I very much enjoy processing my own BW flim, especially when it is my ultimate favourite, Fuji Neopan.  Although when I first started I was developing 1-2 rolls/week, however lately I’ve dropped to closer to 1 roll/month.  This gets dangerous as you get out of practice and start making little mistakes.  I’ve been very fortunate to have never had a major screw-up, all my rolls have always worked out, even the first one.  This has always worried me as I was sure this streak could not last.

Then about a month ago I went to a friends wedding.  I was NOT told that they needed a photographer, and so for fun I thought I would try something new (and this is where it all started to go wrong). I bought some Ilford Delta 3200, put it in my Bessa R, and headed off to the wedding.  Got there and it seemed like everyone had a camera and was snapping away.  I took a few shots, not really sure if the meter was reading accurately in the very dark restaurant.  I got home and decided to process the film.  I really didn’t have enough time to do it properly, and so I rushed.  Took me 3 tries to get it on the reels, didn’t quite seal the door correctly, etc. etc.  When I checked the film, most of the shots were underexposed and the light leakage from the door had wrecked about half the film.  I wasn’t too choked until the bride called me up in a panic because all of the other pictures people had taken were terrible, and no one had got a good one of her and her husband, THE WHOLE NIGHT! After much work scanning and in photoshop, I managed to save one photo, it was the shot of them cutting the cake.  I didn’t think it was all that great as it had tons of grain, but they were thrilled.

Fast forward a month and I am developing a roll of 120 Neopan 400. Things were going smoothly but I couldn’t help but notice the developer was awfully dark. Then each time the chemicals came out of the tank, the colours seemed off.  When I pulled the film out at the end of the developing, I was staring at a completely blank film. My developer had expired.

Two in a row was a bit much for me to handle, and I had a roll from a recent trip to Norway which I absolutely could not screw up!  Bought some new developer (Ilford Microphen DD-X), and set to work.  Was I ever relieved when it worked out perfectly, well except that I used enough chemicals for 120 when it was a roll of 35mm, but I am definitely back on the horse….  The lesson to be learned here is take your time, and take A LOT MORE PICTURES!!!!!

It’s been a long while since the last time I posted an entry here. I hate saying this every time I post something here, but it seems to be the fact. Summer went by a lot faster than I could imagine. I finally enter into the second year of my graduate study. Love the digital marketing even more than ever. Life’s been nothing more than intern and school. I am also in the process of trandforming my blog works into one platform (hope I’ll be able to integrate into one site). There’s so much I wanna do but too little time as always.

ciao!

Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market on weekends.

什麼都有賣, 什麼都不奇怪。

[FYI]
FM2+ Fuji Neopan ACROS100 B&W。

黑白的色調更加了一種閒適的美好。

For more of my photographs, please visit my Flickr site.

Starting this blog with portraits of people i know, like this cute little boy named Renzo from our church, caught him like this, good thing i had my camera ready and took that picture.

and this little kid, found relief with a glass of Gulaman from the intense heat. I just couldnt resist it, I was driving at that time, and saw this kid, good thing my camera was ready to shoot.

Dad, while at the restaurant, pointing his fingers on a food item in the menu.

and my beautiful Mom, posing.

Mom and Sis, at the beach, though the highlights were blown

One night, i was on my way home, took a picture of a peanut vendor. He was sitting with his wooden cart, hoping someone would buy. Of course, i bought one after i took the shot.

and two boys from our recent Bataan trip. They were out swimming in the middle of the day, I hope their skins can take all that heat from the sun.

Im done with portraits, moving on, this is a commuter, waiting for his bus home, i was waiting for mine too, i was bored and decided to take his picture, nothing special with this one.

I was at Ortigas, waiting for my girlfriend, and saw this father and son playing at the sidewalk, they were dancing along with a music that was playing loudly nearby, it was more of like a Cha-Cha to me.

I was riding the bus, and we stopped at the bus stop somewhere along Edsa, saw this kid and he was just so bored, and i wonder what he was thinking at that time.

