Favorites and Issues

These two images are my favorite of this roll. However, Viewing them on two different monitors means two very different levels of contrast. The following two images highlight the issues I'm still having with the back. I've gotten a replacement, but this roll, and the next two, will still have the light leak issue. Hopefully the new back solves this.

Ansel Adams

When I first started shooting, I saw some of Ansel Adams shots and said yea good shot but so what? It wasn't until I began learning about the wonders of the darkroom, and read his books describing how to shoot, develop, and print, that I learned to appreciate the work he had done. I bring this up because I've developed the first of three rolls of film from last weekend (I know its Friday, I'm behind schedule ok?) and found that many of my images lacked contrast. This is easy to fix on the computer of course, but its also easy to fix in the darkroom. However, part of the magic that was Ansel Adams, is he fixed these things one step earlier in development. Rather than adjust while printing, he printed on one level of contrast paper, and adjusted the negative during processing to get the results he wanted.

The man was a master.

Sometimes Digital Just Wins

For instance, take today. I've begun working for the school newspaper and today went out to take photos for three assignments at 5 locations. Indoors, outdoors, outdoors, outdoors, and indoors. One camera, 4 lenses, 0 rolls of film. White balance, ISO, adjusted for each place and edited once I returned home. Definitely gives digital an advantage. But I'm not that good at shooting sports indoors (yet, hopefully) so today when I shot the Gonzaga Tennis team indoors, I may have gone overboard. I shot 680 images in an hour (averaging over 10 a minute). Do you see the advantage yet? Also, with my camera set to take the second to largest file size, I can shoot 8 frames a second almost indefinitely (hence, 680 images).

So, in conclusion, please enjoy some of the photos I took while camping last Fall on film!

Waistlevel Finders

Today I got out again and did some more photography. This was good as it gives me something to do during the week, mainly develop and scan some film, and also I'm excited to stick with my goal of a few rolls a week to scan. However, today was the first time I ever struggled with the Waist Level finder. For those of you who don't know what that means, see the picture. You are looking directly down into the camera, and seeing a mirror image of what you're looking at. The issue comes in trying to use it on a hillside that is steep, or use it when you're raising your tripod as high as you can to get an angle, and that means you have to get up even higher to see. So I'm sharing with you what I see as I'm out shooting with my medium format camera.

Also, I spent a decent amount of the day today near my computer so I scanned all of the images I took while I didn't have a scanner. Those will be put up bit by bit in between the other scheduled images.

Coeur D'Alene, Panoramas

Last roll developed, just in time for the weekend. Hopefully I get out again and do some more shooting.

Coeur D'Alene, Day 2, Part 3, My Favorites (From the roll)

I really liked the reflection in the lake, but I wanted to give it a bit more context, and this one presented it the best (in my opinion). As for the leaves, I don't understand why I like it so much.

Coeur D'Alene, Day 2, Part 2

When I scanned the first and image of this series, I was a little peeved because I assumed I had screwed up the development. It was upside down (I wasn't sure) and there wasn't enough definition in either the top or the bottom to indicate what was really going on. After the second image was scanned (the next one to be scanned) I realized it was the rocks under the water causing the darkness. I liked the reflection, but the first of the two images was too reflective, but the second, with the rocks showing on the bottom captured what I was seeing.

Coeur D'Alene, Day 2, Part 1

I couldn't get the shot how I pictured it, and thats apparent by the results.

Let it Begin

I developed the first roll of film from my weekend excursion. All of them images are of the shoreline of Lake Coeur D'Alene in Coeur D'Alene Idaho. I had taped the edges of my film back to try and prevent light leaks, but as you can see there was at least two images that were still affected. But such is life! I will try and get the other two rolls completed soon.

Chemicals Chemistry and.. uh Chemicals..?

My chemicals and film arrived! I intend to mix them up tonight, and then develop the three rolls I shot this weekend. I've also learned of an alternative process that has yielded amazing results to at least one person using it, while shooting with black and white film that is normally processed in a lab (C-41). its called Cafenol and consists of coffee, vitamin C, and water. I hope to try this out as well if I can find out more specifics on the process.

Almost....

My boss did not deny my request to take pictures of the data center where I occasionally work. If he knew I was showing the mess that is our data center online, he probably would've been less accepting of my request. These were shot with my Hasselblad, which might have some issues, so thats why some images look... horrible.