The Magic Forest | Kodak Max 400 #AllTheFilm

I've been chipping away at a bag of accumulated film.  I'm not very organized, so some of the rolls are labeled, but the majority are not.  It's kind of like playing the lottery when I drop film off for processing, as I have a multitude of (mostly expired) test rolls from various cameras found at thrift stores, eBay, yard sales, craigslist and hand-me-downs from relatives who think that film is a relic of the past.

Some rolls are a bust, and some are magic.

This one is magic.

My face lit up like a kid at Christmas when I opened the envelope and revealed the contact sheet of preview images. They instantly transported me back to the day they were shot, which was a particularly good day.  My dear friend Amie and I took our chances in between late Autumn rain showers, and headed into the woods.  I spent a majority of the day in front of the camera instead of behind it, which is rare for me. It was so much fun playing dress-up, dancing under the bare trees and above the limestone and fallen leaves.  Seeing these images brought back memories of that long afternoon spent with one of my favorite people, playing in the magic forest, like children.  I could hardly wait to get home and load these into the laptop.  The first half of the roll was shot in what Amie lovingly refers to as "The Magic Forest", which is in a top-secret location (in order to protect it's magical powers, of course), and the second half of the roll was shot in the woods across from my house, where an amazing, abandoned home from God-knows-when rests, full of all sorts of relics and decay.  I would say that there's something magical about it, too, so we will just refer to this grainy, warm-toned roll of expired Kodak Max 400 as "the magic roll of the never-ending film bag".

Now do you see why it's called the Magic Forest? 

I plan to go back to the abandoned house and get more of the inside, the shed, and the back of the house, as I didn't have an extra roll with me and it started to rain on my walk home so I couldn't go back.  I'll have to wait until the fall unless I get some pretty good boots or a lot of nerve, since we live in rattlesnake / copperhead / moccasin country and it's so overgrown this time of year that it would be difficult to get to without acquiring poison ivy or an anxiety-induced panic-attack from the potential of killer snakes from hell seeking me out and destroying me.

I like taking risks with expired film, as it's always a mystery, and I hope you've enjoyed the results of this one.

If you want to see more film posts, click here.

Also, follow me on instagram for an eclectic mix of film and digital, as I share a pretty random combination of images, fueled by a serious case of ADD, mood swings, a rad shoe box of various films, and an ever-growing collection of more than 40 cameras.

I'll keep chipping away at that bag of mystery film, so check back soon. I have several waiting to be blogged, and a few waiting for me to pick up (one cross-processed Velvia 100!)

Until next time, 

xoxo-

Leah

Technical Details:

Nikon F100 | Sigma 15 2.8 EX DG

Kodak Max 400 (expired)

Processed by Dury's of Nashville

Scanned on Noritsu

From a distance, almost everything looks real.

Sometimes the only dreams I have are the ones I make.

I miss dreaming.

I miss flying.

So I create a place for my thoughts to dwell.

I close my eyes and imagine my feet in the clouds,

my wings in the wind.

I hold my breath and wonder why my feet have to touch the ground.

I'm weak and I'm tired, but my heart still beats.

My lungs still breathe.

My wings are broken, but my song stays strong.

My tears still flow.

Sometimes I wonder if I kept going, could I find my way to heaven?

Why do my feet need the ground?

I miss dreaming.

I miss flying.

From a distance, everything looks real.

xoxo- Leah

Image Details:

Fujifilm X-e1

35mm 1.4

glass prism for reflection

Photoshop:

minor color and light adjustments

pincushion lens effect with Nik software

#FilmFriday - Neglected Film - Portra 160 + Nikon F100

 So I told you before about the expired, neglected Provia 100f and Ektar 100 that was accidentally stored in a hot attic (and I mean deep south hot!) for several months...well, this one was neglected and abused as well.  In fact, several frames were shot in 2014, and the entire camera ended up in the attic after our impromptu move.  The remaining frames were shot back in the spring of this year, so nearly two years between loading and finishing this roll, if that tells you anything about how chaotic life was during that time.  I was surprised by some of the shots, since it had been long enough for me to forget what exactly was on the roll before I rescued the camera from the attic.  Fortunately, despite the harsh conditions the already expired film was stored in, it still produced some lovely images.  Not what you'd typically get from this film by any means, but a lovely, sort of washed-out vintage look, in my opinion.

