Christmas Ideas for the Film Photographer 2016

Time is running out, but there are still deals to be had online for Christmas. The Phoblographer has ideas for the street photographer who prefers film. While KEH Camera has a wide selection of used cameras, they do make you sign up for their newsletter to receive notice of great deals off already discounted used gear.

Of course, any film photographer would appreciate film itself, see Sources of Film and Which Film to Use for ideas. Silverprint in the UK has a deal of 35% off Foma enlarging papers on orders over £100 after the discount code has been applied. Shoot Film Co. has pins, stickers and trinkets for film shooters, plus the PhotoMemo photographer's memo book, a handy way for keeping track of exposure data, etc.

The Film Shooters Collective is offering up to 25% off their No Grain, No Glory T-shirts as of now.

Sources of Film

The death of film is greatly exaggerated. Many places still carry film. The drugstore near you may even have a couple of rolls on the shelves. Your local camera shop, if your city has one, may have a selection of available rolls of film. Increasingly, online sources are convenient and have more selection. B&H Photo has a wide selection of films at reasonable cost, plus chemistry and photo papers. So does Adorama. In the UK, SilverPrint sells worldwide, not only films but chemistry and more. In the USA, the Photographer's Formulary sells just about every combination of chemistry a photographer would need. Ultrafine Online sells a variety of films, some hard to get such as Maco and their own line of high contrast Ortho Litho film. Of course, the Japan Camera Hunter blog sells items in Asia, including his own JCH StreetPan film.

Fuji Instax film, it seems, can be purchased anywhere cameras are sold, including big box electronics shops, pharmacies or just about anywhere. Of couse, how can one mention Instax without mentioning Impossible Instant Film.

In short, there seems to be a plentiful number of sources for getting film, film chemistry and papers. The variety and pricing of which depends on how far you are willing to search for what you want and at what price. Not only do prices vary, but shipping varies also and some online shops offer free shipping over a certain amount. It may be cheaper when buying online to buy 10 rolls and save with free shipping than to buy a couple of rolls of film at a time.

Richard Pickup, on Why I Shoot Film

Richard Pickup was interviewed on Emulsive at the end of last month. (Yes, it is December already!) Richard is not only a photographer, but also a film photography instructor. His web site hosts his research and helpful tips geared for film photography. Check out this Emulsive post by Richard on Visualization for Film Photographers.

I suspect most readers of this interview will be aware that film is most certainly alive and thriving, and that a vibrant, knowledgeable and highly committed film community supports its use. -- Richard Pickup

More T-Shirts for Film Fanatics

Daniel J. Schneider is making Out Shooting Film T-Shirts for the film photographer who is always asked, "Do they still make film for that?" The shirt features that question and a sketch of a Rolleicord. He hopes to raise a few bucks for himself in the process, but the shirts are reasonably priced at US$19.99.

Film Shooters Collective

The Film Shooters Collective is an organization that supports the global community of film photographers. They publish books and hold events, such as photowalks and gallery shows to promote film photography.

They also sell T-shirts and decals to raise money for their operations. The shirts designed for their 2017 operations feature the logo "No grain, no glory" and come in three themes, MF, SLR and Rangefinder. Each shirt features an iconic camera from the corresponding theme and the logo. Also available is a shirt with just the FSC logo and two women's tank style shirts.

Maybe a gift idea for a film shooter you know?

Article: Which Film to Use?

The F-Stoppers has a great article on which film to use for 6 different broad scenarios. Whether it is wedding photography, portraiture, landscape photography, travel photography or street or urban photography. The choices are spelled out clearly with specific films and the reason to choose any one or all of them. Well worth the read.

Keep in mind, the recommendations are just that, any film can be used if one knows what one is doing.

Film Ferrania, Part V

Film Ferrania has stepped up their game. Part V, cutting down the large (wide) spools of acetate base for the film to the (narrow) size required by their coater, has been underway now. Since they will soon be coating the base to make film, no more photos of the Little Boy coating machine are possible. However, they will now be making weekly updates, so following their feed is worthwhile. Progress should soon be at hand. In the meantime, the Punto Foto Group have toured the Ferrania site and produced a fine photo album, on film of course.

Best of luck to Film Ferrania on this next important step, actually producing film.

Review: Kentmere 100

Kentmere Photographic is now from the same producers of Ilford film, Harman Technology. The film comes in the familiar white boxes, but with Kentmere markings. There was some controversy on the takeover of Kentmere by Harman, but that is in the past and Kentmere is being marketed and sold as it had been before the takeover.

The Kentmere 100 film was tested. This film is available at B&H Photo for under US$3 a box, currently. The conditions at time of testing were outdoors in afternoon sun on a partly cloudy day. The need for a yellow filter becomes apparent, as the film did not capture much in the way of clouds. The camera TTL aperture priority metering was used, with a 24mm lens set at f/8 and hyperfocal focus. This lens read 7ft to infinity on its focus scale for this aperture. Exposure was at ISO 200 (this film is ISO 100 on the box).

After shooting, the film was quickly souped in D-76 1+1 (it was what was on hand) according to the Digital Truth tables for ISO 200 effective speed. There is a handy iOS or Android app to help in this regard. After drying, the film was scanned on a flatbed scanner. The tiny lens hood that came with the lens did not seem to help prevent flare too much. This made getting a good scan from some of the frames difficult. The scanner software, VueScan, kept changing the exposure for each frame despite the Lock Exposure checkbox being ticked. Not sure if this is a bug in my understanding of what this button does, or if it is a bug in the software. This made controlling the exposure during scanning a bit difficult, particularly where the sun was involved in the frame.

This film lays nearly perfectly flat when cut. This makes it easy to put into holders and scan. After a bit of touch up for the inevitable dust, the following frame shows this film in action. For the price, Kentmere 100 is an strong challenger for more expensive B&W films.

Minolta Lens Resources

The Minolta SLR system lenses, referred to as A-mount lenses, are still treasured today. The A-mount system was first released in 1985, which gives one a selection of lenses to chose from over at least two decades worth. Minolta and Konica merged to form Konica Minolta, then in 2006 Sony bought the merged company. Sony still supports A-mount lenses, even on the newer E-mount system for the mirrorless cameras, so one's investment in A-mount lenses need not go to waste if changing systems. The LA-EA3 lens adapter can fit A-mount lenses that have built-in focus motors to E-mount cameras and the LA-EA4 will support auto-focus for A-mount lenses with screw drive focus. A quick glance at the lens mount will verify whether the lens is screw drive or not. If a large screw is seen at the bottom of the lens mount (held with the contacts at the top) that turns when focus is changed, then the lens has screw drive focus.

Earlier Minolta MC and MD lens mount lenses require an adapter, but do not have autofocus. The one issue with MC/MD lenses, is that if the adapter does not have a corrective lens, then focus at infinity is not possible. On the other hand, the lens in such adapters, if present, often reduces the quality of the image from the lens. The LA-EA3 and LA-EA4 adapters do not require a corrective lens and so do not even have this issue.

First up, the Dyxum.com site offers a review board for many Minolta, Konica Minolta and Sony lenses (both A-mount and E-mount). Beware that some Sony A-mount lenses may be designed for APS-C sensors, and so may not have complete frame coverage for film cameras. While the reviews on this site may be helpful, many are contradictory. For example, a lens may be declared as sharp by one reviewer, but soft by another. Further reading might find that the given lens is soft at the corners wide open, but sharp in the center. Someone else might find that the lens is acceptably sharp throughout at f/5.6, but someone else might not find it sharp until f/11. It may be useful to read the reviews to find out the idiosyncrasies for a particular lens, though.

