[LargeFormat] Photoshop plug ins
Les Newcomer
largeformat@f32.net
Mon Feb 24 11:42:14 2003
Okay I realize this forum is more in tune with Mr. Ludd than Mr. Adobe but
not being completely in tune with all of the list serves, I thought I'd
ask the question with people I'm familiar with. (Sort of like looking for
your lost keys outside because the light is better)
If you click here, you'll find a very bad scan of a hot mount press taken
from a catalog out of the 30s.
http:home.twmi.rr.com/lnphoto/hotmountpres.jpg Please ignore the moire
pattern
Astute followers of this list will remember a thread about hot mount
presses and while mine looks similar it does have the modernization of
being electric. But I digress.
My questions are:
What is it about this image that makes it look like it does?
How can I duplicate it?
Is there a Plug in that can create this?
Is there a better forum to ask the question?
Granted some of the highlights are drawn in, and with this example, the
smooth surface may have had help from an airbrush, but I've seen similar
photos of Speed Graphic cameras with textured surfaces and the same
overall look.
I can describe the image in terms that the lighting is relatively flat,
the background has been opaqued out and a non descript shadow as been
added to ground the object. The contrast is relatively low, but with high
local separation.
And yet that same paragraph can describe just about any 1950s catalog
photo of a Pacemaker Graphic, and they look radically different.
It seems to be a halftone version of an engraving, which would have made
sense during the 20s.
Paper and the type of printing press doesn't seem to have an effect as I'
ve seen similar photos reproduced in Graphic Graflex Photography to show
their old equipment and the effect is still there. The same is true with
1970s reproduction catalogs. I have a Graflex catalogs from '04 and 1919
and while not quite as delicate, they still look old.
I fear I may have to find a photo engraver that was working in the 30s.
That should be simple. Finding one alive, coherent, and lucid poses
greater obsticles.
I've searched google for plug ins and got discouraged after the 5th page
of blue flames spelling out ROLAIDS on ice-cream while the cone morphs
into a mountain top above a cherry pie, and flying toaster running into
Steve Jobs mouth.