Monochrome
Ancient Leading Edge
January 29, 2012 - 07:55
Back when America was pursuing the dream of placing a man on the moon, research and development was in full bloom. Engineers and program managers all over the country were continually reaching that next technological milestone. Radio communications, telemetry, life support, and computers were produced, tested, improved, and produced once again. A continuous cycle of learning that had the American public, and the world, on the edge of their seats. Kids everywhere dreamed of being an astronaut someday. Television glorified this space age dream. “Lost In Space”. “Star Trek”. “The Jetsons”? On July 20, 1969, my parents had me and my brother sitting in front of our state of our art twelve inch black and white television to watch Neil Armstrong step on the moon for the very first time.
While wandering around the Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport, I discovered the device that moved more than six million pounds of metal, fuel, and human being from sea level to the edge of outer space. The F-1 rocket engine in clusters of five had just one job, which it did well for about three minutes before falling into the sea. My imagination soared as I looked into the twelve foot bell of this powerful monster, now just a relic of American ingenuity, teamwork, and perseverance.
I long for those days to return. What heroes we were. What shall become of us now?
Photographed with a Nikkormat FTn on Kodak Plus-X film processed in Acufine. The lens was an f/1.4 50mm Auto-Nikkor. I rather enjoy the idea of history photographing history.
Crab Line
January 23, 2012 - 05:23
For such a simple critter, cancer magister, or the ubiquitous Dungeness crab, has quite an intricate body structure. Symmetrical. Articulated. Star of the silver screen as an angry alien or loyal friend to a beautiful mermaid. A perfect piece of biological engineering. They spend their time scurrying across the seabed feeding on drifting shreds of spilled shark kill or decaying fish that drift their way. Along with shrimp, they are kind of like the ‘Roomba’ of the sea.
This company of crustaceans were on parade in a fish vendor’s case at the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. Soon be be a batch of crab cakes or the principle element of crab rangoon, they stand ready for tonight’s seafood buffet.
This company of crustaceans were on parade in a fish vendor’s case at the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. Soon be be a batch of crab cakes or the principle element of crab rangoon, they stand ready for tonight’s seafood buffet.
This group portrait was taken with a Mamiya C330 twin lens reflex camera loaded with Kodak Plus-X shot at par and developed in Acufine for 3 minutes.
Weather Deck
January 16, 2012 - 21:10
The Puget Sound in December can be a quiet and lonely place. It’s grey. It’s dark. It’s wet. But there is a strange romanticism found here. The deck lights reflect in long streaks on the deck plates or the clouds reflect in the random pools of water. I can almost see Humphrey Bogart embracing Lauren Bacall along the railing, perhaps in the fog.
I found this image on the Kingston ferry as I was crossing early on a Saturday morning to collect my son coming home from college ‘back east’ on the Empire Builder. I like the texture in the slats of the bench, the soft grey of the ferry deck and the distant railing running toward a vanishing point at the bow. No lovers strolling to enjoy the maritime scent. No one photographing their friends against the Cascade Mountain range. It’s quite a contrast from the summer tourist months.
Photographed with a Mamiya C330 twin lens reflex camera fitted with a 80mm f/2.8 lens. Shot at f/5.6 at 1/30 second on Kodak Plus-X film. Processed in Acufine for 3 1/4 minutes.
Historical Perspective
October 29, 2011 - 16:21
Seattle is full of visual surprises. Near the Federal Building on Second Avenue stands a stone arch. At first glance, it appears to be just another monument to some famous building. Looking up from the interior side, modern skyscrapers stand juxtaposed behind this ancient arch to help put Seattle’s history into perspective.
Many modern buildings in North America stand on the ruins of once humble settlements that just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Seattle grew from a small gold rush community with rutted mud roads, bad plumbing, and a brothel on every street corner into a major point of entry and transportation hub in little more than a century. The Alaska Gold Rush, the Great Northern Railroad, and Washington’s timber industry propelled Seattle into a thriving metropolis. Later came Boeing, Starbucks, Microsoft, and other international corporations. How long before the next economy builds upon their ruins?
‘Historical Perspective’ was photographed on Arista EDU 400 film and developed in Acufine at par. The camera was a Nikon N80 fitted with a 24-85mm f/4.5 Nikon lens.
Iconic Landmarks
October 24, 2011 - 06:28
Like the Chrysler Building is New York City and the Golden Gate Bridge is San Francisco, the Space Needle is definitely Seattle. While walking around the downtown area, I spotted this image as I was starting across 5th Avenue. Rather than dig out the camera, set up the exposure and the shot, and risk getting run over while standing in the middle of the road, I calmly walked to the other side, set up the camera, waited for the signal to change, and took the shot while I had the traffic signal in my favor. Photography doesn’t have to be risky.
We really see two icons in one. The monorail tracks frame the Space Needle nicely. If the monorail itself came into the shot, it would have been too much. (I know -- I tried) I used a Nikon N80 loaded with Arista EDU 400 film and shot through a Nikkor 24-85mm f/4.5 lens. One of my favorite lenses by the way because it is so versatile. The developer was Acufine.
Great Northern Railway
October 10, 2011 - 15:59
Or it used to be, until this once mighty transportation giant was acquired by the Burlington Northern Railway in the ‘70s. Under James J. Hill, known as the ‘Empire Builder,' it was the principal railroad running from Chicago to Seattle over the Great Plains before passing through the Rocky and Cascade Mountain ranges. GNR just couldn’t compete with Burlington Northern’s intermodal transportation system.
Great Northern Relic
I found this caboose, sporting the Great Northern Railway logo, in Deer Lodge, Montana. It sits on display unlikely to ever ride the rails again. The irony of this image is that the once ubiquitous caboose is a relic itself having been replaced by modern electronics. I wonder if we will ever see vestiges of Microsoft or Boeing preserved in such a manner once they have succumbed to market pressures too onerous for them to overcome?
Photographed on Arista EDU 400 with a Nikon F100 camera mounted onto a 24-85mm f/4.5 Nikon AF lens.
Metropolitan in Monochrome
September 27, 2011 - 20:05
Trains. All kinds. All eras. For some reason I just love trains. Every other year I look forward to joining my family on the Empire Builder to ride from Seattle to the Dakotas in first class comfort. We ride the rails from the mountains to the prairies with absolutely no distractions aside from calls to the dining car and wine tasting across the landscape of eastern Montana.
The Washington Metro isn’t exactly a journey across the continental divide, but it is still the most efficient way to get around the District of Columbia. Every seven minutes a new train moves government employees, lobbyists, congressional staffers, and even Smithsonian museum security guards from the National Mall to the suburbs through the tunnels and stylish underground stations under our nation’s capitol.
