Kodak Ektar in the Zero Image 618 Pinhole

Pinholing is fun, and some fantastic results can be had with a colorful film like Ektar. Get it processed professionally and order some optical prints while you're at it.

These were taken on a day in early May last year on our way to Portland. We stopped for a quick hike up the Rowena Plateau Trail where we ran into some balsamroot in full bloom, then ended up along the waterfront for the festivities happening there.

Balsamroom in bloom in the Columbia River Gorge.

A sternwheeler on the Willamette River.

This was a one minute exposure. Those people really were that still for that long.

End of Summer Round-up

I don't normally like to get behind on my film developing, but I found myself with a sandwich bag full of unprocessed film last week and decided to do something about it. Most of it was 35mm format, and at least one roll dated back to last spring. There were one or two rolls that, even when I took a glance at my notes in FilmTrackr, I didn't remember shooting. I had to actually pull them out of the final rinse before I could see what was on them.

Ilford hp5+ @ ISO 1600, shot on Canon Rebel 2000. Developed in Ilfotec DD-x 1:4 for 13 minutes. 

I'm pretty certain my only purpose for this roll was to practice pushing hp5+ to 1600. And it looks like I still need some practice.

Rather than create a new blog post for each roll, I decided to just post the best ones here. Or the best of the worst frames, as the case may be.

Ilford PanF+ on a Canon A1. Not the ideal for capturing motion on a bright sunny day, but shoot what you've got. 

In some cases, it's the end of a camera system for me. I've said good-bye to my Canon EOS cameras as I've sold off my digi 5DmkII and most of the lenses that went with it. My remaining Canon system is the resurrected A1 with some FD lenses.

Ilford PanF+ on a Canon A1.  Standard development in d-76 1:1. 

School is starting up again soon and, for my own internal calendar, a time to update and refresh things that are going on in my life. Out with the old, in with the new. For some people that takes place in January. Given my 28 years in and around school systems, mine occurs at the end of August.

Sacajawea at Fort Clatsop. Ilford hp5+ shot on an Olympus Stylus Infinity. Light leak from bulk loading (or at the factory), not from the camera. 

I'm continuing my 2018 goals of printing more of my work. I have some sitting at Blue Moon Camera as I write this. And, I still need to shoot more medium format film with the C220. I'm finding that that's not really the ideal walk-around camera, but something to be used deliberately and purposefully. It's really ideal for landscapes and portrait work, something I need to do more of. And I will as soon as the hot weather and smokey skies go away for the year. Those are my film plans for the remaining third of 2018.

I don't know how, but this shot made Flickr's Explore section for that day. Ilford hp5+.

I much preferred this one. 

Forgotten Roll

I bulk load almost all of my 35mm film these days, so I'm occasionally at risk of holding a blank, unmarked cassette of exposed film and wondering where it came from. Such was the case the other day.  Is it Delta 100?  Is it PanF+?  Who knows! Good thing I had some Rodinal on hand to help me out. Turns out it was indeed the Delta 100.

Forgotten Fall

I had forgotten the story of this roll, but began to put the pieces together as I looked at each scan. This was last autumn, well after the colors had come and gone, but well before the first of those snow storms hit our region.

One for the Road

It was a random trip out to the Columbia River and the McNary Dam, just about a ten minute drive from where I live. This might have even been two or three trips, as I seem to remember wanting to get some shooting in before the weather turned for the worse. The light was hitting the atmosphere just right after I got off work.

Forgotten Fall #2

I think what attracts me to film is that the memories of that story are embedded in that strip of emulsive material, just waiting to be unlocked when I give the word. I can't erase them. I can choose to not scan and share a frame here and there, but they're there just the same. They're a part of whatever was in view of my eyes and my heart at that time.

The Dry Season

I've never felt the need to give justification for shooting film, but there it is. My upcoming summer is going to consist of mostly black and white film, some 35mm and some 120 pinhole. And perhaps a few frames from a TLR if I can get it operating correctly again.