Second, Michael Hohner offers an extensive list of A-mount and E-mount lenses with detailed specifications for each lens. Often, a link is included to a review or two for the specific lens.

Third, Photo/Jottings has a few lens reviews and comparisons.

Finally, a comment from Mr. Johnston of TOP fame, who says that you only need a pair of 35mm and 85mm prime lenses.

Or peruse the lens charts, satisfying the thirst for Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

Closest Supermoon Since 1948

Today, Monday, November 14th, the moon will be at its closest since 1948. That means it will be 14% larger and 30% brighter than usual. For best effect, photograph while the moon is rising at the horizon. It will appear largest, particularly behind manmade or natural features, such as an iconic building or even people. The Photographer's Ephemeris will give nearly the exact time of moonrise for your specific location. For example, London, England will see the moon rise at 16:44 (4:44pm), while Mumbai, India will see the moon rise at 19:02 (7:02pm).

Check previous articles for an exposure chart for the moon and more!

* Shoot for the Moon!

Film Ferrania, Part IV

Film Ferrania is at it again. This time, they are taking steps to synthesize the sensitizers for making colour film. They have containers of old synthesizer materials, but making fresh and using the original chemistry for comparison seems to be the more sustainable way. To that end, they hired Ivano, who worked at Ferrania since the sixties making film chemistry. The original Ferrania still exists, but no longer makes film or chemistry for film.

In practical terms, what does this mean? Next week should be the first run of film! The journey has been long and hurdles many, but soon we should be able to report on film from Film Ferrania!
 
Previously on Ag+ Process:
* LRF Testing Underway
* Saga of Film Ferrania Continues
* Film Ferrania Update April, 2016
* News from LRF, February 2016
* News from LRF, Start of 2016
* Update from LRF, December 2015
* LRF Engines Restart
* News from LRF, July 2015
* Film Ferrania Delayed by Harsh Winter
*Film Ferrania Starts Towards Make the Rewards

OT: Vote

Every vote counts. One vote might be all it takes to make a decision. One vote by many is many votes. It matters.

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Remember, if you are in line when the polls close, you get to vote.

In a Valley of Violence: Filmed on Celluloid

Kodak goes behind the scenes for the movie, A Valley of Violence. The film is shot in 35mm Kodak 250D daylight film indoors and outside during the daytime. The film was selected to capture the shadow details in the buildings and the actors' expressions under the brims of their hats in the hard, noon-day sunlight of New Mexico. The single night shot was done with Kodak 500T. The goal of using 35mm film was to create a gritty, Western-style look with the texture of film grain. The panaromas of the desert were best captured with the latitude of film and the actors and crew were on the top of their game to capture the scenes right. One of the stars of the motion picture, John Travolta, fist-bumped the director/writer, Ti West, on learning that silver halide film was being used to make the movie.

Released October 21 in theaters, on demand and digital HD. Happy Halloween, partners.

Lomography October 2016 Magazine

Lomography, the company that brings us excellent remakes of lens designs, such as the Petzval and Daguerrotype Achromat, also has an online magazine. The latest edition has this interesting article on why film is making a comeback.

From the article:

With perfectly-and-digitally-shot photographs, many are beginning to get sick of the norm; and how true it is that when perfection becomes easily reproduced, it begins to lose its appeal and value.

How do humans counter this? General history has gone over this many times: they break the trends by starting a new one.

The Emphemeris App

If you want to take full advantage of the sun and moon, in particular sunrise and sunset and similarly moonrise and moonset, The Ephemeris App may be for you. Available on devices and the Web, this app not only tells you the time of these events, but also the direction on the compass of the events and even the path of the sun or the moon, respectively.

Lately, the time of sunset and moonrise have been close. This gives an eerie, large moon on the horizon with a blue background and sun dappled landscape. well worth seeing, if not capturing on film. Use the Ephemeris App to find the direction and location to best observe this phenomenon.

Check out the moon exposure calculator to get an exposure for the moon.

Newsletter: Tim Rudman

Tim Rudman's newsletter made its way out Friday. With lith and film news from Photokina and packed with more photography goodness. A quick review of the main points here: Tim's photobook, An Uneasy Calm, has received rave reviews so far. He also points out that since the book is being sold from the UK, the recent effect of Brexit on the UK pound sterling now makes the book more affordable elsewhere in the world. Photokina and film Renaissance media articles.

Tim was also selected to judge the weather photographer of the year competition. Jointly convened by the Royal Photographic Society and Royal Meterological Society, the competition is hoped to be even more successful next year, with the involvement of the BBC, the reknowned British broadcaster.

At Photokina, Tim noticed the lack of Adox' Polywarmtone Project, the replacement for Forte Polywarmtone. The project may be well underway with much investment in its future, but so far has not made a splash yet. For lith printers, he has heard of problems with some batches of Slavich Unibrom. This paper is not made for lith, so results are not guaranteed. Meanwhile Bergger introduced a new B&W film, Pancro400 (thanks for the illustrated photos, Phoblographer!). The RPS also has forums in their new Analogue special interest group with more articles.

The newsletter also includes tantalizing articles on the resurgence of film. Out of Australia, tales of a resurgence of film, including wet collodion and darkrooms. An editorial proclaims film is back, and some photographers never left it. Fashion photography and authenticity drive the desire for film for some.

Sign up for Tim Rudman's newsletter for the full newsletter packed with info for lith and film photographers.

* Tim Rudman, Photo Book
* Lith News, Spring 2015

Film Ferrania: At the Bases

Film Ferrania has taken another step on the journey to producing colour slide film. In case you have forgotten, Film Ferrania completed a successful Kickstarter back in 2014. With many setbacks, adventures and challenges, they have announced the third step - preparing the base material for the coating machine.

This is a significant step, because once completed, they will have material to coat with emulsion to make film. They are using existing polyester film base stock that they already have, rather than preparing from scratch. The problem is that the base they have is spooled for larger machines than the Little Boy coater. So, they will be slitting the material using a slitting machine from 1917! They have a modern slitter, but is much larger and more difficult to setup at this time.

The process will involve cutting down a single 113cm wide, 3,000m long (3 kilometers!) jumbo roll into 50 23cm wide, 300m long mini-jumbo rolls. Each mini-jumbo can be used to coat up to 930 spools of 135/36 exposure rolls of film. The slitting can be done in daylight, since there are no light sensitive components in the base (it is just plastic).

Don't miss the posting on F.I.L.M., the early name for Film Ferrania.

We will continue to follow this story until film is produced. Stay with us!

How to Clean a Lens

From a company that rents lenses, Borrow Lenses gives a guide to safely cleaning one of the most precious components in image capture. Tips include starting from the least invasive steps, using a lens blower, but not your breath, to the various cleaning tools and techniques to conquer serious lens smudges. Best bet is to go easy, because contaminating the inside of the lens can lead to costly repairs requiring the disassembly of the lens.

The Intrepid Camera

The Intrepid Camera Co. successfully completed a Kickstarter campaign to create the affordable Intrepid 4x5 camera. This camera is handmade in England, but using time saving techniques to bring a large format camera to you at only £200.00 assembled, if they were not sold out. As usual, large format cameras do not come with film holders or a lens, so those are extra.

The camera takes a Linhof/Technika lens board and will accept lenses from 90mm to 300mm. A pinhole board is available for low cost, if you want to get started while searching out a lens and shutter. The rotating back accepts all standard film holders as well as Graflok compatible backs. The camera weighs 1.2kg and comes with a choice of bellows colour. The bellows extends up to 310mm and has front movements (no back movements).

