Kodak Pro Image 100 review

June 12, 2025 in documentary photography, Kodak Pro Image 100

Here we are again! Yet another stock Ive just shot for the first time. Im not sure why I haven’t before but from what Ive seen on line from other users, there seems to be mixed reviews but I guess thats down to what each and every one is they are looking for in a film stock. Im sticking to my review on this and sod the rest. Each to their own one might say.

One of the first things that drew me to this stock was the price. Buy cheap buy twice maybe? Well, in some respects yes when you’re stack it up against the likes of Portra and Ektar. All over priced in my opinion. However, Pro Image 100 is none of these even though there are countless reviews that constantly compare this stock with these two. View it the way I did, as it is and on its own merit, quality and finishes….

Whenever I shoot a new stock, I try by best to get a cross section of subject matters and a varied palette of colours to see just how the stock perform. Enclosed are a selection of images with that selection of subjects and colours. In addition to that, I shot this content in varied weather conditions too.

So what this stock is not for me is a fine grain stock. I don’t see it as a premium stock either but a really decent all round colour stock with a good finish on it. Ive no idea about all the finer elements that others photographer bleat on about with Proimage such as high colour saturation, accurate colour and pleasing skin-tone reproduction, and good underexposure latitude. I just see this as a really good colour stock to shoot. Bollocks to all that tech stuff - Shoot it yourself and see…RD

"Hit the north" Belfast street art festival

May 08, 2025 in 35mm film cornwall, Cornwall Kodak gold 120, Kodak Gold 120, Kodak pro image, belfast

Whilst recently walking in and around Belfasts Cathedral Quarter area, I stumbled across the “hit the north” Festival. The biggest street art festival in Belfast. Over 60 artists from across the UK, Ireland and internationally were invited to display their skills on a series an hoardings and walls throughout this area

The location and central to the festival was the famous Sunflower pub. The only pub left in Belfast with the steel cages from the “Troubles” still in place. A cracking pub by the way.

The quality of art was amazing as was the colour and it was great to enguage with the artists and ask about their work, before opening and closing my shutter I might add. Alongside the Irish blue skies that day, this was indeed a cracking find for me and my camera. Consequently I thought it was only right for me to consume some alcohol based beverages that day, responsible of course, whilst viewing this collection of incredible street art

There was one piece of art that I must say did stand out for me that day and it was the one that had a very current and sombering connection to it. That was the art titled “Know their names”. The artist which designed this name escapes me but he wrote down 1,000 children’s names who have been killed by the Israeli attacks in Gaza. Everyone who view had the same opinion as me. Shocking….

Because I didn’t expect to find the festival and I was in Belfast for another reason, I came ill equipped with film. One roll would you believe! So, I searched for 35mm film locally, grabbed some more and returned to shoot some more content. I’d love to post all of the shots I took that day but I think the gallery below sums up the content and experience for me. Hope you think so too! RD

PS: I reckon I know where the “hit the north” title came from. Manchesters finest, The Fall

Penberth Cove - The tiny fishing hamlet

June 07, 2021 in medium format cornwall, Cornwall medium format, cornwall in medium format, provia 100f expired

The tiny fishing hamlet of Penberth Cove lies at the foot of a wooded valley just to the east of Porthcurno. Fishing still remains part of Penberth but only to a few local families nows that still fish this cove and its Atlantic waters.

I spent a few hours one early spring morning capturing all that I saw. All images are shot on film. None of those pixels or photoshop here. Just real images

Camera’s: Asahi Pentax 6x7, Hasselblad 500 CM
Films: Kodak Ektar & Kodak Portra 160

M6 "man fizz"

May 19, 2017

I said goodbye to some loyal friends last week only to be replaced by a new one. I refer to my new second hand Leica M6 TTL. It was only a question of time before I bought myself a real quality 35mm film camera and for me, Leica had to be the only choice. Ive been using a host of average 35mm units for the last few years with good results but now with the arrival of my M6 its time to step up the game.

Well, it arrived this morning and all I can say was that it was a "man fizz" moment. Blokes know what I mean. Even opening the box does it for me. I already have a Q and a X2 but there's something very different and special about the M6. Clearly its a film unit but just picking it up says it all. Its solid, well build and very very evocative.

In addition to my M6 I grabbed myself a Leica Cooph rope strap The strap is a collaboration between Leica and Cooph. Two quality products now unite. Finally. A big thanks you to Ben over at the Leica store in Manchester for sorting all of this out. Cheers Ben....

We all start somewhere

February 19, 2017

At 15 years old, I had no concept of composition, subject matter, depth of field or any other aspects of photography. I just had this overwhelming urge to capture an image. I had no line manuals to refer to, tutorials or someone to speak to offer advice. I picked up my camera and released the shutter. The result of that in the first photograph I ever took. Armed with a basic Zenit E that cost me £20, a roll of ilford FP4, this is what I saw and captured.

On reflection, when I look back at the image I got the lighting and speed right. The lovely contrast that ilford films give is all there but clearly I had no conception of the art of composition. It would be decades on that I got round to picking up a camera again and ended up where I am today, making a living out of it.