A beggar along the access stairs of the MRT. I hope the next President will do something about these people.

These were taken inside the mall, when I brought my films at Fujifilm and have it developed and scanned, walked around a bit while i was waiting.

This guy must have been too tired to go home and just slept inside the food court. Maybe he was just resting and will go home after.

Waiting for someone?

The future dance interpreter. Seriously, the little girl was listening to a CD, with her headset on and just interpreting what she was listening to. I was too late, and she saw me when i brought out the cam, she quickly sat.

Up Dharma Down at Trinoma

 It was a Sunday afternoon, we went to my favorite chinese food restaurant, and while waiting, i just took a pic of a cook. Nothing special really.

A view from our room at Matabungkay, Batangas,  an early morning beach scene.

and a Bell, from the Japanese-Filipino Friendship Tower at Bagac, Bataan.

I took out the Minolta Hi-Matic 7s for a test spin, turned out to be a good cam. Nice and sharp when focused properly. I dont know about you, but I still find it hard to focus with a rangefinder. Still need practice.

My favorite photo from this set.

Saw this jeepney when I was out running an errand. Apparently, the kid, the Jeepney driver’s little son, was looking out and seemed to be dreamin of something big, or maybe something totally different from what i think, we will never know.

i call this picture, Dreaming Big.

Some recent shots from a quick weekend trip to London… wish I had more time to walk around and do some street shooting. I’ll have to do that some other time.

“Film Speed” refers to the sensitivity to light of the film. “Fast” film is more sensitive whilst “Slow” film is less sensitive.

Slow films have lower ISO numbers such as 50, 125, 160 are all slow or relatively slow. Fast films have higher ISO numbers such as 3200, 1600, 800.  ISO 400 is considered “everyday”. Read on to know more…

Fast film means that you can keep using faster shutter speeds as the light fades. Thats because its more sensative to light, its fast. It takes less time for it to record the image.

Slow film is the opposite. When the light fades the film will need a slower shutter speed than a fast film in the same light. Simple as that.

A good way to realise this is with a light meter. If you press the button to take a recording and then rather than alter the Aperture/Shutter Speed, alter the ISO and you will see that the Aperture/Shutter Speed change accordingly.

So what’s the point to all this anyway?

You need to consider the “grain” and “quality” of the film.

Slow film is of better quality because there is finer grain (you can’t see the grain). The compromise is slower shutter speeds, i.e. you have to use it in stronger light.

Fast film is of worse quality as the grain is more visible. Its grainy. But you can hold the camera in your hands and photo in low light.

TIP: its all made redundant somewhat if you use a tripod. You can use a slow film (e.g. ISO 125) in total darkness if you like, it doesn’t matter.

You would use a slow film in a studio and when you want top notch images. You would use fast film if you photograph in low light conditions, holding the camera in your hands. Fast film is for variable and unknown light conditions. Slow film is for controlled light conditions and when you have a tripod.

Sometimes I will use a fast film even if the light is strong enough for a slow film, for arty reasons. It can look very cool to have grainy images. Much in the same way you use contrasty film. Contrasty film is cool too.

So, in conclusion, mix and match and think aesthetically as well as practically. What look do you want, what quality and how are you going to use it.

EXAMPLES (120 and 35mm)

SLOW

• Ilford FP4+ 125 (B&W – medium contrast)
• FujiColor Pro 160 S or C (Colour - more contrast than kodak in general, “S” for Skin and “C” for Contrasty)
• Ilford Delta 100 (B&W – low contrast)

FAST

• Fuji Neopan 1600 (mega contrast and grain)
• Kodak Portra 400 (Colour)

Hope this helps,

Dan

Tokihan sitä pitää kesälomalla hieman reissata… Lomakohteita sitten löytyykin montaa sorttia. Tässä lähdettiin hakemaan päivämatkaa ankeuteen ja synkkyyteen, kohteeksi valikoitui Lahti, tuo Suomen Chicago.

junailua..