Profile: Emulsive.org

Emulsive.org is a place that tests, reviews and comments on everything film. Reviews of film, from Kodak Aerochrome, a freaky colour IR film to the as yet to be released, Fuji Instax Mini Monochrome instant film.

Even more are reviews of cameras, experimental brews for developing film, articles of all kinds and film culture.

Well worth the time to explore before Filmtober comes around....

Profile: I Shoot Film

Your blogger has been informed by B&H Photo that Berrger BRF-400 B&W negative film is discontinued. A quick search shows several other online photo shops* selling it, though. In the search, up popped I Shoot Film. This site lists many films and allows you to filter the firehouse of data by film manufacturer, format from 110 to 8x10, and development process (C-41, B&W, E6, etc.). Refining the search allows one to narrow down the choices, then clicking on an image gives a blurb about the film in question and a few sample photos from that film.

The blog has not been updated for over a year, so the list might be a bit dated and missing a few entries. For example, under Cinestill, only the 800T film is listed, whereas Cinestill 50D is also available now. Similarly, under the Instant film category, Fuji FP-100C and FP-3000 are listed, but neither are made any more. Yet Impossible is releasing new films every week, the latest being a Halloween inspired duochrome Orange & Black Polaroid 600 film.

Still, it is a useful site for finding that new film to explore that you have yet to use.

 

* = None of these shops has been used by yours truly, and no recommendation is implied.

Photokina 2016: Polaroid Snap Touch and Michael Kors Instax Cameras

Polaroid has introduced a new camera that bridges digital and analogue, with a camera that prints with Zink® Zero Ink® Printing Technology onto paper. The new Polaroid Snap Touch instant camera. The camera can also act as a wireless printer via an app for iOS or Android devices. No cable required. The paper is 2"x3" and is available separately, sold with the camera or sold as a subscription with the camera. The subscription model provides a monthly pack of paper of the size you choose, along with bonus packs every 3 months and super bonus pack every 12 months.

Michael Kors signature

Even more interesting is the Michael Kors Instax camera as fashion. This camera uses Fuji Instax film and features an exclusive gold metallic finish with the designer's signature on the back, also in gold. This limited edition camera is expected to sell for US$149 from October 2016 through the holiday season. Like the recent Leica Instax camera, this little machine also features a selfie mirror, but mounted on the lens. The Fuji press release is dry, bland, boring and corporate next to this opulant camera, so search* out one of the many other articles for more exciting details.

 

 

* = Learn more about DuckDuckGo

Casual Photofile: Exploded View of Nikon F3

James at Casual Photofile created an amazing, detailed exploded view of a Nikon F3. Each component disassembled, then meticulously photographed individually, using focus stacking to achieve sharp images of each part. Then assembled in Photoshop to create a single, massive image exceeding 15,000 x 9,000 pixels.

A wall size print of the final image is available from F-Stop Cameras for a little over a hundred dollars. The full size print is roughly four feet by seven feet, so set aside some wall space....

Impossible Project: Duochrome Instant Film

The Impossible Project just keeps expanding their line of products. Sold out so soon, the Black & Red duochrome film compatible with the Polaroid 600 system produces images with the colour red wherever there would ordinarily be white and black everywhere else. The images are something else, framed in black borders.

Not to worry, though, the Third Man Records Edition gives you Black and Yellow prints. This film is fashioned after Third Man Records, which is noted for its yellow theme.

Checkout the complete line of 600-series films, the broadest array of films that Impossible offers. The greyed out options are sold out, apparently. Don't forget to take advantage of free shipping within the US on orders over $30!

Leica Sofort Instant Camera

Iconic camera maker, Leica, introduced the Leica Sofort instant film camera. This camera uses Fuji Instax instant film and specially designed for Leica film packs with a border that is a warm shade of cream. Available in colour or B&W film packs. The camera itself has the designed by Leica styling and is available in three colours, white, mint and orange. A full range of accessories in matching (or contrasting) colours is available, including secure camera straps, camera cases (in brown or black) and film cases.

There are three photo presentation options available, Leica Sofort postcards, a Photo Presenter that can be filled and laid flat and a photo album.

The camera has a number of modes, including Automatic, Party & People, Sport & Action, Macro and creative programmes. A special selfie mode that can be used with a built-in mirror on the front of the camera and two self timer modes are included.

The camera will be debuting at Photokina 2016 this week. Availability for camera and Leica film (the camera will also take regular Instax Mini film) is November of this year.

Leica Sofort. Frame the moment. from gregorsamsa on Vimeo.

2016 Super Harvest Moon

This Friday, September 16th, is a full moon that is at perigee-syzygy, as explained in the the Time and Date Astronomy section. This is when the moon is at its closest and in line with the Earth and the Sun (all three are aligned). At moonrise, near sunset, the moon will appear to be large, bright and orange in colour. A great subject for photography!

EarthSky points out that those in much of Europe can see an eclipse of the moon at moonrise, while those in New Zealand and Eastern Australia will see an eclipse at moonset. North America and most of South America will not see the eclipse.

Check out this moon exposure calculator for a good estimate for exposure. The moon is brighter than you think, so a low ISO is all that is required for a clear shot. Capturing the moon near the horizon will show the moon looking its biggest with that harvest moon colour.

News from the LRF: Testing is Underway!

The Film Ferrania project as of Wednesday this week is now testing the film coater!

One can only hope that slide film product will be next up.

Find a Local Darkroom

Harman, the holding company for Ilford the film, paper and chemistry company, hosts the Find a Local Darkroom site. Here, you will be able to locate available public and private darkrooms around the world. The site also allows you to list your darkroom, if you wish.

Read how it works for more info on how to make use of this fine service. A definite boon to analog photography enthusiasts who just don't have the the time or space for a nice darkroom at home. Note that most darkroom facilities may have charges for the use of their darkrooms, but the location service itself is free.

CineStill Pics and News

CineStill reports on Instagram that a project to bring 120 format and 4x5 CineStill film after a successful IndieGoGo campaign is underway! They also have a nice night shot showing what CineStill 800T is capable of. It is hard to believe a fast film like 800T made the pic, it is so smooth. Definitely a film to check out.

See also:
* CineStill Film
* CineStill 800T Test Run

Profile: KONO! Reanimated Film

KONO! The Reanimated Film is a series of films repurposed from motion picture film or other sources for use in 35mm format. There are different types of film available at any one time, so checking back for something new might be an idea.

For example, Japan Camera Hunter tried out Donau ISO 6 (six!) film (which turned out to have a heavy blue cast and was hard to shoot handheld), and Rotwild experimental film which seemed to be a red-scale film. The Donau was difficult to use and had little latitude, while the Rotwild evoked these comments:

"It gives lovely rich reds and orange tones to your images which can be a lot of fun to experiment with. I had a blast playing with this stuff and took my time shooting it." -- JCH

Neither of these films were available at time of writing.

in July last year, amyjasek of 52 Rolls gave a package of Kono! Kolorkit with 125T, 250 and 400 films a trial for one week. Note that the 200 is not available as of writing. There are plenty of scanned shots to browse through to get a feel for these films. The 125T is an indoors (tunsten) film, but adjusting the colour in postprocessing seemed to give realistic colours without difficulty.

Kono! The Reanimated Film has more shots on Instagram. A number of different films are featured there.

