Here is another “Less Is More” image from the Beaches this past weekend. I like the metal texture.
Rolleicord Va, 75mm/3.5 Xenar lens
Tri-X developed in HC-110 Dilution B for 7.5 minutes
I spend a lot of time on the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission for those outside of Toronto). On average about twelve to fourteen hours a week. I actually prefer it to driving: I can read, close my eyes, listen to music. And, I can practice street-style photography, using my Smart Phone. So I am starting a new project called the Daily Commute Shoot: one photo taken and posted every workday during my commute either to or from work, , taken with my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone. You can see the results here. The image below is an outtake from yesterday. (I am three days into the project at this point).
It has been said by many performers that children are the toughest audience you can have: it is hard to get their attention and even harder to keep it. Last night Janice and I attended the 2014 Toronto edition of Dusk Dances, an outdoor dance festival. Many children were in attendance, and one particular performance (involving synchronized swimming in inflatable wading pools!) really grabbed and kept their attention, as shown in their faces below.
Nikon D7100, 18-200mm Nikkor lens
Post work in Lightroom and Nik Silver Efex Pro 2
When it comes to shooting from the hip, it’ hard to beat a twin lens reflex (TLR) camera. I was out yesterday on Queen Street in Toronto with my Rolleicord Va and for this shot I had already estimated the distance and used a small aperture of f11 to get good depth of field. The remained hanging down at my waist while I quickly took the image.
Rolleicord Va, Xenar 80mm/3.5 lens
Tri-X, developed in Xtol 1+1 for 9 minutes @ 20 C
Negative scanned and toning added in post with Nik SilverEfex Pro
Today’s image was created in Niagara On the Lake recently. I used my baby Speed Graphic, with a 120 roll film holder that creates 6cm by 9cm negatives. The combination of the large negative, the classic Kodak Ektar lens, the Kodak Tmax film and Rodinal developer is hard to beat. There was no post processing of the negative scan at all: no sharpening or anything else, and I love the look!
Alice Degan is a friend of mine who also happens to be an author of urban fantasy fiction. What I like is that her fiction is set in Toronto’s Kensington Market (one of my favourite places to shoot) so when she needed some photographs it was the natural choice of locations. As we moved from spot to spot it was fascinating to hear how they related to the stories. A fascinating shoot which gave me added insight into her great stories. Highly recommended!
Nikon D7100, 18-200mm Nikkor lens
Post processing with Lightroom and Nik Color Efex 4