Marissa Elman | Fashion & Photography

Marissa Elman is a lifelong lover of fashion and photography.

Why House Dresses Are Making A Comeback

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When most people think of a house dress, they usually picture their mothers and grandmothers wearing oversized, ankle-length dresses with bold floral patterns as they make breakfast for their families or clean their homes. Sitcoms from the ‘60s and ’70’s era often presented several examples of women in old fashioned house dresses. Considering the fact that no one really looks or feels attractive cleaning their bathtub, house dresses have always seemed to be a way to choose comfort over fashion when tackling household chores. Despite their less than appealing history, house dresses are making a comeback, and it’s not hard to see why.

 

The year 2020 has confined most people to their homes with minimal or no options for keeping up with their grooming, which further discourages most from even bothering to put any effort into their appearance. As a result, most women who are used to getting up extra early to make sure they are a little more than presentable for the workplace have found themselves hanging around the house all day makeup-free and wearing things they wouldn’t even wear on a quick store run. Wearing old t-shirts and sweats every day can become a drag over time and requires a change of wardrobe when it’s time to get down to business, which is why modern house dresses have captured the attention of women everywhere. There are finally house dresses comfortable enough for mopping floors and at the same time stylish enough for work zoom meetings sitting in your living room.

 

The old images of mothers and grandmothers in their old fashioned house dresses eating snacks and watching soap operas on the couch are being replaced with images of women who are doing it all and looking great while doing it. There is now an array of different fabrics and patterns of house dresses for women to choose from. Popular styles of house dresses include tie waisted, smocks, and shirt dresses, and most women are able to find options they love.

 

Everyone is attempting to return to their idea of normal everyday life, and modern house dresses are offering women a way to find a happy medium in fashion for their quarantined lives in the meantime.

How COVID Saved Kodak

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Kodak was a household name back in the days when laying your hands on a photograph meant taking out the roll of film in your camera and having it developed. Kodak attained a powerful market position in the 70s, accounting for 85% of the camera and 90% of film sales in the US. However, the firm’s failure to capitalize on digital photography, which was one of its many inventions, led to a downward spiral trend. So devastating were the effects of the digital era on Kodak that the company declared bankruptcy in 2012. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has saved Kodak as President Trump’s Government promised to loan the company capital to venture into the production of pharmaceutical ingredients for combating the virus.

Kodak’s Jump From a Fallen Photography Giant to a Pharmaceutical Producer

Kodak’s fear of hurting their film sales, if they capitalized on the newly invented digital camera, was a fatal mistake that came with adverse repercussions – the company exited the digital camera industry in 2012.

Over the last several years, Kodak has focused on the production of advanced chemicals. However, there has not been much to show for the effort. Until a few days ago, Kodak was another household name heading down the drain.

In an unexpected turn of events, the Trump administration has summoned Kodak and awarded the organization a contract to make ingredients for the production of generic drugs for COVID-19. The firm is a beneficiary of a government program to reduce the country’s foreign dependence on medical supplies. Nothing has made the implications of this foreign dependency clearer than the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kodak’s Failure to Adapt to the Digital Era Made It a Relic; Will the COVID-19 Pandemic Change That

Trump’s administration has given Kodak $765 million to produce ingredients for COVID-19 drugs. Many are heralding this as a big comeback by Kodak. However, some critics think that Kodak will be hard-pressed to manufacture these ingredients at a price that will compete with the offshore supplies. Only time will tell whether this is a comeback for Kodak or another opportunity to continue ‘surviving.’ Nevertheless if the immediate response to this news is anything to go by, better days lie ahead for Kodak.

Kodak Gains From COVID

Since winning a government loan to produce pharmaceutical ingredients, Kodak’s market valuation and the share price has risen consistently. In just a few days, the firm’s shares had more than tripled.

Kodak began the production of drug ingredients about four years ago. With the recent government loan, the firm is set to expand the production of medical elements in their facilities.

The Best Digital Cameras of 2020

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Photography is a great hobby, passion, or career to get involved in as there are so many ways to enjoy photography and make art with it. While photography is wonderful, one of the most difficult aspects of it has to be the camera itself. There are so many types of cameras out there, all specializing in different things depending on the type of photos you’re trying to take. This can make choosing a camera extremely difficult for both beginners and seasoned photographers. That’s where this list comes in. Read on to learn about some of the best cameras currently on the market.

