Category: Film photography

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Ham

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A stallkeeper prepares produce on this stall in Mercado de la Boqueria in Barcelona.

I guess, following on from my picture a few days ago, that this is another shot that might have benefited from being in colour, but the black and white still works well because of the contrast, I feel. Plus I do have some other shots of similar stalls taken on Protra 400, but I’m waiting for those to be processed.

From looking at this photograph it would be easy to assume that the market had only just opened, or was not very busy, but it is in fact a very rare moment when there weren’t dozens of shoppers and tourists milling around in front of my lens (and I cropped it a bit too!).

FILM - Meat

Olympus OM-10, Cimko 28mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 17 June 2019

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Colour in black and white

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Here’s a photo of a couple of chilled fruit drinks that my wife and I enjoyed in a cafe / bar on the first day of our short break in Barcelona. The drinks were extremely pleasant on a hot day, and consisted of a fruit cocktail enlivened with ice-cubes and frozen fruit. It made for a colourful display.

My first choice was to take a shot on the Portra 400 that was in my Z135 as this would have picked up the colours in the liquid and, especially, the reds, purples and oranges of the berries and mango pieces. However, try as I might, I just couldn’t get a composition I was happy with using the camera – although it has a macro mode, it didn’t frame the scene well, and shooting wider at the camera’s minimum focus range led to far too much of the surroundings getting into the shot.

So, I took the shot with the OM-10 and 28mm lens I had attached (in the interests of travelling light and not annoying myself with the urge to switch lenses all the time, the 28mm was all I took for the SLR, and it turned out to be a pretty good choice of focal length for the streets of Barcelona). The 28mm lens in question is a Cimko model that allows close macro focussing, so I was able to get in nice and tight even with the wide-angle of view, and the f/2.8 maximum aperture meant I could get enough light in the slightly shaded position we were in. The only real issue with using the OM-10 was the fact that I’d loaded it with HP5+, so I had to forego the lovely colours on show and hope for the sense of cold refreshing beverages to still shine through in B&W.

I love black and white film, but colour film does have the advantage of being easily convertible to monochrome if required, whereas (short of fancy techniques to combine three images shot using red, green and blue filters) black and white film is pretty much what-you-see-is-what-you-get.

I’m not sure if it’s a better shot in B&W, but it still works pretty well, and was “interesting” enough to get into Flickr Explore yesterday. I’m happy with it though and, given I take photos for myself, that’s what matters I suppose. 🙂

Anyone else had a similar conundrum with colourful scenes and black and white film?

FILM - Chilled

Olympus OM-10, Cimko 28mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 16 June 2019

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Chequerboard face

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A chequerboard-faced figure looms from a shop doorway.

I couldn’t help but think of the scene in T2: Judgement Day where the T-1000 terminator, having disguised itself as some chequered linoleum, rises up and kills the security guard as he purchases his coffee from a vending machine in the secure hospital where Sarah Connor is being held…

FILM - Chequerboard face

Olympus OM-10, Cimko 28mm f/2.8 & Ilford HP5+.

Taken on 16 June 2019

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Stars & Stripes

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At the eastern end of the Occulus transport hub / shopping mall atrium at the World Trade Center hangs this large US flag. At first I wondered if it was back to front, but on looking it up I learned that this is the correct way for it to be hung in a vertical orientation. My knowledge of the world has expanded a little.

I took many photos in the Occulus, both on film and digital, and it’s a very photogenic place. It is also surprisingly difficult to get pleasing photos of people in the atrium as it’s tricky to get the composition and placement of individuals just how you want them before someone walks in or out of the frame, breaking the harmony of the shot.

FILM - Stars and Stripes

Canon Sure Shot Z135  & Kodak Portra 400.

Taken on 26 May 2019

35mm · Film photography · Photography

New and old

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Today’s photo was taken on the day we visited the WTC Memorial Museum. I can’t remember if I took it while we waited in the queue for entry to the museum, or if it was taken later in the day after I’d been to the top of One World Trade Center and we were walking back to the subway. It’s probably the former, or at least earlier in the day as (as I type this) I recall that storm clouds had begun to cover the sky before we left the WTC district. These same clouds resulted in the downpour that trapped us at Grand Central Terminal, during which I took the photo that I posted here on 15 June.

FILM - New and old

Canon Sure Shot Z135  & Kodak Portra 400.

Taken on 26 May 2019

35mm · Film photography · Photography

250 Vesey Street

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This is one of the buildings that make up the World Financial Center area, adjacent to the World Trade Center. I think that this particular building is designated as WFC 1.

I really liked the way the morning light was striking the building, throwing the structure into strong relief.

It’s another shot that shows the Z135’s tendency to vignette noticably at wider angles.

FILM - 250 Vesey Street

Canon Sure Shot Z135  & Kodak Portra 400.

Taken on 25 May 2019

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Standing in the rain outside Grand Central Terminal

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After our visit to the WTC Memorial, we caught the subway back to midtown and got off the train at Grand Central Terminal. After grabbing a few snacks from the food court on the lower level, we decided head back to the hotel.

Upon approaching the exit we noticed people entering the building with umbrellas, or with significant signs of being caught in the rain, and upon exiting found that it was absolutely tipping it down.

While we waited for the rain to ease off, we sheltered under the road bridge outside the south entrance, and I took a few photographs, including this one.

I know many photographers who complain when it rains, but for me it’s always a treat to be able to get photographs in this sort of weather. The way the floor suddenly becomes a diffuse mirror for light and clolour, and the way people behave and take shelter makes for very interesing photos in my opinion. There’s obviously some work to be done to ensure you and your camera are not soaked, but the effort is definitely worth it, don’t you think?

FILM - Outside Grand Central in the rain

Canon Sure Shot Z135  & Kodak Portra 400.

Taken on 26 May 2019