This is some sort of large machine.
Doing a little work for a racing team, and came up with this for their newsletter. I like it a lot, but I think it’s much too dramatic for the purpose it was meant to serve. Could a brooding black and white really work on a white and navy newsletter? I’m going to try, but I’m not holding out much hope.
Nikon D200, Nikon 50mm f/1.8, Minolta strobe triggered by remote.
I think this is a nice example of what my cross-processed Provia is doing to skies. Pretty neat, isn’t it?
Minolta XD5, MC 50mm f/1.8, Provia 400F (expired September 2004) cross-processed (C41).
Another from my Provia roll this weekend. When I first ran these negatives through the scanner (I always check the “develop only” box now that I have a negative scanner, and Ritz still charges $4.50), I was disappointed. They had the graininess and sharpness that I like from my cross processed rolls, but the color shifts were minimal and the dynamic range was impossibly thin. I bracketed each shot, and in many cases one was underexposed and one had blown highlights all over. Is Provia a bad film for cross processing? A quick Flickr search suggested that this is definitely not the case.
So why did my film look funny? Turns out the automatic exposure software in my scanner doesn’t handle weird negatives very well (specifically the white point setting). Once I went back and set it manually, I got some very interesting results. Here’s one in color:
Minolta XD5, probably an old MC 50mm f/1.8 (it could have been the 28mm, and I really should be able to tell), Fuji Provia 400F expired September 2004 and cross processed at Ritz.
Well, it’s been a while. Teaching photography actually didn’t inspire me to shoot. Instead, it inspired me to temporarily hate photography. How many “oops, I opened the canister. . . Will I not get any piiieeeecturrrres?!!?” experiences to make one hate photography? One.
(I should clarify that a student whined this to me, not the other way around).
That said, I’ve been done work for about a week now, and it seemed like time to do more shooting. I stopped by a local shop that often has fun expired film, and found some very expired Provia 400F. I picked up a roll, shot it, had it developed C-41 (“We need to send this out. I don’t think we can develop this kind of film here”), scanned it, and, like I often do with cross processed film, decided to do it up in black and white. I plan on heading back tomorrow to grab some more of this excellent film. For $2 a roll, what’s not to love?
Minolta XD5, Vivitar 28mm (note horrible bokeh at f/11 or so), Fuji Provia 400F (expired September 2004) cross processed at Ritz. What a rip-off. I’m glad they’re bankrupt.
Does this count as “something different,” or is it still a photocliché?
One of the first things I shot with my 50mm f/1.8 was this collection of daffodils. Shot at f/1.8 and very close range, the depth of field is almost nonexistent. While this is certainly a cliché, I tried to process it a little differently. Does it work?
My students developed their first rolls this week, with some success. Unfortunately, one of our cameras has serious meter problems and another has light leaks. This process has been a constant reminder of both how difficult and rewarding getting a working vintage setup can be.
Nikon D200, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8.
Look what I found.
Another old shot of an old truck, this one from some time around October when I was testing out my brand new (to me) K1000. I’m trying to get back to posting regularly, but it’s tough because none of the film I’ve been shooting is developed yet (a black and white roll and a roll of ancient cheap color film I found in my boss’s office). This isn’t one of my favorites, but it fits the theme.
Pentax K1000, SMC-M 50mm f/2, Fuji Superia X-tra 400.
I was looking through old scans and forgot about this one.
I’m pretty sure I know who this truck belongs to, and this picture of this truck seems a fair reflection of his personality.
“FYI- YASHICA CAMERA” arrived today, and was a miserable disappointment. The film advance isn’t really connected to anything, the mirror is stuck up, and the shutter won’t cock. These problems are probably all related, but the point is that the camera is definitely not usable. After all of that waiting and frustration, it is utterly worthless. Now begins the delicate eBay refund tapdance. Though my dealings with the seller so far aren’t exactly confidence-inspiring, I hope this one isn’t too painful. Moral of the story: Don’t be stupid like me- learn your lessons.
I loaded up my students’ cameras with Tri-X tonight, and they’re off into the world of hybrid black-and-white photography. Most have never handled a 35mm camera before, and none has used a manual camera before. One pair is using a KR-10 from my personal stash (actually, it’s borrowed) in place of the disappointing Yashica. I forgot that it has a light leak, so I’ll have to track them down tomorrow with some electrical tape.
It’s strange trying to explain exposure and film and metering to people who have never tried it before. It’s easy to forget how foreign these things feel at first, especially to those of us hailing from the digital age. There’s a difference between explaining and teaching, and I’m hoping this week of playing with the cameras will help take me from the first to the second. Only time will tell.
Probably my KR-5 Super II loaded with Plus-X. I should write these things down.
Like it or not, here I come.
I suppose I can officially call of my hiatus from shooting (which was really more of a period of abject laziness). On Monday, I will teach my first session of hybrid black and white, in which students will use a menagerie of 35mm SLRs (from an all-manual stop-down metering M42 mount Vivitar 400/SL to a fully-automatic autofocus Minolta Maxxum QTsi). Unfortunately, my program’s limited budget meant that eBay was the place to go for these, and this has already generated problems. When I purchased the last camera four days ago, I expected it to have arrived by now. Unfortunately, I received this message today:
“HELLO,
FYI- YASHICA CAMERA WAS SHIPPED OUT TODAY VIA USPS.
THANKS.”
I was instantly reminded why I hate eBay. People who don’t feel the need to bother with written English make me nervous, and people who sit around for four days before shipping something make me even more nervous. I guess we’ll see what happens on Monday.
The good news is that I have no choice but to shoot if I’m going to effectively teach this class, so there are likely some 35mm black and whites on the way.
As I ramp up for the class, though, I’ve been using my D200 again, and today my program director was asked by the school’s admissions office for some pictures of students for admissions literature. Being the resident photographer, the assignment fell naturally to me. It’s frustrating to produce professional-quality results for a favor, particularly since the admissions department has hired photographers in the past for the same task. I was going to post one of my favorites here, but out of respect for the minors in the photo (and my desire to keep my job), it’ll have to stay in the private portfolio for now.
Sort of back.
I’ve been driving past this on my way to and from work for the last four weeks or so, and I finally dragged the gear out there today to make a stop on my way home. Here are the results (or, at least, a result).
Nikon D200, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8, Minolta strobe off camera.
More happy accidents.
I’m still not sure how exactly this happened. I was shooting in the studio triggering a bounced flash remotely, and apparently I tried this one with no flash. The auto white balance (which was doing a nice job with the mixed strobe/fluorescent lighting) apparently fell on its face on this one, producing what turned out to be a very interesting yellow cast.
Nikon D200, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8.
