I came back - Automotive

After shooting automotive content over a number of years for several automotive publications and media outlets, I gave it all up. It just became too easy and I got fed up with the mags cropping my imaging, paying me when they wanted too and some of the owners of that automotive content telling me how good their rides were.

However, more recently Ive become re interested in that area of photography due to the premium quality and varied volume of content I now find myself shooting again. This time it’s different, no more of that digital rubbish as I now only shoot film.

Sadly, print based media only takes digital content as they are after that pin sharp pixel crap that we as a nation have been programmed to believe it’s best. Here’s the thing though and this is directed to those blinkered magazine editors of the world, medium format film can be super sharp too and being film, it brings something that digi never will, a real texture and organic quality and lovely grain. Stick that in your digital pipe and smoke it.

Please note: All of the images contained within this post and other posts, and on my site are free from Photoshop, Lightroom and presets. All my imaging is real

Penberth Cove - The tiny fishing hamlet

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

Provia 100f - Shooting expired slide

Ive been shooting expired Provia 100f for some years now with some great results overall if Im honest. The “expired” element of shooting film interested me simply because I wanted to see what type of results Id get.

You’ll read a load of articles on line regarding expired film stock staying the rule of thumb is to do this and that with it, over expose, pull or push it. I just shoot it out of the box and see what I get generally. I reckon 95% of what Ive shot in past has turned out well. Is that down to luck? Maybe so, or is it the fact that Provia if stored well is just a really robust film.

The Colour
Now, I like Provia for several reasons. The first one being is its a slide film. i love slide. That moment you get your negatives back and then hold them up to the light and the colour bursts through, its magical. Secondly,
I love the rich tones Provia brings. The purple and greens have such a vivid texture to them and the overall colour palette to really appealing. Is the any colour shift? I haven’t noticed any but I am the worlds worst technical photographer so I wouldn’t see it. I just see lovely colours.

Examples
Enclosed within this post are a series of images shot on a roll of Provia 100f which expired back in 2000. I had no history on its storage other than what the seller told me. Let’s be honest here. Was it cold stored for 20 years, I think not. So, my opinion is that Provia is just a really solid and robust film stock and seems to store well. See what you think of the results anyway.

Please note: Other views and opinions are available but these are mine

The Four Points project - #thefourpoints

Projects for me will always be the main focus for my photography out side of my commercial work. Whilst work for me is a real joy, the projects keep me sane. They give me free control on what I want to shoot and to share with others. Finding the right style of project is challenging as it needs to fit my style of photography. What Im not trying to do here is replicate or copy ideas from others. I think with any project it has to carry some value and I think “the four points” project has that. I guess it will be down to you guys to see if it has.

Whats its all about?
The project content is all about the furtherest points of the UK. The furthest north, east, south and west of mainland Great Britain. My aim is to travel to all four point and document all that I see. the project will be shot of 35mm and 120 medium format film. I’ll take 3 days and travel over 2,300 miles to bring this project together.

What the end goal?
Thats simple. I’ll share it all with you on line through the usual social channels plus bring it all to print. I hope you’ll all find the time to follow my journey as I will be documenting the trip as I travel to the four points of the UK. RD

The Asahi Pentax 6x7 - a search for the right one

When I first decided to enter the world of medium format film, camera choice for me was key. I did find what I was looking for and I certainly made the right choice with the Hasselblad 500 CM. However, in the back of my mind at that time of that selection, the 6x7 did feature as a preferred choice but it was dismissed quite early on.

Moving forward a couple of years, I started to go through that phase like Im sure a lot of other photographers do where we begin to think about adding another camera to my collection. Do I really need one? will it improve my work?, nope, so why did I need the Pentax? If Im honest, Ive always loved the sear brutal look of the 6x7 and their retro design. What other camera has a wooden handle that size strapped to the side of it. I ask you.

