glass negatives and DSLR

[Inkwatu]

Is there a way to get the look of an old glass negative type photo, such as Hello Lamppost: 1926 | Shorpy Historic Photo Archive, with a DSLR? I love the detail and wide field of focus. Is there a way to do that with say a Nikon D5000?

Thanks!

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by Inkwatu

Is there a way to get the look of an old glass negative type photo, such as Hello Lamppost: 1926 | Shorpy Historic Photo Archive, with a DSLR? I love the detail and wide field of focus. Is there a way to do that with say a Nikon D5000?

Thanks!

To get the wide field of view you can stitch multiple images together. To get the shallow depth of field, either get a fast lens or simulate the effect in post production.

[LeeR]

What a great old image! There are so many things I like about it I wouldn't know where to start to describe them, but that was not your question. Technically there is nothing remarkable about this image; it is 8 inches wide by 7 inches high, closer to square than most of cameras shoot and easy to duplicate. There is some atmospheric haze in the image which is why everything in the background looks a bit grayer that the things in the foreground. Again, easy enough to duplicate. I also believe this was taken with a normal to slightly wide angle lens and the exposure and development was spot on. Again, easy enough to duplicate. I also like the grain that shows up mostly in the shadows. PS will allow you to add some grain, or a program like RealGrain. No, the charm of this image comes from its ability to tell a story. You can't help but read it from left to right; the men and the police officer inspecting the damage on the left, the object of their concern in the middle and the boys who have shown up to catch the show on the right, this is classic photojournalism at its best. and that is very, very difficult to master.