I found this shot while standing over the pedestrian walkway at the Navy Memorial station. The long lines of the train set against the contoured concrete walls of the tunnel complement each other as they lead toward a vanishing point. One element remains stable while the other, the train itself, is constantly in motion. Traces of blur in the passing metro car remind me of the eternal motion that marks the pulse of our county’s most influential city.
The Washington Metro isn’t exactly a journey across the continental divide, but it is still the most efficient way to get around the District of Columbia. Every seven minutes a new train moves government employees, lobbyists, congressional staffers, and even Smithsonian museum security guards from the National Mall to the suburbs through the tunnels and stylish underground stations under our nation’s capitol.
I found this shot while standing over the pedestrian walkway at the Navy Memorial station. The long lines of the train set against the contoured concrete walls of the tunnel complement each other as they lead toward a vanishing point. One element remains stable while the other, the train itself, is constantly in motion. Traces of blur in the passing metro car remind me of the eternal motion that marks the pulse of our county’s most influential city.
Monochrome Metro
This image is permanently engraved into a strip of Arista EDU 400 film developed in Acufine at par. The camera was a Nikon FM2 mounted on a 50mm Nikkor f/1.8D lens.
Monuments in Monochrome
September 23, 2011 - 04:59
Stone and monochrome photography naturally go together. Even in color, the neutral tones and intricate texture of the stone found in Washington’s sculpture and building façades are usually constant. Monochrome film works well to underscore the detail.
I found this interesting perspective while visiting the Lincoln Memorial last month. This image brings out the details cut into one of the two neoclassical urns found at the top of the front steps. I used a #25 red filter to enhance the texture in the sculpture and intensify the contrast between the blue sky and the wispy clouds, which appear as vapor coming from the urn. The Washington Monument in the background reveals its location.
I found this interesting perspective while visiting the Lincoln Memorial last month. This image brings out the details cut into one of the two neoclassical urns found at the top of the front steps. I used a #25 red filter to enhance the texture in the sculpture and intensify the contrast between the blue sky and the wispy clouds, which appear as vapor coming from the urn. The Washington Monument in the background reveals its location.
Washington and Lincoln
Photographed with a Nikon FM2 camera and a 50mm Nikkor lens. The film was Arista EDU film at ISO 400 and developed in Acufine
What Was I Thinking ?
September 06, 2011 - 17:30
What does one say to a customer when, after shooting at a distant location, the photographer loads the film into the processing tank, gets the chemistry ready, starts to remove the cap on the tank to begin processing, but loses presence of mind and opens up the tank instead? Fortunately, I was my own customer and I put the top back on the tank quickly. I opened the tank in a well lit room but no one could shut the tank fast enough to prevent any damage.
Since I was all set up and had another tank ready, I decided to process the roll anyway to see what I would get. Would it be a black strip of plastic adorned with evenly spaced sprocket holes or would something printable emerge from the soup?
Since I was all set up and had another tank ready, I decided to process the roll anyway to see what I would get. Would it be a black strip of plastic adorned with evenly spaced sprocket holes or would something printable emerge from the soup?
Spy
What really helped this frame, besides being deep inside the film spool in the tank, was that I shot the scene with a Lensbaby selective focus lens. My intent was to have the security camera in the same frame as the sign on the corner of the International Spy Museum in Washington DC, essentially labeling the camera for what is was. What I got was an obscured image overexposed on one side and slightly underexposed on the other. No other shot on that roll survived.
It’s ironic that the only frame to escape certain death by overexposure was the ‘Spy’. The image was exposed for 1/125 second on Neopan 400 monochrome film through a Lensbaby (version 1.0), set to f/8, mounted on a Nikon FM2 camera. The secondary exposure was unrecorded, but perhaps ‘panic’ describes it well enough.
Structural Diversity
September 05, 2011 - 21:02
While in Washington DC, I had the pleasure of stumbling upon the Canadian Embassy. Nestled next to the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue, it was designed using a diverse range of structural contrasts. Latticed roofing covers classical Doric columns in the courtyard. A timeless symbol of classic architectural strength and beauty.
Structural Diversity
No where in the District of Columbia have I seen contrasts similar to that used in the Canadian Embassy.
This image was captured on Fuji Neopan 400 monochrome film loaded into a Nikon FM2 and shot through a standard 50mm Nikkor f/1.8 lens.
Dash 80
August 08, 2011 - 18:34
Tex Johnson flew a Boeing 367-80, also known as the “Dash 80”, over Lake Washington. Ordinarily this would not raise much concern, unless we understand how he flew it.
On August 7, 1955, he flew this jet through a three hundred sixty degree barrel roll during the Gold Cup hydroplane races in front of several airline executives and his boss Bill Allen. When asked why he did it, he simply responded "I was selling airplanes". He kept his job.
It’s sitting at the Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport if you ever care to see it.
On August 7, 1955, he flew this jet through a three hundred sixty degree barrel roll during the Gold Cup hydroplane races in front of several airline executives and his boss Bill Allen. When asked why he did it, he simply responded "I was selling airplanes". He kept his job.
It’s sitting at the Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport if you ever care to see it.
Dash-80
Raw Power
August 08, 2011 - 05:23
The Daimler-Benz DB 605 inverted V-12 engine. At 1,475 horsepower, it was the powerplant of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters. I can almost hear the engine as it roars to life more than 60 years ago.
I captured it in monochrome in very low light. Anyone who had seen a classic aircraft engine would instantly recognize it. The highlights and the shadows in the engine body and drive shaft with the detail in the ignition wiring and duct work suggest its hidden power, now just an exhibit in a museum.
Shot with a Nikkormat FTn and a 50mm f/1.4 lens at f/5.6 at 1/60 second on Arista EDU 400 film. Developed in Acufine at par ISO.
I captured it in monochrome in very low light. Anyone who had seen a classic aircraft engine would instantly recognize it. The highlights and the shadows in the engine body and drive shaft with the detail in the ignition wiring and duct work suggest its hidden power, now just an exhibit in a museum.
Shot with a Nikkormat FTn and a 50mm f/1.4 lens at f/5.6 at 1/60 second on Arista EDU 400 film. Developed in Acufine at par ISO.
Technology Preserved
Art Deco Preserved
August 02, 2011 - 05:43
I love art deco. It reminds me of classic movies, biplanes, the Chrysler Building, the architecture in Miami beach hotels, and even the Wizard of Oz. While on vacation, we stopped to visit the Montana State Prison Museum in Deer Lodge, Montana.
Besides the prison, there is a remarkable automobile museum there. Just about anything with wheels, a motor, and a seat is on display from the spartan ‘horseless carriages’ of the late 19th century to the muscle cars of the the ‘60s and ‘70s. On this trip, the only 35mm film I brought was monochrome, removing the distraction of color. Just one less decision to make I suppose.
