The Puzzle is Now Complete!!

Well It has taken a week or so, but the last piece of the puzzle arrived in the office today, a syringe.

It may seem like a weird little thing to have to wait for, but a 10ml syringe is the only thing that has been holding me back from getting onto developing my black and white film!! I wonder if the chemical companies out there realize how hard it is to measure small weird amounts of chemical easily and without fuss? And some of the companies that make kit to develop your film and images should realize that making the tubes and containers in better graduations would be more helpful as well (yes Patterson I'm talking to you).

But alas I have done what's needed to be done, and obtained the last object to be able to to perform the duties required, and I shall post a few of the results once I get everything scanned (as I still don't have a neg scanner).

Looking forward to this experiment and experience..

More of the Holga 120N Love..

Sometimes we get cameras to work, and sometimes we don't. I have to admit that the Holga 120N I purchased a while ago from the team at Lofico has been with me every day for 2 years, and it's still giving me mixed results. Now that's not because of anything else but me.

I have only (and yes I mean only) really gotten my head around the exposure times and light required for taking a great photo with this "Toy" camera. I have been switching between ISO 100 to 400 speed films, and really think I have hit the mark at ISO 200. It just seems to work better and give a wonderful result. I know this seems to bring down the amount of film choices to Rollei Crossbird or Fomapan Creative 200 but I really do think the results are worth it.



You can find more shots over at my Flickr or just search Holga and you can and will come up with a ton of different, and inspiring images to work from.

Worlds Largest Holga...

Head over to fstoppers.com to see the LARGEST Holga going around and some sample images..

Just a touch of some new work.... Enjoy

I have FINALLY had some time to get a few rolls of film I have been sitting on developed and scanned. 

A lot of the images are from around Abbotsford Convent and the surrounds, but there were also a few out of my Holga as well. 

So feel free to pop over to my flickr.com and take a look.

Film Photography back in Vogue... It NEVER LEFT US!!

ABC Radio National had an interesting little blog/podcast today on Film Photography. 

Film Photography Back In Vogue is an "interesting" look into the world of film photography of today, compared to say 15 years ago. It's all a bit wired coming form the "mouth of babes" as well.

At the grand old age of 41 (yeah I know) I have known film for a long time, and this Digital Thing is still pretty new to me. I still manage a small darkroom in my house developing my own Black and White film and might even hit out a few prints next year if I can get the gear on board.

But to almost claim that film is "New" or in a "Revival" is almost ludicrous.

Kodak started in 1888 (or there about's as that was the first camera from them) and FujiFilm have been on the ground and running for almost 80 years. These are probably two of the most common names in film, and the most recognized. With over 100years of history, why would we think Film to be a new medium?

What we lack now is the Master Printer. The Master Printer would take a negative from you with the changes you wanted made, and print an image that would make you smile. The knowledge and technical skill in printing an image from a negative has been all but lost in most instances. A lot of the chemicals are even quite hard to get and can be quite toxic if used incorrectly. There was talk of photographers and their assistants (in the 60's and 70's) popping amphetamines and drinking some of the chemicals (yes DRINKING). Mind you the prints these men were striking were AMAZING. They could recoil the the White and control the Dark in a wondrous ballet of Alchemy.

In this world of perfection, sanitized images of pure sharpness and clarity can bore us. We need to not go back, but reignite the passion for our "Hands On" technical aspect. We rely to much on Digital Mediums and have lost the tactile aspect that is associated with photography. Yes I agree that there is a resurgence in Film, and younger photographers are finding something more "organic" in the use.

But the reality is that film is soft and lovely. There is a "by gone era" feel the images take on. It takes a little more technical knowledge to shoot, but the image that you see is something to take your breath away. Modern Masters (Joel would giggle at being Modern) of photography like Meyerowitz, Crewdson, and Wall  are all avid film shooters. Regardless of format, people should be looking to shoot and develop there own Black and White film. It's a great feeling to make something, to take the photo and create the negative, then have a way to print the image. This is what art really is.

Yes Digital has its place. I still love my digital camera for a lot of my shooting it works. But there really is something soft and special about film.

I implore you all to go out there and open your minds. Get a film camera and teach yourself to develop the film. It's really satisfying.

Lomography Fish Eye

I bought a Lomography Fish Eye from the wonderful kids at lofico.com.au a while back and have only just pulled out the first roll of film. Popped into the other wonderful group of kids at Bond Imaging to have the film developed and scanned. 

Here are a few images I think are worthy from the roll. 

Please feel free to leave a comment.. I would love the feedback..

A VERY VERY Expensive Holga.. And YES I want one!!

I was trawling through my Twitter feed and came across a really interesting post that caught my eye. It was from Michaels Camera and Video. It mentioned a Holga camera that was worth around $24,000 and that really pricked my interest.