 

Sony A6100

If you’re a brand new photographer just beginning on their photography journey, the Sony A6100 is great for you. This compact camera is quite impressive, featuring Sony’s 425-point  hybrid autofocus system, a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor, the ability to shoot video in 4K, and much more. If you’re looking to upgrade to a Sony full-frame camera one day, this camera will go far due to having the same Sony E mount as the A7, meaning you can use all of the same lenses without having to get new ones. One of the biggest perks of this camera for beginners is the price, which usually falls around $750 – $800. While this may seem expensive, it’s actually quite tame for what a camera price can be.

 

Fujifilm X-T4

If you’re looking for the best digital camera overall, it’s hard to go wrong with the X-T4.  While it might not have the “biggest” or “best” of some of its overall quality is what really makes this camera shine. It sports a very classic design but has all of the modern features built-in, such as 4K video, a fully articulating monitor, and 5-axis sensor-shift stabilization, among other features. While many prior Fujifilm X-series cameras have been great, there’s almost always something that just isn’t right. With the X-T4, you don’t have to worry about that. Everything it does, it does great. It does come in at a whopping $1,700 though, so be prepared to spend a pretty penny if you’re thinking of getting it. 

 

Sony RX100 VII

If you’re someone who travels a lot and wants to bring home superior quality photos to remember your trip by, the Sony RX100 VII is the camera for you. This camera is tight and compact but packs a punch by having an awesome roster of features such as fast autofocus, a 3.5mm microphone port, no-blackout viewfinder, and much more. The RX100 has plenty of more advanced features as well, but the truly great thing about this camera is that you’re not forced to use them in order to get a great picture, making this a great camera for pros and just plain old enthusiasts. Price-wise, this camera falls right in between the other two cameras mentioned in this blog – right at $1,200.

Introduction to Contrast in Photography

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The use of contrast in photography is one of the most critical aspects of art. Knowing how to manipulate contrast will help improve your technique and photography overall. 

Contrast, simply put, means different. In photography, some of the most usual differences are changed by actually altering the changes in color or tone in the composition. Lowering or heightening the contrast in the photo can significantly alter the story your picture is telling. 

Creating an exciting color scheme involves some knowledge of color. You don’t need to have the eye for the color of Vincent Van Gogh; knowledge of or an on hand color wheel will suffice. A color wheel is a tool involved in a vast medium of art. It merely consists of the relationship between different colors. Using color schemes, you can play around with what colors provide. It’s easy to find complementary colors because they are located on the opposite side of the wheel.

An easy example is the juxtaposition of the colors green and red. They both compliment each other and cause their counterpart to pop or “stick out.” You can also classify colors into two categories, warm or cold. Combining a cold color with a warm color will provide contrast in your photo. 

The most popular form of contrast is called tonal contrast. Tonal contrast refers to the balance of brightness in different elements of an image. Those contrasting hues are very noticeable in black and white imagery. If the photo is both very dark and contains very bright tones, it has a high tonal contrast. If the image has a far range of tones from pure white to pure black, it is classified as a medium tonal interest. 

As you work on your photography and image editing sills, pay attention to your usage of contrast in both pre and post. Variation can change your story as much the actual image does. Play around with colors, tone, and brightness and, most importantly, have fun!

Introduction to White Balance

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Many photographers will start shooting in automatic mode, but once you start shooting in manual mode, you will gain so much more creative control over your images. The first three settings you should know about are the exposures settings: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. These settings are only the beginning, and your camera settings go beyond those three. Today’s blog focuses on white balance, which allows you to get the right color temperature in your photos. 

 

Color temperature is expressed in degrees Kelvin, and all sources of light have a color temperature whether you’re using natural light, fluorescents, professional speedlights, or LED panels. Color temperature works inversely to what we associate with temperature because “warm” colors fall at the lower end of the spectrum while “cool” colors are on the higher end. The lower the number, the warmer the color, and likewise, the cooler the color, the higher its color temperature. 

 

Colors that are warmer tend to read orange and fall around 2000K, and cooler colors, like that of moonlight are at the other end around 8000K-10,000K. Even the same light source can have variations of color temperature. Take the sun for example. Sunlight may look neutral at noon (within the ballpark of approximately 6000K) but can appear warm at sunrise or sunset. 

 

Our brains are remarkable and recognize colors even in different color temperatures. We understand that an apple is red whether we’re looking at it in warm light or cool light. A digital camera can approximate the color temperature of an object but doesn’t always compensate correctly. If you want to record accurate colors, you may be required to adjust your white balance settings. 

