Film to burn?

Most of us photographers have heard the expression "film to burn". I thought about it recently when I saw this.

There was a piece on the news earlier this week about the lighting of the Olympic flame before it begins its journey to Sochi for 2014.

I saw the wide shot of the flame being lit but then, as the camera zoomed in, I saw what looked like a piece of 35mm film being used as the accelerant.

Wide shot

 

 Close up

What do you think?

Here's a video of what I saw.

Update: 

This small humorous piece was picked up and reproduced by two of my favourite sites. This resulted in a 50% surge of visitors. The two sites were Petapixel and Gizmodo. Ken Lacouture has also mentioned it on his blog.

Laid off

This sums up my mood

On the 13 of September this year, I was invited into the HR department and told by our new department head, that the company for which I have worked for the past nine and a half years had no more need of my services.*

I was given five months notice, effective from the beginning of October. My last day will be at the end of February 2012.

To say that I was shocked would be a massive understatement. To be laid off is bad enough, but to be made redundant when you think that all is well is a nasty surprise.

Since my birthday in 2002, I have worked as the in-house photographer for the premier lighting company in Switzerland. The work I do includes, but is not limited to product shots, on location work, portraits, exhibition coverage and lots, lots more.

As the sole English person working here, I proofread brochures and documents for accuracy in my mother language. With my knowledge of HTML, I built private websites for my co-workers including members of the management board.

Presentations, movies and PowerPoint’s are also called for. In fact, only last week, one of my self made movies was shown in the town of Olten to inform its citizens how their Christmas lights will look next year.

I’ve immediately started a campaign of letter writing and registered myself for email alerts for any jobs with “photography” somewhere in the description.

The rejection letters are coming back thick and fast. It seems that employees can now be choosier because of all the “photographers” on the market and the plethora of picture libraries.

Although (at the time of writing this) I have another three months or so until I have to go, I am cautiously optimistic of finding an in-house position. If not, then I’ll have to go back to freelancing.

Other steps that I’ve taken are building up a mailing list of architects and lighting designers etc that I have worked with in the past and offering my services to them. My print portfolio has always contained my best stuff so I don’t have much extra work to do with that. My website will be completely revamped to show more professional work. Business cards will also be added to the mix.

Since I first got into photography, I have always been able to survive. In the past I moved to different countries and was always able to find photography related work, whether it was managing a lab in South Africa or being the base photographer for the US army in Stuttgart, Germany. (For which I received a certificate of commendation for my photographic work and knowledge.)

However. I was younger then and didn’t have a wife and family to think about.

  

I’m not going to make this post depressing but rather will use my blog to detail how I’m managing to find photographic work which is my passion.

* I have just checked my work computer. Since 2005 I have made 25,777 digital images for Regent.  Before that and up until about two years ago, I shot hundreds of rolls of medium format film. I think that there is DEFINITELY a need for a photographer.

Film from a three day shoot

 

 Film boxes from a two day studio shoot

Thanks for reading.

The times they are a changing

The image capturing tools that I use in my job include a Sinar view camera, a pair of medium format Rollei SL66’s and my own digital Canon EOS bodies.

The vast majority of product photography done by me is shot on medium format tungsten balanced film. I go through anywhere up to 600 rolls per year.

I phoned my photolab three weeks ago to order one hundred rolls. I was then informed that they only had twenty rolls in stock and would order the rest. Five minutes later, they rang back and told me that it had been discontinued and that there were only twenty rolls available. Period.

 My favourite artificial light film. No more available

A quick visit to Kodak’s website said:

„ Due to significantly decreased sales volumes, Kodak is ceasing production of KODAK EKTACHROME 64T Professional Film (EPY). Based on current usage demand, product is expected to be available in the market through early 2010.
Kodak actively evaluates its professional film portfolio to ensure it's consistent with customer demands; decisions regarding product discontinuations are largely based on customer demand and sales.“

A feeling of unease begins to set in so I ask if there is any Fuji equivalent available. Half an hour later my call is returned and I am reliably informed that there are only ninety rolls left in EUROPE!! Naurally I ordered them and they arrived last week.

 The last ninety rolls of Fuji 64T

I can’t however (at the time of writing this), find any mention of its discontinuance on the Fuji website.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking. „ Just switch to digital“. That will definitely happen but I find it somewhat disappointing to see such a great film being discontinued.

I’ve been using it since the early eighties. Perhaps I’ll keep one box back to give to a photomuseum!

 Feeding the beast

Oh well. 'til next time.