Take Your Box Camera To Work Day

So February 29th, 2012 was marked as the Take Your Box Camera To Work Day, which is a small little celebratory day we had on Flickr.  The filmies out there that participated, myself, and several others, took our Box Cameras to work.
My cameras of choice, were, the Venerable Kodak Brownie Bullseye, and the Kodak Hawkeye Flash.

 

 Both cameras work remarkably well. And provided I remember to actually set the shutter on the Bulls-Eye to INSTANT it is capable of some really good images!

I haven't put Colour film through it, not that I don't want to, but I think I'll wait until the summer before I do that.

Sadly I worked that day, and we had really crappy weather.  It was raining, then snowing, back to rain, and sleet!  It was terrible... Cold, wet, windy, and just plain dismal!

I was shooting TMAX 100 in one camera and Ilford FP4 in the other.  The Ilford in the Bulls-Eye, and the TMAX in the Hawkeye.  Of course, due to such crappy weather, I had to push both films to 400ISO when developing.  Not a problem, as the developer of choice for the Ilford was XTOL at STOCK solution.  What great stuff that is!

The TMAX I used Rodinal at 1:100 for 75 minutes (and a slight swirl at 35 minutes).   Great combination and wonderful results over all...!

Looking forward to doing it all over again, but of course, I don't see it being a Feb. 29th day again... not for another 4 years ///!

And now for the images from the day..  Well, the Bullseye was a touch heavy, and having never used it before, or anything like it, I did get one excellent result.

The Hawkeye, well, that's a different story.  I've used a camera like it before, not quite the same, but similar.  Got very nice results with that one.  

 

Above 5 images - Kodak Hawkeye Flash w/Tmax 100 @ EI400 Souped in Rodinal 1:100 75 Minutes @20°C

 Above Image - Kodak Bullseye w/Ilford FP4 125 @400EV Souped In XTOL Stock Solution

A Walk Around Weston

A walk around Weston with my T80 coupled with a 28-135mm Vivitar, and my Spotmatic SPII (which apparently has a bum meter) coupled together with the FANTASTIC Carl Zeiss Jena T* 50mm ƒ/2.8 M42 Prime...  Wow!  Now I know why CZ glass is so sought after!  The funny thing is, though.  The lens protrudes too far into the camera, and when the mirror returns, it sometimes gets hung up on the lens.  Not badly, of course, but enough that the viewfinder remains blacked out.  Plus, it also doesn't allow the aperture pressure arm to move outwards, which causes the shutter to jam.  So to work around this, I had to make a paper gasket to keep it JUST far enough forward that it doesn't happen.  Well, the mirror still hangs up a touch, but otherwise it works perfect, and I've retained INF. focus, which is always important!

Garden Guardian
Pentax Spotmatic SPII
Carl Zeiss Jena T* 50mm ƒ/2.8
Polypan F 50ISO @EI200
Souped in Ilfosol 3 1:15 11 Minutes

Pine-Cone Village
Pentax Spotmatic SPII
Carl Zeiss Jena T* 50mm ƒ/2.8
Polypan F 50ISO @EI200
Souped in Ilfosol 3 1:15 11 Minutes

I was surprised to find this statue in someone's garden.  It's not so much that it's an odd statue in a garden, because you see that often enough.  But it just stuck out from its surroundings!  I mean, this garden was odd..  From this statue, to a "pine-cone" village.  It was just not something you'd expect to see..  I personally like the way this image turned out.  I really do like this lens, and wish I had the AUTO-APERTURE model instead, but 12 blade iris?  How can I ever complain!




As for my T80, that is a different story!  This camera just is a peach to use.  The simplicity of it is just incredible.  From the mechanical manual monstrosity of the SPII (which is a fantastic camera) to the automatic ease of the T80 is just night and day!  It's like the camera KNOWS what you want to do.  It's not a "Smart" program camera, but one that has different modes.  From FULL PROGRAM to Shallow DoF, Sport to Deep Field, it's just so much fun!

Spring Is Coming
Canon T-80 35mm SLR
Vivitar 28-135 ƒ/4 FD Wide-Angle ZOOM
Fuji NEOPAN SS 100
Kodak XTOL 1:1 + 4mL Rodinol

Spring is definitely coming.  a cluster of flowers pushing their way up to the sun, as if to deny the clutches of winter, and embrace the warm weather to come.
The odd thing is that my 28-135 doesn't stop down properly either.  The lens is great!  Really nice bokeh, excellent close focusing because of the macro ring, and a long range of zoom.  I mean 28mm to 135mm?  That's going from a Landscape to a Portrait!  How can you get better than that?