So, I set about looking into all of the MF Pentax models, the Asahi 6x7, the Honeywell 6x7 ( its essentially the same as the Pentax 6x7, only marketed specifically to the USA) the 6x7 MLU (mirror lock up) the 67 and finally the 67ii. All very attractive in their own right but the Asahi for me was the most attractive in its design. A little further research into that model and it turned out that the MLU version was the more reliable one to have. Now, being the worst technical photographer in the world, I needed some help in the first instance and a big thank you to my on line technical guru, Gareth, for his impartial advice. His choice different to mine so I then set about finding the right one - what a quest!!

After searching the usual on line avenues of enquiries, it soon became quite apparent that the Japanese market was the best option for me as the UK’s examples were very average and extremely limited in supply. If you are in the market for a 6x7, or should I say a really good example of a 6x7, then Japan is the place to look. Not only that but after speaking direct to a few Japanese Pentax retailers, their very knowledgeable on all of the Pentax models.

My search took me a number of weeks as I couldn’t find a camera with a lens as a package that fitted the bill. Either the camera’s body was not a mint example, thats what I was after, or the lens with the camera had haze, fogging or mould etc.
That then meant the only option for me was to spend a little more money and buy separately. After some further searching I found a mint body, and it really is, the lens was next. Servicing was also super important for me when required and I managed to find a UK based Pentax experienced engineer who gave me some solid advice on which lens to get in his experience, thank you Parmath.. The 105mm lens so Im told is one of the best lenses ever made, but the SMC version is the one to have. Parmeth lost me a little on the technical reasons why but he takes them apart and has decades of experience working on them so his help was invaluable.

Finally, I managed to track down a truly excellent 105mm SMC lens so I now have the complete package. Now, if Im looking to buy another decent camera at any point, there’s always a certain number of prerequisite that I like to take into consideration.
In the event of me selling or moving on any of my kit at a later date, how attractive to a potential purchaser will my camera be. So buying the best example I possible can for the right money is key. Secondly, the more attractive and desirable models will be the ones to have so I take that into consideration too.

To summarise then. Ive now got what I set out to buy, a cracking example of a Asahi Pentax 6x7. Yes, I did pay a little more money by buying separate but I got what I wanted. Will it make me a better photographer, certainly not. I have to put my knowledge and shooting skills into it first and then see if it might produce another element to my work. The larger 6x7 negative will certainly do something to the viewing aspect of the images I produce and perhaps I’ll take that into consideration when shooting with the Asahi. Off to the gym now to build up those guns so I can lift this beast, hell!!

One final note if I may. If you’re looking to get a service done on a 6x7 and your based in the UK, look no further than Asahi Photo. Ask for Peter. He offer excellent advice and is able to service all of the 6x7’s

Some data for you guys that might be helpful if you’re looking at grabbing one:

• Asahi Pentax 6×7 – the original model, launched in 1969 (first generation)

• Asahi Pentax 6×7 (MLU) – with a mirror lock-up mechanism, launched in 1976 (second generation)

• Pentax 67 – with minor cosmetic changes, launched in 1990 (third generation)

• Pentax 67II – the fourth generation model, launched in 1999

Please note: Other views and opinions are available but these are mine…

Shearing away - big skills and tough work

I got the opportunity recently to shoot a team of sheep shearers carrying out the difficult and tough work that they undertake for a living. Id seen the odd sheep sheared in the past of TV but when you come to see it in real life, hell, what a skill. These guys really work for their money.

You’ve no idea just how sharp their shearers are. Its only the skill of the shearer that the sheep dont end up with cuts all over. The inexperienced Im told do make those type of errors but learn from each sheep they shear. There’s a certain way to hold these shearers which only comes with further experience.

Each sheep is counted in and counted back out again. A counter is placed close by so each shearer can claim their rewards,
one price per sheep sheared. Im told that a pretty good average shear for a highly experienced sheep shearer is somewhere in the region of the 300 mark. Watching these guys is tiring work, i cant imagine how their backs must feel.

