Category: Articles
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Why didn’t you search before asking the question? Or, how to fix the online photography community
Some weeks ago a recent film photographer interviewee of mine reminded me of a problem that feels old as film photography itself: the negative way in which certain genuine requests for information are handled. You can read my sign-off in the link below for some initial thoughts on this but in case you don’t want…
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5 Frames… With Fomapan 400 Action (EI 400 / 35mm format / Olympus Pen EED)
I am a huge fan of half-frame cameras. I like to compose with the ‘portrait’ finder which is the default in all half-frame cameras except the Yashica Samurai family. It trains my eye to see in a different way for a while, which is good practice for a photographer. I bought the Pen EED for…
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Shoot Instax Square on your Hasselblad with the #HVSQ Ver.2
Shenzhen based photographer John Yang has recently announced the second version of his Instax Square film back for the Hasselblad V-System, dubbed the #HVSQ Ver.2 and has opened pre-orders for the device on his website.
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Making “VIRUS”: A tintype stop motion animation
“You know me, if something bothers my mind, I have to make art out of it. Sadly at this moment, it’s the virus — COVID-19 — so I put my thoughts and feelings onto seven wet plates to make a stop motion animation.” Regular readers will no doubt be familiar with Markus Hofstaetter through my…
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5 Frames… in Iceland with 16-year expired Fujifilm FUJICHROME Velvia RVP (EI 50 / 120 format / Yashica-635)
Last summer my girlfriend and I went on a 14-day trip to Iceland. I Packed four Cameras, a Yashica-635, Leica P, Olympus MJU, and Sony A7R II, along with three types of films: Kodak Portra 400, Fujifilm Velvia (RVP), and Kodak T-MAX 400 but the real JAM was my original Fujifilm FUJICHROME Velvia (RVP). a…
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5 Frames… With Kodak Tri-X 400 (EI 1600 / 35mm format / Nikon F5)
I think Kodak Tri-X 400 might be one of the most mystical film stocks ever produced. For more than 70 years of its production, it has covered almost all of the history of the 20th century folowing WW2. Its flexibility to tolerate push-processing makes it a favourite of photojournalists of the film era. One of…
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5 Frames… With 15-year expired Kodak KODALITH Ortho Film 6556 (EI 12 / 35mm format / Nikon N90S)
I knew this film existed, but it was not until 2016 when a friend showed up in my studio with this box as a gift that I saw it. Yes, it a box, not a can, if you haven’t seen it. A black box, similar to the ones Kodak sells 16mm film, self-sealing box, probably…
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The Paradox of cluttered contact sheets
Contact sheets are a fantastic resource for film photographers, and can also be used by digital artists – although applying these ideas to a digital workflow can often distort the result (but I’ll come back to this later).
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Say hello to SilvergrainClassics, the new name for PhotoKlassik International magazine
PhotoKlassik International is now SilvergrainClassics! But let me reassure everyone right away that the quality and nature of the content has not changed, only the name!
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5 Frames… At a steam traction engine rally with Kodak T-MAX 400 (EI 400 / 120 format / Pentax 67II)
I came back into film in 2016 after a ten-year break, initially resurrecting my 1981 Pentax ME Super which I’ve had from new.
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Travelogue: People of Myanmar, the Kayan and Kayah…
The Kayen and the Kayah. Two groups of people who live in the south-east of Myanmar, formally known as Burma. Living in the rich mountainous landscapes full of teak and minerals, together with many other subgroups they are named the Karenni… It feels like time has stood still in this part of the world. A…
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5 Frames… With Kodak Portra 400 (EI 400 / 120 format / Fujifilm GA645 Professional)
My utmost congratulations to the person who led Fujifilm’s GA645 Professional project, as it was built with decades of forward-thinking in mind. It was made for Instagram because the Fuji 645 shoots portrait by default thus making things counter-intuitive. Anyway, a roll of 120 will land you 16 shots, and loading and unloading are possibly…
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ILFORD Photo film quality feedback and replacement program announced
The UK’s ILFORD Photo, manufacturers of black and white films such as HP5 PLUS, FP4 PLUS and Delta Professional released a statement today regarding defects found on certain 120 medium format photographic film products. From the statement: Over the last couple of months, we have noticed an increased number of customers posting their concerns on…
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5 Frames… With Rollei Retro 400S (EI 400 / 35mm format / Olympus XA4)
I’d shot this film a few times earlier in 2019, with some very pleasing results in 120 format from my Minolta Autocord, and some less pleasing ones from my Nikon F75 and 24mm f/1.8G. The latter was shot in midsummer Maltese sunshine, but did come out basically black OR white! This made me wonder if…
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What is exposure? How to use light meters in film photography
Getting your exposure right is the first priority in making a photograph and comes before almost any other decision after the initial idea for a shot. Nowadays though, it is hardly given a thought. With many cameras making the basic choice, the photographer only needs to decide if any adjustment should be made to achieve…
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5 Frames… With ILFORD XP2 SUPER (EI 1600 / 120 format / Mamiya 645 AFD)
These photos are of a friend/coworker of mine. Since his roommate’s work had just received a RED Cinema camera and a set of Atlas anamorphic lenses that they were renting, he and his roommate had the idea to do a video shoot of a McRib deal in a warehouse to test out the camera and…
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5 Frames… With Lomography LomoChrome Purple XR 100-400 (EI 400 / 35mm format / Contax G1)
A few months ago I was heading to Europe for a few weeks. I needed a trusty camera that would allow me complete control but also auto settings that gave me the freedom to capture images without much thought. My buddy Joe suggested the Contax G1 since he’d purchased one earlier in the year. I…
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Blue Planet: Come dip your toe into the Cyanotype ocean
Artist and teacher Christina Z. Anderson refers to cyanotypes (also known as Sun prints) as a “gateway drug” for alternative photography. As in, stick a toe in that deep blue ocean and next thing you know you’ve turned your basement into a dim room, McGyvered a UV exposure box out of an old tanning lamp,…
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The Hypersensitive Podcast Episode 09: The “religion” of film, photographic self-indulgence and other musings…
Recorded on February 7th, Hamish and I managed to fill an hour and forty minutes with pure photography talk. No commentary on society, politics, nothing but photography. We think it’s a first but can’t really be bothered to go back and listen to the last eight episodes to confirm. Yes, the latest Hypersensitive Photographers Podcast…
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Photoset: No curtain call – ILFORD HP5 PLUS at EI 3200
A WORLD OF ITS OWN. A GLIMPSE BEYOND THE APPARENT. SHOT ON ILFORD HP5, EI. 3200 PER USUAL, THE ATTENTION IN A THEATER IS FOCUSED ON SOME KIND OF HUMAN ACTION – ACTING – WITH THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE VERY BASE FOR IT ALL COVERED IN BLACK VELVET AND PAINT, SEALED OFF AND HIDDEN…