Photography of Simon Galbally - f8Vision

About

This is about my photography and f8Vision.

I outline the photographic formats and equipment I use and why. I'm a "hybrid" photographer - shoot in film and digital capture.

For many film photographers the "digital revolution" has been a huge benefit, making many iconic film systems remarkably affordable over the past few years.

Many of my images at f8Vision are captured on film and then digitally scanned. Others are native digital capture. The only manipulations applied are to help faithfully reproduce what film recorded. I prefer that my images are displayed as I saw them, rather than manipuated into popularist styles such as heavy saturation of landscape colours.

Sadly for the film manufacturers, many of the finest films ever developed only became available a few years prior to the "digital revolution" - how ironic!

In the articles below I discuss my continuing enjoyment of film capture media.

I also outline the specific films and digital capture I use and why and detail the formats and systems I use and why - what they enable.

I also detail why I made the move to digital capture; the issues involved and the reasons behind the equipment choices I've made. Also you find detail about some traps in digital capture that the disciplines of experienced film capture help a digital user avoid.

WHO AM I?

My name is Simon Galbally. I live in Melbourne, Australia and shoot multiple photographic formats depending upon what I am trying to capture and how that is best achieved.

The photographic formats I shoot are: 35mm (or 135 format); medium format - 120 roll film (6cmx6cm); panoramic medium format - XPan and 6cmx12cm 120 roll film; and large format - 4'x5" sheet film. For digital capture I use DSLR format (35mm). Each format having its specific benefits and purposes - different horses for different courses!

Overall my favourite format, giving me the better of two worlds - reasonable convenience and large film area capturing the finest details - is 6cmx6cm medium format. But is not always the "ideal" format to work in.

For total convenience such as in street photography, no film system and format provides a better tool than the 35mm rangefinder camera. However, with the significant improvements in 35mm digital capture, the DSLR makes great sense especially while an "affordable" quality digital rangefinder 35mm camera still remains elusive.

And when shooting something very special that requires complex manipulations of the image, the enduring technical capabilities of the 4x5 view/field camera is simply a joy to any photographer.

I am occasionally hired to take photographs for others - weddings, homes, landscapes and personal / professional portraits. I also occasionally provide photography coaching assistance.

Equipment is simply a tool and a means to an end – the ability to create images that give me and others pleasure.

The simplest image may hold great value to me for reasons that may escape others. Likewise, others may see things in my work that were not so obvious to me.

Photos and text are copyright of f8Vision and Simon Galbally