Many people look at the cars, but few see the details. Maker’s badges on the radiator. Visors over the windshield; a popular feature in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Headlights. I can’t remember the car, but I found the soft metallic glow accented by the repeating lines and angles in the glass of a lowly headlight. In the final print, I was reminded of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in Dark Passage the golden age of radio.
Art deco in a small Montana town serving the noble purpose of preserving history.
Besides the prison, there is a remarkable automobile museum there. Just about anything with wheels, a motor, and a seat is on display from the spartan ‘horseless carriages’ of the late 19th century to the muscle cars of the the ‘60s and ‘70s. On this trip, the only 35mm film I brought was monochrome, removing the distraction of color. Just one less decision to make I suppose.
Many people look at the cars, but few see the details. Maker’s badges on the radiator. Visors over the windshield; a popular feature in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Headlights. I can’t remember the car, but I found the soft metallic glow accented by the repeating lines and angles in the glass of a lowly headlight. In the final print, I was reminded of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in Dark Passage the golden age of radio.
Art deco in a small Montana town serving the noble purpose of preserving history.
Art Deco Luminance
50mm Therapy
July 15, 2011 - 08:00
There is nothing more cleansing than mounting a 50mm prime lens on a classic camera, loading it with monochrome film, and searching for tone, contrast, and structure. It also involves a bit of risk as there is no automation to compensate for a photographer’s shortcomings or situational circumstances.
A few years ago, I was in the National Mall at our nation’s capitol with a Konica Hexar and a few rolls of Kodak Tri-X. I shot at night with an estimated exposure of 1/30 second at f/2.0 on ISO 400 film. The results were quite pleasing. In the near future, I intend to repeat the exercise with a 40 year old Nikkormat and a 50mm lens. Without so much as autofocus, the images created with the Nikkormat will be all mine, warts and all.
A few years ago, I was in the National Mall at our nation’s capitol with a Konica Hexar and a few rolls of Kodak Tri-X. I shot at night with an estimated exposure of 1/30 second at f/2.0 on ISO 400 film. The results were quite pleasing. In the near future, I intend to repeat the exercise with a 40 year old Nikkormat and a 50mm lens. Without so much as autofocus, the images created with the Nikkormat will be all mine, warts and all.
Call it therapy for the creative mind.
Weave
June 11, 2011 - 16:54
The normal world looks so much different up close. The ordinary becomes extraordinary. The Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 lens helps a photographer get much closer to the subject than a normal lens can manage. This tack-sharp lens is one of my favorites.
I shot this image about two inches from the surface of a large fibrous mooring line holding a large vessel pier-side at the Bremerton Waterfront Marina. What caught my eye was the braided pattern in the cords and how the fibers geometrically interlocked with each other. Using selective focus and a shallow depth of field, the detail in the fibers come out only to soften toward the edges. The contrast and fine grain of the film bring out the texture in the rope that falls into the shadows along the bottom edge. I think of discipline and order holding fast despite the wear that comes from experience in a harsh marine environment. Strength and endurance. Texture and shadow.
I shot this image about two inches from the surface of a large fibrous mooring line holding a large vessel pier-side at the Bremerton Waterfront Marina. What caught my eye was the braided pattern in the cords and how the fibers geometrically interlocked with each other. Using selective focus and a shallow depth of field, the detail in the fibers come out only to soften toward the edges. The contrast and fine grain of the film bring out the texture in the rope that falls into the shadows along the bottom edge. I think of discipline and order holding fast despite the wear that comes from experience in a harsh marine environment. Strength and endurance. Texture and shadow.
Created with a Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 lens mounted on a Nikkormat FTn camera loaded with Ilford Pan F+ film rated at ISO 80. Developed in Acufine developer.
See What You Are Missing
June 07, 2011 - 06:36
Digital photographers have a lot going for them. They can see their results instantly. They can manipulate their images electronically to convey a feeling or an expression and tune it on the fly. They can share their work on the Internet within seconds of taking the photograph. There is one aspect of photography that they miss. Anticipation.
When I shoot a roll of film, I do what I can to control the image through selection of film, the speed that I rate it, the developer I use, and the time and temperature that the film sits in the soup. Sometimes, I get what I expect. Sometimes I am deeply disappointed. Many times, I am surprised and delighted at what comes off the negative. Texture. Contrast. Tonal range. Deep dark shadows with subtle details that I may not have seen when I squeezed the shutter. Best of all, I have to wait to see what happens. Sometimes an image that I thought was a waste of film when I took the exposure develops into something all together different.
The anticipation is delicious.
When I shoot a roll of film, I do what I can to control the image through selection of film, the speed that I rate it, the developer I use, and the time and temperature that the film sits in the soup. Sometimes, I get what I expect. Sometimes I am deeply disappointed. Many times, I am surprised and delighted at what comes off the negative. Texture. Contrast. Tonal range. Deep dark shadows with subtle details that I may not have seen when I squeezed the shutter. Best of all, I have to wait to see what happens. Sometimes an image that I thought was a waste of film when I took the exposure develops into something all together different.
The anticipation is delicious.
Christ In The Cup
May 08, 2011 - 11:52
While in process of shooting an assignment, I will often expose a roll or two of film to check lighting, composition, depth of field, and how a subject renders on film. This time, I am looking for the right lighting and composition to capture the cross in the reflection of wine in the chalice used for Holy Communion at a local Lutheran church.
I don’t have the composition quite right, but the test exposures worked out well. Once natural lighting improves in the Pacific Northwest, I will continue my quest, but one of the test shots that I took is particularly striking. Do you agree?
I don’t have the composition quite right, but the test exposures worked out well. Once natural lighting improves in the Pacific Northwest, I will continue my quest, but one of the test shots that I took is particularly striking. Do you agree?
Christ In The Cup
The image was captured on Ilford HP+ film with a Nikkormat FTn camera mounted with a Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/3.5 lens. Exposure was about f/5.6 at 1/125 second. The film was rated at ISO 800 and developed in Acufine (stock) for 6 1/2 minutes.
Soaking in Soup
March 29, 2011 - 11:09
Occasionally, time relative to monochrome development really doesn’t matter. When I read about stand and semi-stand development I was a bit skeptical, but film is cheap so I gave it a try. I picked up my Pentax Spotmatic F, loaded it with a Kodak Plus-X, and took to shooting. I heard that semi-stand development effects contrast and image texture in strange and wonderful ways and I was eager to see what I would find.
My neighbor was having a few of her trees removed before they removed someone’s house on their own. I used a 180mm Takumar lens to reach into the branches where a tree surgeon was working. I could see high contrast and perhaps grainy limbs partially obscuring a human form.
Near my home, there is an old diesel engine slowly returning back to nature while resting on blocks by the side of the road and just begs to be photographed. I have studied it behind the lens often but I have never captured an image of it worthy of keeping. The 50mm f/1.8 Takumar lens allows a photographer to get very close to a subject so I finished the roll exploring the lines and shadows of this once powerful industrial machine.