As of writing, Kolorkit 125T, Kolorkit 400T colour films, Rekorder B&W film and Luft & Liebe films are available. Rekorder is a ISO 100 to 200 film, while Luft & Liebe is a colour negative film with hearts pre-exposed onto the film. A fun film for being playful with friends.

Find Kono! film at the retailers listed here.

Inside Ansel Adam's Darkroom

Marc Silber of Advancing your Photography takes a look inside Ansel Adams' last darkroom, including some footage of the great photographer demonstrating the art of printing himself. Most of the footage is centered around the hefty large format enlarger, which is on rails on the floor. The easel is also on rails and both can be positioned independently. Of course, Adams had moved in the past, so there previous darkrooms.

Previous articles on Ansel Adams:
* Profile on Ansel Adams

Saga of Film Ferrania Continues

Just a quick note on the latest news from the LRF. Apparently, the state of the building, or rather the services to it, are not as well set up as one might have expected. Problems with the public water supply, electrical supply and natural gas supply persist, though the project has worked around each of these road blocks. Hopefully, the project does not suffer badly from a thousand paper cuts as it tries to work towards producing the much awaited E6 film.

Well worth a read.

 

Past articles on Film Ferrania:

* Film Ferrania Update April 2016
* Film Ferrania February 2016
* News from the LRF Start of 2016
* News from the LRF 2015

Camera Day Sale at KEH Camera

There are many good places to buy used film cameras, eBay, B&H Photo and, of course, KEH Camera. KEH is offering 25% off used film camera gear to celebrate Camera Day, which always falls on June 29th. It is a day to take pictures to celebrate the invention of photography.
Just enter the code CAMERADAY when purchasing eligible used film camera gear at KEH for 25% off. Offer limited to the first one hundred customers and expires on June 29th, 2016 at 11:00pm Eastern time. Time to pick up that special camera or lens while the offer lasts.

Brexit

 
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Impossible: Project 8, the World's Biggest Photo Swap

The Impossible Project is featuring Project 8, a celebration for the new Impossible I-1 instant camera. The first new Polaroid-compatible camera in over 20 years. The project concept is simple, mail in a photo taken with an I-1 camera (instructions found on a card in the box with the camera), your photo will be exhibited with all the others, and at the end, you will receive a photo from the exhibition in return, possibly from an artist you already know. Visit this Youtube video for details - the follow on videos give a good explanation on the use and features of the I-1 camera, so keep watching after the video ends!

TundraWare Archives

Avid film photographer, Tim Daneliuk, has amassed a collection of documentation, manuals and data sheets for film photography, the TundraWare Archives. Browse over six categories of material, including tips on split grade printing (Zip file), alternative processes (Zip file), Ansco Darkroom Formulas, etc., etc.

Darkroom Tip: Making the Door Light-tight

Tim Daneliuk, of author of the TundraWare site, has a tip to make any darkroom door light tight. If you are a medium format photographer (think Holga), the leftover backing paper can be used to seal the door. Lacking backing paper, black construction paper can be taped in place as illustrated.

Get Into RSS

For those of you who are not already reading this blog via RSS, check marketing guru, Seth Godin, on getting hooked up to one of the great free resources still available on the Web. Note that this blog does not subscribe to Google's ads, to be independent, to be free from unnecessary clutter and to be free from ads for non-film camera products. Seth is worth reading on his own, even if you are not working in a marketing department.

News to Come

There is no shortage of news in the film world, some of it not so good and some of it great. While Fuji Instax instant film is a hit, Fuji is discontinuing instant pack film for Polaroid cameras. The great news is that Cat Labs of JP has declared that they will be embarking on a project to make pack film! They will be working with Bergger to produce presumably B&W pack film compatible with FP-100B-type packs. It would be great if they could also create FP-3000B-type packs for those cameras that used this high speed film.

Film Ferrania is still working on the rewards for its Kickstarter. Hopefully, they will start delivering colour reversal film soon. We all await the production of their film line, which includes 35mm still film, 120 format film, 16mm movie film and Super8 movie film. While Kodak has revived its Super8 film production and introduced a new Super8 camera, having choice is always a good thing.

There are plenty of choices out there for analogue photography and lots of support coming from hard working companies that produce the film we love. Whether it is for effect, nostalgia or using great equipment that just keeps working, there is something for everyone.

Ilford Blog

If you like this blog, you will love to see Ilford's blog. Harman Technology Ltd., the maker of Ilford films, papers and chemistry, hosts a graphic blog with photos made on Ilford film. See other photographers' work, Ilford products in action and news around B&W photography.

Ilford's Wednesday Wisdom, June 1st, 2016

 

'Sharpness is a bourgeois concept' - Henri Cartier Bresson

 

Find a Store for Impossible

The Impossible Project, which makes single part, Polaroid compatible, instant film and now a new instant camera, has a way to help you find its products. In conjunction with Google maps, Impossible has a Find a Store page. Check for stores carrying Impossible products near you, worldwide. The project provides three types of Polaroid compatible film, 8x10 instant film and the new I-1 Type camera and the film that fits that camera. The I-1 uses film without a battery included, so the price per pack is lower.

Kodak Sees Resurgence of Film

Kodak reports on a resurgence of motion picture film, particularly at Cannes 2016. The film giant sees the number of films recorded on celluloid increase over the past few years, ranging from humble Super8 films to 35mm and larger formats. Kodak has this to say on the topic:

In 2015, nearly 100 major motion pictures were captured on film including: 45 YEARS; BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE; THE BIG SHORT; BRIDGE OF SPIES; CAROL; HAIL, CAESAR!; THE HATEFUL EIGHT; JOY; SPECTRE; STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS; STEVE JOBS; JURASSIC WORLD; TRAINWRECK; and many others.

From Adele's famous video, to TV shows and many top contending films at Cannes, silver halide film is present and making a mark.

Historic 1940s Film on Processing Film

This 70 year old film by the American Chemistry Society documents how motion picture film was processed in the 1940s. The movie covers B&W film, since colour processes were new to the era and possibly proprietary, making them harder to document. Note that film today no longer requires alum in the fixer solution, because film is now made tolerant of higher temperatures. Otherwise, developing colour films would be impossible due to the higher temperatures used in processing such films.

Well worth the half hour to watch.

The Art of Photography: Developing C41 Film

To balance the video on E6 film, here is a video on developing C41 negative film. With just two steps plus stabilizer, Ted Forbes of the Art of Photography walks through the process of developing C41 film. Note that Part B of the blix is a strong acid. Pour it slowly and allow the solution to breath every so often to avoid the burping that Ted noticed.

Developing E6 Slde Film at Home

With the right chemistry, it is straightforward to develop E6 colour film at home. Scott Wittenburg offers this quick course on the three step process. The important thing is to keep the chemistry at the desired temperature during processing. Since E6 is usually done at higher temperatures than B&W, avoiding air conditioned or cold ambient temperatures is a factor. As Scott shows, simply using a large tub of warm water to keep chemistry ready is critical. Take your time and the results will be amazing. Also included in the podcast is a lesson on shooting copyslides, with slide film of course.

Profile: Foma

Foma is a long standing company first founded in 1921 as FOTOCHEMA Ltd. Initially producing only plates and chemistry, in 1931 the company began production of black-and-white papers, followed by the production of black and white roll films a year later. In 1949, the company introduced X-ray films, black and white positive copy film, reversal film, color paper, color negative film and color reversal film using the name National Enterprise FOTOCHEMA. In 1990, the company reorganized with the aim to produce black and white films and papers.

