My First Month with Film

So...I am one month into my film experiment and I thought I'd take some time to share some images and some initial impressions.  

First, I love it. Love it. Love it. Love it. I love the feel of the images. I love the look of the images. I love slowing down a bit. I love finishing the roll followed by the mystery of waiting to see the images. I've shot several different films already and I love them all. My favorites being Tri-X 400 and Portra 400.

Second, I hate it. I can't stand that I it takes so long to get through a roll of film. In my first several rolls I frequently want to switch back and forth between black & white and color films. I'm sure some would say just shoot color and convert digitally to black and white while others may say you should only shoot black & white. I like both. 

Third, I find it interesting that in the past month, I have printed more images than the last 2 years combined. That just isn't right. Seriously, I've shot less than 500 images on film in 2012 and something like 40,000+ digital images in 2010 & 2011 and I've got more to show for those 500 than the previous two years combined.

Anyway, those are my initial impressions. I'm still going forward with this project because I believe it is making me a better photographer.

I thought I'd also share a few thoughts on my Bessa R4A and 21mm Cosina Voigtlander lens. This is my first forray into a rangefinder camera. Overall, I am very pleased with the kit. While it took me a bit to get used to the focus method of the dual rangefinder images becoming one, I have gotten a handle on it and have grown accustomed to it. In fact, I really like it. The Bessa functions well. The only thing I've noticed is that I struggle to find the AE lock button on the back. I think I will add a little mine grip/texture to it. I also find that I'm still trying to figure out how to meter the overall image when set in A. A few of my images have come across pretty dark.

The only other thought I have is about the 21mm f4 Cosina Voigtlander lens. It is very, very sharp. The quality is very good. The focus action is so smooth and I like the stepped aperture ring. My only comment here is that it doesn't focus close enough for how I shoot wide angle. I like to get close to subjects and I am finding that I can't quite get close enough. It isn't a huge deal, but it is noticable as I've had to step backwards frequently so I can get the camera in focus. I guess I've trained myself a bit differently and it's taking some time to retrain. I may give a try to something like a 25 or 28mm. We'll see.

Now....enough talk. How about some pictures? 

 

And this last images goes out to my friend Kid Riemer who's racing Arrowhead 135. Go get 'em Kid! Good luck to all racers!

One month of film down, 11 more to go!

Denali - In full view

I sat down to write about this past weekend where my wife and I attended a retreat out near Red Wing Minnesota. I wanted to write about the vastness of the silence of the villa as well as the peace and joy I experienced while away. However, when I sat down to write I saw the new film & slide scanner sitting next to my computer and I jumped into digging through old boxes of film and slides. That's how my simple mind works and wonders.

I immediately went back to my old Alaska to Utah bike tour of the 90's. I shot color slides and black & white film. I have done little with these precious images and memories. In fact, I bet I've only printed about 1/10th of the images I captured. Well....the time has come to delve into the past and start rehashing those memories.

It will take me a while to really get this all figured out, but I am going to spend some time scanning images and see if I can put together some stories worth telling. Until then, here is my first lo res scan. Shot on T-Max with my old Pentax 35mm film camera.  I know I need to learn how to clean the negatives and do some touch up afterward but I thought I'd share my starting point. It also adds a bit of a vintage feel to the image. Hope you enjoy.

Denali - In full view

I call this image In full view. Denali had eluded us for some time and on this day, we got our first perfect glimpse of the full mountain. I find the hardest thing is to gauge the size of something like Denali. Imagine that snow line being roughly 5-8,000 ft. Simply incredible.

So...Lot's more to come as I process and scan images. I can't wait.

Getting it back

Last week I felt it coming back. My desire to ride. My desire to photograph. My desire to create. While I often talk about bikes here, it is not all that I do nor all that I am working on. While my passion is bicycle photography, I am trying to work on my portrait skills and build a nice portrait collection.

With this newfound energy I grabbed my camera and decided to do a few photographs at the horse stable where my daughter and her close friend are taking lessons. It proved to be a great choice. I had so much fun and despite very challenging light, I was able to capture some portraits that I am really pleased with. Here are a few of my favorites.

All of these shots were shot at either f2 or f2.8@ISO1600 with available light

In the end, I was so pleased I did this. Shooting something new and working on a new thing really got me going. Sometimes all it takes is a little change or a little challenge to get things going again. Since this day, I've had a few really good creative days in both my work and in my photography hobby.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed something just a little bit different. I'll be back to bikes shortly but don't be surprised if you see a few landscape shots this week too. 

2010 In Pictures - Five

ISO 400 - f5.6 - 1/125th

Today I start my nature & landscape series.   While most of my photography involves bikes & the people riding them, I also love to shoot landscapes and nature.    These are shots from around the USA that simply show the beauty of the land I live on.   

Will I see in color or black & white?

I'm hitting the river early this morning before work.  I plan on doing a nice loop in the cool crisp air.   The temp should be right around freezing.   I love riding at this temp in the fall.   The air is fresh and sharp.  The air is filled with the wet leaves smell.   The environment is filled with color and texture.   The only question I've got as I head out in the dark is when the sun comes up, will I be seeing things in color?  

Or will I be seeing in black & white?  

I'm so thankful to be riding again.  My creative spirit is flowing.   The fall colors are stunning right now but I am seeing so many things in black & white.   I've been inspired by the Adventure Monkey to try different crops and experiment with trying to capture my mood when I took each picture.  I think these are the first two square format pictures I've put on the Gnat blog in at least 1000 pictures.

OK....That's enough.  I need to head out on my little morning adventure.   Have a nice day.