I am continuing to introduce cameras that I intend to used for the Frugal Film Project and My Inner Monet Most of the cameras under consideration are Pre-1940. Although the Agfa Isolette first appeared in 1937, I believe my model is Post-1940. The Isolette was one of the earliest cameras to include significant plastic in the upper viewfinder housing.
The camera features a fold-down cover.
The Isolette is 6X6 Format. And we have a surprise ‘sample’ from the first roll of film:
Why not start the Year 2021 with some film tests………..
I had casually tried some Retro 80S on the drive home from Phoenix in 2019. But I wasn’t really planning on a comparative study and my image were not in pairs. So I decide to set-up a real study comparing Retro 80S AND Retro 400.S This is Part I where I will discuss Retro 80S.
The tests were conducted using 120 film and my Mamiya-7 cameras both with IR 695 filters. Ilford SFX-200 was my standard for comparison.
All of the SFX-200 imafes are on the left, and the Retro80S on the right.
In my first images from 2019, I had used a Dark Red filter for the Retro 80S. applying the IR 695 to the Retro 80S made it more contrasty than preferred. So I thin for an future use I would recommend using just a Dark Red Filter, instead of the IR 695 for the Retro 80S film.
Next up to start the year: Retro 400s……
At Rocky Mountain National Park:
For classic B&W landscapes we often think of Ansel Adams. And for more intimate landscapes, John Sexton. But those are mostly Western Landscapes. The East has beautiful scenes that tend to go unloved. Even Clyde Butcher ventured west for a change-up in is photo scenes. I was supposed to go to the Everglades last Fall, and had hoped to post images from Florida for this Inspiration. But my illness intervened. We are still planning our visit with Clyde and stay in one of his cabins. My photographer’s eye is looking forward to the South Florida Environs.  Check him out here.
Well, I live where I live, so my inspiration from Clyde Butcher as acknowledged here, comes from his dramatic, sweeping landscapes and how clouds are an important feature of the landscape. Also, the importance of masterful photography in Conservation and Historical Preservation efforts.
So my Inspiration from the Cathedral Trail Loop in Capitol Reef National Park. Also environmentally significant because of the threat to open this Park to fracking and mining operations:
Also a test of the Rollei Retro 80S IR sensitive film……….using a 695 filter.
Reading Jim Grey’s recent Blog on the subject of Bathroom Mirror Selfies made me think about the ones I have done, and the ones that I want to do soon. He also mentioned the importance of Photography as Therapy., as any Art form can be. It certainly has worked that way for me, carrying me through serious illnesses twice now.
I am posting this to Celebrate my Birthday! Something that wasn’t assured just a few month ago. And I am going forth with my Series “Facing 60”. Starting here and now I will post self Portraits from time to time at different ages and stages……
About 10 years ago I was starting a self-portrait project called “Facing 50”. I had read an article by someone who had documented their life through self portraits taken over 20+ years. But my Project ended up being derailed by Breast Cancer. You think I would have learned from that and NOT tried to do a “Facing 60”. Undaunted, I started on that Series anyway, and it was derailed by a brain tumor that IS NOT Cancer, but nevertheless a problem. Having anything growing in your Brain that doesn’t belong there is a problem.
As you can see below I started the original Project on Ash Wednesday in 2010. In this case I was experimenting with my 20 ft cable release and my M645. A little soft focused because I had to ‘guestimate’ the distance. I featured one of my favorite images……
So, I had taken a few photos of myself before the current events. My husband had taken quite a few photos of me to post on my “Through the Glass” blog posts. To Summarize “Facing 60” will contain a variety of “Self-Portraits” and evolve into a Project Page.
So this is where I started 9 years ago when my Cancer treatment had ended, I was on the road to recovery and starting a new career:
And now for some Mirror-Selfies: One full-frame showing all the lovely bathroominess and the rest cropped Rollei TLR 6X6 to remove as much of the Bathroom as possible. I’m going to do a reshoot in this mirror when I get home. Next time I will not have the shower curtain line going through my head!
5 Frames of Kodak Portra 400, Exposed @ ISO 320 (6X7 120 Format) by Kathleen E. Johnson
On August 21, 2017, thousands of people converged on Alliance, Nebraska, as one of the prime Solar Eclipse viewing locations in North America. NO you are not going to see eclipse images, but a bit of Americana I had heard of (probably on 60 Minutes as a child), but never thought that I would visit: CARHENGE. We thought about stopping by on Eclipse Day, but the traffic proved unmanageable.
The following November, we had an opportunity to return to Alliance and made our visitation. It was a lovely, sunny, November day. And walking amongst the Cars, it proved much more photogenic than I had expected.
It seems like ages ago, but in 1990 I had an opportunity to visit the real Stonehenge. Those photos were terrible, so you’ll never get to see them here. But I can say the advantage of Carhenge is that it’s a true life-size model that you can walk around and experience as the Ancient Ones may have done at the real Stonehenge. And it has become a focus for sculpture built from car parts. But that’s another story…….
The camera was my favorite Mamiya 7 with the 43 mm lens. All exposures @f/8, and shutter speeds of 1/125 to 1/250 to capture details in the shadows. In my experience Portra Films have a wide exposure latitude. At ISO 320 color saturation is more true to life than Portra 160. I’ve settled on Portra 400 as my color film.
P.S Okay you can see my Eclipse Images on film HERE.
So here we go. I’ve decided to re-publish my Emulsive Articles here, after my submission that will post for Halloween disappeared into the ether of the internet. I explained my position and recommendations on the subject here. All re-publishings will be marked as “Alternate”.
5 Frames of T-Max 400, Exposed @ ISO 200 (6X7 120 Format) by Kathleen Johnson
Last July I spent an afternoon at a special Photographer’s Open House at the Walker Ranch Homestead, a part of the Boulder County Parks and Open Spaces. Located in the Front Range Foothills above Boulder, Colorado, it is a popular hiking area, but the Homestead site is only open to the public a few times per year.
I took my favorite Mamiya 7 with the Mamiya f/4.5 43 mm lens. Some of these images have been cropped. I exposed the film @ ISO 200 with additional compensation for my yellow filter.
An overcast and windy day, so the outdoors photos were so-so. But I fell in love with the Homestead Attic living space. So I present the exterior and we move upstairs.
The view through the window was exposed @ f/8 1/60s; Cradle exposed @ f/4.5 4s; Nightstand exposed @ f/4.5 2s; Bed and Chairs with window exposed @ f/8 1s. Of course, all using a tripod and cable release. One neat feature of the Mamiya 7 is that you have a maximum timed exposure up to 4 seconds before you have to use the Bulb setting and time it yourself.
Inspired by an Article “Handheld” I’ve finally tried out the pinhole in motion technique:
If you look at the ‘Diana Pinhole Box‘ it seems to be suggesting this approach, or at least a less traditional take on pinholes. So I will continue to experiments………
Last Fall we stopped at Carhenge. It was a lovely, sunny, November day. And walking amongst the Cars, it proved much more photogenic than I had expected.
See all the photos from my trip to Carhenge Here.
See Updated Post for Alternate 5-Frames Here.
myvintagecamerasblog 