Finally Getting to Post this. And Yes, I am counting it as a #WednesdayWindows Also!
Pat and Gar’s Hi-Way Bar
Now for some Lafayette, Colorado History: The Old Coke Sign from ‘Pat & Gar’s Hi-Way Bar’ was originally painted in late 1949 or early 1950. Underneath are several layers of signs and banners going back to the late 1930’s. Renovations in 1956 covered the mural with asbestos siding, which ended up preserving it.
In 2015 the Mural was uncovered by special asbestos remediation before the building was to be demolished. The rediscovered Mural, and the entire wall were removed and stored at the Lafayette Firehouse. Professional restoration experts were brought in to stabilize the mural in 2016. It was placed in the current location, at Simpson and Public Road in Downtown Lafayette, Colorado.
Some Photos I made while hunting for Frugal Film Project materials. Lomo 800 and the Diana F+ camera. The Best Garage Doors:
The images above are from a double garage, as are the ones below. But I separated the two doors above to have a clearer image of the writing……And the Flowers Below:
I am a frequent participant in the #CameraChallenge. The April offering included a motion challenge which fits My Inner Monet. My strategy for ‘Motion’ was slow shutter speeds and simple motion. I used the Diana F+ camera and Lomo 800 film, as I was photographing for the April Frugal Film Project.
Above: a walk in the wind, and Below: mountain drive by.
The Wise Old Owl speaks for the Alley Art Amazin’ mural project in my Hometown, Lafayette, Colorado. I started capturing these images for the Frugal Film Project and for my own interests in my Hometown’s support of the Arts.
Coming soon will be a discussion of the Wise Old Owl. Turns out I have photographed this mural with 4 different color films. And they all look different.
Below, sharing a few more murals. I may make a Murals Page on my blog…….
Continuing with the Showdown that I started a few days ago. I’ve been using E100 over a year. I’m midway in a film showdown between Kodak E100 vs Fuji Velvia 50. I had always preferred Kodak in the past, however, after some 35 mm experiences last year I had doubts. I had always used E100GX, a warm toned film of the old generation. The new film was based on a colder version E100G. But to be fair, I decided to do some formal color test comparison. This is Part, I am comparing four images of the Owl Mural made with four different films: E100, Velvia 50, Portra 400 and Lomo 800. For the direct comparison of the E-6 films I used my Mamiya-7’s; the Portra was exposed using a Mamiya-6; and the Lomo 800 was exposed using a Diana F+, for the Frugal Film Project.
First I’ll show them in pairs, then break down my critique of each one. Naturally I have selected my personal favorite for the Header image above.
Lomo 800
Portra 400
Left: Lomo 800; Right: Portra 400. I made no adjustments for tone or contrast; only cropping to make them comparable in size. All of the image were exposed on overcast days. The first comment I can make is that both C-41 films are truer to the actual mural colors. The Portra 400 has a richer color tone which I would expect for the lower ISO film. But you have to admit that the Lomo 800 is very good, especially since it was exposed using a plastic camera. The winner here is Kodak Portra 400:
Portra 400
Now for the main event, E100 (left) vs Velvia 50 (right):
Kodak E100
Fuji Velvia 50
As one would expect, the E-6 films have a more saturated color. Not quite a natural representation. But in my lifetime experience with film (going back to childhood) I’ve mostly shot E-6. As a field scientist back in the pre-PowerPoint days, I needed to show my information in slide presentations. So that meant E-6 films. In my earlier professional days I used ECN films. When that was discontinued I switched to Kodak E100GX.
If you read my earlier experiences with E100, you’ll be able to decide which one I prefer. I simply find the E100 too cold. So the Winner here is, Fuji Velvia 50. I enjoy the richer and brighter blues and purples……
Fuji Velvia 50
So these are my two favorites. I can accept either one depending on what I am trying to demonstrate. Which one do you prefer?
Portra 400
Fuji Velvia 50
Stay tuned, right now I am continuing the side-by-side testing of these films as my Mamiya 645’s take a tour of my flower and vegetable gardens. I’m going to give E100 every possible chance to show me something that I’ll like.
And I may do a follow-up Road-Trip landscape comparison. In that case, I’ll see if a warming filter makes me feel better about the new Kodak E100.
It had been more than a month. But I did make these images in March as I watched my Valentine Roses change, but not ‘fade away’. They simply revealed new aspects of My Inner Monet:
I had though about submitting these for the March Frugal Film Project, but decided not to. But what I might do is find a 5th image that that works and submit it to a 5-Frames…..
So we end the month with these Roses as a prepare a Photo Safari to my friend’s Rose Garden…..
This View no longer exists….Tree branches blew down to change it. Not sure that the Park Services will take those branches away. So we have captured a moment in time that is now gone…….
There are three locations at a nearby park where I test every ‘new’ camera and every ‘new’ film. So I took my first roll of Lomo 800 to all of those three spots.
It was hard to decide which to pick, bit I think the Reflection does work best. The Boat Dock below, was taken at an odd angle and looks best with some cropping:
On my last roll of HP5 I found a photo to post for March:
Above was my Sign offering for the March 2020 Frugal Film Project. It just didn’t move me. So I marked it as one of the ‘rejected’ images:
I had also considered posting one of my Valentine Roses, One Month Later……… But I’m planning a separate posting with my ‘past prime’ roses. h dried quite well.
My February Frugal Film shoot started out with an Urban Renewal Theme, but ended up with portraits from my Valentine’s Day Bouquet. The Image above will be posted on the Frugal Film Project Site. The Features image, as shown below are not the same roses and show a slightly different perspective.
Themes proposed for the first two months this year included Texture (January) and Structure (February). I missed texture for the first month because I had already planned my own theme using my fisheye lens. So I invite you now to enjoy the texture of the flower petals and the structure of the roses themselves.
Some of the roses were beginning to fade, so I have started a new series highlighting the Roses as they dry…….and below a little Inner Monet…..somewhat out of focus.
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