travaille à la chambre/traditionnel

English translation: large or medium format [context: photography]

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	à la chambre ou en traditionnel
English translation:	large or medium format [context: photography]
Entered by:	athena22

19:22 May 21, 2002

French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Photography/Imaging (& Graphic Arts) / photography

French term or phrase: travaille à la chambre/traditionnel

Q: Il travaille à la chambre ou il travaille en traditionnel?
A: Je ne sais pas si c'est la chambre ou si c'est…
Q: Parce que pour avoir une qualité comme ça, je pense que même en flou, c'est à la chambre.

Another interview about a photographer and his works. I don't have too much context for this one, though...

Thanks!

athena22 KudoZ activity Questions: 116 (none open) Answers: 181 United States
Local time: 12:42

large- or conventional-format [cameras]

Explanation:
Following on from Yolanda's detailed and helpful explanation, I think from my professional background in photography I can help with the English side of it.

'large-format' implies 5" x 4" or even 10" x 8" bellows-type cameras, which are used for best possible quality work, large format blow-ups etc. No longer usually on glass plates, but on large sheets of film, instead of rolls.

Whereas medium format [i.e. 2¼" sq or similar --- think 'Hasselblad'] is used for other professional work, and some people still avoid using the smaller 35 mm format for work that is intended for reproduction. But here, I'm positive the distinction is being made between large format [chambre] vs. the 2 smaller groups together.

It would be natural to ask which formats he uses, given the high quality of his work, even in the soft-focus [flou] shots (where you might think he could get away with lower-grader equipment)

Although I see how the darkroom idea could be possible, I don't think in this context it works, since the 'traditionel' would then have to be 'lab processed' or perhaps 'machine printed', neither of which makes nearly so much sense to me. Surrounding wider context may confirm this, and please feel free to contact me direct to discuss further if needed.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-21 21:54:26 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

\'traditionel\' may well be simply referring to what we call \'medium-format\', so the question becomes \'large- or medium-format\', since many professioanls would rule out the 35mm format altogether as beinbg a \'sub-format\'

In your context, I think this version would read better...

Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 21:42

Grading comment

Perfect. Thank you for the explanation
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +2

plates or film

Yolanda Broad

5 +1

large- or conventional-format [cameras]

Tony M

darkroom or in more conventianal ways

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)

large- or conventional-format [cameras]

Tony M

4 -1

using the darkroom or a more conventional method

Lise Boismenu, B.Sc.

in the darkroom/using traditional methods

Victoria Barkoff

Answers

28 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

using the darkroom or a more conventional method

Explanation:
Je crois que le texte fait allusion à la chambre noire en photographie. Voir

1. Domaine(s)
– Photography

Domaine(s)
– Photographie

darkroom Source CORRECT chambre noire Source CORRECT, FÉM
DEF – A lightproof room in which the intensity of the color of illumination may be controlled or eliminated; used for handling and processing photographic film or paper. Source DEF – Chambre étanche à la lumière où l'on peut contrôler ou éliminer complètement le rayonnement actinique; elle sert au développement des films ou des papiers photographiques. Source
1999-12-09

2. Domaine(s)
– Optical Instruments
– Photography

Domaine(s)
– Instruments d'optique
– Photographie

camera obscura Source CORRECT

dark chamber Source CORRECT chambre noire Source CORRECT, FÉM
DEF – Any optical device which forms a visible image of a scene on a screen set up in a darkened tent, room, or even a large box. Source
OBS – Compare to darkroom. Source
CONT – l'appareil de prise de vue est essentiellement constitué par une chambre noire Source
1993-08-08

Lise Boismenu, B.Sc.
Canada
Local time: 15:42
Native speaker of: French

29 mins confidence:

in the darkroom/using traditional methods

Explanation:
I am puzzled by what seems to be a contrast between "darkroom" and "traditional". I would expect something more like the following contrast between traditional and digital printing:

"Ces photographies sont généralement faites
en argentique puis tirées soit en traditionnel soit en numérique."

www.galerie-photo.com/revue_de_presse.htm

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-21 19:53:40 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Note: I was typing this while Lise was posting her reply - thus the duplication.

Victoria Barkoff
Local time: 15:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: English

34 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

plates or film

Explanation:
Looks like this is a choice between two photographic techniques. In English, we usually make a distinction between the two media on which the negatives are shot, rather than the apparatus used to shoot them.

Here is a discussion in French of "Photographic chamber"--the kind of camera used to take pictures on plates, found in Termium:

Subject Field(s) – Photography
Subject Field(s) – Photographie
photographic chamber Source CORRECT
chambre technique Source CORRECT, FEM
chambre photographique Source FEM
DEF – Appareil photographique à soufflet et à verre dépoli, caractérisé par ses possibilités de bascule et de décentrement des corps avant et arrière, et généralement construit d'après le principe du banc optique [...] La chambre technique est particulièrement utile dans les cas
suivants: Prises de vues de sujets présentant des lignes verticales devant rester parallèles (par exemple photographie d'architecture). Source
OBS – Certains fabricants ont tenté de construire une chambre technique portative (utilisable sans trépied) pour des prises de vue de sujets en mouvement. Cette construction implique
nécessairement un compromis: il n'existe pas d'appareil qui puisse satisfaire à toutes les exigences. Source
OBS – Le mot chambre vient du mot latin «camera» qui est utilisé pour nommer l'appareil photographique. On réserve maintemant cette appellation pour les appareils photographiques grand-format. Source
1996-11-19
© Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada

Reference: http://www.termium.com

Yolanda Broad
United States
Local time: 15:42
Native speaker of:

English

43 mins confidence:

darkroom or in more conventianal ways

Explanation:
A lot of the best photography results from darkroom work. Doing things to the prints when they are being exposed through burning in or taking out too much exposure etc. So when the interviewer says More traditional, He means the setting on the camera, lens speed, film and shutter speed. And I think it is poorly expressed by "traditionel". But that's the word he used. You could say conventional. Studio by the way, would have been atelier and not chambre.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-21 20:52:49 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

sorry
CORRECT SPELLING: darkroom or in more conventional ways [meaning fiddling with the lens aperture, speed and film]

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Native speaker of:

English,

Portuguese
PRO pts in category: 20

2 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

large- or conventional-format [cameras]

Tony M
France
Local time: 21:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 128

Grading comment

Perfect. Thank you for the explanation

2 hrs confidence:

large- or conventional-format [cameras]

Explanation:
Following on from Yolanda's detailed and helpful explanation, I think from my professional background in photography I can help with the English side of it.

'large-format' implies 5" x 4" or even 10" x 8" bellows-type cameras, which are used for best possible quality work, large format blow-ups etc. No longer usually on glass plates, but on large sheets of film, instead of rolls.

Whereas medium format [i.e. 2¼" sq or similar --- think 'Hasselblad'] is used for other professional work, and some people still avoid using the smaller 35 mm format for work that is intended for reproduction. But here, I'm positive the distinction is being made between large format [chambre] vs. the 2 smaller groups together.

It would be natural to ask which formats he uses, given the high quality of his work, even in the soft-focus [flou] shots (where you might think he could get away with lower-grader equipment)

Although I see how the darkroom idea could be possible, I don't think in this context it works, since the 'traditionel' would then have to be 'lab processed' or perhaps 'machine printed', neither of which makes nearly so much sense to me. Surrounding wider context may confirm this, and please feel free to contact me direct to discuss further if needed.

Tony M
France
Local time: 21:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 128

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