Non Place Non More

The Theory of non place. a phrase stepped in philosophy and anthropology now used in the same vein a word like 'gourmet' would be, tacked onto a maccas burger to make it seem more important.

Above: A recent favorite of mine. Whilst the Central Park Tower would be considered a 'place', because of it's status as a major city landmark and defining feature, I like being able to isolate it in scenes that i'd normally consider non place, such as viewing it from behind a blindwall made of corrugated steel in a rundown city car park (that smells like piss and Friday bender).

Central Park

(c) Tom Adams 2015 all rights reserved.

Whilst Marc Augé's original work pertaining to the creation and meaning behind the phrase is still valid (and something I use in the rationale of my own work too, mind), I can't help but feel it is starting to be used as a cop out for people who are Insta-G 'famous', took a picture of a cactus in their neighbors garden and somehow managed to get 1500 likes on it.

or maybe I am just bitter. This is a real possibility, especially if you ask my partner.


In Augé's work it is stated also that the non place - whilst having always existed -  has mainly come about in the modern era. An era of Supermodernity has bought about so many events and space needed to house these events that they all become diluted. Only the most important of these spaces may be a place;

This supermodern world contains many "non-places." These are the spaces of institutions "formed in relation to certain ends (transport, transit, commerce, leisure)" (94). However, Augé does not use this term in a derogatory way. It is rather descriptive of a certain sort of place that inculcates a new sense of thin or abstract identity...

... Traditional closed indentity-defining places (which Augé doubts ever existed in total purity) are "places of identity, of relations and of history. The layout of the house, the rules of residence, the zoning of the village, placement of altars, configuration of public open spaces, land distribution, correspond for every individual to a system of possibilities, prescriptions and interdicts whose content is both spatial and social" (52).

(Auge on "non-places", David Kolb 2007; October 2010) 

But now it seems, in a way that only the internet could have facilitated (using photographers like myself and others) the non place described by Auge is able to be beamed around the world. Surely that would have an effect it's status as a place? These are spaces being sought for their supposed single use an feel. Now the empty, damp underground walkway is now trending on Instagram because the 'aesthetic' is appropriately gloomy - it's now famous! Surely if something can garner as many likes as the statue of liberty can just for being there it is a place?

Mind the statue of liberty has important historical value as well as it's impressive - and hardly minimalist - demenor. Your wheelie bin knocked over on a foggy morning doesn't have historical value except to say the truck driver couldn't be assed to stand it back up (does tick the minimalist bix though!)

Maybe I read to much into it. Why should I spend time worrying if the spot I have chosen to photograph seems 'nonplacey' enough. To qoute the oft quoted great, the Mr Ansell Adams;

A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.

 That fits, my outlook is bleak and I prefer my time to not include many people. My photographs reflect my views and what I find to be visually appealing.

I guess much like the non-place never being fully complete, I will never fully understand my own desires pertaining to my photography. So long as I enjoy my craft* others can appreciate or note the way I have depicted the scene that is enough for me.

* Totally includes cameras themselves, camera porn and "device design appreciation".

Above: The integration of man [made space] and nature - a major inspiration for me.

Looking north through the boundary fence of the East Perth Cemetery.

(c) Tom Adams 2015 all rights reserved.

Above: A 'Non-Place', Loading bay gates on a particularly nice Brutalist building. Foreboding and isolating in itself. The lack of colour and the includsion of 'artificial nature' in the form of planters are a favorite theme for me also.

Perth Concert Hall

(c) Tom Adams 2015 all rights reserved.

Photography is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality - Alfred Stieglitz

The versatile Nikon F5

This machine is what I consider to be the best photographic tool on the planet. It is a big statement but do keep in mind that the superlative 'best' is subjective, and whilst best it may be for me, it may not do the job for everyone. Tonight I just want to talk about some of the technical aspects of the camera.

Ever since 1959 Nikon have had held the top spot for equipment and cameras. Its arguable now that they either don't hold it anymore or share it with another company,who can tell? The homogeneous nature of digital technology and the millisecond refresh rate on the market means that is a cloudy crystal ball I'll let others look into and fight over (So long as Ken Rockwell isn't winning the fight. But we'll cover the photographers Antichrist another day).

Lets begin however, in 1996...

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(Above: An advert for the Nikon F5 showing it's tough magnesium alloy chassis)

The Nikon F5 is a working machine. At the time nearly 50 years of technological refinements and advances had been aggregated into a solidly built magnesium alloy chassis, wrapped up in weather sealing. It was a unit that was transforming Nikon's camera design. 

Integrating more computers (and a general miniaturization of existing infrastructure) than the previous F4 model, meant that it forgoes the traditional physical dials that crowd the top plate of it's predecessor. This gives a film SLR that closely resembles a digital SLR - as it was the model that's design inspired the Nikon D1 of 1999, the first commercially viable DSLR and one that was built entirely in house by Nikon.

 

 ( Above: Basic overview/layout. Standard DP-30 prism and standard backdoor. Sourced from MIR)

Being the flagship model of the Nikon SLR lineup, it was aimed at the working photographer, or one that demanded the highest level of durability and consistency. It sports 5 selectable autofocus points that can be toggled with a thumb from the rear of the camera even while in use.
These can be used individually or merged into one larger unit to provide more generalised autofocusing. High speed tracking is also available with the camera being able to lock onto some extremely fast targets.

