More California Mission photography

After nearly 20 years, I finally got back to San Juan Bautista, this time with my RB67. My previous effort came up a bit short, with only a couple of outside shots, since the courtyard and museum were closed at that time.

This time, I paid the entrance fee and got full access to explore.  A few of the TriX 400 B&W images are below. I did get a few on Ektar, but need to develop and scan. I will post a few of those in a later post.

Sacred Succulants

The Old Bell, now on display in the courtyard

The Alter

I am nearly half way through on my Missions Project, and I have visited almost half of the 21 California Missions.  I have added it to my 2019 goals, so we'll see!

Exploring with the RB67

Learning to use new gear takes time. Time behind the lens, head down in the waist level viewfinder, and testing various functions, knobs and levers.

It also takes time developing a new workflow.  Minor tweaks to the thought process, and developing a new flow while out in the field.  Several recent trips have helped me to do just that.

The challenge is to just take the camera out, and keep it with you, loaded with film.  And then, seize the opportunities as they come up.

Such as... in the coffee shop!

Or at the local nursery...

Or even just out playing.

Keep practicing! Eventually, I will get better and feel confident taking it out to bigger and more exciting photo shoots.

Think More! Shoot Less!

I recently found an article that struck a cord with me. "Think More, Shoot less" by Marty Knapp.  As a film only shooter, I can totally relate to this mindset. Thought I would share the link below.

Think-more-and-shoot-less

And check out his work. Some great stuff on his website.

Enjoy!

Change is Good

Right? Or so they say...

Sometimes we see a bright shiny object that catches our attention, and we test the waters. We think "what if..." and dive in hoping to learn and grow, and enjoy that "bright shiny thing". This camera was one of those "weak" moments.

My last piece of camera gear to suffer the house cleaning process was this really nice 6x9 folder. A Voigtlander Bessa I. Unbelievably clean, and fully functional, this was indeed a great find.

Last year I saw this camera in a thrift store, and my daughter managed to go back and bring it home, as my Christmas present. (yes, she is so sweet!) I took it out and flexed the shutter a bit, shooting 4-5 rolls through it over the next 9 months. Definitely fun to use, and very compact for such a large negative. A bit slow for a traveling camera though. No meter, zone focusing and only a general viewfinder to line up the image.

So I hate to let it go, as it seems almost disrespectful. But comfort comes from knowing that it was sacrificed (upgraded) for another photography tool. A very nice 180mm lens for the RB67 outfit. A perfect portrait lens, which will act as a short telephoto for my landscape work as well.

So the brief journey into the past ends with a new adventure, a new medium format lens, and a new perspective. Time to go shoot!

A Final Goodbye

One last emotional sendoff!

The last piece from my past life of exploring film photography as a young man. A Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5. Such a wonderful piece of photo gear. A fully manual, extremely slow, but a very creative tool.  A few rough spots, yet able to create very impressive negatives, that are so full of detail, it can amaze even the experienced photographer. Scan these negs at 1200 dpi and you have the equivalent of a 30MP digital file. Scan higher if you dare!

What did this camera teach me?

How to slow down and see the image before you raise the camera to your eye.
How to stop and enjoy the scenery, removed from the photography process.
How dedicated the photographers were 30-50 years ago (hauling these rigs around)
How to look in the corners of your frame.
What is the best aperture and shutter speed for each image.
Which film stock represents the desired goal of the image or place and time.
The hard work and inherent value of each image.
How many steps it takes to actually create art.

But, the future is bright! The new path forward includes a 6x7 negative with plenty of detail. Enough camera weight to feel like I have earned the image. And a slow process, much like the 4x5 sheet film experience. See below.

So off we go... To play, and explore!

Cleaning House

While I have been having fun testing the new RB67, I have also been quietly cleaning and selling off old gear to pay of the cost of the new RB outfit.  And I have to say, it is a bit painful, or even nostalgic to say the least.

Today I sold my Canon A1, a camera I purchased in college after my AE1 got stolen. It served me well for over 30 years, and can I admit to feeling sad to let it go?  This certainly was a joy to use.  And it made it to some beautiful remote places, including the top of Half Dome in Yosemite NP.

The bottom line is I simply don't use it enough these days.  Once you experience medium format it is very hard to go back to using such a tiny negative!

So tonight I'll pack it up, and send it off to another youthful photographer, ready to explore the joys of analog photography.

