The Ballard HipstaPak, Premières impressions

C'est donc le front de mer de Seattle qui a été la source d'inspiration du dernier pak proposé par Hipstamatic, le Ballard HipstaPak.

Il est sans doute trop tôt pour découvrir les finesses de l'objectif Burke et du film Shilshole mais j'ai demandé à plusieurs hipstographers de nous donner leurs premières impressions…

(Remarque pour les lecteurs francophones: par manque de temps, je n'ai pas pu traduire ces impressions en français. J'essayerai de le faire cette semaine.)

Dror Blumberg

"Like water prints, where small drops of water have landed on the film - would be the perfect way to describe the new film. And the lens? It emphasises the shadows and gives a refined, greenish touch. I really like the new hipstamatic pak! It's a sort of C-type or D-type, but smoother, and the tones are really great! Great job!"

Lens:  Burke  • Film:  shilshole  • Using:  Oggl 

Jozef Hipp

"I am extremely pleased with the results provided by the new Ballard HipstaPak. The Shilshole film in particular strikes me as an instant classic; much like Robusta and Uchitel. This is a very inviting and warm film with great texture. The random subtle red and yellow light leaks are also an added bonus. This pak produces sharp pictures that appear toned down but still balanced. I expect that Shilshole will team up well with Akira as it is a warmer lens full of contrast that also produces pleasing light leaks. Overall I think this may just be one very nice HipstaPak, since I still struggle to find Kodama film particularly appealing, not to mention the Sochi Pak. I think it was an error of judgment to dedicate a Pak to Russia: having the name (Ras)Putin in my camera bag just doesn’t feel right in view of the politics of Russia and Vladimir Putin, which I strongly oppose."

Lens:  Burke  • Film:  shilshole  • Using:  Oggl 

Guido Cubo Quadro

"I didn't have much time to try this new combo, but my first impression is very positive. I probably prefer the Shilshole film to the Burke lens, but they work really well together. I love the soft desaturated effect, the red halos, the green into grey tones and the borders. I have the impression that the image gains in density and gives me the sensation of mixing old and new. I tried the Shilshole film with different lenses: I like the combination with John's, Lowy, Ray Mark 2, Doris, Americana... However, it seems to work great with all lenses."

Lens:  Tinto 1884  • Film:  shilshole  • Using:  Oggl 

Christiane Bäcker

"Hipstamatic has, once again, delivered... I like the fact that the frame gives the pictures a nostalgic touch and the colours are sharp, with a good contrast. I personally love photographing dilapidated houses and old objects, and the beautiful frame reinforces the impression you're looking at an image from some bygone age. "

Lens:  Burke  • Film:  shilshole  • Using:  Oggl 

Cindy Buske

"The Ballard HipstaPak fits perfectly with the true "feel" of downtown Ballard. I took the time to shoot in the neighbourhood today using both the new lens and the film. I experimented with a few other combos along the marina at Shilshole Bay as well. I love the edges of "Shilshole" and the soft greyish tones in "Burke" - these will both be in my favourites group from now on!"

Lens:  Burke  • Film:  Blanko Bl4  • Using:  Oggl 

Ger van den Elzen

"This morning I really got excited when I saw the first images shot with the new Ballard HipstaPak. I played around with some different combos to get the perfect match with the available light at that time.
The Burke lens works out just great with Uchitel 20, Robusta and Sussex. Try it yourself and shoot your images with one of these combos. Even if you add a bit of overexposure, it is amazing to see how much detail remains. The Shilhole works out great with Lowy, John S and Jane. Those combos 'push' the blue and green colours.
The biggest surprise is the combo Burke lens/BlacKeys XF film. By adding a bit of overexposure to this combo you will create the most artistic images. However, today's choice was the perfect one,....just the Ballard HipstaPak as we got it."

