Fall is for Film?

During the doggiest days of summer, I find that I do not really want to shoot film. I guess I've gotten enough bad shots in bad light that I don't really need to repeat that experience anymore. So, I tend to reach for a digital camera instead. But as the season slowly changes over to fall, I start to think more seriously about shooting film again. 

I think the Nikkormat FS might just be the perfect film camera to take with you on a walk for some casual shooting. Just to keep your eye in as they say. It is a real no ups, no extras kind of camera. Bare bones, sufficient. On this afternoon, it was loaded with Foma 100 and I had a period correct 50 mm f/2 on the front. The FS is not burdened with a built in light meter, so I made my exposures using the Sunny 16 rule. I developed the Foma in DDX developer and got 36 decently exposed negatives. Mostly the photographs were pretty boring, though, and to my further dismay, it looks like my manual focusing skills are a little bit rusty. 

Tattoo U

Out photographing before business hours, watching the start of the day unfold, shadows on a storefront catch my eye. Sometimes images are intended to stand alone; other times, you know they will be part of a sequence. A sequence that may not even exist yet. A kind of visual modulation. In the meantime, a pleasant enough experience.

A Chance Encounter With Beauty

When I saw the leaves and their shadows, my first thought was that some artistically inclined person had pinned them up above their studio door. I had noticed the regular spacing... But, it turned out to be a simple dead vine that had grown toward the sun. Either way, worthy of a photo. The light was so nice yesterday after the heavy rain. Not typical for July at all.

Something Exotic

In a few months, when summer is here in full force, this old boathouse will look like it was painted with a faded dull green enamel that was purchased at the local hardware store on closeout. I would probably not bother to take a second look. But in the clean afternoon Spring light yesterday, the color appeared to be a dark turquoise, something exotic and definitely worth stopping to photograph. A reminder to shoot often in this time of sweet light.

Yesterday, for a change of pace, my wife and I decided to walk in a local State Park rather than around the block like we usually do. I was armed with the Canon G1-X, a widely loathed camera from a decade ago. Candidly, I have a bit of a soft spot for despised cameras. It only took a decade, but for $175, I guess it was worth the wait. Sorry haters, it is a fine instrument to take with you on a hike as long as you remember a spare battery.

Untethered

You never know what you are going to see when you walk out the door, even if it is just for a quick turn around the block. So, I am glad I had a well-worn Panasonic Lumix LX-3 with me when I came across two FedEx trucks in a docking configuration. The LX-3 is an old digicam from the late aughts, a period of time when many of us humans were still somewhat sanguine about the role of technology in our lives. At any rate, the camera made quite a splash, and was pretty expensive, too, retailing for between $400-$500 according to the internet. I think it was one of the first digicams to have a super wide lens (24mm equivalent). Of course, that is roughly the field of view of many phone cameras these days. It gives the beloved 'real estate' stretch toward the edges of the frame, but also makes your face look thinner in selfie mode, so there's that. These days you can find these little cameras for under $50 if you look around. Honestly, it still takes pretty decent images and is a fun little snap shooter. And, you can just leave your phone at home for a change.

Tasting notes: Shot in RAW and converted to black and white later.