Back in the lab, I mixed 100 parts water to 1 part Rodinal developer, poured it into the loaded developing tank, and let it sit in the sink for 30 minutes. After ten seconds of torsional agitation, I let it sit for another 30 minutes. I poured out the soup, rinsed the film in water, and then fixed and washed the film in the usual way.
Tree Surgeon shows detail in the trunk of the tree and in the lumberjack. The goggles give him an alien look, perhaps of a tree dweller, but definitely someone who is comfortable in his surroundings. He is curiously aware of the photographer but not distracted by the camera’s presence. The marvelous grain in the leaves and branches is accentuated by the soft unfocused shapes that vary subtly in tone but show the grain as distinct parts of a whole.
My neighbor was having a few of her trees removed before they removed someone’s house on their own. I used a 180mm Takumar lens to reach into the branches where a tree surgeon was working. I could see high contrast and perhaps grainy limbs partially obscuring a human form.
Near my home, there is an old diesel engine slowly returning back to nature while resting on blocks by the side of the road and just begs to be photographed. I have studied it behind the lens often but I have never captured an image of it worthy of keeping. The 50mm f/1.8 Takumar lens allows a photographer to get very close to a subject so I finished the roll exploring the lines and shadows of this once powerful industrial machine.
Back in the lab, I mixed 100 parts water to 1 part Rodinal developer, poured it into the loaded developing tank, and let it sit in the sink for 30 minutes. After ten seconds of torsional agitation, I let it sit for another 30 minutes. I poured out the soup, rinsed the film in water, and then fixed and washed the film in the usual way.
Tree Surgeon shows detail in the trunk of the tree and in the lumberjack. The goggles give him an alien look, perhaps of a tree dweller, but definitely someone who is comfortable in his surroundings. He is curiously aware of the photographer but not distracted by the camera’s presence. The marvelous grain in the leaves and branches is accentuated by the soft unfocused shapes that vary subtly in tone but show the grain as distinct parts of a whole.
Tree Surgeon
The semi-stand technique gives the images of the old diesel engine depth and texture. The acutance of the film comes out in the springs and screw heads of ‘Industrial Mortality’ and reminds me of a charcoal drawing of an art deco fortress. The panel with its screw heads are the drawbridge and the springs are watchtowers. Monochrome gives the image a dark foreboding feel.
Industrial Mortality
‘Fracture’ is just that; a fractured machine stripped of its power. A large crack runs up the wall of the cylinder from the orifice in the foreground and is joined by smaller cracks that radiate throughout the structure. The acutance of the film gives these lines a hard edge and pulls out the pits in the rest of the metal. The little nest built in the hole shows just how long this machine has bee idle, and will likely remain that way for quite some time.
Fracture
Semi-stand development was a wonderful experiment. The results can be unpredictable, but this technique shows just how versatile older photographic formulations can be. Rodinal has been around for more than 100 years and, although Agfa has abandoned the product, still survives under the names R09 or Adonal. You can find them online at Freestyle Photographic Supplies.
Colorblind
March 13, 2011 - 19:00
One of the biggest problems when shooting film is deciding whether to load color or black and white film in the camera. This is really of no consequence with digital photography because the photographer doesn’t need to decide which one to use until post-production. When using nondestructive imaging software, one can compare the color image to the monochrome one and choose then. With film, the decision has already been made depending on which type of film is in the bag, and especially if the camera is already loaded.
On assignment, the film that I load has as much to do with my mood that day as it does with what I expect to see in the viewfinder. I have to decide if the light is better suited for color, or if monochrome is the better choice. Am I looking for the shape, texture, and contrast of a pencil sketch or impressive colors like a watercolor or oil painting? Do I always get it right? No. But when I know that monochrome film is in the camera I have to wear my ‘monochrome goggles’ too. My mind’s eye has to focus on shadow, mood, and composition rather than the nuance and symbolism of color to bring out what I see in the viewfinder.
When I shot “Colorblind”, found in the Capitol Region gallery, I first thought that the stone in the sculpture “Authority Of The Law” on the the Supreme Court House steps would play well with the red, white, and blue of the American flag in the background. What would that say to the viewer? Would it look cliche? I’m sure that every tourist with a camera who stood where I was standing had already shot it. I was also limited by what I had loaded in the camera that day; Kodak Plus-X. I nearly walked away when I realized that, when it comes to justice, America is supposed to be colorblind. I set a wide aperture, a short shutter speed, and shot the grey stone sculpture against the grey, white, and grey of the flag. I don’t think that it will make the pages of a DC tour book, but then I never intended it to.
On assignment, the film that I load has as much to do with my mood that day as it does with what I expect to see in the viewfinder. I have to decide if the light is better suited for color, or if monochrome is the better choice. Am I looking for the shape, texture, and contrast of a pencil sketch or impressive colors like a watercolor or oil painting? Do I always get it right? No. But when I know that monochrome film is in the camera I have to wear my ‘monochrome goggles’ too. My mind’s eye has to focus on shadow, mood, and composition rather than the nuance and symbolism of color to bring out what I see in the viewfinder.
When I shot “Colorblind”, found in the Capitol Region gallery, I first thought that the stone in the sculpture “Authority Of The Law” on the the Supreme Court House steps would play well with the red, white, and blue of the American flag in the background. What would that say to the viewer? Would it look cliche? I’m sure that every tourist with a camera who stood where I was standing had already shot it. I was also limited by what I had loaded in the camera that day; Kodak Plus-X. I nearly walked away when I realized that, when it comes to justice, America is supposed to be colorblind. I set a wide aperture, a short shutter speed, and shot the grey stone sculpture against the grey, white, and grey of the flag. I don’t think that it will make the pages of a DC tour book, but then I never intended it to.
“Equal Justice Under Law”
ColorBlind
Iron Horse Shoe
January 09, 2011 - 14:34
Some railroad traffic still exists in Kitsap County. Propane and nuclear weapons are usually on the manifest, but the influence of the railroad was much more prevalent when the timber industry was at its zenith in the early 20th century. Timber was shipped out of the Puget Sound through Port Townsend and much of it was brought there by rail. Sawmills all over western Washington moved resources in and product out to market by rail. The military used the railroad to supply the large gun emplacements that protected the Puget Sound from conquest by foreign navies. Large hull sections and propulsion parts were transported by rail to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to build and repair the ships of our great Navy.
Iron Horse Shoe was not captured in the Puget Sound however, but instead at the Baltimore and Ohio Railway Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. It belongs to a retired steam locomotive that rests quietly in the museum parking lot. What attracted my eye to the shot were the subtle black tones in the large cast iron wheel and the white arc along its rim. The highlights in the iron spokes blend into dark shadows to quietly suggest the mass and power of the locomotives that drove the industrial revolution. Innovation and greed powered prosperity and helped America find her place as a leader in the emerging industrial world. The steam locomotive epitomizes that power.
