65 Years of photo excellence

This came up on my feed and I wanted to post a quick note. This is my favorite film stock at this time. HP5 and Ektar are close seconds, but I just love how this film performs. The results speak wonders. So many tones...

Thank You Kodak!

A New Home

Finally found a new home for the RB kit! Which has grown, and now includes 5 lenses. As the kit grew, I started accumulating multiple bags and padded cases to hold all the pieces. Anytime I ventured out I was scrambling through multiple bags and trying to group things for the trip. I needed to consolidate!

I was looking for a storage case that could be used for transport as well. Rugged enough for the back of the truck, yet safe and organized. And as it turns out, B&H was discounting a case from Condition1. A large, hard case with a pluck foam interior. So for a $60 steal, I ordered the case.

 

After a little planning, I have done the initial fit, which looks pretty good.

The entire kit fits well, although a bit heavy! But now I can grab the tripod and this case and head out with only a moments notice.

Now I just have to sell the various smaller cases and pouches!

CLA complete!

Well... not a full CLA, (thank goodness) but after acquiring the 360mm I had to get into the front lens group and clean some dust and a few very small fungus spots.

After making a custom spanner tool to remove the front lens group, I removed the front lens element, cleaned both front and back, then discovered the fungus was on the last inside element which I cleaned from the back side.

Operation successful! Time to go out and test this beast...

Seeing... both Forward and Aft

We stopped the car and got out for a quick peek at the roaring Bridal Veil Falls. The power was felt both in noise and in the swirling mist. But I was far enough away to not get wet!

Grabbing the RB67 and my Sekor C 180mm lens, I wondered into a clearing and setup to capture the first picture below. I composed several horizontal and vertical images, and ended up with this vertical composition.

The noise was intense as I carefully composed and selected the camera settings.  The final edit is what I emotionally felt at the time, with the water standing out as if shouting, "I am the star today!"

"FORWARD"

After enjoying the display of power and majesty, I turned to see what else was in view.  A good habit I might add... and something I try harder to do these days.  Directly behind me (aft) was yet another fall, a bit farther away, and drowned out by the roar of Bridal Veil.

To the left of El Capitan was this view of Ribbon Falls.  A lesser known, often dry, drainage that somehow escapes the Upper Yosemite Falls drainage from the basin to the north of Yosemite Valley. This water source is far enough to the west to get divided by the majestic dome of El Capitan. It normally flows for just a short season, during the snow melt, but this year it was flowing as if it permanently belonged to the grand scenery.

"AFT"

Together, these opposing water features provide for a nice diptych titled "Forward and Aft" and also a valuable lesson in "seeing". We must keep our head on a swivel, if we are to see all the wonder God has made!

Keep looking... fore and aft!

What's your latest project?

What are you currently working on? Any active projects? Below is a sample of one of my current projects, for the "See and Share" photography group. A way of showing God's Glory, revealed through us... earthen vessels.

Why do a project?

As a form of continued education, projects drive us to try new techniques and to see things a little differently than we normally would. Things like lighting, textures, how to capture smoke! And what does flame look like on B&W film.

It also gives us time with our gear. To really learn the nuances of how our gear operates best. And like anything in life, repetition creates muscle memory.

When operating our cameras becomes second nature, creativity can thrive, unencumbered by technical issues.

So, find a project! Get out and shoot. Waste some film... Here are a few ideas:
- local murals
- child portraits (your own)
- take a road trip
- shoot a new film stock (IR, Slide film or maybe B&W for the first time)

And... keep learning. Who knows what will bloom!

Dogwoods in Yosemite

The purpose of the trip was to capture some dogwood blooms which came a bit early this year. 5 members of the S2 Photography Group headed up to explore God's creation. What we found was more high water, gushing falls, and as a bonus, the Glacier Point road opened just 2 days before our trip!

I took the RB67 with some Tri-X shot at 400, and a roll of Ektar pushed to 200, to get some saturated colors. The results were better than expected! And the freshly cleaned and rebuilt Sekor C 65mm worked perfectly.  The replacement shutter was the solution (scavenged from a fungus infected copy).