Onneksi oli mukavan sateinen keli. Saatiin heti alkuunsa tuhlattua se poutainen keli Shellin paarissa kahvin parissa… Siitä kun piti siirtyä autolle ja eteenpäin, niin vettä tuli riittävästi. Tosin sitä tuli vain kuuroluonteisesti eli paljon ja monesti. Ilmeisesti sitä kuitenkin oli välillä poutaakin ja päästiin myös kuvaamaan. Ainakin filmien määrän perusteella.

sataa sataa ropisee...

Kalustona tuolla reissulla oli Mamiyan RZ67 ja Holgan 120 WPC eli se neulanreikäkamera. Onhan tuo RZ hieman isohko noin reissukameraksi, mutta sillä on vaan niin hieno kuvata. Se fiilis ja ne äänet, tosin filmiähän tuo syö aika kivasti, kun rullaan saa sen kymmenen kuvaa… Filmeinä tuolla meni Fujin Acrosia, Rollein Retroa ja R3:sta, sekä Ilfordin PanF plussaa. Niin ja Holgassa oli perinteisesti Shanghaita.

Este

Poikettiin sitten vierailulla paikallisessa kameraliikkeessä ihmettelemässä uutta ja vanhaa kamaa. Paljon kivaa studiorompetta ja muuta. Tulihan sieltä tehtyä hankintojakin… jokunen rulla iätettyä Macon ORT25c ortokromaattista reprofilmiä ja pönttö kiinnitettä sopuisaan hintaan.

Viljasiilot ORT25c filmille kuvattuna

Reissun kuvagalleria : mikon.1g.fi/kuvat/2009/lahti

Niin joo… näin lopuksi haluaisin kiittää kuvausryhmää eli Otto, Timo ja Jukka, Volgan omistajaa, kamerakauppaa ja ravintola Lokkia…

Dziękować Adze, że zapoznała mnie z tym anielskim wynalazkiem prosto z południowej ameryki. Yerba daje mi takiego kopa, że nie muszę pić więcej kawy, sam namówiłem już 4-5 osób na picie yerbuchy (wliczająć w to moją mamę ). Jako, że skaner zrobił focha, i nie bedzie skanował mały format, wrzucę kilka fot ze średniego.
[ Pentacon Six / Neopan 400 / Rodinal 1+50 ]

Turned on the tap, stuck my fingers in the water… that’s not 20ºC closer to 25ºC… hmm… let the tap run for a while… getting cooler… 23ºC. <brief moment of confusion> am i suppose wait until winter before developing again? This can’t be right!

Wanted to develop two rolls of Acros today, but the tap water is just too warm for what i usually do, and my Super Prodol was even warmer than the tap water. Seeing as the development time for Acros in Super Prodol is 4m15s @ 20ºC, it’s going to be close to impossible to control at 25ºC. Rodinal has a much longer dev time (~13m @ 20ºC), but i’m going to be guessing at the time.

The only solution (haha <cough>) is a splash of Rodinal (10ml) in a litre of tap water, give it a brief shake, and then let it sit for an hour, aka ’stand development’. Sean has tried it with good results, and Jim used to swear by it…

Guess what? It works like a charm.

My cursory look at the negatives suggests that they are as well developed as my usual efforts, and the details in the shadows might be a little pulled up. Result!

From the weekend while I was at Excel, I processed this image of Poplar DLR station from the RAW file, then in DxO Labs FilmPack v2, and liked the Selenium toning option, in keeping with the style of the image. I chose not to add grain, so as to maintain smooth sky and detail on the platform and tracks.

For more details, go to http://www.dxolabs.com where there’s a free trial download of the software. You may also be interested in checking out http://www.duggal.com for more information on the expert development partner that DxO chose to work with.

As usual, visit http://nickbland.zenfolio.com for a separate LX3 gallery dedicated to DxO Labs FilmPack v2 conversions, where you can see how well it works with LX3 high-res files – enjoy !