I’e talked about using filters for different light, but today I’m talking about different eyes. Not the eye of the photographer, but the eyes of the small child in this image. Imagine how large and magical this location would look to her!
(Pentax Spotmatic SP, 135mm/f3.5 Pentax Super Takumar lens, Ilford HP5+ film, developed in Tmax developer)
Sometimes when I look at statues, I wonder what they might be looking at. 🙂
(Pentax Spotmatic SP, 135mm/f3.5 Pentax Super Takumar lens, Ilford HP5+ film developed in TMax developer)
Yesterday afternoon I was at High Park in Toronto, shooting Rollei 80s film. This film has a very high red sensitivity, and to enhance this sensitivity I shot through a red 25A filter. To my eyes it seems the landscape became transformed, almost magical or alien.
(Pentax K1000 35mm SLR, 28mm/f2.8 SMC Pentax lens, 25A Red filter.Â
Rollei 80s film developed in Rodinal 1+50 for 14 minutes @ 20 degrees C)
Yesterday I had a great shoot in Guild Wood Park with frequent creative partner Arnika Autumnstone. This shoot was the first time I used Rollei 80s film for female portraiture, and I am hooked on the results — Â I just love the skin tones I get with this film! It will be my go to film for this kind of shot from now on!
(Pentax Spotmatic SP, 135mm/3.5 Super Takumar lens)
Yesterday morning was quite gloomy from a lighting perspective in Toronto, so I had to adjust my shooting plans accordingly. Â I decided to have another go with a roll of Adox CMS 20 film. This film is basically a super high contrast micro-film, which can provide conventional tonality when developed with specific developers, and/or specific development techniques that can tame the contrast. I developed this roll using Diafine two-bath developer, 3 minutes in each solution. One challenge is the fact that the dull light that made the contrast tameable also made for challenging exposures: this film is very low speed, and I was shooting at E.I. 20, which meant shooting with the lens wide open-much of the time.
(Nikon F3 35mm SLR, 28mm/2.8 Nikkor Wide-Angle lens)
I have a few “Wallflowers” in my camera collection: cameras that I just never seem to get around to using. The camera I used this morning shooting in a Park in Toronto near Yonge/St. Clair is one example: one of three Pentax Spotmatic 35mm SLR’s I got for next to nothing sometime ago. The bodies were cheap because the meters didn’t work, but everything else certainly does — the Spotmatic has a lovely solid feel, and the shutter sounds like it will last forever. It is easy to see why the Spotmatic is considered a classic.
(Pentax Spotmatic SP, 55/1.8 Pentax Tukamar lens, Ilford Delta 400 film at EI 200,
developed in Microdol-X 1:1, 14.5 minutes @ 20 C)
This past Saturday I was with my Photographic friends Mike and Donna, shooting infrared film In Kleinburg, Ontario. I was shooting Efke 820 Aura infrared film, but the it turned out the filter (an IR 920) was blocking the wrong light, and when I developed the film that evening, I was horrified to see basically a blank roll :-(. All I have from Saturday is mosquito bites.
Not wanting to admit defeat, I went out on Sunday with a different filter (this time an IR 72) and a different infrared film to Guild Park in Scarborough, and had somewhat better luck 🙂
(Nikon F3, 28mm/2.8 Nikkor lens, Rollei Retro 80s film, IR72 filter, 1 second exposure @ f16,
developed in HC-110 Dilution H for 10 minutes @ 20 C)
Today, one more image of Jennifer from what I am calling the Jennifer Gears project 🙂 Today’s image is one of the black and white film images I created. In addition of course to  Ashley ‘s amazing technical work, I think it is really important to highlight Jennifer’s contribution today: her intensity and expression were as critical as any other success factor for the shoot! There is always depth and complexity in her expressions, and that makes her a rewarding model to work with.
I think special mention should be made of how patient she was during the multi-hour make-up/FX application, as well as removal afterwards!
Model: Jennifer Bettencourt
Special FX/Make-up Artist Ashley Vieira
(Nikon F3 35mm SLR, 85mm/1.8 Nikkor lens, Eastman Double-X film,
developed in HC-110 dilution B for 6.5 minutes @ 20 degrees C)
Here is another image from the belly dancing in Kensington Market recently. This image is of a dancer Audra of the Dark Side Studio) waiting in wings for her groups turn to perform. I was struck by how the various groups enjoyed each others performances, in a supportive atmosphere.
(Canon 7 35mm Rangefinder, Leica 90mm/f4 Elmar lens, Tri-X developed in Microdol-X)
I’ve mentioned on more that one occasion how I like working with actors, musicians and other performers, as well as models who understand that it’s not just about “looking pretty”. Young model Julia MacKenzie (who has also had some acting experience) gets it. During a sequence a photos we came up with a story/scenario, and Julia was immediately able to immerse herself in it. More than just looking pretty.
(Nikon F, 85mm/f1.8 Nkkor lens, Ilford Delta 400 developed in Microdol-X 1:1,
negative scanned and post-processed with Nik Efex)
My Third Eye 