Filtering by Tag: Film

Make it so.

Added on by John Sturr.

There is a difference between Digital and Film.  

  • Digital is freeing - liberating - no development cost - easy - instant - shoot all you want - all you can eat.
  • Film is constraining - concerning - costs more - unknown - difficult - non instant - takes  chemicals

Both aspects have their plusses - but man - the digital side sounds like Crack Cocaine - I'm being facetious of course.  Don't do drugs.

If you are shooting film - I’ll let you decide why you do it - as based upon what I just outlined, well; I make it sound like film is dead:  Hardly.

YashicaMat124G - Kodak Portra

Here’s what I’m getting at — this whole film thing is constraining me from shooting.   I feel like I need have to have some kind of special image to shoot - like waiting for the Queen of England to walk by the house or something.  I’m on the porch waiting; right now — as I type this…. just kidding, no really - I am !  

Ok -- never mind - I just missed the shot.

So my goal these last few months of Summer - is to burn some frames — go hog wild on the mundane - the simple;  Cracks on the concrete - street signs at head level - the sky - Lola the Bulldog letting one rip - a blurred selfie.

I need to shoot 1 frame a day.  Make it so.

NW Maui

Added on by John Sturr.

A paradise in and of itself -- let alone when you are carrying a camera.  Taken from the beach of the house we were fortunate to be renting for the week.  Can't wait to go back.  This is Ilford Pan-F 50.  I'm not a big fan as the sharpness seems a bit lacking - It was a an experiment of sorts - I'm now sticking to Ilford's Delta series.  Either 100 or 400.

YashicaMat 124 G - Ilford Pan-F 50

YashicaMat 124 G - Ilford Pan-F 50

Smoke Tones

Added on by John Sturr.

A cedar plank salmon smoking, is a back yard favorite - and on a whim I shot the event and the captured tones blew me away.

The smoke tones, during this evening really gave way to the power of the monochrome - and this became a good learning moment of trying to recognize what BW can really capture.

 

Back to the roots.

Added on by John Sturr.

Months ago - testing the nature of film and how it works against architecture.  Film is so foreign - its like putting on blinders and walking out side.  Digital allows you to confirm the capture - film says, "screw you" -- I'll give it up when I want too.  And that's the truth.  

For a paying gig - well - that's a bit unnerving.

This is at the University of Utah.  When the light is right - there are some striking areas to shoot.

YashicaMat124G - Fuji 400H

The Plastic Architect

Added on by John Sturr.

Small sensored cameras most of time have slow lenses - coming back to full frame, be it film or digital, reminds me of the creative power, the f1.4 depth of field can offer.  Sometimes the background is too busy for comfort and the 1.4 allows the blur - or sometimes the attention to the scene is important to get in one area - and this type of lens allows that.  Or - it becomes creativity of its own sake.  Either way it becomes another creative tool for reference.

Nikon F100 - 50mm f1.4 - Ilford HP5+

the Accidentals

Added on by John Sturr.

I had a chance to see this up and coming band — “the Accidentals” here in SLC last month.  I also offered to photograph them as I just happen to have the gear to possibly get some good images.  My brother Mark who introduced me to them also put me in touch with their Manager.

In my off time - there are two genres I just love shooting - Bands and Sports.  

I had to bring the digi - D3s - but on a whim I also brought my F100 loaded with 400 HP5+ mounted to a 85mm f1.4.  The 1.4 was a given considering I only had 400 asa in the F100.

This is Savanna Buist accompanying the opening act - total improv on the spot fill.  So I took the opportunity of chance to burn some frames — and this is the best of the two.

It’s interesting how the BW takes the “Band” out of the band — and turns it into some kind of “Classical” looking image.  It doesn’t hurt that she is playing a classical looking instrument either.

This was taken cradel to grave - Shot, developed, and scanned in house.

It turned out well — and the band will be Grammy winning in about 5 years — you heard it hear first.  They are really something.  I can’t wait to hear their next album.

Nikon F100 - 85mm f1.4 - Ilford HP5+


Watershed

Added on by John Sturr.

This is a watershed moment - as this image is from a roll of film I've taken from cradle to grave. Shot on the Nikon F100 on Ilford HP5+ with the 85mm f1.4, developed with Kodak D-76 at 70 Degrees for 13 minutes, and scanned on a legacy Minolta Dimage 5400 series I at 5400 dpi.  I say legacy as these necessary consumer scanners are no longer produced - but I'm saving that for another post.

So now everything is in house - and the fixed costs are only film and chemicals.  No more $20 per roll for processing. - per roll.

And I have my friend Will Wright to thank for getting me this far and helping me realize what film has too offer.

Nikon F100 on Ilford HP5+


Creative Process

Added on by John Sturr.

I have the unique access to the inner workings of an Architectural office - as it's my day job. And there are times when I take advantage to capture those workings, and this is one of them.  
A collegue prepares a wall with creative ques to start the creatvie process.

400 speed film is great for indoors - it's perfect, combined with a f1.4 lens.  I hardly use 100 ASA as I really like the flexibility 400 provides.

Nikon F100 - Ilford Delta 400  DevScan by theFINDLab

Ektar 100

Added on by John Sturr.

I don't have much experience with Kodak's Ektar.  I've seen all the advertisements and I've heard all the hype.  Everything is true -- great for landscapes on desert islands - and you can't get away from the reds in the skintones.  The grain is really tight - be sure to nail your focus with great light and you may just have a winner.

This is 120 -- on the Yashica Mat 124G.  120 Format is gripping.

DevScan by theFindLab

Kodak Ektar - Yashica Mat 124G


Ilford Delta 3200

Added on by John Sturr.

I started the film quest with a lot of grain - Delta 3200.  It was an aesthetic to pursue which called me to explore for some reason.

Shot at 1600 and developed at 3200.  Everyone says this is the way to shoot it - which is what I did - but I haven't shot enough to know the difference.  3200 is their most expensive stock.

This DevScan is by "theFindLab" in Orem, UT.  Although expensive they are quickly becoming a premier lab - from my own experiences.  I don't know if they think the same thing but it seems I'm seeing more and more Instagram's of their work.

Shot on the Nikon F100 with the kit 24-120D.  I haven't quite figured out this lens for performance - but it sure is convenient to have the focal length.