Lens:  Burke  • Film:  shilshole  • Using:  Oggl 

Henk Goossens

"The Shilshole film is in some way reminiscent of old, chipped porcelain plates and the Burke lens is very subtle with colours, therefore this combo is a must for still-life and close-up photography. The film also works great with the Akira, Doris, Magdalena and Yoona range lenses. Yet another fine addition to the Hipsta family!"

Lens:  Akira  • Film:  shilshole  • Using:  Oggl 

Sezgi Olgac

"The Ballard Pak is definitely like a perfect tribute to the early spring. An April day may bring showers, sun beams or sometimes a gentle breeze. Photos taken with the Ballard Pak will produce similar results. You can either have a desaturated, moody, elegant picture or a soft, warm, relaxing one. The Burke lens adds a sweet warmth while the Shilshole film desaturates the colours with its green tint. I teamed the Shilshole film with two of my favourite lenses: John S and Lowy. The Shilshole film seems the perfect choice for fun-lovers with John S’s rich tones, while it creates a whole new way of interpreting the vivid bright colours of the Lowy lens. Ballard Pak reminds me of the songs you would describe as “happy in a melancholic way”. And that’s exactly why I liked it."

Lens:  Burke  • Film:  shilshole  • Flash: off

Stavros Dimakopoulos

"The new Ballard Hipstapak is an interesting addition to the Hipsta Collection of films and lenses. The concept is to bring the feeling of the Ballard neighbourhood (in Northwestern Seattle) to your photos. Well, I myself have never been there but I guess it must be a very nostalgic place, reminiscent of some of your fondest memories. The Shilshole Film comes with a grungy texture, similar to your forgotten photos from the 1970's that were badly stored in the attic. But it is definitely a welcome addition if you are a retro junky. The Burke Lens increases the highlights and I noticed that it adds depth to the red and brown tones. I combined the Shilshole Film with its original counterpart for some indoor shots but also with Libatique 73 for outdoors. The original Ballard combo works well indoors but, depending on the light conditions, the noise on the image can be quite notable. The Shilshole Film with Libatique 73 Lens and Standard Flash gave an aesthetically interesting result outdoors. The centre of the photo is high in contrast and remarkably bright, while the outer parts remain darker."

Lens:  Libatique 73  • Film:  shilshole  • Flash:  Standard 

Matthew Wylie

"I'm digging the Ballard lens. Love the colour play it offers and plan on using it often with Irom 2000 and probably Sussex or BL4. I expect this film to be a summer hit with the array of colours summer inevitably brings, though it seems to be working well so far in the rain and fog I used it in on Friday (almost a Leiter-like palette at times). The Shilshole film is cute, but not really up my alley. Others will use it well I am sure."

Lens:  Burke  • Film:  shilshole  • Flash: off

Patricia Truchsess von Wetzhausen

"I really like the new Ballard Pak because the Burke lens has just what I was waiting for: a great mixture between cool and warm tones. The warm highlights are an excellent contrast to the cool shadows! The images look a bit like pastels but with a deeper colour range. The Shilshole film instantly reminded me of Sussex film, which is one of my favourites. Its edges are not only burned but also like damaged edges of old glass plate films. Shishole seems also a bit more cool and bluish while Sussex is a bit greener."

Lens:  Burke  • Film:  shilshole  • Using:  Oggl 

Adelino Marques

"Aveiro, Portugal (the Venice of Portugal)  - on a very sunny day, with high contrast and the very vivid colors of the canal boats and houses - I tried the new Hipstamatic combo. With this combo, it was possible to minimize the contrast, including the highlights and make the colors a bit less saturated."

Lens:  Burke  • Film:  shilshole  • Using:  Oggl 

Thérèse Cherton

"J’ai voulu tester ce nouveau film. Les bordures oxydées conviennent très bien à la Belgique, où il pleut régulièrement. Mais ce jour là, il faisait plein soleil. Associé à Hornbecker et à la luminosité de ce jour, les hautes lumières dominent avec un reflet vieux rose. "

Lens:  Hornbecker  • Film:  shilshole  • Using:  Oggl 

This post is also available in: Anglais

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