Shot with a Nikon 28-85mm f/3.5 AFD lens mounted on a Nikon F100 SLR loaded with Kodak Plus-X film set at ISO 125. It was processed in HC-110 developer, dilution B, for five minutes.
One Of A Kind
December 14, 2010 - 20:15
It is literally one of a kind, unfortunately. I sold it at my last show in Silverdale. It is the silhouette of an old sawmill near where I live. Monochrome. I captured it a few years ago with a Nikon FM2n and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens. I lost the negative and I only printed it once. I can’t even show it in this post.
The customer thought that it looked like an electric chair, so that is what I named the print. She owns the only copy. The original. You can see it at the Two Bits Barbershop in Old Town SIlverdale. Ask for Jennifer. Tell her Tim sent you.
While you are there, I’m sure that she could help you “get your ears lowered”.
The customer thought that it looked like an electric chair, so that is what I named the print. She owns the only copy. The original. You can see it at the Two Bits Barbershop in Old Town SIlverdale. Ask for Jennifer. Tell her Tim sent you.
While you are there, I’m sure that she could help you “get your ears lowered”.
Selective Focus
December 08, 2010 - 06:26
The family dog is a popular subject, probably because they are always available for a shoot and just so darned cute. Dogs are the perfect model because they need no makeup and little coaching while working for peanuts, or cheese, or even a piece of salmon.
After mounting a Lensbaby lens on a Nikon FM2, I discovered Gizmo carefully watching one of us eating a chip, or a sandwich, or something else that he knows he would like. The Lensbaby is a bit unpredictable but that is why I like it. There is no auto-exposure. There is no auto focus. The only way to focus the lens is to move the flexible lens barrel until the ‘sweet spot’ is focused in the viewfinder. Sometimes the final image comes as expected, sometimes not.
After mounting a Lensbaby lens on a Nikon FM2, I discovered Gizmo carefully watching one of us eating a chip, or a sandwich, or something else that he knows he would like. The Lensbaby is a bit unpredictable but that is why I like it. There is no auto-exposure. There is no auto focus. The only way to focus the lens is to move the flexible lens barrel until the ‘sweet spot’ is focused in the viewfinder. Sometimes the final image comes as expected, sometimes not.
In this portrait, I focused on Gizmo’s eyes leaving the rest of the image to chance. The Lensbaby uses discs that change the aperture from f/2.8 with no disc to f/16, which is the disc with the smallest opening. Changing the discs changes the depth of field, or the range of distances that come into focus on the film plane. For this shot, I didn’t use an aperture disc so most of the image is out of focus except for his eyes. The result is a portrait that clearly suggests ‘dog’, but draws the viewer to those big Shih Tzu eyes. Sparkling catchlights add dimension to his face.
Adorable.
Perfection Is Not The Goal
October 23, 2010 - 08:08
Too often, we try to attain perfection.
With all of the automation available in cameras these days, you would think that photographers demanded perfection in everything they do. But when is perfection not the goal? Perhaps perfection doesn’t matter if the photograph expresses how we felt at the moment the shutter was tripped even if it wasn’t what we saw through the lens?
A few years ago, I took a Nikon N90s camera and several rolls of monochrome film on Christmas vacation. We rode the train to Minnesota and I imagined enormous potential in the winter landscapes that would come along the way. At a station stop in Montana, I saw ice and snow encrusted around the wheels of a sleeper car. The heat from the brakes melted some of the ice, which then froze around a wheel hub in the cold winter air. A starburst pattern formed in the ice as the train pulled into the station. This was the photograph that I thought I saw.
When I processed the film, I loaded it on the processing reel improperly and the layers of film came in contact and stuck together during development. This mistake all but ruined most of the roll, except for this frame. There were defects in the negative caused by the disaster, but the imperfections added texture and contrast to the final image and it remains one of my favorite photographs. I don’t think that it would have been nearly as interesting if it had been ‘perfectly’ developed.
‘Winter Rails’ won second place at the 2008 Kitsap County Fair in the monochrome travel category, advanced division.
With all of the automation available in cameras these days, you would think that photographers demanded perfection in everything they do. But when is perfection not the goal? Perhaps perfection doesn’t matter if the photograph expresses how we felt at the moment the shutter was tripped even if it wasn’t what we saw through the lens?
A few years ago, I took a Nikon N90s camera and several rolls of monochrome film on Christmas vacation. We rode the train to Minnesota and I imagined enormous potential in the winter landscapes that would come along the way. At a station stop in Montana, I saw ice and snow encrusted around the wheels of a sleeper car. The heat from the brakes melted some of the ice, which then froze around a wheel hub in the cold winter air. A starburst pattern formed in the ice as the train pulled into the station. This was the photograph that I thought I saw.
When I processed the film, I loaded it on the processing reel improperly and the layers of film came in contact and stuck together during development. This mistake all but ruined most of the roll, except for this frame. There were defects in the negative caused by the disaster, but the imperfections added texture and contrast to the final image and it remains one of my favorite photographs. I don’t think that it would have been nearly as interesting if it had been ‘perfectly’ developed.
‘Winter Rails’ won second place at the 2008 Kitsap County Fair in the monochrome travel category, advanced division.
Makeshift Studio
October 13, 2010 - 06:25
The weather is a fickle partner in the portrait business, especially in Washington. There could be a soft pall of fog one moment and bright sunshine the next. When Nick and I went to Fort Flagler to have a go at it, rain was coming and going, but less so as the morning wore on. Still, there was a heavy overcast which is perfect for outdoor portraits. Once we arrived however, the clouds rose and then dissipated. The result? Harsh shadows and light that had my model squinting.
With nothing more than an open garage, an old cotton tarp, and some bungee cords, I set up a studio of sorts. With a dining room chair and kitchen stool to help position my models, I used a 180mm f/4.5 lens mounted on a Mamiya C330 TLR camera and a Vivitar 283 flash fitted with a Sto-Fen diffuser to shoot not only Nick, but also your humble narrator. My brick and mortar gallery has been asking for my self portrait for months, so I finally obliged.
I used Ilford Pan F+ and Fuji Neopan Acros 100 films, both processed in Rodinal developer (1+50) for 11 minutes.
With nothing more than an open garage, an old cotton tarp, and some bungee cords, I set up a studio of sorts. With a dining room chair and kitchen stool to help position my models, I used a 180mm f/4.5 lens mounted on a Mamiya C330 TLR camera and a Vivitar 283 flash fitted with a Sto-Fen diffuser to shoot not only Nick, but also your humble narrator. My brick and mortar gallery has been asking for my self portrait for months, so I finally obliged.
I used Ilford Pan F+ and Fuji Neopan Acros 100 films, both processed in Rodinal developer (1+50) for 11 minutes.