Next up... the Crown Graphic 4x5.
(Oh, the pain and agony...)

Testing in progress...

I have been testing the RB67 and recently took it downtown for a quick photo walk. Mounted on a monopod, and loaded with Delta 400. Seemed to handle fine, a little slow for general work, but that is why I went with this platform.

I found one flaw which I can't tell if its a light leak or a developing issue. Definitely not consistent, which makes it a little unsettling for important work. So, more testing will follow. Stay tuned!

A New Addition

Subtraction actually! Part of my camera gear consolidation and cleaning house.

Wanting to reduce the cutter and focus more intently as I retire, I am selling off much of my gear to make room for this guy. Meet "Artie the RB"

My justification was to reduce the clutter and focus on one film format, and shed all the confusion and chaos. You know... gear everywhere... partial kits that initiate fun and creativeness, but not enough of a complete kit to really get good at the craft.

So after much research, I landed on the Mamiya RB67 Pro S, a 6x7 format which uses the same 120 format film as my Pentax 645. Now I can stock one film size, use one developing technique, use my existing scanner, and yet increase my negative size for just a bit more quality.

Not as much detail as a 4x5 negative, but more than enough, and at 1/8th the cost per shot! And so much easier to process and scan. No more stitching in PS and trying to balance colors.

Features of this system:

• Low cost ($325 for this rig)
• Modular and Flexible (removable film backs mid-roll)
• Great quality glass
• All manual (much like my 4x5)

The first "test" roll shows no sign of light leaks, which are common for these 40 year old systems. But the seals were bad in the revolving back so I found some 2mm adhesive foam at a local craft store, and replaced the foam in the revolving back adapter.  All is tight and ready to go.

Stay tuned for some first results soon.

NYC Vacation - continued

Finally processed all (7) rolls, and scanned... editing may take awhile! Below are a few more images.

Saint Patrick's Cathedral - compared to the "Oculus", shown below. Equally impressive, yet vastly different.  Detail or simplicity? Separated by 160 years and about $4B dollars.

The detail in St. Pat's is incredible... tone and texture everywhere! Could have blew through 2 rolls of just detail shots, but I resisted... although my iPhone did get rather full.

 A day at the Met... summarized simply by me being able to stand in front of Van Gogh's self portrait (not shown). My older daughters appreciated it, and were patient, but I could have lingered all day!

A couple of Portra 160 shots just for fun.  I am learning that I really appreciate black and white so much more.

Back from NYC Vacation

We took the family to New York for some exploring, food and photography, and enjoyed a full week riding the subways around and walking nearly 40 miles!  We enjoyed some local food, took in the sights, explored the river around Manhattan, and of course stopped by the 911 memorial.

We packed each day with architecture, history, food, and photography and I came away with nearly 100 film images. So now the developing, scanning and editing has begun! (7) rolls of 120 film, (5) of which are B&W.

The first 2 rolls are into the editing stage and I am liking the results so far! See below.

Stay tuned... there are a few more rolls patiently waiting for attention!

Shooting color with the Bessa I

Shortly after acquiring the Bessa I, while doing research on the camera I read that the Vaskar lens showed aberrations and color shift.  So, while the B&W tests came out fine, I thought, why not push a roll of color through the camera to see what it would produce.

I put in a roll of Portra 400 and started looking for opportunities.  Carrying it with me on several excursions provided enough opportunity to test this theory.  I also carried my Soligor digital spot meter to get some accurate exposure readings.

These images were scanned, dust spots removed, minor sharpening to adjust for scanning, and with only slight color corrections based on what I remember about the scenes.

The first image was during a trip to the central coast, and while exploring around town, I found a colorful garden, so I stopped, metered and snapped a picture.

A coastal garden, with a bit of vibrant color.

The next image was from a family fun day of wine tasting at a local winery. A bright, sunny afternoon.

Out doing some wine tasting, a bright sunny afternoon.

The last image was a very early morning... before blue hour... where I saw this shot, and thought it would be a good test of neon lights in low light.  With a tricky metering, I was surprised on how good the exposure was.  I think I metered the colored neon and put that at zone 6 or 7.  In this shot you do notice the slight corner vignetting, with some light falloff.

A early morning shot, with some neon lights.

Overall, I am very satisfied, as the color seems to be very good, with only slight adjustments for color balance, and shooting Portra 400 handheld is a viable option with this camera.  Could be a "go-to" or "carry at all times" film for this camera!

