Much is said about communication in Social Media circles, specifically in the context of audience. When I use old film gear, like I did for this image of Rebecca below, I feel in a way that I am also communicating with photographers who have gone before me; holding an old film camera, I feel a connection to the history of photography that I just don’t feel with a digital camera, almost a ghost in the machine kind of thing.
Canon 7 Rangefinder camera, 50mm/f2 Summitar len, Ilford Pan F film)
Another image from my recent shoot with Jennifer at U of T. It was around 7 pm, so the sun was lower in the horizon. The sunlight was coming at an angle through trees, which made for some great lighting!
(Nikon F2, 85mm/1.8 lens, shot on Kodak Tri-X at box speed developed in Xtol 1+1 for 9 minutes)
I had a great time yesterday shooting with Rebecca again; I used a variety of cameras, including my Nikon D7100 and LensBaby Spark lens. The Spark is an interesting lens: it is a doublet (only two elements), and you focus by squeezing it like an accordion for a focus point, surrounded by blur; it can be a trick to control, but it is fun to use!
Last week I made the following statement on Twitter:
“The human face is the landscape of life, and is infinitely more incredible than any geography on Earth”
I think this image I took of model Jennifer Santos Bettencourt last evening serves as a good illustration of what I was saying. What sets Jennifer apart from so many other models is the depth and subtle intensity of the facial expressions she creates. truly a landscape of life.
(Rolleicord IIIa Twin lens Reflex, 75mm/f3.5 Xenar lens, Tri-X developed in Xtol 1:1 for minutes)
With the ubiquity of cell phones, we are seeing fewer and fewer pay phones; they are increasingly seen as obsolete, and the ones that are still around tend to be in pretty rough shape. These two outside the Bathurst subway station seem different; they are both in decent condition, and seem determined to maintain dignity and a sense of purpose. In a sense, they remind me of an old married couple: not flashy, but dedicated and devoted.
(Canon 7 35mm rangefinder, 50mm/f2 Jupiter 8 lens,
Fomapan 100 film,
developed in Tmax developer for 9 minute)
This past weekend I had a shoot on Saturday at Sunnyside Pavilion in Toronto. While waiting for the couple to arrive (and more on them in a future post), I did some shooting of my own. This location has become a bit of a wedding photography factory, so I mainly skulked around the edges and did detail images.
(Canon 7 Rangefinder camera, circa 1961, Soviet Jupiter 8 50mm/f2 lens,
Fomapan 100 film developed in Tmax developer 1:9 for 9 minutes)
As I’ve said before, I am not a film-only purist, and there are times when digital technology s what is needed to get the shot. Last night was one of those occasions. I was shooting Angela Saini at the Free Times Cafe here in Toronto. A great location to hear great music, but the stage is very dimly lit. I had to crank up the ISO on my Nikon D7100 to 6400, just to get a decent shot in available light. 6400 is a speed that takes drastic chemical steps to achieve in a film camera, and I wold likely have ended up with golf-ball sized grain. I like this look better.
Here is another image from Lethbridge: the large trestle bridge in the background, the humble pedestrian bridge in the foreground. I found the juxtaposition interesting.
(Mamiya 645 Pro TL, 80mm/2.8 lens, shot on Tri-X @ E.I. 1000 developed in Diafine 3+3)
This week I am on a business trip in Lethbridge, Alberta. It’s a busy week, but I did have a little bit of time for some photography (digital and film) last evening, so I headed down to a park underneath the Lethbridge Viaduct railway bridge, on of the iconic sites in the city. As an icon, it has been extensively photographed, so I tried to avoid the iconic compositions 🙂
Over the last few years I’ve noticed more and more “human statues” at Yonge and Dundas in downtown Toronto. I’d say this is a pretty tough way to make a living: it requires a lot of concentration, and I am sure some passersby will do their best to break their pose.
(Nikon F2, 105mm/f2.5, Tri-X developed in Xtol 1:1)
My Third Eye 