both. Flicker does not disallow these people from signing up.

Which is exactly why I've said, and still maintain, that you cannot get a decent idea of how ANY film stacks up against another when looking at samples from Flickr or any other photo sharing site. Sure there are good examples there, but you don't run across too many of them.

[2F/2F]

...you cannot get a decent idea of how ANY film stacks up against another when looking at samples from Flickr or any other photo sharing site.

Yup!

(Or is it nope?)

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Lots of people are crummy photographers, content wise, technique wise, or both. Flicker does not disallow these people from signing up.

I love photography and the Internet because it's so democratic. During the days of William Randoph Hearst, he owned the printing press and he churned out crap. Now I have the delight of finding great unknown photographers among the mediocre on Flickr :D

[2F/2F]

I love photography and the Internet because it's so democratic. During the days of William Randoph Hearst, he owned the printing press and he churned out crap. Now I have the delight of finding great unknown photographers among the mediocre on Flickr :D

You will notice that I did not say whether or not I thought it was a good thing or a bad thing.

[wildbill]

10% of fishermen catch 90% of the fish.

[jnanian]

could it be that the people anningscay their film don't know
how to oostbay their evelslay so they look like the print ?

i don't think it is just bad technique, bad photography and bad content
although it would be much easier to say it is ...
it is an art form in itself to finesse a anscay into something that looks like the print.

[2F/2F]

could it be that the people anningscay their film don't know
how to oostbay their evelslay so they look like the print ?

i don't think it is just bad technique, bad photography and bad content
although it would be much easier to say it is ...
it is an art form in itself to finesse a anscay into something that looks like the print.

This is why I said content wise and/or technique wise. That way, it could be either one alone, or both! :D

There are four options:

1. Bad content, bad technique
2. Bad content, good technique
3. Good content, bad technique
4. Good content, good technique

Scanning and levels adjustment are just technical aspects, so the content could be very good, but just digitized in a non-flattering way.

The goodness or badness of content is, of course, subjective, and I would not say that it is anything but!

[jnanian]

sorry 2f - i didn't equate bad aningscay as technique, i thought the technique you were
referring to was behind the camera ;)

and again, we are in full agreement ;)
john

[zk-cessnaguy]

could it be that the people anningscay their film don't know
how to oostbay their evelslay so they look like the print ?

i don't think it is just bad technique, bad photography and bad content
although it would be much easier to say it is ...
it is an art form in itself to finesse a anscay into something that looks like the print.

huh? why are you talking elvish?