2019 Rewind

Does it seem like 2019 just flew by? It sure did to me. I had to go back and look at my Flickr photos to remember what I did on film this last year. Quite a bit, as it turns out. I was especially surprised to see the variety of formats and emulsions that I took on during the last 12 months. Here's a sampling, and in no particular order:

1. I shot some Ektachrome and had it processed at Blue Moon Camera and Machine in Portland. They even put them in the little slide holders. I have enough of these now where I could probably put together a little slide presentation at some point.

Kodak Ektachrome E100

2.  I shot some Kodak Ektar on my Zero Image and got some prints done, again by Blue Moon.

Kodak Ektar in Zero Image 618. Scan of optical print.

3.  I decided that I really, really like the look of Ilford HP5+ shot at ISO 1600 and pushed two stops.

Ilford HP5+ at 1600 and pushed two stops in Ilfotec DD-x.

4.  I snagged up some new Ilford Ortho Plus in both 120 and 35mm formats. I haven't shot it yet, but I wanted to have some on hand for when I do. That will definitely be a 2020 project.

Acquired in 2019 and looking forward to shooting in 2020.

5.  I got some Lomo Purple from 2018 processed and printed. In fact, I got a lot of 35mm prints from Blue Moon made in 2019. 

Lomo Purple. And there's more where that came from.

6. I figured out Ilfotec DD-x doesn't play nice with Ilford HP5+ at box speed. Not the way I shoot and develop, anyway. In coming to this conclusion, I first had to eliminate the possibility of a faulty camera.

Comparing negatives from two different cameras shot on identical film (hp5+) and developed in the same tank of Ilfotec DD-x.

7.  I took a group of middle school kids on a trip to the Columbia River Gorge and I brought along the Zero Image.

Some unidentifiable students at the Rowena Plateau cemetery shot on the Zero Image 618.

8. And finally, I caught some sailboats in the Wallula Gap on my Mamiya C220. It was a great use of the 180mm that I neglect too often.

Ilford PanF+ on the Mamiya C220 with 180mm f/4.5 lens.

All in all 2019 was a fantastic year for film for me. Next up is my annual 'Directions' series where I discuss how I will be using film in the upcoming year.

From the archives: Zero Image in Winter

It seems like every time I post something from my Zero Image pinhole camera, I say something like, "I don't use my Zero Image pinhole camera near often enough."  And every time I am correct. As of this writing, I have a roll of Ektar sitting in it with a single frame left to shoot, and it's been like that for a few months now. I really need to get it finished and processed.

Fuji Acros 100 in AGFA Rodinal. Red #25 filter,

This image is from one of my very first rolls taken with the Zero Image, back when I first obtained it in about 2016. I was still experimenting with compositions and getting a feel for the perspective that could be had with this particular pinhole camera. Looking back on it, I really appreciated how the sun rays moved over the circular pinhole aperture, as opposed to how it normally does on a normal lens aperture with straight edges.This image has a very stark, lonely feel to it, one that I really didn't experience when I was actually exposing the film. In fact, this frame was really just an after thought. I had been shooting a barn when I turned around 180 degrees and saw this scene.

Kodak Ektachrome E100

I don't normally shoot slide film, but it was in stock at a small camera store in Victoria BC last summer when we were making our way up Vancouver Island. On a whim, I decided to pick up a roll and see how it turned out.

Our days up there were a mixture of bright sun and cloudy skies. The film held up pretty well to both, although I wonder how a circular polarizer might have helped me in some cases. I haven't had especially good results with CPF's and slide film in the past, but that was Velvia and things got oversaturated in that case. Also, whites blow out fairly quickly in direct sunlight, so it's important to keep that in mind when shooting it. Still, the colors were consistently good no matter how good the lighting was. I was especially pleased with the colors I got when we were on the verge of rain.

Even though this was under cloudy skies, the greens held up quite nicely. I do have to wonder what a good CPL would have done with this image, though.

I love the foliage colors this slide film reproduces.

Shooting slide film for me has been something of a luxury in the past since there is a relatively higher cost associated with its purchase and processing. These greens are absolutely lush, though, so I might break it out again if I ever decide to do a project involving foliage and some macrophotography.

Bright whites blew out quite quickly in direct sunlight.

Another image where a CPL might have helped redirect some reflective glare.