Category: Medium Format

Creating a Story

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I’ve said on more than one occasion that actors, musicians and other artists are a lot of fun to shoot: they bring their creativity and imagination and together we create stories. This past weekend I had the pleasure of working with singer Nicole Faye, and one of the looks we created was a vintage portrait where Nicole was able to project the style and mood required to make that kind of portrait work.

Nicole Film012

(Mamiya 645 Pro TL camera, 80mm f2.8 lens, Kodak TMax 100 film developed in Xtol 1:1, negative scan and post-processed with Nik software)

By the Window

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This image is from a log cabin in Troy Historic Village in Troy, Michigan. I had a great shoot with amazing model/actress Nicole Guibord. Even with a fire going in the fireplace, and a space heater, it was a chilly room, but the natural light from the windows was amazing. The only issue was that it got a bit smoky towards the end, so I had to boost the contrast in post. For this image, I used my “Baby” Speed Graphic, with a roll film adapter, on a tripod.

Nicole by the Window

Snow

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On a cold January 1st, we went and spent time at the Toronto Zoo. I took along my Speed Graphic 2×3, and guessed at exposure, using the Sunny 16 approach. The Polar bears didn’t seem to be minding the cold.

Polar Bear enjoying a brisk January 1 at Toronto Zoo

Speed Graphic

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Good morning and Happy New Year!

I took this image yesterday close to home. I was shooting with a Miniature Speed Graphic, a vintage press camera (with a 6×7 roll film holder from a Mamiya RB67). This is an intriguing camera. Utterly manual, so easy to make mistakes, and yet photo journalists of the past were expected to “get the shot” with this kind of gear. My respect for photographers of the past continues to rise.

The Snow's Edge

Wardrobe and Personality.

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I know I must drive some models crazy when they ask me about what to wear for a shoot. Unless I am planning a very specific concept, my suggestions tend be very vague. This is due in part to my abysmal fashion sense, but mainly with how I approach most shoots; I hope they pick clothes that bring out their personality and character, and model Hilary certainly did on a recent shoot. Her costume to me radiated a cheerful, whimsical playfulness, and that certainly came out in her poses and expressions.

Smiling

 

(Mamiya 645 Pro TL, 80mm/2.8 lens, Ilford Delta 400 exposed at E.I. 800, developed in HC-110, DIlution B for 10 minutes.)

Showing the Tradition

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Adriana is a former co-worker of mine, and she was my guest yesterday for a portrait session and a demonstration of how film is developed and prints made. In addition to some Polaroid images, I shot a roll of Kodak T-Max 100 (my first experience with this film) on my Mamiya 645 Pro TL, and I am quite happy with the results! I was also quite happy to have another chance to show someone how film photography works, from how film is loaded onto a reel, through to the magic of a print appearing in a tray of developer.

It never gets old! 🙂

Adriana

Beauty and the Beast, Part II

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Today’s image in an instant print (of Model Justine from the recent High Park shoot) shot with a recent acquisition — a Mamiya Universal Press Camera. This is another big beast of a camera, and I got it mainly because it came with a Polaroid instant film back, which will give more flexibility for shooting instant images. I also have 6×9 and 6×7 (soon) roll film backs, so it will be quite flexible. It is not the easiest, or most ergonomic camera to use, but once I get used to it, I will be using it frequently!

 

Justine In Colour 1

What I Saw

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Today’s image is from a few days ago. I was in High Park, waiting for a model to arrive. It felt like one of the last warm days of the fall, and there was a glow to the air that the camera for some reason did not pick up fully. A bit of post work, and I added back what I saw/felt, but the camera didn’t.

High Park, Late Autumn

(Mamiya 645 Pro TLR, 80mm f2.8 lens, Ilford Delta 400 film at box speed developed in HC-110 dilution B for 7.5 minutes,
post work using Nik Efex software)