Film

Foma produces a line of negative and positive (slide) B&W films. With a choice of ISO 100, 200 and 400 speeds in negative film, a special Retro 320 negative film with a softer, lower contrast look and one ISO 100 reversal film, Fomapan R 100. The latter is a substitute for the former Agfa Scala and may be developed at dr5 Film Lab in the USA or with chemistry available from Foma.

[Update]
Note that most of the films are available in 120 and 35mm roll film formats and a variety of sheet film formats. Note that Fomapan R100 is available in single perforated 16mm, Double Standard (Regular) 8mm and Super8 movie film formats and 35mm cartridges or lengths of double perforated 35mm in bulk.

Papers

A wide range of papers is available. A baryta fibre base (FB) paper, FomaBrom comes in two grades (normal or contrast) and a Variant III multigrade paper. This is a fast paper, suitable for making large prints. FomaSpeed is an RC based paper again available in N or C grade or a multigrade version. FomaTone MG is a double weight FB paper with a warm tone, for portraits or retro-style work with three variants, two of which are multigrade papers. Foma also offers an NaCl paper, similar to Kodak Azo, called Fomalux 111, suitable for contact printing.

The papers are available in a variety of sizes and with a number of surface finishes, from glossy to matt and a some in between for most types.

As if such a wide variety of papers were not enough, Foma offers a liquid emulsion that can be painted on to most bases, such as wood, china, leather, etc. The emulsion has high sensitivity for large enlargements and has good hiding properties so that a wide range of tones is possible.

Chemistry

A wide range of developers is available, as well as a citric acid stop bath, fixers, toners and Fotonal, a wetting agent. Two items of note are Fomadon R09, a replacement for Rodinal and a processing set for Fomapan R100. The latter is a complete kit to process 8 rolls of the reversal film (at 333mL a roll). The toners are Fomatone Indigo, a one part toner that gives a blue cast to B&W prints, and Fonatone Sepia, which can give a traditional sepia tone to a violet-brown tone depending on processing.

Equivalents

Foma also has lists for competitor's equivalents. If you wish to compare a product from Ilford, Kodak, Agfa or Forte to a Foma product, click on the Competitor's Equivalents tab. Some of the lists are brief, others include extensive lists including equivalent chemistry, papers and films.

Availability

Foma exports to over 50 countries, with a presence in the USA at Foma USA, in the UK now at Process Supplies UK and in Germany and Austria online on Foma's online shop. Check your favorite online shop for more locations, such as Freestyle, B&H Photo and more.

Foma is a complete manufacturer for B&W film, chemistry and papers. Well worth checking out for your photo needs.

If you like this article, try these:

* Profile: Adox
* Ilford bought out by Pemberstone
* THIS Interviews Impossible Project
* CineStill Film
* Bergger Film for Large Format
* lford Ultra Large Format call for orders

Bad Film from Kodak

Once the paragon of film quality, Kodak roll film is damaged by images of numbers and other text. TOP reports that John Sexton has found several 120 format emulsions affected by the problem. See the May 2016 newsletter from John for more details. In particular, avoid 120 film bearing the following serial numbers as listed below.

Emulsion numbers that may exhibit the above problem only in Kodak 120 format roll film: (Emulsion numbers can be found on the film box, the foil wrapper, and printed on the clear edge of processed film near frame number 11.

Kodak T-Max 400
Emulsion 0148 004 through 0152

Kodak T-Max 100
Emulsion 0961 through 0981

Kodak Tri-X
Emulsion 0871 though 0931

Impossible Releases the I-Type Camera

The Impossible Project, makers of Polaroid compatible instant film, have finally released the Impossible I-1 analog instant camera. This camera is for the modern age, with an app for your iPhone that can control the settings of the camera and even trigger the shutter remotely. Both aperture and shutter can be controlled by the app, and even double exposures are possible. The camera features a ring flash and autofocus for evenly lit portraits, with no glare. This is the first Polaroid compatible camera for nearly twenty years. Along with the camera, a new I-type film is being introduced.

The I-type film is less expensive than the Polaroid compatible film, because it does not come with a battery. Impossible is also rolling out sweeping updates for all their films, that now develop twice as fast, and that come in new colour coded boxes, to make selecting the right film easier.

Kickstarter: Daguerrotype Lens Beats Stretch Goal

The Lomography Kickstarter for a modernized replica of the original Chevalier lens has exceeded all its stretch goals. On offer are not only the lens, but goodies such as prints, additional Waterhouse aperture plates, a red filter and now a leather pouch for the lens. By raising over $800,000 with time to spare, all the extras are now included. Lenses expect to start shipping by September, with more to follow in later months. There may be delays due to the sheer volume of lenses demanded. Offer ends May 10th.

IndieGoGo: Darkroom in Canada

Film aficionado and photographer, Allen Crooks, is raising money to open a darkroom for the public in Halifax, Canada. His goal is to preserve the art of photography by allowing anyone to experience the wonder of a darkroom. Additional space will be made for film photographers to meet and share experiences.

The project offers rewards, such as postcard prints and even a 20x24 silver print made from a large format negative of local scenery, so even those not living in Halifax may benefit from the fund raiser.

Film Ferrania Update, April 2016

The Film Ferrania project has made yet another announcement in their long road to producing film for the next 100 years. The latest news posts a video clip on the happenings since February. See the destruction of the "Big Boy" building and a dry run of the film coater. Everything seems to be working as intended.
Apart from that, the group announced that as of April 1st, 2016, Film Ferrania is now an officially certified manufacturer by the Italian governMent.
Those of you with Kickstarter rewards in this project should update your address information if it has changed in the couple of years since the fund raising effort.
The team will have further announcements once they are certain that there will be no further surprises on the way to producing film for the rewards.
Previous reports:

• News from LRF, February 2016
• News from LRF, Start of 2016
• Update from LRF, December 2015
• LRF Engines Restart
• News from LRF, July 2015
• Film Ferrania Delayed by Harsh Winter
• Film Ferrania Starts Towards Make the Rewards
  
  

Blog Note: Ag+ Process on Twitter

The gentle reader may reach Ag+ Process on Twitter, at @AgPlusProcess. If you tweet, comments and follows appreciated. Articles on the blog will eventually be promoted on Twitter.

Fuji Declines Offer

As has been in the news, Fuji declined Florian "Doc" Kap's three proposals to revive Fuji pack film. Undaunted and furious, Doc plans to mount a campaign to make light of Fuji's stance. Stay tuned for more activity in that area. Keep in mind, business is not a democracy, so Fuji management might not be in a position to change its mind.

Meanwhile, CatLABs promises to make its own pack film for Polaroid cameras. There is still hope for those with functioning pack film cameras (and film cameras function well for a long time). Technology is still progressing in the manufacture of film, to be sustainable in production and environmentally. Look for more products made by small manufacturers, even as the large manufacturers let go.

Opinion: Film Renaissance

A hundred years ago, film was in the realm of enthusiasts, artists and professionals. With the introduction of the Kodak Brownie and, later, colour 35mm roll film, film photography marched into the mass market and exploded into a multi-billion dollar per year business. Times have changed and phones are now the most popular form of photography for the masses, leaving film photography to the enthusiasts, artists and professionals engaged with film.

This market is not small, and many products are being introduced, maintained or expanded. For example, Bergger released Panchro 400 for large format last year, and is now rumoured to be releasing this film in 120 and 35mm format soon. The Impossible Project casually mentioned selling a million packs of film last year, and it introduced the new I-type instant film camera for instant film. Adox, Arista, Cinestill, Foma, Ilford, Kodak, Lomography, Fujifilm, Rollei and more continue to produce film today. Japan Camera Hunter is reviving a film emulsion and the FILM Ferrania project hopes to be producing E6 slide film this year.

