Hacking the Process, Part 2

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In a recent post, I showed an example of what could be done with the negative from Fuji’s instant black and white film (FP-3000C), once allowed to dry and then scanned. Today, another example of hacking the process: it is possible to take the negative from Fuji’s colour instant film (FPC-100) and carefully wash the black backing off with bleach, and then wash the developer off with plain water. You are left with a transparent negative that can be scanned as a colour negative (albeit requiring a lot of colour correct in the post work). I love the results, and the messy borders add to the character of the image, in my opinion. I am also struck by the sharpness of this approach, compared to the scan of the original print, which seems soft to me. Expect to see more bleached negatives in the very near future!

My first attempt at bleaching/cleaning a Fuji FP-100c negative

(Classic car in Kensington Market, taken with Polaroid Land Camera model 100)

Making Connections

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I was out with my Polaroid camera today, and on three different occasions I was stopped by a smiling passerby, asking questions about the camera: how old it was, where do I get film, etc. It was like being out walking one’s dog, as a means for initiating conversations with strangers (and as an introvert, I often find this very difficult to do!). I have also gotten the same reaction when out with a Rolleicord Twins Lens Reflex.

If a goal of photography is connecting with people, then these vintage cameras help me fulfill that goal!

Busker
(Street busker shot in Kensington Market 22 July, 2012, Polaroid 100 Land camera, Fuji FP-100C instant colour film)

Old Friends Ken and Bryon

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I posted a Polaroid from this shoot a few days ago, but I think today’s image (shot on a Rolleicord twin lens reflex camera) will be the “official” image for the “Old Friends” series. For me, this image captures the total ease in each other’s company, which is one of the hallmarks of a true friendship.

Old Friends Ken and Bryon

A Camera that Plays Mind Games

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Today’s image in Kensington Market was taken with my Yashica Mat LM 120 format Twin Lens Reflex camera. On one hand it was quite inexpensive, and has an amazing lens. On the other hand, the shutter/film advance mechanism is balky, so that the film advance often sticks until I jiggle the camera or mutter incantations. This is the one camera I have where keeping a headless chicken in the camera bag (to wave in front of the stuck film advance; when all else fails there is always voodoo).

I swear that in a past life this camera was a cat (Will I work? Yes. No. Yes. No. ….)

A Foursquare location?

People and Polaroids

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Instant Photography is all about people. The experience of sharing the print (as a tangible object) so soon after the image was taken adds a unique flavour to a photographic interaction, and this was quite evident of a photo shoot I had last evening with my good friend Jo-Anne.  We shoot a lot of Polaroids, and she enjoyed being able to see them, and I believe she was energized in her posing by seeing how well her poses and looks worked. This image is another negative scan (where the negative peel-away portion of the print is saved, allowed to dry then scanned, and inverted back into a positive). I love the grain and the vintage look I get from these negative scans, and Jo-Anne’s look suited the technique perfectly.

Jo-Anne

Hanging On

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The payphone is an example of a technology that is becoming less and less relevant, as personal cell phones become ubiquitous, and so I believe a picture of a dilapidated payphone was a perfect subject for the camera used to take the picture. I shot this with a Yashica 44LM 127 format twin lens reflex camera. 127 format film (with negatives typically 4 cm x 4 cm) is effectively obsolete and thus rather uncommon these days, and quite expensive, so what I do is roll it from a 100 foot roll of 46mm wide film I bought on eBay.  I am still working on scanning; getting this film to lie flat is a real trick. Nevertheless, it is a fun little camera, and I plan to shoot it as long as I can!

127 Colour

Kensington Market, Toronto

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Kensington Market in Toronto is one of my favourite places in Toronto: colourful, eclectic, but a bit gritty and rough around the edges. It is certainly not a pretentious or snooty part of town! This past Saturday I went down with three cameras, including a Nikon SLR with a 17mm super wide-angle lens, loaded with slide film (Fuji Velvia 100). The slide film was cross processed (developed as a color negative), resulting in interesting colour shifts and high contrast. I was quite happy with how the set turned out.

Kensington Market, Toronto

Artificial Hipster

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I took this picture of a fellow film enthusiast named Joe at the recent Analog’s Pulse event in Cleveland. When I saw this ridiculous ad I knew I had to comment somehow.

Cleveland - Analog Pulse

Film shooters are often derided as self-important hipsters, more concerned with projecting an image, rather than creating images, and ads like this just add to the misconception. For me, film shooters are more like the guy in front of the ad, who quietly does what he loves.

The ad is artificial. The shooter is real!

More Reflections

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I believe I’ve mentioned before that I love reflection shots (mirrors, glass walls on buildings etc.) I saw this mirror ball in Cleveland a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t resist. If you look closely you’ll see me in the reflection, so it does qualify as a self-portrait 🙂

Cleveland Cross-Processed Photo Walk

(Shot on Fuji slide film, cross-processed as a C-41 colour negative)