A Long and Winding Road

It took a few steps to arrive at the image below (again featuring the lovely Jenna). The original was shot on Fuji Reala ISO 100 colour negative film, using my Rolleicord III twin-lens reflex camera. I had to shoot pretty wide open, and with my eyesight I find this beast a trick to focus at the best of times. her face was not tack sharp, but I liked the image so much I was not prepared to give up. I converted it into black and white, added the antique look and I felt instantly transported back a century.

Channeling a Century ago

Mother’s Day

Today’s image was created with a first generation Polaroid SX-70 camera, and Impossible Project Color Protection instant film. In terms of a concept, the image started off as a technical exercise, but then the symbolism of dying flowers a week after Mother’s Day came to mind, and I thought of my own mother, who passed away around Mother’s Day a few years ago.

A Week After Mother's Day

The Story

I don’t normally publish twice a day, but I really wanted to share this image. What a powerful, haunted face I saw on the subway on the way home this afternoon.

Fascinating Face!

Lensbaby

I think today’s image (another one of Jenna in High Park) is the first I’ve posted that was created using a Lensbaby Spark lens. I guess one could call this a piece of neo-primitive technology: the lens has only 2 elements, one fixed aperture, and to focus one pulls the front of the lens back with your fingers, like a built in bellows. What is fun is that by changing the angle of the bellows you can put the focus point anywhere you like.

Jenna in High Park using Lens Baby

A Great Combo

I am seriously liking the combination of the 105mm/f2.5 Nikkor portrait lens, and Polypan F film (developed in Tmax developer 1:9 for 8.5 minutes at 20 degrees). It seems made for subjects such as the lovely Jenna (taken yesterday in High Park in Toronto)

Jenna in High Park, Toronto

Project 6-3-1 Update

Today’s image is from my 6-3-1 project. I had a shoot yesterday with rapper/Hip Hop artist Saint Vybz.He’s busy recording an album, which is being produced by my friend Stevie Z. I used my Mamiya Universal Press camera, 127mm f4.7 lens with red 25A filter, on Fuji FP3000B instant film. This is a scan of the negative.  I thought the grit suited the mood we were going for.

Hip Hop Negative Scan

HP5+ Comes Through in Medium Format!

Today’s photo is an image of my elder daughter Julia, beside a window in our house that seems to guarantee great light all the time :-). I had a roll of Ilford HP5+ kicking around so I loaded it into my Baby Speed Graphic, using a 6×7 120 roll film adapter from a Mamiya RB67 which just happens to fit 🙂 I’ve never had great luck with that film in 35mm (always too grainy), but in 120 I’m blown away!

My Daughter Julia

Old Building

I’ve been meaning to take some images of this old building in Toronto for some time, so when I was out with my Baby Speed Graphic last weekend I made a stop. I just love the Kodak Ektar lens on this camera!

Boarded up Building

 

(Baby Speed Graphic with 120 roll film holder, 101mm Kodak Ektar lens, Tri-X developed in Xtol 1:1 for 9 minutes)

Graphic Imagery

Today’s image was taken about a week ago; I was at Downsview subway station, waiting to meet someone from whom I was buying some film (and got a great deal on 20 rolls of some medium format Fuji colour negative film!). With me I had my “Baby” Speed Graphic (originally designed to shoot 2 1/4″  x 3 1/4″ sheet film, I was shooting 6 x 7 cm images on 120 roll film, via a film holder from an Mamiya RB 67). It has a 101mm Kodak Ektar lens, which I just love!

Downsview Station, Bus Level

Interaction

Another shot from my extended photo walk last Saturday. The man was selling something (some kind of spirituality perhaps), and actually had gotten someone to stop and listen.

Trying to Convince

 

(Nikon F, 105mm f2.5 lens, Tri-X developed in Xtol 1:1)