Tag Archives: acros

WPPD 2016

World Pinhole Photography Day (WPPD) was held on April 25, 2016, more information here (http://pinholeday.org/).

Pinhole day used to be the only day that I shoot with these cameras, but this year, I actually prepared for it.  When I was in Shanghai earlier this year, with the help of Kirk Lau, I 3D printed a 6×18 (actually I find it more 6×19) camera called terraPin Kaiju.  I had a ton of issues with that camera and I will discuss this in a later blog.  After sorting all the issues out, it’s actually a really fun camera to use.

I started WPPD this year with a few plates of 8×10.  I used my Kodak 2D 8×10 camera with 0.5mm hole size and arranged it for 150mm and f/300.

Kodak 2D 8x10, 150mm f300

Kodak 2D 8×10, 150mm f/300

I shot the following with Kodak Ektascan B/RA x-ray film.  Here are a couple of developed plates, the details are just amazing and the exposure is also dead on.

Kodak 2D 8x10, 150mm, f300 with Kodak Ektascan B/RA film
Kodak 2D 8×10, 150mm, f300 with Kodak Ektascan B/RA film
Kodak 2D 8x10, 150mm, f300 with Kodak Ektascan B/RA film
Kodak 2D 8×10, 150mm, f300 with Kodak Ektascan B/RA film

To walk around town, I took the 6×18 panoramic pinhole, equipped with a 0.4mm pinhole, 86mm, f/215 with a view angle of roughly 116.5 deg.  The film that I used was my favorite, Fuji Acros.

terraPin Kaiju 6x19 camera
terraPin Kaiju 6×18 camera

First I hit South Beach Harbor and it was a beautiful day.

terraPin Kaiju 6x19 camera in South Beach Harbor
terraPin Kaiju 6×18 camera in South Beach Harbor

The shots from that roll had a light leak when I was changing film.  This is to remind myself to use the film clip and also change the film in darker places!

terraPin Kaiju 6x19 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros
South Bay Beach and terraPin Kaiju 6×18 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros

As I walked towards AT&T Park, the Giants were playing.

AT&T Park with the terraPin Kaiju 6x19 camera, 86mm
AT&T Park with the terraPin Kaiju 6×18 camera, 86mm

I was trying to get a silhouette photo which came out like this.  I would like it to be sharper but it was crazy windy that day.  It was tough to have the whole thing stable, even for a few seconds.

terraPin Kaiju 6x19 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros
AT&T Park and terraPin Kaiju 6×18 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros

Next are a couple of shots of the Bay Bridge from both portrait and landscape orientation.

Bay Bridge and terraPin Kaiju 6x19 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros
Bay Bridge and terraPin Kaiju 6×18 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros
Bay Bridge and terraPin Kaiju 6x19 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros
Bay Bridge and terraPin Kaiju 6×18 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros

Behind the Ferry Building is the Golden Gate Ferry Terminal and a statue of Gandhi.  In the high resolution copy, you can actually faintly read off Gandhi’s name under the statue.  This is amazing detail, consider the lens is just air!  No fancy optics at play here.

San Francisco Ferry Terminal and terraPin Kaiju 6x19 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros
San Francisco Ferry Terminal and terraPin Kaiju 6×19 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros

Next is Pier 7 and it was quite empty for a Sunday afternoon.

Pier 7 and terraPin Kaiju 6x19 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros
Pier 7 and terraPin Kaiju 6×19 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros

The San Francisco Belle was docked and check out the sharpness!

San Francisco Belle and terraPin Kaiju 6x19 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros
San Francisco Belle and terraPin Kaiju 6×19 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros

While walking on Broadway, there is an alley with a great view of the The Transamerica Pyramid.  I always love the vertical panoramic but it is often quite hard to frame.

The Transamerica Pyramid and terraPin Kaiju 6x19 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros
The Transamerica Pyramid and terraPin Kaiju 6×19 camera, 86mm, f/215 with Fuji Acros

I have to say it was a lot of fun this year on WPPD.   This is the most I have shot compared to previous years.   The final stop was at Liquid Gold with four limited edition Ballast Point beers on tap!

Liquid Gold SF with four limited edition Ballast Point beers on tap!
Liquid Gold SF with four limited edition Ballast Point beers on tap!

