This summer I’ve shot a lot of flower images, more (probably) than any previous year. I’m aiming for portrait images, but not macro-photo views. Capturing colors with good fidelity has been a challenge, especially for the “Pink Flirt” daylilies. They have colors that are not replicated well byContinue Reading
After trying macro lenses for the last five years, I decided it was time to try extension tubes. Typically, one uses extension tubes for higher magnification than is possible with a dedicated macro lens. However, at present, I’m more interested in experimentation with decreased minimum focus distance for regularContinue Reading
Last summer, I shot a roll in my Semi IIIa while strolling through Midtown. On developing the film, I discovered that the focus was off, and the film advance/double exposure mechanism was faulty. As a result, every frame was blurry, and there were many double exposures. After goingContinue Reading
Last winter, I shot six or seven rolls of film — color and black and white. I was pleased with the results—the B&W showed a pleasing, but not overwhelming, amount of grain, even at 400 ISO. The color was the same. Then, in March and April, I began testingContinue Reading
Like everyone else, I was thrilled to learn of Harman’s new color film. I bought two rolls last year, but I did not get to them until a few weeks ago. Going in, I had no particular expectations for this film being a great emulsion. Many reviews cited itsContinue Reading
At one point, I stopped using Tri-X because it curled so badly. Then, I figured out how to stop the curling, which I wrote about in October 2023. Last year, when Kodak lowered the price, I decided to stock up on Tri-X because at $7.99 for 24 frames, itContinue Reading
Description: Gardenia in low sunlight Background: Using exposure compensation was one of the trickiest things for me to apply properly with film because of the lag between shooting and viewing the result. Accounting for backlighting was easy, and backlit frames usually turned out as hoped. But flowers proved to beContinue Reading
Last week, after months of hoping and searching, I finally landed a Minolta Super Rokkor 50mm 1.8 LTM lens. This lens is rare (only about 3000 were made) and highly regarded for its image quality. The camera it was designed for, the Minolta-35 IIB, was sold for onlyContinue Reading
Description: A Church in Late Afternoon Light Background: Out for an autumn stroll with my wife, we came across this church just as the sun was going down behind the trees. The traffic on the street had been relatively heavy, but for a moment, it let up, and a quietContinue Reading
I find myself in the odd position of deciding when/if I will replace a camera’s light seals. The question seems simple— and it is, if you have only a few cameras. However, the VMLP has made the issue of when/if to replace light seals one for debate. I haveContinue Reading