Shooting 4x5 without a tripod (AKA are you nuts!)

Film photographers are a strange lot! Always wanting a challenge... looking for ways to push the envelope.  And if I'm honest, I am no different.  I shoot 4 different cameras, in small, medium and large formats, developing BW, C41 and E6 film at home.  Scanning and digitally editing, and finally printing on my small inkjet printer.

So, while planning for an upcoming family vacation, I came up with a wild idea.  Why not try faster film, and hand hold the 4x5, using faster shutter speeds and the built in range finder as a quick focus.

What would I need to do this?

To start with, I would need a fast ASA so that my shutter speeds would be high enough to hand hold the 4x5 in decent light.  My Graflex Optar lens has a maximum 1/400 sec shutter speed, so using the sunny sixteen rule, I could get these possibilities using some Arista EDU 400 film:

F16 @ 1/400 (full sun)
F16 @ 1/200 (bright clouds)
F16 @ 1/100 (clouds)

Fast enough to not cause blur, so if I could trust the range finder, this should work out... right?  I previously calibrated the rangefinder, so out I went, with several film holders in the pack.

And, sure enough it worked.  I managed to capture a few sheets, one at F22 @ 1/200 and one at F8 @ 1/100.  The focus?  Not too bad.  See images below.

100% crop detail!

Am I sold on using this technique on my next vacation?  Probably not... If I'm honest, the focus could be better... and wrangling the spot meter, dark slide, filters, etc would be difficult while staying agile and mobile, traveling about with the family.

But, if I am traveling by myself, I think this may be a process I could enjoy.

It has some historical significance in that it is the way these camera's were originally used by the press back in the 50's.  And that is the joy in owning and using this type of gear!

So I will probably stick to my Pentax 645 and C41 color for my next vacation.  It is simple and flexible, and will not be an intrusion to the family plans.  But I am glad I tried this approach.  #lifelonglearner

Feed the Bellows

It has arrived!  Some fresh Arista EDU film to feed those old mechanical image making machines.  A valentines gift from one of my girls. Many thanks!

I ordered (2) rolls for the Bessa I, and a pack of 4"x 5" for the Crown Graphic, all of it at 400ASA hoping to practice hand holding both cameras, and pushing some of the film to 800 or 1600 or who knows... maybe 3200!!

The goal is to refine my zone focusing technique on the Bessa I, and test the Range finder on the Crown Graphic 4"x 5".  Time to go play.  Stay tuned for results.

Re-visiting a past with Tri-X film

How many years ago? 30+ ?

It seems like I was never really there, but in fact, there was a day. When Kodak Tri-X 400 was a viable option for me, shooting the Canon A1 in college and beyond. But I never explored this film in medium or large format.

During the holidays, I decided to revisit some of the "old" film stocks. So Tri-X was chosen, a 60 year old proven film stock. A favorite with many journalist of the day. Think Magnum, or other news agencies.

For me, it was the first time ever in medium format. With my Pentax 645 and 75mm prime, shooting  wide open, I explored around the dinner table.

Can I say, wow... I fell in love with this film. "Creamy", that's what I came up with to describe this film.  Check out the results.  More of this film in my future!

Blossom Trail 2018

We headed out early, on a COLD morning here in Fresno. Too cold for these blossoms! Farmers are scurrying to save the fruit production, and it was honestly a bit sad to see. Wind machines, irrigation, and even flying helicopters over fields to keep from freezing the blossoms. A few pics from my daughters Canon T7i are below.

Results from the Bessa I

First roll out and scanned... not too impressed. Bergger Pancro 400 which might have been over developed, and maybe even under exposed, since there is not much published data on this film yet!

Second roll... wait... where are the frame counters??  Off to my local camera store rescue the roll of TriX from the Bessa... After further investigation it appears to be a known problem with Kodak backing paper. Fixed as of emulsion #0981 (according to Kodak tech support).

Second actual roll, much better!  Delta 400 developed in D76 1:1, see below.

Decent tone quality and resolution, but I need to learn how to zone focus better! Stay tuned... More to come...

A new addition!

Merry Christmas! Thanks to my daughter... I now own a 60+ year old, beautiful, Bessa I medium format 6x9 folder.

Manufactured in the early 1950's it is a very simple camera to use.  I started with a roll of Bergger Pancro 400, and will be attempting roll #2 with Delta 400.  Will post back results soon.