A Rare Thing

Every once in a while I will find a new view of things in my yard, one that for some reason I've not noticed before. Not very often, but it'll happen from time to time. It helped that I was using a slightly longer focal length than I usually do, in this case, a 120mm lens on medium format film. As an aside, the Rollei 120mm f/5.6 S-Planar lens is a real gem that I became aware of by browsing old photobooks from the 1980s. I saw an inspiring photograph by an artist who must have had a pretty high profile at the time, but who doesn't show up in an internet search these days. Alas, that's likely the fate most of us have to look forward to.

Tasting notes: Rolleiflex SL66, Rollei 120mm f/5.6, Ilford FP4+.

Old Film Cameras And Classic Cars

The Rolleiflex SL66 is by far my favorite medium format film camera to shoot in practice, but my copy is getting pretty long in the tooth. Wearing out in other words. So, I recently picked up a parts camera and am starting to do what a friend of mine does for his classic cars, namely, cannibalize the beater to restore the stronger of the two cameras to as close to pristine as I can. I took the frankencamera (still a work in progress) out for a test run using a roll of Ilford FP4+. I'm getting properly exposed and focused negatives so far.

Tasting notes: Rolleiflex SL66, Zeiss 120mm Planar-S lens, FP4+ developed in DD-X. 

Crepe Myrtles In July

This year it seems as if time has accelerated, in my neck of the woods anyway. I looked up and noticed that the crepe myrtles were in full bloom, meaning it must be July. I had a roll of expired film in my Rolleiflex SL66. The otherwise nice images were marred by marks from the backing paper. I suppose I could take them out in Photoshop, but on the other hand, maybe they just add a little character.

Tasting notes: Rolleiflex SL66, 80mm f/2.8 Zeiss lens, expired Foma Retro 320.

Old Dog, New Tricks...

A few months back, I purchased a new old lens for the Rolleiflex SL66 -- the 80 mm f/4 Distagon. This lens has an interesting trick up its sleeve -- a leaf shutter, originally for syncing with studio lights. But for me, the lens, with its internal shutter, is part of the contingency plan for my old SL66. You see, if the camera's focal plane shutter ever craps out on me, I'm going to set it to bulb and rely on the leaf shutter for exposure... Anyway, I finally got around to testing the thing out the other day. Long story short, it is a marvelous lens, noticeably better optically than the 80 mm f/2.8.

Tasting notes: Ilford HP5+ exposed at ISO 800 and pushed two stops in DDX 1+4.

Diptych

Crepe myrtles and their shadows. Rolleiflex SL66 with the 80 mm f/2.8 lens.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Self-Portrait Ordeal

In retrospect, I'm not sure the venerable Rolleiflex SL66 is really the best choice as a self-portrait camera, but I still had a good time setting up this shot. The trick, of course, is to get at least something in the frame in acceptable focus, which, thankfully, I was able to do using only a single roll of Tri-X. I did end up cropping a bit to get a decent final composition. And I do really like the motion blur on the D-string and my hand and pizz finger. My left hand was responsible for actuating the shutter using an extra long release cable.  

Tasting notes: Rollei SL 66, 120 mm f/5.6 S-Planar lens, Tri-X.

Super Slow Nature Photography with a 60 Year Old Film Camera

When I first saw this negative, I was just a little disappointed that part of the mantis was slightly out of focus due to the shallow depth of field on medium format film. On the other hand, I was also pretty pleased with the image, considering I was hand holding a sixty year old Rolleiflex SL66 to get the shot. Luckily, I had a modern digital camera at hand to capture a tack sharp image of the scene. At the end of the day, though, the film image was my favorite photograph. You just can't beat the pentagonal bokeh of the old Rollei lenses.

Tasting notes: Rolleiflex SL66, Zeiss 120 mm f/5.6 S-Planar lens, Tri-X. 

Modify, modify, modify

I hate to admit it, but, over the years, I've picked up more than a few words of wisdom from my workout DVDs. I've been working with the same coach for over a decade now and it really is amazing how consistent his messaging has been. Also, he has not aged one iota in over a decade. I guess it has something to do with those nutritional shakes he peddles on the side. I suppose I should have ordered some, oh well, too late for me. At any rate, about a year ago, I decided to send the Rolleiflex SL66 in for service. It came back mostly looking and working fine, but it looks like a few of its quirks are simply beyond repair at this point. The slow shutter speeds are still slow. I don't have to use them very often, but when I do, I just tell myself they are about double what they are supposed to be. I'm accepting the fact that I'm working with a camera in its late middle age. Grandpa cam. But, as long as Bulb mode keeps working, I'll be able to expose negatives. 