Gladiators
September 20, 2010 - 21:12
Demolition Derby. These days, they are called destruction derbies but the result is the same; a confrontation between mechanical gladiators. Their colosseum is a dirt track at the fairgrounds. What about the cars’ point of view? What if they had a soul?
The treasured family automobile takes us places. It drives us to work. It drives us to the market. It carried us away on family vacations. Since machinery cannot heal, they eventually become raw material for yet another generation of transportation. Some of them don’t leave quietly, but go out with spirit. They don’t go without a fight.
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to watch the last destruction derby of the season, courtesy of the KDDA. It had rained throughout the day and into the evening. It was the last ‘hurrah’ for automobiles that once beckoned buyers into car dealers’ showrooms. Gleaming chrome. Glossy paint. The low, quiet rumble from a powerful V-8 engine nestled under the hood of a once shiny new automobile. They drove our kids to school and to baseball games. Teenagers brought their first date to the high school homecoming game or the movies in cars like these. The family sedan carried us where we needed to go. They even delivered pizza to hungry football fans on a Sunday afternoon to earn a couple of extra bucks.
In the end, they become just so much sheet metal wrapped around a motor. Perhaps the destruction derby gives them a last chance at youth, to flex their muscle once more before being crushed and hauled to the smelter.
Fight the good fight brave Chevrolet.
The treasured family automobile takes us places. It drives us to work. It drives us to the market. It carried us away on family vacations. Since machinery cannot heal, they eventually become raw material for yet another generation of transportation. Some of them don’t leave quietly, but go out with spirit. They don’t go without a fight.
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to watch the last destruction derby of the season, courtesy of the KDDA. It had rained throughout the day and into the evening. It was the last ‘hurrah’ for automobiles that once beckoned buyers into car dealers’ showrooms. Gleaming chrome. Glossy paint. The low, quiet rumble from a powerful V-8 engine nestled under the hood of a once shiny new automobile. They drove our kids to school and to baseball games. Teenagers brought their first date to the high school homecoming game or the movies in cars like these. The family sedan carried us where we needed to go. They even delivered pizza to hungry football fans on a Sunday afternoon to earn a couple of extra bucks.
In the end, they become just so much sheet metal wrapped around a motor. Perhaps the destruction derby gives them a last chance at youth, to flex their muscle once more before being crushed and hauled to the smelter.
Fight the good fight brave Chevrolet.
Grisly Competition
A Challenge For Monochrome
September 13, 2010 - 13:59
Most photographs that I have seen of a summer carnival have been shot in full, living color. The bright lights in motion on the rides of the midway and the garish banners on the game kiosks and food booths attract the eye of the young, the naive, and the hungry. Colorful flags and spinning machines of perpetual motion fly against a clear and bright blue sky. There’s a lot of information for the eye to process in a photograph with so much color and motion. WIth all of those elements competing for the viewer’s eye, simplifying the subject can be difficult.
Monochrome isn’t really suited to communicate the colorful carnival atmosphere, but it does capture the character. I took my Nikon F100, a 28-85mm Nikkor lens, and a few rolls of TMAX 400 film with me to the Western Washington Fair in Puyallup, Washington. I left the color film at home this time to avoid the distraction of shuffling bodies and lenses while moments of photographic opportunity slip by. Would shooting digitally and deciding on color or monochrome images post-production be easier? Perhaps, but ‘easy’ is not the reason why some of us stay with film.
Spin and Aloft in the Observations gallery show the motion of the rides at the fair. If But For A Moment, Ferris Wheel Rider, and Anticipation in the Portrait gallery capture the emotions that follow. There was action, excitement, and the sound of money rushing from my wallet. The thrill of flying through space and brushing our hair against the clouds was worth every penny of the overpriced day we spent on the midway.
Monochrome isn’t really suited to communicate the colorful carnival atmosphere, but it does capture the character. I took my Nikon F100, a 28-85mm Nikkor lens, and a few rolls of TMAX 400 film with me to the Western Washington Fair in Puyallup, Washington. I left the color film at home this time to avoid the distraction of shuffling bodies and lenses while moments of photographic opportunity slip by. Would shooting digitally and deciding on color or monochrome images post-production be easier? Perhaps, but ‘easy’ is not the reason why some of us stay with film.
Spin and Aloft in the Observations gallery show the motion of the rides at the fair. If But For A Moment, Ferris Wheel Rider, and Anticipation in the Portrait gallery capture the emotions that follow. There was action, excitement, and the sound of money rushing from my wallet. The thrill of flying through space and brushing our hair against the clouds was worth every penny of the overpriced day we spent on the midway.
But That's Just The Beginning
September 08, 2010 - 19:37
It’s a hassle to load film into a bulk film loader in total darkness, in my bathroom, at night, and praying that my kids don’t turn on the lights and ruin the whole roll. I go to Costco and ask for as many spent 35mm film cassettes as they can spare. It takes time to load a one-hundred foot roll of film into at least 18 film cassettes and then trim the end of each roll to allow for the camera take-up spool.
Then there is the camera itself. Finding button cell batteries to power a forty year old light meter is getting harder these days. I load the film into the camera, set the film speed, find the right subject, focus the lens, check the light meter reading, set the aperture, and then the shutter speed. How should I compose the shot? How much depth of field do I want? Do I risk camera shake by choosing a slow shutter speed? Is the light coming from the right direction? How about lens flare? Do I meter for the shadows or the highlights? The meter is useless at night so I just guess at the exposure settings. No 3D matrix metering for me.
But that’s just the beginning.
After the film is exposed, I wind it onto a stainless steel developing reel in a light-tight cloth changing bag, taking care not to kink the film and damage it. Into the processing tank it goes. There is the developer, the stop bath, the fixer, and the hypo clearing agent to mix and keep at just the right temperature. Is the right time set on the timer? Is the developer mixed to the right dilution? After it’s mixed, it’s hard to tell.
Pour the soup into the tank and agitate it with slow, deliberate inversions for 10 seconds every minute for 6 to 20 minutes. Stop bath. Fix for 8 minutes, wash, and then hang the film to dry. An hour has passed.
. . . but that’s just the beginning.
Then there is the camera itself. Finding button cell batteries to power a forty year old light meter is getting harder these days. I load the film into the camera, set the film speed, find the right subject, focus the lens, check the light meter reading, set the aperture, and then the shutter speed. How should I compose the shot? How much depth of field do I want? Do I risk camera shake by choosing a slow shutter speed? Is the light coming from the right direction? How about lens flare? Do I meter for the shadows or the highlights? The meter is useless at night so I just guess at the exposure settings. No 3D matrix metering for me.
But that’s just the beginning.
