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

Rangefinder Love: Fuji GW690III

Today I’d like to tell you about a camera I’m slowly beginning to fall in love with

I think in part due to the fact it reminds me of my time with the Leica M when I first really started to delve deep into film photography but in a much larger format

It’s definitely not a camera that can fit in your pocket, but what you sacrifice you portability, you gain in image quality and resolution

The camera I’m speaking of is the Fuji GW690III, a fixed lens medium format film rangefinder

If you’ve never seen what one looks like, it’s basically a Leica M on steroids with some differences since it was designed by Fuji and not Leica

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..

Ever Feel Frustrated with your Photography?

How many people have truly been frustrated or annoyed when looking over their own works?..

I know I have

It seems as though the more I learn and explore, I keep chasing this unattainable goal of satisfaction within myself to get where I want to be in my photos

Every so often you’ll get the very kind and humbling responses from others that view your work but deep inside it doesn’t feel like enough

You know it can be so much better

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…

DIY Rodinal

Rodinal is one of the most popular and  widely used black and white film developers in the world.

It has been used by some of the greatest film photographers for its look, feel and amazing shelf life.

Often lasting years when kept in ideal conditions, you don’t need much of it to develop your film as its dilution ratios are much less compared to most film developers

My primary use of it, as well as many other photographers, has been for pushing certain films to higher ISOs using stand development techniques.

Rodinal’s performance with stand development has given me some amazing shadow detail and sharpness in images, specifically with films such as Kodak Tri-X and Ilford HP5.

The history of Rodinal hasn’t been paved in gold unfortunately..as its formula was in danger but saved due to its sale to other companies a couple times

Two Film Formats at Once

Hello Everyone!

Been a while i know…i’ve been up and down, left and right and all over the place lately.

Felt it was time for a much needed update 🙂

I recently did a shoot with a friend at his apartment to test out a new lens for my Pentax 645n and also to get more used to shooting in low light conditions.

We agreed that we would use one light source only, dimly lit, so when i would push the film there would be more shadow details.

I also decided to bring along my Leica M2, which i haven’t used in a while and was happy to have out with me.

It was kind of interesting having them both in my hands and switching between the two.

The Voigtlander Nokton 50mm F1.5 VM Lens

Every Leica shooter (or M mount rangefinder shooter) often dreams of getting their hands on one of those Summilux or Noctilux lenses to put on their camera.

They are of the finest craftsmanship and are legendary for performance and durability. People literally spend insane amounts of money to get one, or even a couple!

Like this will all of a sudden put you in the league of Henri Cartier Bresson or Gary Winogrand or any of those Leica greats we often read about and study

I have even found myself trying to justify selling a limb or every thing I cherish to purchase one lol..