While at the Toronto Beaches last weekend, another photographer friend and I can across a saxophone player, playing on the rocks at the waters edge. He wasn’t busking , just playing, in a perfect location for music.
Olympus Pen F 35mm half frame SLR with 100m/3.5 Zuiko lens
Svema Foto 100 film developed in Xtol 1+1 for 9 minutes, 2o seconds @ 20 C
Last Wednesday at lunch on a very warm, humid day I got together with my good friend Adriana for a portrait shoot in Centennial Park in Mississauga. I used two very different cameras: first, my Olympus Pen F, which until I had primarily used for male portraits. With a 100mm/3.5 Zuiko lens mounted, I think this camera works for female portraits as well.
Next, a portrait with my Petzval lens from the 1860’s using my 4×5 Speed Graphic. While normally I shoot close in with this lens, I decided to try moving back, and I like what the old lens did to the background. There is a a dimensionality to the Petzval lens optical formula that I don’t think digital filters can copy; it’s like being in a dream 🙂
Here is another portrait (of my good friend and fellow film photographer Ori) using my Olympus Pen F 35mm half-frame SLR and 38mm/1.8 Zuiko lens. The film was Ilford FP4+.
Again I am very happy with the slightly gritty look here, as I feel it suits male portraiture.
A couple of days ago on a visit to Guelph to see my good friends Katherine and Rob, I took some portraits of Rob with my Olympus Pen F half-frame camera, shooting on Ilford FP4+. I really like the look of the half-frame negative and medium speed film for portraits of men in the prime of life; the texture of the grain in this film, or Eastman Double-X suit the subject matter.
Another image from my Olympus F 35mm half frame and my trip to Harbourfront in Toronto this past weekend. I’ve always found these bike locks interesting, especially if one is a bit bent, like me 🙂
Olympus Pen F, 38mm/1.8 Olympus Zeiko lens
Rollei Retro 80s film developed in Rodinal 1+1 14 minutes @ 20 C
I was out with two good friends Bryon and Ken on Saturday evening, and with me I had my Olympus Pen F 35mm half frame SLR (dating from the early 1960’s) with a 38mm/1.8 Olympus Zuiko lens. The film I was shooting was Eastman Double-X, which is actually meant for 35mm movie camera use. It is not particularly fine grained film, and the smaller half frame negative magnifies this, but I like the gritty documentary look, especially for my friends who have both had interesting lives, with a lot of interesting stories to tell.
It has been a while, but I decided to get out my Olympus Pen F 35mm half-frame SLR last week. Since my recent back injury, I have to be careful about carrying heavy gear for extended periods, so going out with one lens and one compact camera is a joy. :-). Using a fine grain film such as Rollei Retro 80s means I am not sacrificing much by using a smaller format negative.
Toronto Police Marine Unit Facility
On the Trail in Taylor Creek Park
Today I went back to the snowy graveyard where I had a shoot late Thursday afternoon. I love the curved iron gate in front of this mausoleum, and the pipes that lead to the arched doorway. I just love lines!
Olympus Pen F 35mm half frame SLR, 17mm/f3.5 Tamron lens (Nikon mount, using an adapter)
Film is Eastman Double-X, developed in HC-110 dilution B for 6.5 minutes
. . . slightly bent 🙂
Olympus Pen F 35mm half-frame SLR, Nikkor 55mm/3.5 macro lens (with adapter)
Rollei 80s film, developed in Rodinal 1:50 for 16 minutes
One of my current favourite film cameras continues to be my early 1960’s era Olympus Pen F 35mm half frame single lens reflex. The only thing I don’t like about it is that I only have one lens for it, and additional lenses are collectable (read, not cheap). So I was thrilled last week when an adapter arrived from China that will allow me to use Nikon and Canon glass on this camera. (It’s really two adapters in one: a Canon EF to Olympus Pen adapter, and a Nikkor to Canon EF adapter). Yesterday before meeting up with a friend I went out in highly variable weather with a Nikkor 105mm/f.25 lens attached. While I got some vignetting in the viewfinder it didn’t seem to affect the final images :-).
The white dots are snowflakes.
Olympus Pen F, Nikkor 105mm/f2.5 lens
Rollei 80s developed in Rodinal 1:50 for 16 minutes