After the film is exposed, I wind it onto a stainless steel developing reel in a light-tight cloth changing bag, taking care not to kink the film and damage it. Into the processing tank it goes. There is the developer, the stop bath, the fixer, and the hypo clearing agent to mix and keep at just the right temperature. Is the right time set on the timer? Is the developer mixed to the right dilution? After it’s mixed, it’s hard to tell.
Pour the soup into the tank and agitate it with slow, deliberate inversions for 10 seconds every minute for 6 to 20 minutes. Stop bath. Fix for 8 minutes, wash, and then hang the film to dry. An hour has passed.
. . . but that’s just the beginning.
The Way, The Truth, and The Life
Gizmo
September 04, 2010 - 07:37
Dogs have personality. Some are easy going affable types. Some are high strung and high maintenance. Ours is a “mommy’s dog”. Being a rescue critter, he has issues. For the first few months that we had him, he thought my arm needed more scars. He was scared, anxious, and likely abused by his former owners. We did our best to calm and discipline him as he became part of our ‘pack’. His portraits say it all. He still has a problem with FedEx and UPS drivers. All snarls and teeth, he hides behind his “mom” during the performance. I don’t think we will ever break him of that.
My portrait gallery shows a few of his moments. My favorite is captured in this monochrome print. I used Kodak Plus-X shot with a 50mm f/1.8 lens mounted on a Nikkormat FTn and developed in HC-110 (dilution B) developer.
My portrait gallery shows a few of his moments. My favorite is captured in this monochrome print. I used Kodak Plus-X shot with a 50mm f/1.8 lens mounted on a Nikkormat FTn and developed in HC-110 (dilution B) developer.
‘Smile!’
Prairie Skies and Red #29
August 08, 2010 - 17:54
I grew up on the prairies of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and North Dakota. Each summer, my family would drive to Alberta or Ontario on vacations to see relatives or go camping. Outside of the city, the tallest buildings were grain elevators spaced about ten miles apart from each other along the railroad lines and appeared to be tied together with the telephone lines passing from pole to pole. These icons of the prairie stand in solitude winter and summer, storing the harvest until the commodity markets were just right. Tractors and equipment harvested the grain, the trucks hauled it in, and the elevator would weigh it, store it, and load it into railroad hopper cars.
Traditional grain elevators are becoming extinct since concrete grain terminals have emerged. It won’t be long until they are all torn down or collapse from neglect. They have been around for more than a century standing like signposts for ‘POOL’, ‘PIONEER’,’ UGG’, and a number of independent brokers. America named its towns after water towers and Canada named her towns after grain elevators, or so it seems.
I began to process the monochrome film that I shot in rural Minnesota last month. I experimented with a variety of film-developer combinations and filtration. Most of the film was shot with a red #29 filter, which is slightly darker than the #25. The beauty of using red filters with monochrome film is that they bring out very dark and dramatic skies but leave the tonality of clouds. That is, they filter out the blue wavelengths of light to darken the sky and enhance the billowing or feathery clouds. Red filtration also draws out the texture of the metal siding on buildings to appear more like engraved lithographs than photographs.
The results are in the Rural gallery. Bright clouds contrast the geometric elevators and ribbed grain bins against the sky. I used Fuji Acros monochrome film shot at ISO 100 and developed in Edwal FG-7 at 1:15 dilution for 9 minutes. Edwal recommends agitation every 30 seconds for 5 seconds, but after looking at the negatives I would rather process Acros for about 11 minutes and agitate the tank once every minute for 10 seconds. The negatives were so thin that they were nearly unprintable and I was surprised to see how well the images looked. They bring out the kind of texture that gives monochrome film its character. I also shot Plus-X at ISO 80 and processed it in FG-7 for 8 minutes which was about right. The negatives were denser and provided a bit less contrast. The Versatile 435 tractor images are good examples.
Traditional grain elevators are becoming extinct since concrete grain terminals have emerged. It won’t be long until they are all torn down or collapse from neglect. They have been around for more than a century standing like signposts for ‘POOL’, ‘PIONEER’,’ UGG’, and a number of independent brokers. America named its towns after water towers and Canada named her towns after grain elevators, or so it seems.
I began to process the monochrome film that I shot in rural Minnesota last month. I experimented with a variety of film-developer combinations and filtration. Most of the film was shot with a red #29 filter, which is slightly darker than the #25. The beauty of using red filters with monochrome film is that they bring out very dark and dramatic skies but leave the tonality of clouds. That is, they filter out the blue wavelengths of light to darken the sky and enhance the billowing or feathery clouds. Red filtration also draws out the texture of the metal siding on buildings to appear more like engraved lithographs than photographs.
The results are in the Rural gallery. Bright clouds contrast the geometric elevators and ribbed grain bins against the sky. I used Fuji Acros monochrome film shot at ISO 100 and developed in Edwal FG-7 at 1:15 dilution for 9 minutes. Edwal recommends agitation every 30 seconds for 5 seconds, but after looking at the negatives I would rather process Acros for about 11 minutes and agitate the tank once every minute for 10 seconds. The negatives were so thin that they were nearly unprintable and I was surprised to see how well the images looked. They bring out the kind of texture that gives monochrome film its character. I also shot Plus-X at ISO 80 and processed it in FG-7 for 8 minutes which was about right. The negatives were denser and provided a bit less contrast. The Versatile 435 tractor images are good examples.
Government Issue
June 12, 2010 - 06:50
The Puget Sound was once vulnerable to invasion by sea. In the latter part of the nineteenth century, the timber industry was burgeoning and the Navy had a shipyard established in the deep water seaway protected by mountains and rugged rainforest on all sides. It was a tempting prize for an ambitious conquering nation to blockade the Sound and keep the Navy bottlenecked within. The United States understood this vulnerability, so in 1896 Congress authorized the Secretary of War to fortify and build a complex of artillery emplacements to repel potential attacks of the Puget Sound from the Pacific Ocean.
Fort Flagler, Fort Casey, and Fort Worden were built in a triangle formation to protect Admiralty Inlet. Armed with 10 and 12 inch guns mounted on “disappearing” carriages, these bastions of freedom stood watch over the Straits of San Juan ready for an invasion that would never come. Made obsolete prior to World War II by improved military technologies, these bases were closed in the 1950’s and the land was returned to the State of Washington. They later became state parks that preserve an important part of our nation’s history. They are wonderful to photograph.
I recently visited Fort Flagler on the Olympic Peninsula, located just south of Port Townsend. The concrete bunkers that protected the gun batteries and the military hardware that remain at the site have form and texture that photograph well in monochrome. Ammunition storage bunkers and munitions elevators also remain, hidden deep inside underground chambers protected by these concrete structures.
Random cracks in the thick concrete sections show the power of the Pacific Northwest climate working against man’s best engineering efforts. Monochrome images communicate the form and texture of the iron guns and concrete structures without the distraction of color. The gun mounts that remain are quiet, yet their presence is a powerful reminder of our desire to remain a free nation.
