Tough Decisions Towards Better Photography

Good morning, afternoon and evening everyone!

Hope all is well with you all

I have a very interesting circumstance to speak to you about

The first couple of months of this year have been a bit hectic for me

My birthday passed, i took a break from shooting film, i finally got settled in at my new home, moved some stuff around at job and worked on some things with family

And also….sold off all my digital photography gear..

Caffenol CL vs. Kodak HC110 😵

Hello Everyone,

My apologies on the time between posts lately as I’ve just moved to a new place and also got a quick mini-vaca in recently (more on that later) from work

As mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been developing ALL my black and white film with Caffenol (specifically Caffenol CL) in place of all the chemicals I used to use

I mostly shoot Kodak Tri-X, ilford HP5 and also the Lomo Earl Gray films these days. All have been developed in Caffenol mixtures

I was very serious about being happy (also a bit shocked) about the results I was seeing

But is it really as good as I’ve been viewing it or has the romance between this developer and I finally ended?

Finally! Caffenol CL

Ladies and Gentlemen and all readers of this blog, I finally decided to do it

You’ve probably already read a previous post where I mention this very dedicated group of individuals who use Coffee to develop film (more accurately Coffee, Vitamin C and Washing Soda)

If you’d like to catch up by reading that previous post, here is the LINK

After some searching on the inter webs, I located the holy grail for all things Caffenol, http://www.caffenol-cookbook.com/index.php

It’s chock full of recipes, tips, and other great resources

How the Fuji XPro1 Slowed Me Down..

Hi Guys,

Hope all is well out there with you all in Internet Land

I’m writing this now to speak to you about 2 things:

One being my recent decision to move on from Micro 4/3rd Photography, and the other my experience with the Fuji XPro-1

Yes I’ve moved on from the Panasonic Lumix GX7 and the system i had put together

Pushing Ilford Delta 400

Hello Ladies and Gents

Hope all is well!

As of late, I’ve been doing lots of shooting with Ilford HP5 (bulk rolled) with HC-110 developer.

I use in both 35mm and 120 formats, the 120 is amazing especially when pushed with Rodinal or Pyro PMK

I really do enjoy that film and it works great for me, and as a matter of fact..when I really think about it, it’s possible Ilford HP5 is my favorite B&W film ever!

Actually, I think Ilford as a company may be making most of my favorite film products

Not a surprise since they’ve been dedicated to top notch film stuff for decades

So back to the subject..

My love for HP5 lead to me wanting to try out its brother, Delta 400, who i’ve heard great things about and have minimal experience with honestly..

My Trip to New Orleans with the Holga 120, Leica M2 and M8

Hello everyone!

Not long ago I was fortunate enough to have saved enough $$$ for something I’ve been planning on doing for a long while.

A trip down to the “Big Easy” New Orleans, Louisiana!!

Once I felt comfortable with funds 🙂 I went forward and made reservations for the flight and hotel stay

Now, this trip was not just for vacation, but also to spend some time solely dedicated to photography.

During my planning for the trip, a couple things went through my mind..

Purchasing Expired Film: Hit or Miss?

If you’re anything like me, you do a daily Ebay hunt to get those super deals from unsuspecting sellers who may not know how much the item they are selling is really worth.

From time to time, i truly strike GOLD and come across things I’ve been searching for for a long while AT CRAZY PRICES.

One of my most frequent searches is film, either 35mm or 120, since this is primarily what I shoot.

Recently, I came across not just one but TWO deals on film..my luck was on fire..or at least i was thinking this when i purchased the items.

There was only one catch with both films, they were both expired…

Bulk Loading and Kentmere 400 Film

Lately I’ve been watching videos about bulk loading and how much it saves financially for those who shoot 35mm film heavily

I’ve always been interested in loading my own film cartridges, as well as trying out Kentmere 400 film.

I heard it’s very good in low light and can be pushed pretty well (i push to 1600 a lot so i wanted to see it in action)

I placed an order with B&H for a 100ft roll of Kentmere film and about 10 film cartridges. I purchased an AP Bulk Loader from Freestyle Photo, since the video here is using that similar model, and began shooting when i got outside

The Leica M8 and I

Hi everybody,

Recently I had the opportunity to purchase a used Leica M8 for a reasonable price..well…reasonable by Leica body standards, and in pretty good condition too!

I had never shot a digital rangefinder before, I mean aside from a quick tryout at a photo store I pass by frequently, so I decided to purchase this cam and add to the collection 

I am very excited to put this camera through my regular “street walks exercise” that i usually do with my film cameras most of the time.

Now as many of you know, this was Leicas first attempt at delving into the digital market..so it had its fair share of issues.

DIY Rodinal Part 2

My next test for the Homemade Rodinal formula included a bunch of Ilford Delta 400, my Leica M2 and the Summicron 50mm F2 Dual Range 🙂

I have to say i was very excited to view these results as this was the first time i did a full day of street shooting with a certain vision in my mind in a long while.

I had pictured a more gritty type of feel to each picture, even though these images were test shots, i was very happy to see that those images in my mind were being successfully transferred through my hands, into the camera and onto the film

These were all shot using NO METER (aside from my head) in a number of different lighting conditions.