Cameras

Here are some portraits of the cameras I've been using this year. I took them with my Hasselblad 500C/M, so of course the photo of the Hassy is a selfie.

Zero Image 2000 pinhole camera

Brownie Hawkeye Flash camera

Hasselblad 500C/M (mirror selfie)

More shots from this roll of Kodak Tri-X film:

Mitcham House

Pine Hill Cemetery

Pine Hill Cemetery

A scenic overlook at dawn at FDR State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia, on a recent camping trip

Oxblood Lilies (Rhodophiala bifida)

My oxblood lilies are blooming now. They are autumn-blooming bulbs from South America, close relatives of rain lilies and amaryllis. This is the heirloom Texas form that is vigorous and perennial (in Texas at least). I'm not sure how well they will do in Alabama. I don't see any reason why they would do poorly, but then again there's probably a reason why they naturalize in Texas but are nowhere to be seen in Alabama (as far as I know).

All of these photos are with Kodak Portra 400 film and Hasselblad 500C/M camera

softer view

One of the negatives scanned as a positive

I brought it indoors to shoot under artificial light

Roll 4

I'm on my fourth roll of color film in my first color developer kit. I've streamlined it pretty well. I can't foresee ever sending my film away again, unless I want it professionally scanned.

This time I did another roll of Ektar 100 in my pinhole camera.

Samford Hall at sunrise

In the shade of a hickory tree.

Highway 14 Bridge

Spider lilies swaying in the wind in a cemetery

High water line 1919

Thurlow Dam

Bridge and dam

In a green bottle

Lycoris radiata

The Lycoris radiata (spider lilies) I repotted a month or so ago are blooming now. I didn't water them at all until two weeks ago. After watering them, within days the shoots were out of the ground and headed skyward. Unfortunately, my Lycoris aurea is not behaving in like manner. There isn't a sign of life with them other than fleshy roots.

Yesterday, I took some photos of them on Kodak Portra 400 film and developed it last night. Now that I can develop my own film, the whole process from taking the photo to having scans takes less than a day. When I sent my film away it would take two weeks, plus I'd have to save up enough rolls to make the shipping worth it. There is something exhilarating about sending film away and getting it back two weeks later, wondering the whole time how it will turn out. Yet, there is something equally exhilarating about pulling a wet roll of film out of a developing tank and seeing the images for the first time. Both are rewarding. The latter option is more work, but a lot cheaper.

Spider lilies unfurling Monday. Fomapan 100 film developed in Diafine.

Spider lilies in the fading sunlight

I lit this scene with an incandescent grow light.

Incandescent bulbs are really yellow, as readily seen when taking photos on daylight-balanced film.

My favorite

Coosa River

I developed the roll of Ektar film without any problems. I scanned them in this morning.

There were kayakers in many of these photos that didn't show up.

My favorite

Color Developing

Today, after work, I want to try developing color negative film. I got a kit in the mail today. On my lunch break I shot a roll of Portra 160 film, mostly of September wildflowers by the creek. I also have a roll of Ektar 100 film I shot on a kayaking trip with a friend with my pinhole camera. I'll develop the Portra 160 film first and if that turns out ok I'll go with the Ektar next.

Color negative (C-41) developing kit.

This development will be harder than the black and white with Diafine. You have to be precise with times and the temperature has to be maintained at 102 degrees.

Rolls 2&3

I've developed two more rolls of film since this weekend. I'm starting to get the hang of loading the reel and agitation. This time I developed a roll of Ilford HP5+ film I shot in my pinhole camera and Rollei Infrared film I shot in my Hasselblad.

Thurlow Dam, pinhole camera. This uncropped scan shows the felt shadows at the edge of each frame.

Tallapoosa River, pinhole camera

Tallapoosa River, pinhole camera

Tallapoosa River, pinhole camera. I like the swirls and the little goldenrod at the bottom.

Island in the Tallapoosa River, pinhole camera

Tallapoosa River, pinhole camera

I experienced some streaking on the film with the HP5+, so I increased the agitation on the next roll and it turned out better.

Tallapoosa River, Infrared/Hasselblad

Tallapoosa River, Infrared/Hasselblad

My uncle's barn, Infrared Hasselblad

Rollei Infrared film is also sensitive to visible light, so I used color filters to create an infrared/red/green trichromy.

Diafine

Yesterday, after work, I walked around town with my Hasselblad camera. I was trying Kodak Tri-X film for the first time, an old black and white film that was used extensively by photojournalists in the past. It's good for street photography.

I had another goal in mind, too. I recently bought Diafine black and white film developer, and all the other supplies for developing film. When I got home from my walk, I closed all the doors in my hallway and stuffed the cracks with towels, and I had my first darkroom.

Loading the film on the reel in total dark was terrifying. I kept telling myself everything was okay and laughing about it. I was sure I was messing up the film, and it took me about 15 minutes of trying before I got it on the reel.

Then I mixed up the chemicals, followed the directions, and bam, I had developed film!

I went with Diafine because maintaining a precise time and temperature is not as important with it, although you have less control over how it develops the film.

Negative hanging to dry

Harpsichord

Through a wall at Foy Union

Amphitheater 

The Old Rotation

Tailgating

Sunset above the streets

Toomer's Corner