Frozen Photos

I guess this post is more about the weather than photography. Above you can see the latest view out of my office window. I have frequently shown this same view through the lens of various cameras and shot it with different films but rarely has it looked so white and cold. 

This may not look very impressive to my Northern friends but in South Louisiana we generally keep our ice in a glass with our favorite beverage. Lately however, we have been experiencing what the rest of the country calls “Winter.” This has discouraged me from venturing out to take many pictures.

Here’s another shot showing the edge of my roof decorated with icicles.

I have of course, continued shooting indoors, some church directory photos and a local concert but nothing appropriate for this blog. Stay tuned though, the good thing about weather in this part of the country is that it changes often so no doubt some warm sunny days are just around the corner.

OLIPHANT PHOTO MUSEUM

OLIPHANT PHOTO MUSEUM, a photo by wizowel on Flickr.

Busy, busy, bush these days but here's the colorized version of the black and white photo I posted last week. The black & white was shot using the Olympus XA2 on Kodak BW400SN. This one was shot with the Pentax ZX-30 on Kodak Portra 400.

OLIPHANT PHOTO MUSEUM

OLIPHANT, a photo by wizowel on Flickr.

Here's a shot from the latest roll of BW400CN that I ran through the Olympus XA2. This is a handy little 35mm that is easy to have with you.

I forgot just how much I really like both this film and this camera.

Reboot for 2014

2013 has been an amazing year for my photography. I’ve shot with and written blog posts about a dozen different cameras and almost as many different kinds of film. I’ve been introduced to the world of 110 film format, delved further into medium format with both 120 and 620 film and continued my exploration of 35mm with new cameras as well as some new film stocks.

That’s the good news. While it has been exciting there is a down side to all this too.

First of all I have found myself occasionally confused and struggling with trying to figure out how to make these new cameras do what I want them to do. There is something to be said for using the same camera for years until it becomes an extension of yourself that you never have to really think about because you (and it by extension) just automatically do what needs to be done to capture the picture you want to capture.  There is absolutely a learning curve associated with each new camera or even film and all the experimenting is fun but not really conducive to producing excellent photographs. Plus, you tend to keep shooting the same compositions over and over for the sake of comparison.

For 2014 I want to get back to basics a bit. I want to settle down and shoot just a couple cameras and focus on producing better pictures. I also want to get my own scanner so I can take the “keepers” and produce some high resolution scans for printing and make some prints. I used to actually get prints and fill up photo albums but abandoned that when I became infected with “digitalis.” I am not talking about the plant.  I am talking about the disease that inflicts those infatuated with digital photography and makes them believe that prints are no longer relevant.

The photo above is from the first roll of 620 Portra 400 film shot with the Kodak Vigilant at f11 and 1/100. This is an amazing old camera that produces 6 X 9 negatives - that’s 60mm X 90mm! Its over 70 years old and as you can see, it still works. I love the huge 6 X 9 negatives so this one will be a keeper although I am considering selling of a few of my cameras to help me attain my other goals for 2014.

Happy New Year 2014!

As the fireworks increase in intensity outside and the year rapidly comes to an end I am reminded of the many blessings of 2013. I sincerely hope that each and every one of you has a Happy and Prosperous 2014.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to take a moment to share my hopes for this Holiday Season with all my friends and followers. Its been quite a year for photography and I will be posting my thoughts on the past year and expectations for the new year shortly but until then my wish for all of you is that you remember the reason for the season and enjoy a Merry Christmas and a very happy and prosperous New Year.

The photo above was taken in a darkened room with mainly the Christmas tree lights and a table lamp for illumination using my Pentax K-01, 50mm lens set at f4.5, shutter at 1/40, and ISO of 12,800.

127 Is Not Dead (Yet)

I guess I wasn’t really paying much attention to what’s going on in the world of 127 film. Recently, I stumbled across a Flickr thread bemoaning the demise of this historic film format. I started asking around and was stunned to discover that I totally missed the news that 127 is no longer in regular commercial production and existing inventory stock is quickly running out.

As of yesterday the only 127 film available is some 160 color film at Blue Moon and some 800 Rollei Nightbird at B&H and Freestyle - no black and white anywhere!

That’s the bad news. Tragic really, introduced by Kodak in 1912, 127 film was a staple of family picture taking for over 100 years. Tremendously popular throughout the early 20^th century it began to lose out to the plethora of 126’s and 110’s in the 1970’s and 1980’s but still has a dedicated cult-like following even today.

The good news is that apparently 127 film fans are vocal and relentless and the latest news indicates that there have been some special runs of bulk 46mm film. Rumors abound but it seems pretty certain that there is some HP5 floating around and maybe even some Portra.

These stocks have to be bought in bulk (50 to 500 foot rolls) and then spooled onto 127 film reels. Although I have a change bag this is not how I would want to spend my spare time so I was heartened to find out from Mike Raso at the FPP that they plan to have 127 film in stock within the next 4 to 6 weeks (hopefully in time for Christmas)!

The same kind of thing happened with larger than 8 x 10 format films. Kodak now only does special runs when they get enough demand to justify a certain size. This may just be the way of the future for film stock other than the commonly used ones (like 35mm, 120 and a few larger sizes) that have a big enough following to justify continuous commercial production.

The days of being able to run into the store to buy film on the way to where ever you’re going are pretty much over but film, even 127, is far from dead.  We just have to plan ahead now.