[Leica] st. Petersburg

[deveney.marty at saugov.sa.gov.au (Deveney, Marty (PIRSA))]

John:
>I enjoyed these photos a lot. Just because I'm nosy: what film, lens did
you use - or are these digital? 

Thanks John.  All the 35 mm ones were taken with an M7 and a 50/2 or 50/1 on
Neopan 400 and 1600 - the nocti was used wide open, so most of the shots
done with it are identifiable by being slightly softer/smoother and with
vignetting.  The few square and square-ish ones from Kizhi were done on
Neopan 400 with a Rolleiflex F.  Everything was developed in Xtol 1+3 with
3g/L additional isoascorbate.  The main problem I experienced with these was
that try as I might, I cannot get Neopan 1600 to have adequate density or
shadow detail when shot at 1600.

Ted:
>A couple of things. Never put up photos, then make excuses for those that
don't cut it! Simply because you pull down the 
>complete set! Bad move! If you have to make excuses for your photography
then don't post them. Look at it this way..."If in 
>doubt? OUT!" For family? Cool! as they think every shot you make you're a
brilliant photographer as happens in nearly every 
>family. ;-)

Hi Ted.  I appreciate your comments, as always.  I knew someone would say
this as son as I sent that message.  These photos are only really there for
friends and family, but I thought I'd point out that they were there as part
of the St Petersburg thread.  Next time I'll stick to my original plan of
not alerting the LuG.  I'm an awful editor of my own work and don't have
access to a friendly picture editor anymore.  So I upload whatever I feel
like uploading.

>One becomes memorized by it's fantastic beauty the moment you walk inside.
If there is one place I'd return to in a heart 
>beat it's St. Petersburg and the Hermitage! :-) 

I agree entirely.  I did some work at the Russian Academy of Sciences, just
across one bridge from the Hermitage, so visiting regularly was quite
convenient.  I loved St Petersburg generally and the Hermitage specifically.
It really is among the greatest collections of Western art anywhere.  I'd
spend a year in there if I could.

>I would trust you shot colour in the Hermitage and the B&W's posted merely
a token of the shoot. Having shot a documentary 
>in '92 on the Hermitage I cannot for the life of me even contemplate
shooting B&W in such a magnificent edifice!

I shot the whole trip (Japan, Russia & China) in B&W only.  I have the
pleasure of having to photograph only for myself now.  I do it how I want,
when I want.  My wife shot a lot of photos of the art and building in
colour, but almost all of my photos were of visitors, guards and guides.  I
bought several books about the collection and the buildings, which contain
far better photos than any visitor could take (taken after hours, with the
place cleared out, on large format).  So these ones that I posted are my
personal record of that part of the trip.  If they were colour, they
wouldn't be how I want to see them - I have the books for that.

You may recognise your signature lighting in the snap I took of Rembrandt's
"Portrait of an old man in red".  8-)

Later,

Marty