Sample of the wonderful tones of Tri-X. 90mm lens.

I am loving this film stock more and more!

More tones... with the 180mm lens.

Ribbon Falls, larger than normal, gracefully flanking El Capitan

Evening shoot from Glacier Point, with the 180mm lens

An early morning detour through Mariposa Grove

And my favorite color shot!

 "The Secret Garden"

Sekor C 65mm in overcast shade

Overall, we had a great day with 5 members of the S2 Photography Group.

High Water in Yosemite

Up at 3:00am, on the road by 3:45, hoping to arrive before sunrise... the life of a photographer!

I arrive as expected, and stepped out of the car with a flashlight to check out the area. Just 20 feet from the car I discovered water... lot's of water! Some 200 yards from my desired shooting location. Now what?

Lesson #1: always have a backup plan

So, I packed the entire backpack with my RB67 kit and start hiking. A short loop around to another vantage point and it became very clear. And somewhat unique for me. The Merced river was starting to breach its banks in several areas. AKA - flood stage!

Lesson #2: be safe

I told myself, to proceed with caution, as this was new territory for me. Yes, I've been to Yosemite many times, but never with this much water. And we all know... "Swift waters kill"!!

I proceeded to do a 6 mile valley floor loop, and discovered many unique and alternate views of this beautiful valley.

This view from just north of the Swinging Bridge shows the flooded meadow. A two shot, stitched image, using FP4 Plus 120 film.

From the swinging bridge, another view of Yosemite Falls at full flow. And the river nearly twice it's normal width.

This next image shows a river flowing at the brim, right up to the tips of the banks. Several areas it leaked out into the valley loop trail causing some detours to my hike.

After a relaxing lunch, and some prayer journal time, I headed down to the Cascades and Wildcat falls. There I found the Cascades roaring (and somewhat unsafe) so I diverted straight to Wildcat Falls.

Upon arriving, I found a new obstacle... a giant boulder had fell directly in front of the falls.  I'm talking a car size boulder! Plan C.

I studied the scene and tried a few angles, and in the final editing process came up with this detail image. Actually shot on Ektar 100, and converted to B&W in post using an Infrared filter setting. I added a bit of blur to the water to help with the ethereal feel.

In all, I logged about 9 miles, and enjoyed a full day of God's glory. His power revealed through nature, its forces and its challenges, and yes, it's beauty.

The RB67 is definitely a load, but worth the weight, as these images look great at full resolution. I hiked with my Kelty Redwing 32L bag with padded inserts, and that seemed fine, but still not as friendly as simply holding the RB67 and tripod while exploring.

Unfortunately, I did discover a bum shutter on my wide angle lens, and several of the shots were ruined. As such, it sits in pieces on my desk at home, waiting for a repair shutter to arrive. Stay tuned on that repair.

Aged to perfection

Yes I am old... but not nearly as old as these scenes. From our recent hiking adventure (see below)  These were shot on Tri-X at 400, with the RB67 Pro S, and developed in D76 - 1:1.5 for 10.25 min.

Our view from Columbia Rock, half way up the Yosemite Falls trail. From left to right, North Dome (7,700 ft), Half Dome (8,600 ft), the snow capped Mount Clark (11,200 ft), and Glacier Point (7,200 ft)

Lower Yosemite Falls

Side note: this camera is nearly 40 years old, the film stock originated 65 years ago, and the D76 developer is a 99 year old formula! Great things DO last!

Hiking with the RB67 - Part 3

Nearly 20 pounds, carried up +1,500 feet! Man, am I getting old... Okay, I admit, the Yosemite Falls trail is not for the faint of heart! But the views!!

On the left, North Dome, and on the right, Half Dome

And my beautiful young daughter! 

Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome and Sentinel Rock

(left to right)

This was the first trip with the "long hike" kit. IE - the Kelty Redwing 32 with camera inserts. How did it go? Decent. Not as friendly as I would like, but workable. I purchased two padded inserts, each about 5x5x10 and stuffed them with the RB67 kit and headed out.

