Three More, After A Brief Hiatus

This past month has included two trips to and from Nikon USA for the F3. Turns out there IS a shutter problem. The second curtain is closing too soon, the result of a braking problem, which is causing capping, also known as shutter bounce. While many online are telling me to get a second body, I have already had the LCD display, light seals, and flash circuitry replaced. I’d love to hear any suggestions from blog readers as to recommendations as to where to have the shutter replaced. Nikon USA no longer stocks the shutter, but advises that independent dealers might. Of note- the problem only takes place at higher shutter speeds (1/250th/sec or faster). They have tried twice to adjust the curtain tension, but this is a temporary fix. They also scratched the baseplate, but replaced it with a brand new one. That part was in stock.

Anyways, I did want to share three more shots from this summer’s performance of Love’s Labour’s Lost, at Fitchburg State University. Much slower shutter speeds here, with one of, if not THE last rolls of Plus-X.

Contrast Rules!

Starting To Lose Light

Did All I Could To Stay Steady Hand Holding The Camera Here- Actually Leaned Up Against A Tree

In their own fashion, like a merriment….

More favorite shots from the Fitchburg Theatre Company’s summer performance of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labours Lost, on the campus of Fitchburg State University. The results are really inspiring me to photograph more stage plays and events. F3, 135mm f/2.8, and Kodak Plus-X.

Love the lighting here.

Bow, bow, and arrow!

Photographing these performances, timing is indeed everything, to get the right facial expressions, which can change so quickly.

Crazy contrast, making “post processing” very minimal, if needed at all.

Next time, I am going to take a second body, loaded up with Portra, to compare the results with B&W. But the shadows really do look incredible.

Love’s Labour’s Lost

Walking through the Fitchburg State University campus this June, I came across a rehearsal, for an outdoor stage production. The campus is usually very quiet, until summer courses start-up in earnest. After talking to the director of The Fitchburg Theatre Company, I was invited to a performance. A few weeks later, in late June, I enjoyed a performance of a not so well-known Shakespeare comedy, Love’s Labour’s Lost. I took the F3, and while I had a whole bag of lenses, the 135 f/2.8 was the glass of necessity here. These frames are from one of my last rolls of beloved Kodak Plus-X. Live stage plays can make for some very pleasing results-

Flute Player, And A Pirate.

The 105mm f/2.5 Nikkor is known as the definitive portrait lens, but the extra reach and compression of the 135 really can work out nicely as well.

The 135 also boasts fantastic contrast.

Handheld at slower shutter speeds can be done, although modern-day VR here would have been nice.

Despite slow shutter speeds, some motion blur, and ISO/ASA 125, still managed to stay fairly sharp.

Lords Of Dogtown- Skateboarders At stART On The Street

A few years ago, I saw the spectacular, based on reality film “Lords of Dogtown”. Based on the famous Z-Boys of Venice Beach, CA in the 1970’s, the film introduces its audience to a surf culture that had long been misrepresented in media and pop culture. It even features a few great cameos of none other than the Nikon F, as photojournalists are seen throughout the film capturing these amazing performers. Worcester, MA’s StART On The Street, once again, proving itself as a spectacular photographic mecca.

Drawing upon that inspiration, I decided to stop down for a few shots, and “drag the shutter” for some, yikes, slow shutter speeds. This went totally against my usually scientific, rule-based approach to photography. Afraid that I would have crazy looking blurs, I instead was able to capture a sense of motion. The slowest speeds here, if I remember, at 1/30th/sec. Pretty daunting with a 135mm lens, but I think it worked.

Cannot wait to photograph this type of event again. Once again, Nikon F3HP, and Plus-X.

Hitting the jump ramp at blinding speed.

A little faster shutter speed, yet still slow enough to bring a sense of movement.

Guessing this was indeed about a 1/30th/sec. exposure.

StART On The Street- From Another Roll

Some more shots, featuring another performer, and others simply enjoying the day. These shots are really making me impatient for the next StART On The Street event this fall- a different street, less harsh light, a different feel. But more spectacular photo opportunities on the street. This warm June day was like a bonus. The 135mm Nikkor was never handier. September 16th is StART’s 10th anniversary Fall edition- it cannot come soon enough.

The Fender logo on the amp and guitar are sharp and detailed. The 135mm Nikkor continues to amaze and exceed expectations.

Dancing, and cooling off. That’s a fan in the lower right.