 

Your DSLR will often have white balance presets like Tungsten, Fluorescent, Daylight, Shade, and more that will help compensate for your lighting conditions. Sometimes, your camera may have even more refined controls and may let you adjust the values in Kelvins. Think of color temperature and white balance as opposites: warmer light falls lower on the Kelvin scale, so setting a lower number on your camera will cool down the image instead of warming it up. 

 

White balance is a powerful tool for accurate color correction, but it can also be used artistically. Knowing how to set your white balance settings can make a photo look natural, but they can also be used to do the opposite and make them look otherworldly.  

Buying a 35MM Camera

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The 35MM camera is the definition of vintage and class. When you think of a classic late 20th-century camera, the odds are it is the classic 35MM. 

 

If you’re looking for an affordable camera, check out secondhand sites like eBay or Craigslist for your camera needs. Some of the top brands are Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, or Pentax. They are all basic, top quality, and hardworking. Websites like Amazon have 35 mm film cases that can be bought affordably. Try to also look for a camera without the program mode in the hardware. The program mode can often make things too complicated for a beginner.

 

If you would like to get your hands on the camera before buying it, check out vintage stores. Many vintage stores have a 35MM camera in either working order, or simply for decoration and artistry. If you end up liking the camera, you can either buy it at the store or order the same make, model, and brand online or at another store. If you plan to buy the camera at a vintage store, make sure you run through all the shutter settings to make sure they aren’t sticking or damaged. 

 

It is also worth researching if replacement batteries are still available for the model you buy. Some batteries that are made with mercury are discontinued, or too expensive to buy. It doesn’t hurt to buy a camera from a store with a return policy or a warranty, just in case a cheaper 35mm comes with any challenges or damage. If you have money to spare, we recommend the Leica M series.

 

The 35MM camera is a beautiful and historical piece to use when taking pictures. Keep an eye out for our following blogs on the history and usage of the 35MM camera.

 

Photographer Spotlight: Ansel Adams

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Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams is most known for his scenic photography of the American West. He’s known for using his photographs to promote conservation of the wilderness. He’s an icon in the photography world for his black and white images.

 

Early Life

Adams was born on February 20, 1902, in San Francisco, California. He broke his nose and was injured in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

 

Adams made a trip in 1916 to Yosemite National Park where his love of photography was born. He began experimenting with darkroom techniques and reading photography magazines. He sold some of these photographs at Best’s Studio in Yosemite Valley.

 

He actually married the daughter of Best’s Studio proprietor, Virginia Best, in 1928. After her father’s death, the couple continued to operate the studio. It is now known as the Ansel Adams Gallery.

 

Career

Adams broke through the world of photography into fame with his publication of his first portfolio, Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras. This included one of his most famous images,“Monolith, the Face of Half Dome.”

 

From here, Adams focuses on detailed close-ups of nature. He photographed everything from farms, mountains, and factories. He studied with artists like Georgia O’Keefe and Paul Strand. He published photography art books about his work.

 

He joined other artists/photographers Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange using his fame to bring social change through art. He worked to protect the wilderness areas like Yosemite National Park. He also photographed life in camps during World War II. One of his most iconic shots was titled, “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico.” This was a shot of a moon rising over a village weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He made over 1,000 prints of this at the time skyrocketing him into fame in the photography and art world.

 

Later Life

The 1960s brought the appreciation of art photography to life. Adams’ images were shown in many galleries and museums throughout the world. Adams printed negatives of his artwork to meet the high demand for his black and white works of art.

 

Adams died on April 22, 1984, of a heart attack, at age 82. Adams is a photography icon whose work lives on in his beautiful nature prints.

How to Choose the Best Camera for You

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With so many different cameras on the market, choosing one can be quite a task. There are a few important criteria you can consider to make your choice a little easier. Here are three things you should consider in order to choose the perfect camera.

 

Budget

If your budget is in the lower ranges, say $500 or less, you’re already essentially making the decision to stick with lower-priced point-and-shoot cameras. High-quality, professional cameras will generally start around $2000. Anything in between is basically an “enthusiast” camera—you have some knowledge of photography, but you’re not in the big leagues yet. The good news is that even if you don’t have a big budget, you can still get a camera that produces a high quality photo.