The inserts worked well, but the weight was definitely evident. I guess that's why they call the RB67  "The Tank"! And the 5lb tripod didn't help! I can guarantee a carbon fiber will be on my Christmas wish list...

The Kelty worked fine, and is a good fit for me. The weight never got uncomfortable, just made climbing the stair step switch backs a bit tiring. And I will admit, this was my first hike this spring, so I am a bit out of shape.

Any changes? Not really, just better choices as to desired subject and lenses (if really needed) and maybe a thinning out of filters and adapters, lens hoods, etc.

Stay tuned for a few 6x7 Tri-X pics of this adventure.

Hiking with the RB67 - Part 2

So... I had my first outing with the waist belt system.  A Think Tank belt system with two lens cups, and two pouches.  How did it go?

Pretty good actually.  Had an easy time with one exception.  Filters.  I tried to carry (3) soft wallets and (2) holders, along with a couple hard shell filter cases, which is quite bulky.

The two lenses, and extra film holder fit perfectly and carried very well.  The light meter was easy to access, and the overall experience was very good.  I think it will work for me long term.  And I don't really mind the geeky nature of the belt system, since it facilitates the RB67 system so well.

But, I may need to swap or reconfigure the pouches to resolve the filters issue.  The Chimp Cage is a bit large, and when I stuff the extra filters in it, it gets bulky and sags a bit.

As I find the next iteration, I will post back more.

Renewal - Part 2 "The Results"

Our photography group had a great outing, up near Pine Flat, shooting spring wildflowers. We had 9 people attend and we carpooled to Winton Park and a few other locations around the Blossom Trail.

The weather was perfect, with a few nice fluffy clouds, blue skies and great flowers.  Results are shown below.

Renewal

Spring is coming!!

"Renewal" - a new theme for me, but really, ages old.  Going way back... to the days of Adam. In the garden!

Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you... I have given every green plant for food" Gen 1:29-30 NASB

I have been invited to join a photo group, with an emphasis on seeing and sharing God's glory.  Maybe a perfect fit for a landscape photographer?  Our theme for this quarter is "Renewal" and what better project considering spring is just around the corner.

A time when all things are new, the old is past, and signs of new life and renewal are everywhere.  Our next outing will be an attempt to capture this process.

Check back soon for a few new images!

Hiking with the RB67 - Part 1

Part One - Concept

Since acquiring the RB67, the thought of hiking with 6-7 pounds of camera around my neck seemed a bit daunting.  But I also knew from experience that the ability to quickly access the camera while hiking is key. Otherwise, the opportunities simply pass by, since it is so much work to stop, unpack, setup and compose, only to find the shot not that interesting.

But, the challenge was accepted, and I started building a few hiking kits.

My goals were to make it easy to access the gear, but also make it comfortable while hiking.  My proposed solutions were a Think Tank belt system for shorter hikes, and for casual photo walks, and a few top load case inserts for my Kelty hiking pack.

Parts are starting to arrive, so as the kits are assembled and tested I will report back. Stay tuned...

Red Rock Canyon State Park

Not the Nevada Red Rock... but the small California State Park, east of Mojave, CA.  On I-14 heading north out of Mojave is a wonderful little desert gem. A few marked trails, an RV campground and plenty of unmarked areas for scrambling around.

We went with a church sponsored hiking group and ended up with a dozen hikers doing about 7 miles round trip that day.  A few photographers went early with me, to attempt a sunrise shoot, only to find a dull gray overcast sky.  Nevertheless we explored and captured some good images.

We headed out going east, walking through a sandy wash to an area called the Secret Silent City.

A unique place worth repeat visits, hopefully with some better light.  Some great colors, a small slot canyon and a plenty of geology to explore.  Just take plenty of water!

Images below were shot on Ektar 100 and Fuji Pro 400H from an RB67 and a Pentax 645.

Color Images from San Juan Bautista

On my last Mission trip, I shot some Tri-X 400 (shown in previous post below) and a few Ektar 100 images. I pushed the Ektar to 200 ASA and developed accordingly. The results were interesting. Very saturated and a few color shifts during the scanning, but nice, rich colors once adjusted.

The greens and reds...

Not sure if I like the Tri-X better on this one...