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

Film Friday | Agfa Vista 200 | Expired | #AllTheFilm

It's been a while since I actually did a Friday film post.  The holidays, a bum wrist, and sick kids have taken their toll; but with the promise of Spring on the horizon and the few pops of Spring-like weather we've experienced lately, I've managed to find the motivation to spend a little more time outside shooting film.  I also have a pretty good stockpile of film (mostly expired), so there's always that little box of goodness calling my name.

I'm not going to ramble a lot today (you're welcome), because it's beautiful outside, a storm front is approaching, and well.....there's a box filled with expired film calling my name.

So, here you have it. Agfa Vista 200, expired.  I want to give a big shout-out at my sweet friend Shonna for the film.  She sent me a magic box filled with vintage cameras and film, and is sort of like my new film fairy godmother.  (Hey, Shonna!)

This roll was shot on my trusty Nikon F100, and two walks on my road and in my yard on the same day; early-ish morning and near sunset.  I have a habit of rating and shooting at box speed, at least the first time I shoot any film stock. I know with any expired film, you need to over expose (and some films in general yeild better results when slightly overexposed, for example, Portra). However...I like to live dangerously, so I don't always overexpose expired film, and this roll was no exception.  With that in mind, you will see that most images were slightly desaturated, have a matte finish, and have a fair amount of an acidic green tint.

I didn't bother making any adjustments to this roll (I didn't even clean off dust specks or scatches), as I wanted to accurately represent the results of this film, slightly expired and rated at box speed.

this one and the next few are the results of my fascination with morning light and the remnants of the previous night's rain.

this is the top of a burned tree stump, where it appears the squirrels have been enjoying breakfast in the sun.

This old house is just beyond the tree line at the end of my driveway.
 I shot a roll of Fuji Superia 800 here this week, using the wide angle 15mm to shoot inside, so you can expect some of those shots next week.

This is the single-lane road we live on. As you can see, it's rather quiet and secluded out here. It makes a great place to walk and shoot film.

To be honest here, I had to shoot three frames of this at different exposures to get it right. Shooting with an in-camera meter so close to sunset is still pretty tricky for me.

Until Next Time-

xoxox

Leah

Technical Details:

Nikon F100

Agfa Vista 200 (expired, rated at 200)

Nikon 28 2.8D

Sigma 105 2.8 EX

Processed at Dury's of Nashville

Scanned on Nortisu

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