There may be issues, such as with Fujifilm discontinuing pack film, but Fuji's Instax instant film was the top seller on Amazon for the photography department last Christmas.

There is no shortage of items to report on film or alternative process happenings around the world, a lot of it positive. As an example, successful Kickstarter campaigns for art lenses based on early designs, darkroom equipment such as affordable development tanks, photography log books and more.

It is certainly exciting to be reporting on the progression and new position for silver halide in the world today.

World Pinhole Day 2016

Pinhole photographers, celebrate World Pinhole Photography Day (WPPD) on April 24th! The last Sunday in April each year is dedicated to the art of pinhole photography. Visit the WPPD site for rules and procedures to submit scans of pinhole camera photos taken on April 24th (or any part of that day for extended exposures). Submissions are due by May 31st as JPEG files.

WPPD is not a contest, but rather an event to celebrate photography without a lens; on any medium, film, paper or device. Check for an organized event near you to meet fellow pinhole photographers. The gallery from 2015 is on display for inspiration.

Ilford ULF Call for Orders

Ilford is putting out the call for its Annual Ultra Large Format (ULF) Sheet Film Campaign 2016. This is the chance of the year (literally) to order unusual and large sizes of film, many with no minimum order. Rolls of film that must be slit have minimum orders by multiples required by manufacturing. Some examples are: rolls of 127 sized film, film sheets from 2.75x3.25 inches all the way to 20x24 inches, 120 backing paper and more.

Place orders by Friday, May 27th, 2016 at a qualified dealer near you. Check the announcement page for a list of sizes available and locations of dealers.

Around the Web Wrap-up

This is just a wrap up of a number of blog posts around the web that reference film or film related topics.

The Online Photographer or TOP is a blog by longtime photography enthusiast and photo magazine editor Mike Johnston. Much of it is reviews or opining about modern equipment, but every so often turns an eye to film.

Mike opines about the beautiful machine, the enlarger, a mechanical device that suits him just fine.

Here is an article on John Coffer, a practitioner of tin type photography. Each photo is made on a sheet of burnished metal that had photo-sensitive silver applied to it by hand.

Petapixel is a blog every photographer should read. Recently, it seems that they also take film photography seriously. If one is not interested in non-silver process photography, it might be a slog to read as authors gush over the latest gizmos, which probably just empty your pocketbook.

Here is a wrapup of silver process related postings to Petapixel related to film in some way. Some might be related to older, film era hardware...

On that note, Yannick Khong complains about modern lenses, and how older designs can be much more realistic than modern lenses. He presents an analysis based on three properties of a lens, and how older lenses balance these properties to achieve a realistic look.

Meanwhile, Michael Zhang finds the Minolta Rokkor 45mm f/2 lens to be rockin' sharp. This lens is inexpensive, and Rokkor MD lenses can be found by the dozen on eBay. A Minolta MD body or two can be found there, too, for not much more. Beware that MC, MD and Minolta AF mounts are all different. In particular, the MC and MD mounts are mechanical mounts, and not compatible with AF without an adapter. Such adapters require a glass element to allow full focus range, lowering the image quality. There are adapters for AF mount that do not have glass, but they are intended for macro work only. The older bodies have the advantage that they are usually all mechanical, so no electronics to fail.

Lukasz Palka has a guid to mastering manual focus. By using the focus range system, sharp focus can be achieved instantly with a little planning. Essential to street photography, where events happening quickly have to caught in the moment.

Tavis Leaf Glover writes on mastering composition to get more keepers. Something anyone in the world of art needs to know. In that same vein, Lukasz Palka has another article on the decisions that go into making a photopraph. Lukasz writes that selecting the right gear for the assignment, using the right settings and techniques, and finally selecting the photos for your portfolio are all essential decisions that must be contemplated and executed for best results.

Jack Lindeberg has a short article on how to tell the relative age of film rolls. By giving the film a quick sniff, he claims that one can tell how long since the roll was exposed.

Meanwhile, Brendan Cherry tells of his novel use of a film camera to propose to his fiance. Brendan is a cinematographer who likes to shoot 35mm film.

Kickstarter: Daguerreotype Art Lens by Lomography

Lomography has done it again. That is, another successful Kickstarter campaign for a new Art series lens. Inspired by the first lens used by Charles Chevalier and Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre to capture a photograph in 1839, this lens celebrates the great return of dreamy imagery. The Daguerreotype Achromat 2.9/64 Art Lens is compatible with Canon EF or Nikon F mount cameras, as well as many other analogue and digital cameras with the use of adapter mounts. The lens uses the Waterhouse aperture system to provide effects from soft focus with creamy bokeh to sharp focus. In addition, a number of custom Waterhouse aperture plates are provided to give unique patterns to out of focus areas rarely achieved by a lens.

Bonus rewards due to the success of the Kickstarter project are building up! If around 200 or so more orders are made, Lomography promises to include a leather pouch for each lens, in addition to the orange filter, four special shaped aperture plates and four commemorative prints included with each lens due to the current success of the campaign. Check your favourite photo store for an adapter for your camera. Note that some adapters have a small glass element built in to enable the attached lens to focus. This glass element should be of high quality, or the resulting image may suffer - or have added artistic effects, your choice.

Impossible: Instant FIlm Sale!

The Impossible Project is having a massive instant film sale. From now until the end of April, you can get 20% off their entire range of instant film for Polaroid 600, Image/Spectra and SX-70.

Save 20% on film by entering the code: FILM20 at checkout. You can use the code as many times as you like until the sale is over.

To help promote and use instant film, the Expolaroid international festival will take place throughout the month of April. Check for events near you.

Image Courtesy Expolaroid, by Philippe Bougoin

Save Pack Film

The call to Save Pack Film has been raised! As you may already know, Fuji is shutting down production of the last two-part instant film, FP-100C. Florian “Doc” Kaps, the founder of the Impossible Project, who has since left to start SUPERSENSE - a cafe, store, studio, workshop and palace where 20x24 instant Polaroids are made - has travelled to Tokyo to meet the CEO of FujiFilm. Since then, he has sent a letter to the CEO, which apparently was well received.

After much reflection and many suggestions, "Doc" has a project sure to capture the eye of Fuji - an adventure of selfies on packfilm. He asks you to "NOW, please share your packfilm self portrait on Instagram, Twitter or Flickr with the #wesavepackfilm hashtag."

It may be possible that the 3000 speed packfilm will be saved, also. If the combined forces of the Impossible Project, FILM Ferrania, Lomography and New55 can't do the job, you can also petition at Change.org.

Good things come to those who wait, hopefully a response will be had by the time this article is published....

See also:
* Film Ferrania in the News, February 2016
* News from the LRF: Start of 2016
* FIlm Ferrania Delayed by Harsh WInter
* Film Ferrania in the News, February 2015
* Film Ferrania - Film for the Next 100 Years
* Impossible 8x10 Colour Instant Film
* Impossible Introduces Round Photos
* The Impossible Project

Impossible Introduces the New I-type Camera

The I-1 instant camera is an all new Polaroid-compatible camera from the Impossible Project. The camera features a Li-Ion battery, a ring flash and an iOS app for remote control. Blending the new with the old sets this camera against both the traditional Polaroid cameras and the new Fuji Instax cameras. Expected arrival is May 10th.