View fullsize

Sadly the market for the sheep’s wool has nearly collapsed. This is due to the current issues we’ve been facing of late. The biggest market for this wool is China and the carpet makers of the world. Once these fleeces were all bagged up, they are heading for mass storage until the markets shifts and the demand grows again

My first roll of Portra 160 on the Hassy

Im a firm believer that if you shoot film on a regular basis, you should work your way through most film stocks that are out there. Im a bit colour lover and favour certain films but Id never tried Portra 160 until a few week ago. I was keen to save this roll until I found a certain subject matter which I thought might lend itself to well to Portra’s vivid colour and tones. So a recent trip to Croatia seems a perfect choice.

A photographer that I often speak on film related stuff reckoned i should over exposed Portra 160 by a few stops. I’d say that his work has a very neutral look to it and suits his style of photography really well. For me, I do what I always do, shoot it straight, no tweeks and very standard ish. Ive never bothered with the over under exposed option or that push and pull process stuff when developing. I just shoot film out of the box.

So, enclosed are a selection of shots I managed to grab. See what you think. Im happy with them. Would I shoot Portra 160 again. I guess so but it doesn’t rock my boat enough to go nuts with it. Photography is all about choice and what best suit your needs and requirements given the kit you’ve got and the film stock you shoot with.

Please note: No photoshop, lightroom or presets were used or will ever be used in the making of my images. All the shots you see are straight out of the box. Real photography you might say

Ektar - I wish I'd discovered it earlier

I came across some friends work recently and loved how the film he used delivered great colour and fine grain. It was clear from the images I saw that this wasn’t a film stock Id seen or comes across before. The film stock in question was Kodaks Ektar 35. Now, vivid colour is something I love to shoot and incorporate into my work so it was time to try a roll out myself. The results, well, Im super chuffed with them. There are all what I expected and more.

Now as you can see from the images above, the colour is punchy and vivid and the grain is super fine. Its a film that lends itself to bold colours and detail. When shooting my first roll of Ektar, I made sure I targeted bold colourful subjects to get the best out of it. At the same time, I thought Id try a few other options such as portrait and interiors. As you see, Ektar also offers some nice rich tones too and delivers on that front as well.

To summerize then. Is it a film that Im going to be using on a regular basis? Hell, yes… Its also a film id be keen to try out on Medium Format. Given how good it is and the right subject matters and light, I feel pretty sure it will deliver on all counts. Watch this space

going fully expired- Part one

Ive only just realised that over the last few months, Ive been shooting nothing other than expired film. Now there's nothing wrong with that as the results you can get from expired stock can often be as good as up to date film. So, with that in mind I have now decided to shoot only expired film. I currently have 40 plus rolls in the fridge dating from 1992 to 2012. With regards to their previous storage conditions which can be key, I can only go on the info I was given (fridge stored) at the time when I bought them on line. Thats part of the gamble you take when shooting expired film....

 Fujicolor Reala 100
Fuji NPS 120 film ISO160
Fuji chrome Velvia RVP120
Fujicolor Pro 400H
 Fujicolor NPH 400
 Fujifilm Superia x-tra 400
Kodak Tmax 400

Enclosed are the first few images for this project (part one) which were shot on on Hasselblad 500C/M. All of these were shot at standard box speed with no adjustments

Kodak Porta 160

Kodak Ektar 160

Kodak Ektar

Kodak Porta 160

ten years on - Konica's VX200

Im never really sure how expired film is going to turn out especially if its purchased from a third party. You've no real idea under what conditions its was ever stored in, could of been in the fridge all these year, but very unlikely, perhaps it was stored somewhere warm or just cast aside and found in the back of a draw years later. Most of the stuff Ive bought recently has come from either Ebay or car boat sales so there's no real historical data on it. So, with that in mind and given how old this roll was, I would of normally set an expired 200 asa roll of film to say 400 asa but this time I decided to run at 120 asa. Why not!  Shooting expired film is all about playing around with it to see what kind of results you get. Anyhow, enclosed are a few images from a roll of Konica's VX 200 which expired back in 2008. I shot it on my M6 under varied light conditions, subject matters both inside and out which clearly has given me some mixed results.
The first image here is a couple of light leaks whilst loading. I love the abstract colour here....