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?

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…

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.

Where I’ve been..Medium Format Land

Hey everybody

If you’re from the east coast of the U.S. , hope you’re enjoying the weather as much as I am (not at all)

Just kidding!

I’ve recently gotten some emails from some readers of the blog on how much they enjoyed previous posts so I felt the need to tell you guys about what I’ve been up to lately

Firstly, i’d like to thank everyone who took the time out to check out my blog and posts. It is greatly appreciated

Now back to the what i’ve been up to..well, I seem to have caught the Medium Format photography bug 🙂

Oh, How I’ve Missed You Tri-X (and Leica M3!)

At a photography show a couple days ago in Hasbrouk Heights, NJ i found a seller with a couple rolls of Tri-X for a great price.

I decided to purchase some since i haven’t shot it in a long while

I’ve been shooting Ultrafine Xtreme 400 film almost exclusively for months now and decided i wanted to switch it up

As I’ve been watching numerous documentaries on both digital and film photography the feeling of inspiration has had my “trigger” finger ready to hit that shutter button 😉

So i put a day aside to take a number of rolls out with my Leica M3 and 50mm Summicron DR (oh how I’ve missed this combo too!)

What was planned as a casual day where maybe 1-2 rolls were shot ended up being 4-5 rolls lol

Eco Friendly Kodak XTOL Alternative?

So as many of you have heard (or read) from my previous posts, i’m currently involved in a love affair with Kodak XTOL developer.

Ever since i first mixed my own and viewed the results at 1:1, i was hooked.

You can find more info on my previous post about it HERE

In my beliefs, i think if you are ever interested (or obsessed lol) on a subject you go and research and learn and seek more info..get involved in discussions, read forums, etc..

This has led me to so many projects i’ve taken up on my own that definitely made me a better experienced photographer.

It even helped me to become a part of the sort of photography i felt most comfortable in, this being Street Photography.

My Venture with Kodak XTOL Developing

A lot of the time, It seems most everyone I speak to about photography just doesn’t understand why my main focus is in film photography.

I’m always hearing:

“Why are you going backwards?” “Why would you want to wait when you can get your results right now with digital?” “Forget that old school stuff, it only makes stuff harder for you”

I have a number of digital cameras that are more than capable of giving me the results I want AS FAR AS DIGITAL..but it still doesn’t compare to my love of film, it’s look and the process of it’s development.

With that being said, recently I took on a new project to take my experience with film even further and learn how to mix my own developer from powder.