See also:
* Review of Instaflex 70 Instax camera
* Instax Film leads Christmas sales in camera department at Amazon
* Impossible Project introduces 8x10 colour instant film

Camera Film Photo: CameraPorn

Camera Film Photo is an online shop that supplies the Asia-Pacific (AsiaPac) region with film and analog photographic supplies. Based in Hong Kong, Vishal started the shop in his spare time and now it is his full-time job. Vishal took up film photography in 2007, and in 2013 took the option to be the supplier of Rollei film and papers in Asia in 2013.

His blog pulls no punches, the extensive gallery of over a hundred cameras are featured under the category of CameraPorn. Well worth the visit even if you are not residing in Japan, Asia or Australia.

A perusal of the products that Camera Film Photo carries can be easily navigated by clicking on the Menu link (the hamburger icon), then clicking on the plus sign (+) on the slide out menu for the desired category. Many of the major film lines are there, from Adox to Rollei and everything in between. From novel packaging with plastic film boxes for storing film neatly and bundles of products, it seems a pity they are only available in Asia.

Photica.net

Photica (pronounced Foe-Tea-Ka) is a small website by one Bill Riley that showcases a collection of old and antique cameras, lenses and photographic paraphenalia. Bill created the site to teach himself HTML and web design, and has finally decided on the current format of a simulated notebook with photos.

Nice site to browse a variety of cameras dating back the 1800s to late 1900s, from workhorses to novelties.

Photobook, Непрояв. / Undev.

Pavel Kosenko, a Russian photographer, has a video showing of his latest photobook, "Непрояв. / Undev." Eery, black on black images show both the film negative image, and the print positive image, on each page. Just another level of art, packaged neatly. Well worth the visit to YouTube to see.
See also:

• Adox Implosion photos, by Pavel Kosenko
• Snow in Moscow, by Pavel Kosenko

Ctein: Post Exposure

The legend in his own time, the photographer known simply as Ctein, has released (for now, anyway) free, downloadable copies of his book, "Post Exposure: Advanced techniques for the Photographic Printer." This book gives solid advice on theory and how the eye and photographic materials work. This blogger is working slowly through the book, but it already has introduced new facts and figures to what I already know. While novices can learn from this book, it is certainly for the intermediate photographer and up. It should prove to be educational and a solid start to better printing.

The book is over 170 pages long. Topics include basic visual theory, the enlarger, printing with papers in B&W and colour, tricks of the trade, photograph permanence and more.

Ctein himself has been a successful printer since learning dye transfer photographic printing back in 1975. The materials and processes may have changed over time, but the human eye has not. So the hard learned rules still hold and can be passed on to the next generation of printers. Recommended.

Film Ferrania in the News, February 2016

In Febraury, Film Ferrania founder, Nicola Baldini, was interviewed by the German magazine Cine 8-16. This is the English translation. Nicola reveals much of the difference between Film Ferrania's Kickstarter from over a year ago and the typical Kickstarter. For one, the purpose was to raise funds to buy the Ferrania film production equipment before it was scrapped, rather than to purchase product that was on the verge of production.

Due to unforeseen circumstances (asbestos in the building) and other issues, production has been delayed by a year, but is now back on schedule to start production of the film for the rewards. With more plans of possibly introducing a wider variety of slide films, a negative film based on the last Solaris film, and even possibly a movie film, Ferrania P30, depending on demand. Nicola explains that due to the history of Ferrania, the plant is self-contained. The production of film there is self-contained and not dependent on outside suppliers, which he states is of benefit to a film producer today.

The Ferrania film has another advantage, long term stability after processing. Old samples of film were found in the factory, and were determined to be from the 50s and 60s, still with life-like colours. Since the new production will use the same recipes, it is hoped that it will have similar stability.

Here are a few parting words from Nicola Baldini on the future of Film Ferrania:

For market strategy reasons, the first film produced by FILM Ferrania will be a color reversal film in the following speeds: 64D, 100D, 200D, 400D, 640T, 800/3200T. Subsequently the introduction of a negative film is also scheduled (derived from last Solaris film) in 100, 200 and 400 ISO speeds. The release date of the negative film will depend on the market demand. Regarding black & white film, we think that at this moment there are excellent products (Ilford, FOMA, Orwo) already in the market. Therefore, we prefer to concentrate on color that from the production point of view is far more critical than black & white. With that said, for special products like the historic Ferrania P30 that was used for the greatest masterpieces of Italian cinema, we are certainly considering a small production in limited edition.

New film: JCH StreetPan 400

The founder of Japan Camera Hunter is releasing a new panchromatic B&W film, StreetPan 400. This film is based on a now discontinued surveillance camera film, but is said to be fantastic for street work. With fine grain, high speed, a contrasty look and red sensitivity to cut through fog and haze, it is said to be great for all conditions. Looking over the specifications, a lot of thought has been put into the design of the film base and coatings, offering a gelatin backing to reduce scratches, anti-static layers and so on.

The film is being financed by the founder himself, and he needs your support to make the project a go. Kickstarter just does not appeal to his sensibilities. In his own words:

This film is not quite ready yet, but it has already cost me a simply stunning amount of money. And as I absolutely hate sites like kickstarter I have decided that the best thing I can do is offer this on pre-order so that you get your film when it comes out. This also helps me to pay for the film, because it is such a large amount of money. The film will be ready for shipping around May/June of 2016, so you don’t actually have all that long to wait.

StreetPan 400 is being offered in bricks of ten for 9750 yen. That is comparable to rolls of Ilford film around here at time of writing, so it is not too expensive. Due to currency fluctuations, price may very for your region over time.

Show your support at the JCH shop for JCH StreetPan 400.

JCH StreetPan 400 adds to the just fantastic assortment of film available today, and is more great news for film. Hope you had a great Easter weekend, for those who observe it. See also:

• Adox Implosion, photos by Pavel Kosenko
• Adox Fotowerke-of-Berlin
• Kodak Serious About Film
• Update from Film Ferrania, December 2015
• Impossible Project 8x10 Instant Film
• Cinestill 800T Test Run
• CineStill Film
• Film Ferrania - Film for the Next 100 Years

Profile: Monica Glitz

Monica Glitz is a Canadian photographer specializing in alternative processes, such as tricolour pigment and platinum palladium prints. Her work, Ancient Splendour by Monica Glitz, will be on exhibition for the first time in Toronto at the Dylan Ellis Gallery, 1840 Danforth Ave, from April 22th through May 31th 2016. This exhibit will show her photos of over 100 UNESCO World Heritage sites – some of the most photogenic places that one could ever wish to visit.

The Dylan Ellis Gallery has an interview with Ms. Glitz about Ancient Splendour and her background as a photographer.

See also: Bob Carnie Printmaking

YouTube: Writer profiles Ansel Adams

A YouTube writer covers the early days of Ansel Adams, digging up old movies and the secret to Adams' success: visualization and the Zone system. Worth a watch for the original bits from Ansel Adams himself.

THIS Interviews the Impossible Project

A particularly good interview from THIS, this video is well worth the 10 minutes to watch. Everything from the history of how Polaroid got into the situation it did, how The Impossible Project came about to the materials used in making SX-70 compatible film to what happened to the guy who bought Polaroid and how he put an end to Polaroid instant film. (Hint: he is in jail. Karma? You decide.) Highly informative with many details.

The Darkroom Cookbook

The Darkroom Cookbook, 4th edition will be released on March 17, 2016. The updated book is the classic guide for darkroom photographers. Packed with formulas, tips and special techniques and stunning black and white imagery by professionals such as Bruce Barnbaum, Tim Rudman, John Sexton, and more.

