For me, and I think for many, the past week has been an incredible energy suck. The only thing I really want to say is that having a daily studio practice where I just try to show up to make work has helped me not get completely mired in a doom spiral. I wish the same for you.
One of the distinct pleasures of analog photography is the possibility of working with specialized or even unique emulsions. This could mean shooting a long-expired, even out of production emulsion, working with a stock rated at ISO 0.6, or finding a cache of film that is used in surveillance cameras for pennies on the dollar and rolling it yourself.
You really do never know what you are going to get. As an example, here is a shot taken in Jackson WY on color IR film, perhaps the most unique (and expensive) emulsion I've ever used. This film is no longer manufactured, and I paid about $20 for a 24 exposure roll of the stuff. I kept it in the freezer next to some gorgeous scallops until my trip. The film results in an image with a very unique look, that is for sure, but is it too much of a gimmick?
For increased credibility, I'll add that the photograph was made using the Leica R6 camera and the yummy 35 mm f/2 lens (Summicron in Leicaspeak). For me, the dark band of magenta/purple at the bottom really anchors the composition, and makes the image work, but not everyone would find the color palette appealing. Many might have preferred the scallops, actually.
Here is another image made on the same trip to Wyoming. Same camera and lens combo. This time I was using a modern film: Adox CMS 20 II Pro. I exposed at ISO 12 and used the special developer they recommend. Super low grain, high contrast, high fidelity image. Beautiful stuff. I really love the images from this roll. But perhaps I should have just used a digital camera for a photograph like this? I could have used a more practical ISO setting with similar results.
Well, the point is to go out and do the experiments. I'm really glad to have shot these different films, and I continue to try more.
It is sunny today, so I am to go out and shoot some Delta 400, my film of the month. Now, if I could only decide which camera to grab...