 

Inspiration from undeveloped negatives

Hardly shot anything in the past six months, I finally got my dark room setup last week. Rolls of 120s and tens of 8×10 sheets were waiting to be developed in the past nine months.  Honestly I don’t even remember what I took in the medium format rolls.  I mixed some d76 last weekend, got the development tanks, measurement cups all cleaned up.  Timer, thermometer all in place.  Dry hanging rack and enclosure all in tact.  After studying past notes on development, in the past weekend, I finally developed my first roll of film in nine months.

Opening the jobo tank, I see images, images that I didn’t recognize and had no recollection.  I didn’t think too much of it and let it hang dry.  I scanned some of the photos today and saw this photo.

Zeiss Ikonta 532/16, Fuji Acros, dev d76 1+1, scanned with Epson Perfection V700.
Zeiss Ikonta 532/16, Fuji Acros, dev d76 1+1, scanned with Epson Perfection V700.

I looked at this and I was like wow.  The Zeiss Ikonta is one of those under-rated cameras.  It folds nicely, has a Zeiss Tessar at f2.8.  The rangerfinder is also easy to use and you can focus really quickly.  Looking at this photo, instantly, I wanted to go out and shoot more.  Jaded from all the moving and change in the past year, I guess this was a catalyst for me to get back into what I love doing.

Day 1 – Black & White photo challenge

Thanks for Cheung Billy Ka Ming, I accepted the BW photo challenge.  I will be posting one BW photo a day for five days and will nominate someone each day just for fun.  Here is a photo I have taken from a maternity shoot I did not long ago.  The lovely couple is Catherine Wong and Denis Ng.  This photo was taken in Hong Kong with Graflex Speed Graphic + Fujinon A 240mm f9 lens + Fuji Acros.  Film developed in Kodak d76 1+1, Kodak Rapid Fix and scanned with Epson Perfection V700.  This is one of the first photos I took with the newly acquired A 240mm f9 lens and I have to say it’s absolutely the sharpest lens I own.  The lens is extremely light and what’s amazing is that it can even cover 8×10!  Today I would like to nominate Kirk Lau to accept my BW photo challenge.

Catherine and Dennis looking lovely in this photo.
Catherine and Dennis looking lovely in this photo.

Large Format Portrait

One of the best LF portraits I have taken recently is this one of my mom.  Taken with Graflex Speed Graphic + Buhl 9″ f3.6 lens + Fuji Acros.  Developed in Kodak d76, 20C 11 minutes, first minute agitation, 4 flips every minute.  Fixed with Kodak RapidFix and scanned Epson Perfection V700.

Large format portrait of my mom.
Large format portrait of my mom.

SFO in 6×6

I had a few shots left on my Zeiss Ikonta 532/16 before I boarded a plane at SFO.  The sun was setting and made a nice reflection on the ground.  Taken with Zeiss Ikonta 532/16 on Fuji Acros.  Developed in Kodak d76, 20C, 11 mins, first minute agitation, then 2 flips every minute.  Fixed with Kodak rapid fix and scanned with Epson Perfection 4870.

SFO in 6x6
SFO in 6×6

San Francisco Bay Bridge night view in Large Format

After fixing another old speed graphic and a graphex 90mm f6.8 lens, I put it to use with Fuji Acros on a clear evening shooting the Bay Bridge in SF.  Developed in Kodak D76, 20C, 11 mins, agitation first minute then 6 flips every minute.  Fixed in Kodak Rapid fix.  Scanned with Epson Perfection V700.

Downtown SF, looking at the Ferry Building
Downtown SF, looking at the Ferry Building
Ferry Building clock tower
Ferry Building clock tower
Bay Bridge in SF
Bay Bridge in SF

Three medium format frames at the Roundhouse

I was over at the Roundhouse for beers and took some photos inside.  Shown here are three consecutive frames taken with my Zeiss Ikonta 532/16 on Fuji Acros 100.  First two frames were taken with f16 @ 4 seconds.  The last shot with f5.6 @ 1 second.  Film developed in Kodak D76, 10 minutes @ 23C, 30 seconds initial agitation and two flips every minute, scanned with Epson Perfection V700.

three shots that i taken at the Roundhouse
three shots that i taken at the Roundhouse