I'd like to try this lens with some portraits, this way I can really see how well it performs.  Sure, it's not the greatest lens in the world, and I have a pair of spectacular 135mm lenses, which are much faster for this mount, but this lens even has the 85mm portrait length.  Perhaps in the very near future I will try it out for some portaits, especially outdoor portraits!

Spear Point
Canon T-80 35mm SLR
Vivitar 28-135 ƒ/4 FD Wide-Angle ZOOM
Fuji NEOPAN SS 100
Kodak XTOL 1:1 + 4mL Rodinol

 This lens is dangerously sharp when you want it to be, and nicely soft where you need it.  I do need to give it a proper workout one day, with a mix of landscape shots, to macros and closeups, to Portaits.  Ah, the joys of Wide-Angle zooms.  The best aspect to this lens, is I bought it for $10.00!

That's not a bargain, that's just a deal I will take all day, any day!

Thanks for stopping by!


As always, you can always visit my Flickr pages here

The Toronto Internation Autoshow

One of my favorite times of year is when the Autoshow comes to town.  What a fantastic place to visit.
Considering that the most influential invention that has changed the way we live is the Automobile.
 What other item in life do we use more?

This year was no disappointment, with the most anticipated cars being shown, from the 2012 Chevrolet Volt, 2013 Ford Focus & Escape, the new Hyundai Genesis, and even a big-shot as the Bugatti Veyron.
We can never forget out Italian ladies, such as the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640.


Shot on Canon EOS ELAN II w/28-90mm ƒ/4-5.6 on Fuji Superia 200ISO film

But personally, I really think the highlight section of the show was the Triumph Gallery.  Dozens of fully restored Triumph cars, the British Sports Car.

Like the TR4 and TR6, just beautiful pieces of history!
 





Shot on Pentax K-1000 w/SMC 50mm ƒ/2 K on Kodak TMAX100 @EI 200 developed in Ilfosol 1+9 8 Minutes 


Even though the Triumph cars were one of the Shows highlights, I must say, without the Nissan GT-R this show just wouldn't be complete.  I mean, how can you have an auto-show without the car that outperforms the Porsche 911?

 
Canon EOS ELAN II w/28-90mm ƒ/4-5.6 on Fuji Superia 400

Until next year!

Or for more images, check out my set at Flickr.  -->  Toronto Autoshow

Down At The Tracks

Perhaps it's a fascination in us all, or perhaps it's just in me.  I love trains, and just about anything to do with them.  Sadly, I have not yet been able to find a locale that I can do a lot of shooting of trains, but at least nearby there are some nice tracks. 

They're currently widening a section of tracks here, and causing quite the construction mess.  Thankfully they have moved away, mostly, from the streets.
It isn't the only location that they are doing work, as there is much moer being done further away, as they expand the Transit system.

Sure, it's not a subway system to help this congested and commuter clogged city, but at least it's a step in the right direction!




Above images shot on Agfa Optima 1a w/45mm  ƒ/2.8 Color-Agnar Lens & Polypan F 50ISO B&W film Developed in Kodak XTOL 1:1 9:30 @20°C

And at the end of the day, it matters not as the sun sets upon the city...  We can sit back and relax knowing that we will have a better transit system for it...

So one more parting image to show the sun coming to rest at the end of a long day.

>
Taken on Agfa Optima 1A w/45mm ƒ/2.8 Color-Agnar lens & Polypan F 50ISO B&W Film Developed in Kodak XTOL 1:1 9:30 @20°C

A Sad Day In Toronto....

Today was a sad day indeed.  After 57 years of servicing Toronto with their photographic expertise and experience, Silvano Colour Lab has closed its doors for good.

As they succumb to the crushing weight of the Digital Era with lack of prints and the press of less and less film processing, they have decided that it is time to end their time in the city.  Without plans to reopen their doors in a smaller location, it truly is a dark day for Toronto, and the film industry.

The cloud cover and dismal lighting suited the feel of the day, as I look back and remember, fondly, the enjoyment I received from having their lab process and mount my Slides, or the sheer amazement when I was handed over the prints for clients and family.

Thank you Silvano, you will truly be missed!


Shot on Agfa Optima 1a w/45mm ƒ/2.8 Color-Agnar lens & Polypan F 50ISO film souped in Kodak XTOL 1:1 for 9.5 minutes.