 

Camera Types

There are three camera types: point-and-shoot, DSLR, and mirrorless. If you have a low budget, you’re probably going to automatically be shopping in the point-and-shoot category. However, if you have a bigger budget or you can splurge on whatever you’d like, this opens your options up to DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

 

Point-and-shoot cameras are named so because that’s all you really have to do. They are basic cameras that are easy to use and produce decent quality photos. DSLR cameras are a much better quality camera. The lenses are interchangeable, but they are more difficult to use. Mirrorless cameras are about the same quality as DSLR cameras (maybe even better), but they tend to be much more expensive, especially the higher-quality ones. Amateurs and professionals use all kinds of cameras.

 

Photography Goals

What you want to do with your photos as well as what type of photos determines the type of camera you need and what features are most important. Are you taking pictures for your leisure? Are you going to sell your photography? Perhaps you’ll be taking sports or action shots. All of these options require different features. If you aren’t sure what you’ll be shooting, aim for cameras with a lot of options or auto settings.

 

These three simple criteria can significantly reduce the plethora of camera choices. Once the choices are narrowed down, you can easily choose one that will be suitable for you. The perfect camera will quickly lead you to the perfect picture.

What is a Daguerreotype and How Can You Spot One?

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Old family photo albums are an excellent way to connect with family from previous generations. The problem with most aged photo albums is the lack of information available to identify distant relatives. Without dates available, knowing how to visually identify photographic techniques used in these photos can help with determining approximate time periods these photos were taken. While hundreds of photographic techniques exist, only a handful was employed for family photographs including daguerreotyping.

 

What is a Daguerreotype?

The daguerreotype, named after its creator Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, was the first commercial photographic technique utilized from 1839 to 1860. The daguerreotype was a one-of-a-kind image transposed on a highly polished silvered copper plate. The surface of the plate was sensitized to light via exposure to iodine or bromine gases. After exposure to a daguerreotype camera with a special lens, the plate was placed in a box to be developed with mercury vapor.

 

Characteristics of a Daguerreotype

There are distinct characteristics that can be used to identify a daguerreotype including time period and the materials used to display the photographs, including the cases, plates, and size of photographs. Daguerreotypes were available in Britain between the 1840s and early 1850s and were only accessible to middle and upper-class families because they were very expensive. Since daguerreotype photos were extremely delicate and easily blemished, they were always accompanied by protective cases most often formed with leather and faced with velvet or silk lining. Seeing that the daguerreotypes were transposed on highly polished silvered plates, they may appear as negative, positive, or a mirror depending on the angle at which they were viewed. In addition, these silver plates were susceptible to tarnish if exposed to the air. To prevent tarnish, the plates were sealed under glass. However, it’s very commonplace to spot tarnishing around the edges of the daguerreotype where the glass seal is impacted first. Lastly, daguerreotypes were used to keep account of natural phenomena, extraordinary events, and portraits to name a few. Be that as it may, the portrait was the most common and generally only came in very small sizes, usually in dimensions 2×3 inches.

 

Armed with an accurate definition and characteristics of daguerreotypes, spotting one is a little easier.

Creating Mixed Media Art with Photography

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Creating mixed media pieces is a fulfilling artistic activity to attempt with all types of wet and dry materials. Artists create mixed media pieces by combining any two types of media, such as acrylic paint with oil paints. However, mixed media artists aren’t limited to creating pieces with paint and other typical artist media. Photographers create works using mixed media by combining their photos with paint, pencil, pen, or other types of media. Many artists will experiment with developing their own unique methods of using various papers, photographs, and wet media to make collages of their own work.

 

Mixed Media Through the Ages

Although photography is a relatively new media for artists, mixed media works were popularized long before the invention of the camera. For example, Leonardo Da Vinci is known to have used gold leaf in his paintings. Even though photography is a viable media today, current artist Lawrence Weiner chooses to use text in his mixed media work. However, if someone is interested in creating works of art in the modern digital age, incorporating photographs into the composition is a viable option that might produce the desired result the artist aims to achieve.

 

Ways of Experimenting With Photographs

Watercolor:

Using watercolor paint on photographs adds a whimsical element to the picture that didn’t exist in the original. Photographs with watercolor take on a mysterious, unique quality. If an artist is unsure of how to begin with this technique, they should try printing a picture with plenty of white space on the edges.

 

Ink:

Artists use this technique to make their pictures stand out by adding shapes or colors to the original photograph. In order to avoid making mistakes on the original, it’s helpful to have an extra copy of the photograph. This gives the artist some freedom to experiment with ink without the fear of messing up the picture.

 

Collage:

Professionals recommend this technique to people who are hesitant about painting on their pictures. There’s something satisfying about cutting paper up to arrange it differently into a cohesive new piece. This technique for creating mixed media work often looks multidimensional.