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!

When Things Go Wrong...

I shot a roll of Fujichrome Velvia 50 back in August on my Canon AE-1.  It was a bulk roll, and was loaded into a KODAK GOLD 400 35mm canister. So perhaps that was error #1...
Error #2 was not adding a sticky label to the can to say, "E6 VELVIA" on it, but hey, I shouldn't have to!  I've dropped off bulk-loaded film before without a problem.

Error #3 was using a chain lab instead of a pro-lab.

But hey, they're inexpensive, and I hadn't had a problem before..

So this, perhaps, is one of the worst images from the roll.  There is no tweaking it to get proper colouration from it.  The shadows are green, magenta grass and a purple sky.

I mean, LOMO Purple isn't even like this.  It's more of a subdued "purple" cast to the film, while this is just completely buggered.

I am so upset about this, as it was a irreplaceable roll.  The conditions, light, location, and time was perfect when I shot these.  I don't see myself driving back to this location, because frankly, I cannot actually remember where this location is.  It's too bad, I really wanted these slides!

I should, at one point, head back to Blacks (where I took it) and make a proper formal complain about it.
But since they do not sell Velvia 50, what the hell can I really do?
Technically speaking, they own me $40.00 for the film (at least)..

Nonetheless, lesson learned.  Next time I will make 100% sure it is properly labelled and that there will be no mistakes!

Until next time, fellow bloggers.

Keep those shutters firing!