Already, the Darkroom Cookbook Forum is up and running. With topics ranging from silver halide processing to alternative techniques such as albumen printing, carbon printing, wet plate processing and more, there is much to learn.

Japan Camera Hunter: Review of the Instaflex TL70

The film camera buff site, Japan Camera Hunter, has a review of the Instaflex TL70 instant film camera. The camera uses the Instax mini film, but gives you the feel of a 120 roll film TLR. The camera features glass lenses, though apparently focus is soft according to one commenter on the site. The reviewer felt it was a unique, attention grabbing camera that gets conversations rolling. The TL70 has metering, manual exposure settings and a tripod socket, making this a fun camera for the serious film photographer who just wants something less serious without giving up control. The camera has the features of a TLR such as waist level viewfinder, pop up magnifier and sport viewfinder. It retails for around US$350.

Worth a read. See also the Ag+ Process review of Fuji Instax film from Christmas.

News from the LRF, Start of 2016

The FILM Ferrania project has released a tentative schedule for getting back on track and producing film. They will his year, instead of just producing a small batch of Kickstarter rewards. In reflecting back on 2015, they are looking forward to a long time producing film.

Adox Implosion: Pavel Kosenko

Photographer Pavel Kosenko reveals photos of Cuba taken on Adox Implosion 100, an experimental film with desaturated colours designed to give the look of the 70s. Compare this film to the stunning 90MP (ninety megapixel!) scan of Adox CMS 20 II B&W film depicting a Porsche (Image at Adox). Check out other products made by Adox covered right here on Ag+ Process.

COOPH: The History of Photography in Five Minutes

The Cooperative of Photography, or COOPH, has an excellent video on their Youtube channel on the history of photography. In only five minutes, breeze over the main characters of photography since (and before!) its inception. Some names may be familiar, if the reader has browsed previous videos on lenses listed by this blog. Way cool.

Profile: Cy DeCosse

Cy DeCosse is a photographer who specializes in the arts of alternative photographic processes. Specifically, he creates platinum prints, gum dichromate prints and photogravure process prints. He briefly describes each of these processes. Cy is not only a photographer, but also a painter. His still life photography often uses backgrounds he paints himself, that he then photographs with the subject.
His work is available for viewing online as collections. Take a look at just some of the collections by the process that made the print:

• Platinum-Palladium - San Abrosio
• Gum Dichromate - Seasons
• Photogravure - Weeds

The prints can vary from subtle to breathtaking in colour or tone.

Depth of Focus

An interesting topic with apparently much debate, this blog gives you a page on depth of focus with useful links to discussion, a video and an in depth paper on the topic. Take a look!

Exposure Basics

I have put together a straightforward page on basic exposure principles. This is to put us on the same footing when discussing exposure, reciprocity law, and exposure guides. The page first covers the three factors in exposure: shutter speed, aperture, and film speed or ISO. Then discusses how these factors interact. More advanced photographers might like to visit the interactive exposure page by Tony Catalano near the end of the page - it shows what happens when varying these three factors, in particular the effect on depth of field and stopping motion.

If using an older camera that does not have a built in meter (or the battery is no longer available), these points are essential. Even if using a more modern SLR with auto-exposure, knowing the effects on depth of field and motion can allow one to capture the moment as intended, rather than letting the camera guess. Hopefully, this short article will be useful in some way whatever level you are at in photography.

The article on Exposure Basics is also available in the column on the left. More short articles are to come, comments welcome.

Ken Rockwell on Film

Looking for scads of information on silver halide film?  Ken Rockwell's information packed article on film may be just the ticket.  Ken discusses the properties of film, the popular sizes used over the last 50 years or so and more.  There are plenty of links to explore from this article.  Worth a read to stay informed!

What Makes a Photographer, PBS

Ken Van Sickle is 83 years old and has been a photographer for six decades.  His take is that technology does not make a photographer.  To put it in his words:

What a great photographer does is, they are consistently able to make something in a style that’s personal to themselves. My pictures don’t depend on extreme sharpness. They depend on the composition and on the subject and on the way I see it.

See his interview on PBS NewsHour, in the Brief but Spectacular series:  What Makes a Photographer.

Kodak Serious About Film? Ask the CEO...

Petapixel has a brilliant piece on how the executives at Kodak use 35mm film as their business cards.  Originally reported by The Virge while at CES, this is just amazing.  Kodak is serious about putting silver halide back on the market.  Be sure to peruse the SaveFilm.org site for more articles on the future of film.

Kodak to Produce New Super 8 Film Movie Camera

In announcement at the CES consumer gadget show, Kodak revealed that it is reviving the Super 8 movie camera again. In a hybrid of digital features and film capture, the camera will feature an LCD viewinder panel and an internal battery charged by a USB connection. The expected use is by artists, student filmmakers and amateurs. Kodak plans a service whereby a cartridge can be sent to Kodak for processing and scanning to digital file for $50 to $75.

Kodak is taking film seriously, and has made arrangements to continue movie film production with six major studios. Jeff Clarke, CEO of Kodak, is banking on the mystique of film and the support of major Hollywood filmmakers to keep film rolling.

Check out the articles on this camera and press release by Kodak:

Kodak Press Release on the launch of the Super 8 Filmmaking Revival at CES 2016.
The Wall Street Journal on Kodak Goes Retro.
PetaPixel on Kodak Bringing Back Super 8

Kodak Super 8 LCD - Source: Kodak.com

Inside Photographic Lenses

The filmmaker's YouTube channel, Filmmaker IQ, has an excellent introduction to lens properties for still and motion picture use. Note that while they talk of 35mm and smaller formats, the same principles to larger film formats, also. For example, the approximate normal focal length for the following film sizes are roughly: Medium Format

• 6x4.5: 75mm
• 6x6: 85mm
• 6x9: 110mm

Large Format

• 4x5: 160mm
• 5x7: 220mm
• 8x10: 325mm

These values are simply derived from the nominal size of the format and Pythagoras.

This video on how lenses work is well worth the 20 minutes to view.

Star Wars: Made on FIlm

As other sources have pointed out, the recently released Star Wars motion picture was actually made with silver gelatin film. Kodak has a press release describing the production and use of film in making the movie.

J.J. Abrams and Dan Mindel teamed up to produce a movie with the look and style of the original series. To achieve this, they used silver halide film and custom anamorphic lenses that were remanufactured using existing vintage lenses that were in storage. The reborn lenses were mated to modern cameras and the movie was recorded on celluloid. There were three film stocks used, now much more advanced than the film of the past, which were: KODAK VISION3 500T Color Negative Film 5219, KODAK VISION3 250D Film 5207, and KODAK VISION3 50D Film 5203. The tungsten-balanced (ISO 500T) film was used in the UK, whereas the daylight balanced films (ISO 250D and 50D) were used in the Abu Dhabi desert. Dan Mindel comments that the new films have a much wider range of contrast than the film of the 1980s, which made them much easier to use.

On the finished movie, Mindel says:

"I've just seen the movie for the first time, and it ended up looking fantastic," says Mindel. "To see the film rendition at full resolution is so incredible. I recently shot another movie digitally, and the differences between that and what is possible with film are huge. Film is so high-tech in its present form. It looks the way my eyes saw it, and that is something that is very difficult with digital cameras. Film sees so much more. To me, it's just gorgeous. It's phenomenal."

"...just gorgeous." Just another reason to use film.