Algonquin Park - Pog Lake

In 2015, for Labour Day, which just so happens that it corresponds with my anniversary with my beautiful wife +Donna Bitaxi, we took our family to Algonquin Park, which is absolutely stunning. The sights, the smell and the sounds of this place is incredible. The silence can be breathtaking, but the hiking, swimming and canoeing here is another life worth living.

When we were there I took a few photos with my lovely vintage Miranda Sensorex EE 35mm SLR that I got from friend and fellow photographer, +Alex Luyckx. He is also co-host and founder of the +Classic Camera Revival Podcast and blog. Loaded with Fujichrome Provia 100F I was shooting very carefully to try not to lose a single image to carelessness. Granted I did lose a few here and there, just because I was a bit too excited to shoot it.  Not 100% sure the camera was working quite up to snuff, but knowing that the light seals were solid (replaced them before taking it away with me) I figured Slide Film was the best choice.  However the film was left in my fridge after exposing since Labour Day (It's now May 20th, 2016) and it has just been processed.
They are like lost little treasures, like the rekindling of memories forgotten.
One of the biggest reasons not having instant gratification is good. Because when the memories are just golden moments in your life and you see them again for the first time in front of you, it is like reliving that moment all over again and getting the rush of emotions with them.

This is a trip we hope to repeat again.  There is no feeling like the feeling of being in the great outdoors.. Just you and nature. It just feels so good.

There was great swimming there, as can be seen in the above image. My two boys, not seen here, were racing on ahead to get beside the lake. Although the light waa fading fast, we still wanting a moment or three out by the water. There was expected to be a bit of a meteor shower.  However, as fate would have it, the sky clouded over and we got a rain shower instead.  That put a damper on the evening, so we spent the rest of the time relaxing in our tent until sleep overtook us.

Until next time we get up there to take a few more shots of the splendor of Algonquin.

Keep those shutters firing!

Svema Photo-125 C-41

This is not the first post I have done on the Svema 125ASA C41 film.  It's fantastic!

I can easily compare it to Portra 160 for smoothness and grain structure.  But for colour palette, it is in a league of its own.  Portra 160 is wonderful, absolutely, but I will have to say that this Svema film makes it look pale in comparison.

After seeing the way it renders landscapes, I will never shoot Portra 160 again!  It just seems to be missing that little bit of something for it.
Portraits? Well, I cannot compare.  Sadly I haven't seen how this Svema 125 works with portraits under proper controlled light, but I'm sure it probably does very well.

The first roll I shot was in my T90, and I gave it as much of a fighting chance to prove itself as I could. Rated +1EV and slapped a very damn good (and sharp) lens in front of it (Vivitar 28mm ƒ/2.5).  The images were nothing short of stunning.

However, I loaded roll #2 in my Ricoh Mirai 35-135 camera.  This thing is bizarre!  Looking more like a weapon from the future, it is very well designed. The lens is one of the best lenses I've used as a Zoom!

So using the funniest looking camera in my collection, I have captured one of the best images I've taken of a flower, or any other kind of plant life..

There's a reason I rarely take out this camera.. I'm scared that one day I'll have an accident with it and be left without it.

It's just such a damn good camera!  Optically, and functionally...

Until next time.. Keep those shutters firing!

First post of 2015 - Stay Tuned.. More are coming!!

Three Stops of the Yashica Electro M5

I got my hands on a rare camera. Rare, as in to common, but not Rare as in "sought after". In fact, this camera isn't highly sought after, even though it is, perhaps, one of the rarest of the Yashica Electro series cameras. Then again, many of the Yashica Electro cameras aren't really sought after, but they do have very nice lenses. That said, there isn't anything special about this rangefinder, except for the three-stops of depth. ƒ/2.8 (Wide open/Indoor setting) ƒ/8 at the "cloudy" setting, and finally at around ƒ/16 for the, yup.. you guessed it, "Sunny" setting. So here are how the three stops affect the depth of field and sharpness..

So, using some Fuji Superia 200 film, I popped into my back yard to test out the camera's settings.  So here is a great and simple way to see how the stops are.

At the INDOOR setting (Wide open at ƒ/2.8)

At the "Cloudy" setting (around ƒ/8)

At the "Sunny" setting, or around ƒ/16

So that's it.  The three stops of the Yashica Electro M5.  As you can see, the bokeh is pleasant for the most part when it is wide open, and sharpness doesn't increase much at ƒ/8.  All that ƒ/16 does is give it more depth of field.  But aside from that, you are pretty much as sharp as it'll get at the Cloudy setting.  So long as you aren't using anything faster than 200 or 400 speed film, you can pretty much get away with the Cloudy setting for just the right amount of depth.

And since it meters through the lens mount (CdS cell is right above the lens), it'll also meter through any filters.

All in all, it isn't a bad camera, but I can clearly see why it is not a highly sought after camera, except by hard-core Yashica Electro collectors.

Until next time, keep those shutters firing!

FilmPhotography Project - SVEMA 125 C-41 film

Recently I was sent a batch of new films in the FPP vault.  Some B&W, some colour.
The Colour films included some Hawkeye Traffic Surveillance film, and some fantastic SVEMA 125ASA C-41 film.  This stuff has a really bizarre colour palette, and some lovely grain.  It's a really impressive film, actually..
Well, being the first time I was shooting it, I decided to load it into my T90 and set the camera to use ASA64.  1 stop over, why not!  It's how I roll..!So I went about my business shooting the roll with abandon.  Travelling with a group of film shooting nuts, like +Alex Luyckx and Ori Carmona, including one Sara Mir, who out of nowhere produced a Yashica-A TLR!  It was like magic!  I turned around, and there is was in her hand.  So I quickly focused in my Canon T90 (with a Vivitar 28mm ƒ/2.5 mounted) and snapped off this photo.  I angled the lens just enough so that I saw the light flaring across the lens, and just had that feeling.. "BANG" I nailed the shot that'll really capture the moment.