Even more impressive is the motorisation of the autofocus system. At the time Nikon's method of autofocus was camera driven, by a screw and pinion system with the motor being in the camera body. The coreless motors that Nikon employ in this model have some serious grunt in them that is able to move even their largest telephoto lenses like the 400, 600 and 800mm quickly and precisely. These same motors can almost tear the gearing out of lenses that occupy the other end of the spectrum, such as the compact 50mm 1.8D - which almost smokes after being given a run on an F5. However, the F5 is still forwards compatible, with AF-s series lenses coming in or just around the corner at the time of it's launch, the F5 is a king for all systems in that it isn't locked to the one type of focusing, like some later DSLR designs, or Canon SLRs of the time*. Just simply mount a lens that isn't screw driven and the camera knows that it needn't use its on board motors, and instead uses the one built into whatever lens is mounted at the time.

* To be fair, Canon only have one type of autofocus system in their SLR cameras and that is the EOS in lens system. There are a few different sub-types such as ones with physical gearing and others with technology such as silent motors but aside from this there is no major physical changes in their system. 

Another major feature of the Nikon F5, and the Nikon single digit F series as a whole is that it is a modular system. Much like if you don't like the stock head of the lego figure you got in a set, you need only remove the required part and replace it with what you need.

The Nikon F5 has 4 different viewfinder models in total, 3 different back doors, 2 different battery types, several different designs of focusing screens for different applications and a myriad of Nikkor lenses and lenses to fit and then some more accessories.

Lets start with the prisms; The stock prism, and thus the most common is the DP-30 eye level prism. This is the technological wonder that houses Nikon's 1005 segment matrix colour meter. What this means for you and I is this: An average light meter will meter it's exposure based on greys and what would give the correct level of greys depending on the light at hand. Too many 'whites'? Decrease the time the shutter is open or stop the lens down. Too many 'blacks'? Do the opposite. The Matrix meter however uses RGB to find it's exposure. Factoring in the colours to the average means that in more circumstances you get the exposure that you want/need. You can of course override this by using the selector dial on the prism and placing the camera in either spot or centre weighted metering. The F5 also contains a regular spot meter built into the body of the camera in addition to the finder - in case the finder you're using doesn't have a meter (See the DW-30 waist level hood, and the 6x high mag. DW-31 waist level finder).

The DA-30 Action finder is the one I use on the camera most of the time however. This is split about 25% because of the far-eyepoint capacity and 75% because it looks badass. The DA-30 has multi-zone metering (the same as matrix but without the RGB - just grey) and then the centre weighted and spot modes too. The far-eyepoint mentioned previous means that the user's eye does not have to be flush with the back of the camera. You can still get 100% frame coverage from even a few centimeters away! This is great when you have a bike helmet on, are wearing sunglasses or if you're driving and don't have the time to compose properly!

Also worth noting is that Nikon programmed more than 1000 different scenes into the CPU for the computer that controls the matrix meter to analyse and help with it's exposure calculations.

(Above: DP-30 prism removed, showing the sturdy rail mounts, ADR window allowance and the LED exposure and focus lights. Also visible is the focus screen beneath)

The doors are also packed with a fair bit of technology in the F5. More than just a light seal and a pressure plate, the standard door have the autofocus selector toggle built into the thumb support on the back righthand side. The ergonomics of this are better than you'd think if you haven't had the chance to use an F5, as it is still quite easy to keep your eye to the finder and change your autofocus points. The in-finder readout of what point is selected however isn't as elegant. It is a series of lights that light up in combination depending on what point is in use. If you use the EC-B or EC-E focus screens there is a slight darkening of the point selected too. 

The MF-28 Data back is the major upgrade one would get for the camera, there is a smaller model, the MF-27 but it just adds a basic date/time imprint on the frame as well as all functions from the standard model. The MF-28's main attraction - atleast to me - is the ability to imprint a larger variety of data on or between frames. However it adds a bit more bulk to the camera, to me that is not that bad though. Also included is a built in intervelometer, trap focusing and expanded timer functions and time.

Most higher end SLR cameras have offered their users the ability to change focus screens to suit the application at hand. Be it distance scales engraved into the screen for macro applications, or lines for compositional aid. One of the advantages of the Nikon way of doing things however is the F series (with the exception of the F6) has the removable finders, which facilitate a much easier removal of the screens. Rather than fiddling with tweezers and worrying about damaging the reflex mirror, you just 'pop the hood' and lift the screen out of the F5. No worries, now just pick out of the comparatively huge* range of screens for a replacement.

* The Nikon F5 has 13 screens available by Nikon, a smaller number than previous F models but the construction of the non-EC models makes custom swapping an easy possibility.

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 In closing I'd like to mention where I learnt about all the details of the camera. Obviously there are many pages and sources I have read about the F5 but by far the most informative has been MIR, the Malaysian Internet Resource's photography section. I do believe the site has been dormant for several years, as its work-in-progress pages date to circa 2005 but the knowledge of the author is outstanding and it is a great compendium of everything Nikon F (And more).

It can be found here (Hotlink to Nikon F5 specific homepage)