The 28 mm lens might have been a better choice here, as this bubble was huge!

Street Life – StART On The Street, Worcester, MA – 6/10/12

This wonderful event now takes place twice a year. This most recent one, on June 10th, in a somewhat different venue than the fall one. This one had a much grittier feel, and a lot of local commerce and business nearby. I shot with the Nikon F3HP, and Nikkor 135mm f/2.8. With Kodak Plus-X, I took what I feel are some of the best shots I’ve ever taken with this glass. The 125 ASA film seemed the perfect choice for this sunny afternoon. And it helped get close enough so as to capture a few of those “decisive moments”. It is street photography heaven. Many more to come, but here are a few favorites-

So sharp, the label inside the acoustic guitar is legible.

Drum solo.

Spectators enjoying the afternoon.

Another amazing guitar performance.

Running On Empty- Using Up The Last Few Boxes Of Plus-X

Down to a precious few boxes of Eastman Kodak Plus-X in the fridge. At last count now, there are two boxes left of “The Forgotten Film”, with two rolls still to be developed. Here are some of the more recent rolls, shot last month in Clinton, MA, at Wachusett Reservoir. The Nikon F3 has been getting quite the workout. These were taken with the 28mm AiS, and 135mm f/2.8 Ai.

Being down now to two rolls of this gorgeous material, I am likely going to be a lot more selective of subject and composition. Then again, if Hunt’s Photo has any more left, it might make a great excuse for the pilgrimage into Melrose. They had tons of it a couple of months ago. I still maintain that this was the most underrated film in the Kodak lineup, color or B&W.  Venerable, reliable, and gorgeous. Yes, there are still alternatives, including Ilford FP4 Plus. But to this untrained eye, Plus-X had a finer, more pleasing to the eye grain structure, with stronger contrast. In their marketing, Ilford will talk about the benefits of cubic grain structure. But I just loved the look of Plus-X. Nothing scientific here, it just looked nicer.

A sidenote just released this month, the last full-length motion picture film to be shot on Kodak Plus-X- Paul Bunnell’s “The Ghastly Love of Johnny X”. He beat out the producers of “The Artist” for the last batch, who had to shoot that film in color, and then convert it in post to B&W.  This new independent will be known as the last of an era.

Years from now, when the death knell for film is finally sounded, the discontinuation of Plus-X is going to be remembered as the event signalling the beginning of the end. Anyways, here are the shots-

You can see the dam in the distance, and the waterfall.

Reflections can look awesome in B&W.

Limited by the 135mm focal length on a full frame focal plane, I tried to emphasize the heron’s shadow/reflection.

What To Do When Home And Bored??? Shoot Some Impossible Project Film, And Hope For The Best

Kodak, By Polaroid

As I have blogged here before, Impossible Project films for the Polaroid integral film cameras have been a major disappointment, both creatively and artistically, not to mention the impact on one’s wallet. At about $3 an exposure, it is about $2/shot overpriced. While I never expected a direct replacement for Polaroid’s beautiful, classic films, their quality really underscores what a landmark achievement Dr. Land and his team scored in the early 70’s with the introduction of SX-70 film. The stuff simply worked.

It is still baffling why Impossible photographers still have to wrestle with cardboard light contraptions, images that fade, and all kinds of voodoo simply to have a shot that lasts. Meanwhile, people who shot Polaroids decades ago can go back, and look at instant prints that have lasted and lasted. Why some simple things, like contrast adjustment, photographic fixer, and light sensitivity, have been such challenges for Dr. Florian Kaps and his team in the Netherlands, truly boggles the mind. It shouldn’t be that hard. Especially given what they have achieved in a relatively short period of time.

Enough negativity. Last fall, my mother found at a thrift shop a Polaroid Model 7500 Close Up stand. Not knowing much about it, as I had never seen one before, I was pleased to discover it was designed for the Polaroid Spectra system. The 7500 was designed to use the Spectra to photograph jewelry, coins, stamps, small objects. The Spectra was introduced in the early 1980’s, and used significantly larger film, for large format prints. There were many technological advancements in the system, including a spectacular little lens system.

I had surgery last week. Getting out and about has been a struggle. So, bored, and not planning to venture out today, I decided to flatten a Kodak Tri-X, and Plus-X box, and stuff them into the close up kit. The gadget really does work, very well. And, maybe the first Impossible shot I have actually been happy with. As for our friends in Rochester, let’s see what happens. Fingers crossed.

