All The Film - Ilford Hp5 400 + Nikon F100

I almost completely stopped using film, and transitioned to digital in 2006.  I loved the instant gratification and the amount of creative control I had at my disposal through Photoshop.  After all, I was "young and hip" (or at least told myself I was) and digital was the "way of the future".  With my Minolta Maxxum tucked away in my desk drawer, I began to broaden my photography horizons, learning more about exposure and shutter speed than my film camera had ever afforded me to (because let's face it, in most cases it's cheaper to shoot digital).

I had all but forgotten about my film camera.

Until the day I caught my then five-year-old son dismantling it in his closet.

I was mortified.  The camera that had documented my twenties, and the first 3 years of his life, and been the foundation of my photography journey, in pieces.  It had accompanied me on many adventures, documented milestones, and here it was, a sad, sad mess.

I was upset for a little while, and then I moved on.  After all, I was hearing rumors that film was being phased out, that companies were no longer producing many stocks, and I had noticed most places that once developed locally were no longer offering film services.

So I continued with digital.  I created and learned with the convenience of honing my skills by viewing the results of each effort on an LCD screen.  And I sort of felt like I was cheating.  I wanted to prove to myself that I didn't need to rely on Photoshop, or playback on the LCD to make good images.

And suddenly, I felt a longing for film.

And so there I was, longing for film- because, after all, it's where I had fallen in love with photography, and it just felt like going home in some way.

For Christmas several years ago, my mom gifted me Nikon F100.  I love that I am able to use the lenses from my digital camera (D700), and the button placement is almost identical, making it convenient to switch between cameras.  This was the first roll of film shot with that camera, and my wonderfully talented friend, Brooke Bikneris, offered to process and scan them for me, as she was delving into learning the art of film development (which is definitely an art, and destined to be the next adventure of my photographic journey).  The roll was fresh, my heart was eager, and the processing was perfect.  The following images are the results of that first roll shot, as I re-entered the world of film.

 Back roads of Mississippi in December, using the Lensbaby Composer Pro and Sweet 35 Optic

Attempted macro shots of snow on a tree stump, with the Tokina 100 2.8

More back roads in Mississippi, after a rare Mississippi snow

My beautiful Sister in-law

My daughter Lily, she was so little then!  These shots were taken with a vintage manual focus Tamron 135 2.8 that I scored on eBay for about $70.  I still love it, 4 years later.

My handsome Luke.

I can't believe how much the kids have grown since these were taken.

My momma heart loves this so much!

 Stargazer Lily macro, with the Tokina 100 2.8, which is an amazing lens!

I discovered Ilford Hp5 some time around 1999, as my college roommate was taking a photography class and her professor had recommended it. It's still one of my favorite films, with beautiful contrast and flexibility, and depending on how it's shot and processed, with relatively fine grain.  

Best part? It doesn't cost a fortune.

Until next time-

xoxo Leah

Technical Details:

Camera: Nikon F100

Film: Ilford Hp5 400 (rated at box speed)

Processing: Brooke Bikneris (in home, scanned on Epson)

Lenses:

Lensbaby Composer Pro+ Sweet 35 Optic

Nikon 50 1.4D

Tamron 135 2.8

Tokina 100 2.8

#FilmFriday - Ocean Calling - Fujifilm Superia 800

I can remember a time when I was transitioning from being an amateur hobbyist to a budding professional.  I would oogle at other photographers' works with envy, I would obsess over gear, and would often attribute my shortcomings to the lack of gear or type of equipment I had.  "If only I had (insert $2,000 lens name here) or (insert $4,000 camera body here) like so-and-so, I could be a better photographer", I thought.  I spent countless hours honing my skills, but still feeling defined by my equipment.

Those days are behind me, and if you ever have those nagging thoughts, I want you to put them behind you, too.

Art is art.

Whether it's a masterpiece of crayon and construction paper by your little one, or oil on canvas by an accomplished painter-  it's art, as long as it was created with imagination and emotion, and has value to the creator.

It's the same with photography.

As vacation was approaching and we were beach bound, I had to give up my dreams of $2k underwater housing for my camera, and instead, I bought a $13 waterproof disposable (Fujifilm Disposable Quicksnap), and headed south, to the Gulf of Mexico.