Tasting notes: Rolleiflex SL66, 120mm f/5.6, Tri-X, HC110B.

I Know, I know. But It Really Is A Process

It may be a bit corny to say so, but really I hope you have the time to reflect on the art you made this year, as well as your goals for the next. Going back through your work and your archive of images can sometimes lead to pleasant surprises. (We're each on our own with the unpleasant re-discoveries). I'm trying hard to remember how I made this film image, but ... nada. It looks like a multiple exposure of some kind, but who knows, I didn't bother to write anything down about my process. And, for one reason or another, I passed over giving it much attention at the time it was made. Today it seems like a good way to end a somewhat unusual year.

Tasting notes: Rolleiflex SL66...

Happy Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas. 

Tasting notes: Rolleiflex SL66, 80mm f/2.8 lens, HP5+, DDX 1+4.

Kitschy

This old Christmas tree was one of my mother's favorite decorations. At least that is what I tell myself, since it is one of the last surviving items from those long gone days. It is precious to me in all of its kitschy goodness. Somehow, too, it reminds me of the old Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer animated show from the middle of the last century. This year, the funky little tree is sitting in front of a mirror in the living room. 

The bokeh comes from the Zeiss 80mm f/2.8 lens mounted on the period correct Rolleiflex SL66. It was shot on HP5+ and developed in DDX. I'm slowly getting in the holiday spirit.

Dealing with your hoarding through photography!

Sometimes you just have to stop thinking, pick up the damned camera, and start shooting. Being somewhat infatuated with my new digital workhorse -- the electronic marvel I recently purchased after selling every single underutilized piece of equipment I could find lying around the studio -- I hadn't used my beloved Rolleiflex SL66 that much in a while. So with no particular 'project' in mind, I simply grabbed a roll of Tri-X, loaded up, and started shooting. I had been thinking of thinning out my pile of old dead things, that, in addition to cluttering up the studio, were in great danger of becoming playthings for studio cat, so those ended up being my subject. And, it was interesting that creating a photographic catalog of all my crap made it easier to chuck this stuff out.

I hope your weekend is full of photography and interesting light.

How’d THAT happen? 😮

At a certain point in your photographic journey, you expect to see 12 decent images when you pull a roll of 120 out of the developing tank. Plus, you should be able to recall more or less what you did for each frame, especially if you develop the roll immediately after exposing it. So, I was pretty surprised when I saw this image on a roll of Tri-X. First, I don’t remember composing the image or pressing the shutter button. Then, it is apparent that nothing, and I mean nothing, is in sharp focus despite there also being almost no motion blur. Which means I misfocused, plain and simple. There are words for unpleasant bokeh like nervous or jittery. Also, pentagonal. So the image misses on all counts. Yet, in spite of, or maybe because of these qualities, I am a little bit fond of the final result. It’s a minor keeper, to coin a phrase.

Rolleiflex SL66, 80mm lens, Tri-X, Decaffenol.

De-caffenol for the win!

The first decaffeinated coffees were produced by extracting coffee beans with highly toxic organic solvents, including benzene and methylene chloride. You'd have to be forgiven for taking a pass on consuming such a beverage. Now, of course, safer means, such as extraction with supercritical carbon dioxide, are used, so brewing a cup of decaf using high quality beans totally makes sense when you want a good experience and don't want to risk the jitters. One thing I'll never understand, though, is decaffeinated instant coffee. Crappy coffee without the caffeine? Seems like a lose-lose proposition. 

My intent was simple. Purchase some inexpensive instant coffee and make a batch of Caffenol in order to compare the results to those I got recently using mint developer. Turns out that in my rush to make it through the grocery store as rapidly as possible, I inadvertently grabbed decaf instead of caf. Bummer! Well, no actually, not a bummer. I reminded myself that the active developing agent in Caffenol is caffeic acid, not caffeine. So, I forged ahead with the mistakenly purchased decaf. Relax and trust the science, bruh. Indeed! The results were fine and dandy, similar to my previous work with regular, jittery Caffenol. To boot, I reduced the total amount of instant decaf in the universe by a small amount. Ha!