The link took me to Peta Pixel and yes there it was. A Holga 120N from mounted to a Phase One P25 via a horseman lens board to create a Lomographic camera capable of taking images at 22 megapixels.

I would like to congratulate the inventor Mike Martens on his design and the sample photos are very beautiful..

How To: Use Fisheye Lens - Mike Manzoori

This is a really great tuition Video on how to use a Fish Eye on a video camera, but how does this relate to a still camera.

Mike makes a great point about understanding the Lens and what it can do. Also being very familiar with your camera helps.. These are things, as still photographers, we can take and use out in the filed.

I have only just started playing with a Fish Eye lens, and will pop up a few shots once I get through this roll of film..



 

The Art of Processing and Printing..

I have been thinking and thinking of not how to add extra feathers in my cap, but thinking it's really about time that we start going back in time and doing a little more for ourselves.

Digital is a wonderful thing. We have instant success or failure, and can assess and re assess our photographs on the spot. But this has taken us away from the old arts, and they are going away. Lomography has given us the ability, and fascination, to shoot film again. Film will always rule (in my opinion). It has a certain tonal quality you can't get anywhere else. Have a look this video from the guys at prophotolife.com and see just how easy it is..

More Photos....

Been pretty busy as of late... Had a couple of Family Portraits to shoot and been doing a lot of shooting for myself..

Take a look at my Flickr page to see some of the images I am producing..

Tis Getting Close to the End People...

After a couple of quick fire tweets I might have a shoot at the State Library in Victoria ready to go. This is GREAT NEWS!!

I have 2-3 other shoots waiting on confirmations, but it is looking pretty busy at the moment.

If you wanted any photography work done before Christmas done, please contact me ASAP as time and spots are filling fast.

Sity

Sity, a set on Flickr.

Some Lomo Photos I took on a walk in Melbourne one day.. They were all taken on my Holga 120N using Fuji Across 100.

Cyclebridge

cyclebridge.a, a photo by fixiedouche on Flickr.

This is a Cycle/Walking Bridge that goes over the Patterson River..

This was shot on Fujichrome Velvia 100ISO and converted to Black and White in Photoshop. It was shot on a Mamiya RB 6x7 with a 90mm lens.

Camera Search..... The new Beginning...

Well looking at new cameras at the moment, as well as second handy's.

So what kinda thing am I looking for. Well it's time to go Medium Format Film with the hope to go Digital later on. I have closed in on a couple of possibility's.

Mamiya 645 is looking pretty good right about now. I have seen a few Hasselblad as well, but they seem to be right out of my price range. Bronica have a couple of nice camera's, but again they are getting up there dollar wise.

So now it's a search to the death.

New film from Lofico..

Just ordered a bunch of film from lofico for my 120mm and 35mm cameras.

I love the look you can get on Film and from no where else.  The 120mm gives such nice depth and feel. The 35mm has such a natural grain and tone.

Can't wait to get my new Film!!

Trying new film.... FUN!!

Been shooting the Lomo Holga a bit as of late and found some Rollei Crossbird in 200ISO. This is a roll film that can be processed in both E6 (which gives "normal" color negs) or in C41 (which gives the Color Cross). You can see some of the results at Lomography site.

Once I get the shots out of the camera I will post them up.

Still Life..... And other treasures.....

I have seen a Still Life that looks like a broken shattered can, and have decided to take a crack at it in my style. I will use not only the Digital, but the Holga is charged with some color film and is gonna get a big crack at it as well. I really like shooting small things like this in Film as they get such a lovely tone and deep rich color as well.

I have also taken a few emails asking for a couple of prints to be hung in a couple of local cafes here in Melbourne. As soon as a few things go up I will inform.

So currently I'm shooting Still Life on LOMO as well as Digital, getting pictures re mounted and framed, and chasing around for a few places to hang them..

Busy busy busy.....

Lomo Photograph of Spink Street Gardenvale.

spinkst, a photo by fixiedouche on Flickr.

A night Black & White of Spink Street in Gardenvale Victoria. Taken on a Holga 120N using Neopan Across 100.

LOMO Photography.... Great Fun..

Well I dropped into Bond Imaging to day to pick up some prints of head shots I have done for a friend and realized my film was also ready to collect.

I had shot a roll of 120mm B&W film over a few weeks just as a fluff about, and DAM they look good. I really think they hold some odd feel and look. They have a tone and color that is second to none, and can't be reproduced in digital. It makes me realize why people are starting back to the "Old Ways" of photography. I plan on printing a few negatives on some Projector Plastic (acetate) and print them with Cyanotype (check out Alternative Photography for more information) .

Very glad I gave it a try, and plan on doing a little more with it. I will post a picture in the next day or so.