From an early Spring Hike at Longhunter State Park in Tennessee

How about this lovely light leak, that seems to almost mirror the sunflare?  I kind of dig it.

 Seriously one of my favorite spots in Nashville.  It's my meditation spot.

 I love all the cliffs that overlook Couchville Lake

 The trail through the picnic area, that goes out to the shore of the lake.

 red shadows and grain. yum.

The next few were from the front of the roll, and were shot in 2014, before our spontaneous move.

 Orange Beach, Florida

June 2014

 Ridiculously silly then-eight-year-old Olivia, picnicking at the sprayground at Dewayne Hayes Recreational Center just outside of Columbus, MS June 2014

Jayson working the grill like a boss.

And lastly, a single frame from my cousin's beautiful wedding at the LDS Temple in Houston, TX 

Not Sure why I only shot one frame on this camera that day, I feel like I may discover another roll with images from this day as I develop more mystery rolls.  

Well, there you have it kids. If you buy Portra 160 and neglect and abuse it by shooting several frames, then storing it in a hot attic for several months, and finish shooting the rest two years later, you will still get some lovely, yet unpredictable images.  I especially like the washed-out colors, muted highlights and red shadows. 

Shoot some film!

XOXO Leah

Technical Details:

Nikon F100

Portra 160 (expired and improperly stored, rated at box speed)

Processed at Dury's of Nashville

Stone Oak

Climb me, for I'm made of stone

Lean against me when alone

Come and rest beneath my shade

I am the place where dreams are made

Lie beneath me, call me home

I've learned so much as I have grown

Find beneath my ancient limbs

The wind here sings the wisest hymns

My Limbs won't break, my roots go deep

Your secrets I am sworn to keep

So come to me when hope is gone

And climb me,

For I'm made of stone

xoxo- Leah

All the Film - Provia 100f | X-Pro

To say I love film would be an understatement.  Like many film shooters, my roots go waaaay back to the early 80s, and my first camera had a cube flash and used 110 film.  I was excited when digital debuted, eager to satisfy my need for instant gratification, and to learn and utilize photoshop.  Don't get me wrong, digital photography is amazing, and I still shoot digital more often than film (because it's cheaper), but there is something magical about film.  It makes you more aware and cautious about pressing the shutter release.  After all, there is no delete, and you can't view the images immediately to get a re-do.  It's the magic of the light burning images onto the film, the colors rendered by the combination of light and film, as well as the skill and vision of the photographer, and finally- the processing.

And there's the grain.

When digital came into my world, grain was something you wanted to avoid- but in the film world, it offers a distinct beauty, a texture, and character to images.  Embrace the grain.

Since I am addicted to collecting and trying cameras and films, including the expired, vintage varieties, I thought I would share some of the results.  A few years ago I bought a lot of expired Fujifilm Provia 100f on eBay, and due to life and some unexpected interruptions, It ended up in a hot attic for several months.  I had no idea what the results would be when I loaded it into my Nikon F100, but I loaded it nonetheless, and our little family went out for an early Spring hike along the lakeside at Longhunter State Park in Tennessee.   The results are punchy, vibrant and heavily saturated, with a welcomed retro feel, and convey the mood and feel of the day perfectly.  It was cold and sunny,  a perfect combination of the last chill of Winter and the first green of Spring.

Technical Details:

Nikon F100

Nikkor 28mm 2.8D | Nikkor 50 1.4D

Fujifilm Provia 100f | rated at box speed

Cross-Processed  and scanned on Noritsu by Dury's of Nashville

Until next time, #staybrokeshootfilm -

Leah