Code Red- Experimenting With The Hoya 25A Red Filter For B&W Photography

The Hoya Red #25A Filter

For a couple of years now, film photography for me has been at times a challenging task, in terms of providing satisfying, consistent results. More satisfying and organic than digital, but still a challenge. This has mostly been the case with my landscape photography. “The Golden Hour” simply is not a realistic photographic rule to follow in 2012. Of course, shooting midday can result in overexposure, blown highlights, cold color temperatures, the list goes on. But why not try to get results, as opposed to not shooting at all?

I have had a Hoya filter kit, my father’s, in my bag for a long time now. Recently, I decided to try out the red filter. In reading up on these filters, it seems as though the yellow is a good “middle” filter to start with. And that an orange filter is great for skintones. Hoya has been around for a long time, and sure there are better filters out there, but a lot of “cheapos” as well. It is likely described as a middle-higher quality filter, with well engineered glass and coatings. Their original filter brochure from the 70’s, which once was a “must have” accessory in film photographers’ bags, still is a great read today. Chances are the modern day counterpart is in .pdf form.

So why start with the red? It makes for dramatic high contrast. It darkens what might be pale or blown out skies. And it can make clouds pop. Similar to my experiments last year with the Polaroid #516 Cloud Filter (Polaroid used orange glass, over the exposure eye and the lens).

Wanted to share a few recent results here, these taken at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Watershed in Sterling, MA, with the Canon Rebel G and 50mm lens. If you are metering through the lens (TTL),  your exposure will slow down, a lot. These were handheld. Recently, I bit the bullet and secured a good tripod. As I shoot mostly handheld in 35 and medium format, tripods have never been a favorite. A different topic for another blog article. The late, great Kodak Plus-X 125 is the film here, developed in HC-110 for 9 1/2 minutes-

Guessing Here That The Sky Would Have Been Blown Out Without Filter, Based On Composition And The Rebel G's Pattern Metering

Used My Hat To Prevent Lens Flare In This Scene

Doubtful This Scene Could Have Been Captured Digitally

Breaking The Rules

I love the history of photography, and consider myself a student of its evolution, and the impact it has had on the world.  It represents science,  beautiful asthetic, a discipline, and as a way to influence how others view it, and think about it. It can move to tears, joy, and social discourse. Yet, there are many things that can drive a photography amateur, or student, totally crazy. For many years, people in photography have taken up “rules”, for some reason, to assign structure to what really is an art form. “The Rule Of Thirds” is one that has driven me nuts since starting this just a couple of years ago. First off, it assumes a 24x36mm frame, based on compositional theory. “Wait, I shoot medium format, 6×6 square frames”, you say. Ever see someone new to the format position their subject in the lower right part of the frame, leaving most of it with an uninteresting background? You can’t blame people- this is what has been taught, over and over again, in photography,  called “rules”- they are, in fact, guidelines. Use them, break them, and don’t be afraid to do so. A subject can be centered in the frame, especially if you are shooting with, say, a Hasselblad. You can always crop in post if you’d like.

Another one- you should shoot only during “the golden hour”- a half hour before or after sunrise or sunset. Come on. I work for a living. And hard for it. Sure, it would be nice to be able to shoot during these times. but, this is 2011. Life moves on, at a breakneck pace. Get out there and shoot, regardless of the time of  the day. You’ve got responsibilities, things to do. Work that needs to be done. Sure, you might get some nicer shots outside during these times, but does that mean you should not take the shot? What if you never return to that nice spot you stumbled upon again? Additionally, I live in New England. The light is typically horrible- overly bluish, harsh, and cold looking. It’s usually going to be bad no matter what.

The worst shot is the one you don’t capture. Because someone told you that it isn’t a good time of the day to shoot, or that you should frame your subject a certain way. Here are a few that, while far from my best photographs, were shot at Moore State Park, in midday, with Kodak Plus-X 125, developed in HC-110. There is overexposure, and as you can see, I even took a vertical landscape. What?! Sure, I will go back there again, and even someday, during “the golden hour”. And yes, I may even use that dreaded “Rule of Thirds”. But, these are unique, capturing one moment of time each, that I can never go back to, except through exposed 35mm negatives. Glad I got them.

Following The Rule Of Thirds

Breaking The Rules- A Vertical Landscape?