The images of Fort Flagler in the Military and Ancient Industry galleries were shot with a Nikon FM2n camera and 24mm f/2.8 and 50mm f/1.8 Nikkor lenses. I used TMax 400 film exposed at ISO 200 and developed in Microdol-X developer, stock dilution, for 10-1/2 minutes at 20 degrees C.
Fort Flagler, Fort Casey, and Fort Worden were built in a triangle formation to protect Admiralty Inlet. Armed with 10 and 12 inch guns mounted on “disappearing” carriages, these bastions of freedom stood watch over the Straits of San Juan ready for an invasion that would never come. Made obsolete prior to World War II by improved military technologies, these bases were closed in the 1950’s and the land was returned to the State of Washington. They later became state parks that preserve an important part of our nation’s history. They are wonderful to photograph.
I recently visited Fort Flagler on the Olympic Peninsula, located just south of Port Townsend. The concrete bunkers that protected the gun batteries and the military hardware that remain at the site have form and texture that photograph well in monochrome. Ammunition storage bunkers and munitions elevators also remain, hidden deep inside underground chambers protected by these concrete structures.
Random cracks in the thick concrete sections show the power of the Pacific Northwest climate working against man’s best engineering efforts. Monochrome images communicate the form and texture of the iron guns and concrete structures without the distraction of color. The gun mounts that remain are quiet, yet their presence is a powerful reminder of our desire to remain a free nation.
The images of Fort Flagler in the Military and Ancient Industry galleries were shot with a Nikon FM2n camera and 24mm f/2.8 and 50mm f/1.8 Nikkor lenses. I used TMax 400 film exposed at ISO 200 and developed in Microdol-X developer, stock dilution, for 10-1/2 minutes at 20 degrees C.
High Dilution Development
April 18, 2010 - 22:18
I found a post on the APUG website suggesting that Rodinal developer could be diluted far beyond its design limitation to produce images with interesting tonal and textural qualities. I use Rodinal 1:25 for fine grain film, like Plus-X and Maco 100 Plus, to produce monochrome prints with high acutance and just a touch of grain, but after reading about diluting it to 1 part concentrate and 100 parts water, I just had to try it.
To create the solution with as little variability as possible, I mixed 10ml of Rodinal concentrate with 500 ml water to create a 1:50 solution. After removing 250 ml of that solution, I replaced it with 250 ml of water for the final 1:100 solution. I let the film sit in the ‘soup’ for half an hour, agitated the tank slowly three times in a ten-second interval, and then let it sit for another half hour. To stop development, I emptied the tank and then filled it with water and let it rest for another 5 minutes. This lets whatever developer is left to work on the shadow areas whereas stop bath would have stopped development in its tracks. I fixed and washed the negatives in the usual way.
Many of the images were lost to poor composition, but the ones I kept were rather extraordinary. I photographed an old diesel engine that I found sitting on a lot and rusting into oblivion. The combination of grain and high contrast gives the images a gritty, industrial feel and exaggerates the lines in the machine, especially on the exposed valve springs. I just ‘feels’ ancient.
I also found some arborists removing a dying tree and photographed them. The camera was a Pentax Spotmatic F. The lens that I used to photograph the engine was a Takumar 50mm f/1.8 and, for the arborists, a Takumar 135mm f/3.5.
I wouldn’t recommend high dilution development for that once in a lifetime shot, but I was rather pleased with the texture and tonality that I got from the experiment. You will find ‘Where’s Waldo’ and ‘Arborist’ in the ‘Portrait’ gallery and ‘Industrial Mortality’ and ‘Potential Energy’ in the ‘Ancient Industry’ gallery.
Great fun on a Saturday afternoon!
To create the solution with as little variability as possible, I mixed 10ml of Rodinal concentrate with 500 ml water to create a 1:50 solution. After removing 250 ml of that solution, I replaced it with 250 ml of water for the final 1:100 solution. I let the film sit in the ‘soup’ for half an hour, agitated the tank slowly three times in a ten-second interval, and then let it sit for another half hour. To stop development, I emptied the tank and then filled it with water and let it rest for another 5 minutes. This lets whatever developer is left to work on the shadow areas whereas stop bath would have stopped development in its tracks. I fixed and washed the negatives in the usual way.
Many of the images were lost to poor composition, but the ones I kept were rather extraordinary. I photographed an old diesel engine that I found sitting on a lot and rusting into oblivion. The combination of grain and high contrast gives the images a gritty, industrial feel and exaggerates the lines in the machine, especially on the exposed valve springs. I just ‘feels’ ancient.
I also found some arborists removing a dying tree and photographed them. The camera was a Pentax Spotmatic F. The lens that I used to photograph the engine was a Takumar 50mm f/1.8 and, for the arborists, a Takumar 135mm f/3.5.
I wouldn’t recommend high dilution development for that once in a lifetime shot, but I was rather pleased with the texture and tonality that I got from the experiment. You will find ‘Where’s Waldo’ and ‘Arborist’ in the ‘Portrait’ gallery and ‘Industrial Mortality’ and ‘Potential Energy’ in the ‘Ancient Industry’ gallery.
Great fun on a Saturday afternoon!
Railroads
January 22, 2010 - 06:22
The Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad Museum is an amazing place for anyone who loves railroads and railroad memorabilia. From the earliest demonstration locomotive to the great steaming giants, the B&O museum begins with the very spot where the first mile and a half of commercial railroad was built.
I shot a lot of monochrome there because that is how to shoot the Age of Steam. The 20th Century Limited. The Capitol Limited. The Empire Builder. That was the way to travel in style back in ‘the day’. People used to dress up to travel on the rails. Champagne. Smoking cars. You don’t just get to your destination. You arrive.
Today we are reduced to long lines and security checkpoints. Blue jeans full of holes. Tattooed teenagers and young adults also full of holes. United. Continental. Delta. Get in line. Get on the plane. Sit in a space no larger than a typical office chair, but without the leg room. Get off the plane. Stand in line to watch the parade of luggage, praying that yours will be there. So much for the romance of travel.
Take a look in the Railroad gallery. More will be coming.
I shot a lot of monochrome there because that is how to shoot the Age of Steam. The 20th Century Limited. The Capitol Limited. The Empire Builder. That was the way to travel in style back in ‘the day’. People used to dress up to travel on the rails. Champagne. Smoking cars. You don’t just get to your destination. You arrive.
Today we are reduced to long lines and security checkpoints. Blue jeans full of holes. Tattooed teenagers and young adults also full of holes. United. Continental. Delta. Get in line. Get on the plane. Sit in a space no larger than a typical office chair, but without the leg room. Get off the plane. Stand in line to watch the parade of luggage, praying that yours will be there. So much for the romance of travel.
Take a look in the Railroad gallery. More will be coming.