Unfortunately, I didn't consider that I would need goggles (which was a total blonde moment on my part), so the ones taken under water were basically blind shots.  I gave the kids instructions and watched from above water to try to guess when to release the shutter.  And another unfortunate event with these, was something happened at the lab during processing that damaged a portion of the film with a dark, oily-looking streak.  I also noticed watery-looking spots on several of the images, but overall, I am pretty happy with the results.  So, speaking of the film type-  Fuji is a master at film production.  I simply love all Fuji stocks.  I recently blogged about some expired Provia, and 400H is my spirit animal.  Some people are quick to dismiss Superia because it's inexpensive, and available at drugstores and chain stores, but don't be one of those silly people.  Superia is a beast.  It renders colors beautifully, and depending on speed and lighting/processing, grain varies from fine and almost nonexistent, to heavy and grungy.  I absolutely love the tones it produces, and as for the 800 speed-  THE GRAIN.  If you haven't learned to love the distinct look that only film renders, I'd encourage you to embrace it.  It's lovely, it adds texture. It's a characteristic that can't be accurately reproduced in digital photography.

So without further rambling, I give you Panama City Beach; captured on Superia 800 with a disposable point-and-shoot.

It was a perfect day, and one my little family will remember forever.

 The girls observing a beautiful, cobalt blue jelly fish that washed ashore.

 Swimming at dusk in the Gulf of Mexico is probably not the wisest choice for someone who is deathly afraid of sharks, but there is a magical moodiness in dusky light, and it was so peaceful, I just couldn't make myself get out.

 Water on the lens created a dreamy effect-

                                 

I'm so glad I stayed through sunset.  $13 camera or not, these are some of my favorite images.

 Luke being....Luke.  Not sure what Lily is doing back there?

 Lily was so excited to see herself swimming.

My awesome brother and his beautiful wife.

You may just see colorful blurs in these last two images, but my texture-loving heart loves them.

Until next the next roll,

xoxo

Leah

Camera Junkie - All the Film, All the Cameras

I'm addicted to old cameras.  It started about 7 years ago, when my husband brought home a vintage Minolta SRT-101 from an estate sale.  Some I purchased from ebay, some from thrift or antique stores, some were gifts.  Some of them work like a charm, some of them are hopeless, and a few of them I just haven't taken the time to figure out yet, but here I am, staring at this beautiful collection, determined to use the ones that work, and to proudly display the ones that don't. There is something fulfilling in looking at my mantle and seeing all these old cameras.  I look at them and wonder who they belonged to, and what kind of memories were frozen in time at the click of the shutter.

Lubitel Universal 166, Made in Russia 1980

Minolta SrT-101, Made in Japan 1966

Kodak Brownie Target Six-20, Made in USA and France 1941

Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash, Made in USA 1950

Steky Model II, 16mm sub-mini, Made in Japan 1950

Steky II in the palm of my hand.  I swear it's like the puppy of cameras.

Kodak Brownie Starmite, Made in USA 1960

Minolta Autopak 700, Made in Japan 1966

Yashica Electro 35 G, Made in Japan 1968

Kodak Brownie Bullet, Made in USA 1957-1964

Minolta Maxxum 3xi, Made in Japan 1991

This camera is particularly special to me.  It documented my life from 21-31, and was the camera on which I learned the basics of photography, and truly fell in love with the art.

Dick Tracy Toy Camera, 1940s

(A real, working camera! Shutter sticks, but a fun addition to the collection that I snagged at an antique market several years ago)

Minolta Freedom 115, Made in Japan 2001

(found recently at a Goodwill for $4)

Mamiya ZE-2, Made in Japan 1980

Minolta Hi-Matic G, Made in Japan 1974

Nikon N2000, Made in Japan 1985

Nikon F100, Made in Japan 1999

The ones I use frequently are the Nikon F100, Minolta SrT-101 and Hi-matic G, and the Mamiya ZE-2,  I just got the Lubitel, and I am anxious to try it out, but I realized it's missing a handle and may have to find a solution for this before I will be able to test it.  

So there you have it. My "dirty little secret" is out, and please, whatever you do, don't schedule an intervention.  If loving old film cameras is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Until next time-

xoxo Leah