County Line

Here's to summer.


Development details on FilmDev

Pinhole in the City

I took my Zero Image to Portland over spring break and shot around Powell's Books on Burnside one afternoon. Each of these are ~5 second exposures.

Must turn left.

SIZZL PI

Overlook

City of Books.

Monstrosity. 

Cinestill 50 + Winter

For subtle yet realistic colors, it's difficult not to recommend Cinestill spooled for 35mm camera use. If you're not aware, it is essentially Kodak Vision 3 cinema film with the remjet layer removed. The problem is, you pay for that privilege. At over $11 USD a roll, it's not in my budget to shoot very much of it throughout the year.

I recently shot a roll of the Cinestill 50D after a snow storm in our area, on a sunny day when I could get some color in the sky. These were done on a Canon AV-1, so I had to rely on auto exposure. I set the ISO to 25 to get a more correct exposure level on the film. I processed it myself in my own C-41 chemicals. To my eyes, these are ideal colors for this purpose, with good shadow detail and (mostly) keeping the highlights in check.

Since I'm a DIY film guy, I will likely get the Vision 3 50D in the future and remove the remjet layer myself. It's not a difficult step (I've done it before).  If I bulk load it, I can pay as little as $6.11 USD per roll. I like that a lot better than $11.

Summer rewind: Kodak Ektar

As we begin to finish up 2016 (thank God) I realize there were a lot of film images that didn't make it onto this blog. Specifically, some summer time photos taken in the Corvallis area got left behind. These were taken on Ektar 100, and self developed:

I've never understood why it's called '26th Street' when it's actually on Monroe. Oh well. 

Centro Cultural César Chávez

South end entrance, off of Western Boulevard

A common mode of transportation. This one had been sitting there for awhile, I think. 

Outside Valley Library.

Benton Hall, aka the Music Building. 

Latest Tri-x

Pioneer cemetery - Kent, Oregon

Tri-x @400, D-76 1:1.  Canon Elan 7, Lensbaby Muse. 

I had wanted to shoot this place (situated right off of Hwy 97) with some sky, but the clouds just weren't cooperating. I tried to get creative with the Lensbaby and focus on the iron fence while still keeping the rest of the image in context. I'm not sure I like the lines here, but this is what came of my shoot that evening.

This Guy

Ilford Delta 100, Mamiya C330, Rodinal, Central Oregon

3 Images on Tri-X @400

No wonder I'm loading my freezer up with this stuff. 

Darkroom Print: Near the Steens, SE Oregon

Darkroom print on Ilford MGIV paper. Shot on Ilford SFX200 35mm film with Red #25 filter. Developed in Kodak D-76 1:1.

Let's Go For a Ride

Susan 2

Kodak Portra 400 NC, expired 2007. 

Susan and I took a trip down to White River Falls last week for a little away-time before school starts up again. I had been out shooting the falls, and I came back to find her across the river sitting on this rock with the sun at her back. I had already had a roll of this expired Portra 400 NC to shoot, just waiting for the perfect opportunity.  This was it. I grabbed my camera and 135mm f/2 L lens, loaded the roll and waded across to where she was to grab these photos. I normally process and scan my own, but since this was going to be a special occasion I sprung for processing at The Darkroom. I'm glad I did, too. There are several keepers in here, and this is just one of them.

Susan on the White River

Kodak Portra 400 NC, expired 2007. Processed by The Darkroom. 

Abandoned Truck

Eastman Double-X Cinema film (5222) in Kodak D-76 stock. Taken on Canon Elan 7 and EF 50mm f/1.4 lens. 

Somewhere Near the Steens

Ilford SFX 200, red filter #25, souped in Kodak D-76 stock. 

Next time I shoot Ilford SFX 200, it will be with a real IR filter. As it is, I think I just found my new favorite film.

Carter, 18 months

Tri-X 400 in D-76, 1:2.  Canon EF 135mm f/2 L on Elan 7 body.