Rolleiflex SL66, 80mm lens, Catlabs X 80 film, De-caffenol for 11 min. Less staining, and more contrast than mint, that is for sure, but good results with both. Nice to have two eco-friendly options to choose from.

Hope you have a lovely weekend. Give Decaffenol a try if you are so inclined!

Turning the Rolleiflex SL66 into a Holga

I shot a roll of Ilford HP5+ through the Rolleiflex SL66 yesterday afternoon. I had the 80mm f/2.8 lens mounted and was working without a tripod. With my current film back and holder set up, I can usually knock out 13 exposures on a roll of 120 film. I wanted to get that last exposure made so I could develop the roll. Just for fun, I set the upward tilt on the Rollei to its maximum value and composed this shot of our bottle tree with a pine tree in the background. Naturally, I was at f/2.8, too. With a late afternoon shadow falling on the right hand side of the frame, I knew I had the look I was after. I had effectively turned my state-of-the-art Rolleiflex into a Holga! Most of the time, I am trying to find ways to increase the depth of field, especially on medium format, but it is also fun to see what happens when you push the limits of the gear or medium.

Lensball lessons

It's taken about a year, but I'm finally able to talk without irony about the Lensball. Yes, it is kind of a gimmick, but it sure is fun and doesn't really cost that much, so who cares? Playing with my Lensball has taught me one important thing. Rather, it has reminded me of something important, the fact that optics are such a critical aspect of photography. I mean the physical properties of lenses, mirrors, windows, screens. All of it. The first time I looked through a lens as a child, I felt like Isaac Newton. 

This was the first photograph I made with my new Lensball using the Rolleiflex SL66. Since then, I've made other photographs on both film and digital that range from artful to Escher-esque. It's all good.

I never grow tired of flowers

I don't know how many supermarkets still have a florist, but I'm certainly glad that our local Publix does. Some of the arrangements are a little over the top for me and a few of the flower varieties are downright psychedelic, but there are always enough bouquets that are tastefully done to ensure that I can have nice subjects to photograph. One of the things that the Rolleiflex SL66 does particularly well is close ups. It focusses using a bellows and if that isn't enough, you can reverse the lenses (all are reversible). I even found a set of extension tubes for mine, so I am all set. The Zeiss 80mm f/2.8 is not clinically sharp close up, but it really worked well here, I think.

I never tire of having flowers around the house, I never tire of photographing them, and I never tire of looking at the photographs I make of them. That's just how I'm wired, I guess.

Why throw them away?

We had a lovely bouquet of red roses, and after they started to die, we hung the entire bouquet in a dark storage room for a couple of months to dry out. Why throw them away? I set them up in the studio on a darkish day. I had to stop down a lot to get a decent depth of field and, after taking exposure reciprocity failure into account, had to leave the shutter open for a full minute. I did a couple of frames just to be sure I got something with no movement. I still have the roses in my studio on a shelf to this day. Rolleiflex SL66, and 150mm f/4 Zeiss lens.

Preparing to garden

We had a little Spring 'disasterama' here, but everything worked out for the best in the end. My wife rightly decided to part ways with the landscaping service we'd used for a number of years, as their work was getting more than a little sloppy. In retrospect, early Spring is perhaps not the most convenient time to make a change like this. The last cold snap of the season has passed, and we are getting ready to garden in earnest. This photograph is a kind of material study. I really liked the relationship between the plywood, terra cotta, and concrete here. Rolleiflex SL66, Zeiss 120mm f/5.6 S-Planar Macro lens, Tri-X. Such a nice lens! I use a Maxwell bright screen in the Rollei, so focussing is very straightforward.

 

Shoot and eat

Last year, we did not see many artichokes in the grocery store. Not a high demand item in the best of times, and of course the pandemic did not help. I hope that changes this year. Sometimes it is nice to have a whole artichoke for dinner. It can be enough on a hot and humid evening. I photographed these two beauties right before preparing them to eat. I do that often enough that perhaps I should put together a book of these images. The provisional title would be Shoot and Eat. Captured using the Rolleiflex SL66 and the 150mm f/4 lens. That was my favorite lens prior to getting my hands on the 120mm S-Planar. I used a boutique film, Washi S. It is a sound recording film that gives an interesting look to the image.