Sometimes the light is just perfect the moment you focus in the image, and using the T90's legendary SPOT metering system, and setting a relatively wide aperture, it was just perfect!

I almost always use the camera in Manual or Aperture priority mode, and this time the Aperture Priority mode really nailed what I was after.
Perfect light, perfect shadow..
And a flare that will set this photo apart from the rest

Sure I got some images of others that day, like Alex, who is always sporting his killer WWII style trench coat. He was also sporting a fancy looking Contax G2 camera.

Naturally when we left, another photographer sporting a Leica M5 just so happened to notice his G2 and quickly stated, "I love that camera!"
So, yeah, I can't deny, it really is a sweet looking picture taker!

Well, we were hiking through the wonderful place known as "HIGH PARK" and discussing all sorts of things during the walk, from Digital Negatives, alternative processes, and Alex's new found love of Pyrocat PMK!

Seeing his TXP320 work for his 52-sheet project, I can't deny his love of that developer!

WOW!...  It really is a lovely mix.  Then again, TXP320 in 4x5 is an awesome film.  Beautiful grain, and a tonal range that makes your heart beat just a little bit faster.  Yup, it's a gorgeous film, we can all agree on that!

This film, however, the Svema 125, is about as good as the FN64 was in B&W.  I haven't posted my blog on the FN64 yet, but lets put it this way.  It's absolutely incredible!  I have some lovely images using that film, and it's just... wow!  I have been looking for it in 120 as well.  It's just too good NOT to use in 120!  35mm is fantastic, so 120 will be... out of this world?

So that said, the colour film is just as good!
Sure it's grainier than you'd expect from a medium speed 125ASA film, but honestly, it's a nice grain! Smooth, and easily enjoyed, especially with a splash of yum for the colour tones.  What a colour palette on this film.  It reminds me of a mix between Kodak Gold, and Fuji Superia, with a slice down the middle.  Has great warmth, like GOLD does, but yet a funny cast to it.  Almost like its Magenta layer is in bed with the Green Layer, letting the Cyan layer run free.
It has a green cast to it, and at the same time, really doesn't have a "ORANGE" backing like most of the other C-41 films.
After processing, it almost had a "Cross Processed" hue to it.
Perhaps this film can be XPRO'd in E6 chemicals for a very interesting slide?
I'll have to try it using the +Kelly-Shane Fuller method of E6 processing, where you use B&W chems, then fog and C-41 the rest..
Never know, it might very well be some weird palette E6 film as well!

 Here's the thing, though.  Through some colour balancing, you can get a pretty accurate rendering of the colours from the day, or a true-to-life feel to the images.  The tones are wonderful, and the contrast on this film is fairly soft, which is nice.
Scanning is really simple, but honestly, scanning is only half-the fun of the film.  What it really boils down to is the print.  This film would probably be great for making some RA4 prints, but I just don't think I'll ever get into that style of printing.
But B&W Silver gelatin printing, oh yes.  It's great!
In fact, this film, with a #4 contrast gel, prints up beautifully!  I know, because I did it..  The image of Sara with her Yashica-A I printed for Ori (seen in the above image).  What he does with the photo, well, completely up to him.
There is something about this film, though.  It has a look that puts it on a different playing field than Gold or Superia.  Sure, Superia is nice, but Fuji and I have had a falling out.  Gold, lovely lovely film, great warmth to it, but... again, something about this Svema film.  Maybe it's my love for funny Russian films, considering Polypan is possibly a film that was make at the old Shoska plant, which was bought out by Svema.  Who knows!

But it can really be as warm as you want it.  I love warm toned film, and this is definitely right up there.  The thing is, when the light changes, and you are suddenly faced with a much cooler temperature of light, say more cloud cover and less warm sunlight, you might get a funny tone in your film using Gold.

This film, nope!  I get cool blue shadows.  What I saw is what is there.  It's like the film knows exactly what I want it to see, and it sees it with me.
Perhaps it is the camera and myself becoming Zen.  Who knows, but there is really something to it.

I guess as long as it remains available I'll be trying to get my hands on it.

The greatest part of this film was after the processing.  No, it doesn't need some fancy developer, as it is a typical C-41 film, not like there's any special developer for C-41, as C-41 is C-41.  CN-16 is CN-16 (which is Fuji's C-41 developing name).

It actually dries flat.  There was literally no curl, no cupping, no weird I'm going to strike you in the eyes type of look to it. Just beautifully flat film!  The kind you want to smile and hold and hug because it is going to make your life of scanning easy!
Heck, even a film that curls is a pain to print under an enlarger.  Getting it line up and set in the holder under the light for printing with a curled or cupped film sucks.  If it's badly curled, it's hard to load.  If it is badly cupped, it might sit funny in the carrier, and get possible scratched when it gets compressed under the head.
This film, however, like the FN64, sits wonderfully flat!
Very impressed with it...

Anyway fellow bloggers, should you want to try your hands at shooting this film, check it out at the Film Photography Project's store.  SVEMA 125 Colour film can be had for just $16.99USD for 3 rolls! (Price as of March 01 - 2014).

What a wonderful gift to that photographer in your life this would be.  Or maybe it'll be the perfect gift for yourself to shoot.

Well, go for it!  You won't be sorry.

Until next time, keep those shutters firing!

All images taken on Canon T90 35mm SLR using a Vivitar 28mm ƒ/2.5 lens on Svema 125 C-41 film, and processed by David Nardi of E6IT.ca and scanned on a Epson Perfection 4990