Category Archives: Film Photography

{Forgotten Frames} Hidden Gems

September 28, 2014 10:23 am ⋅ 1 Comment ⋅

Once in awhile, I bribe my niece (AM) into doing a photo shoot. This is usually when she’s saving to buy something, and I consider paying her to do a little photo shoot is no different than her getting chore money from her parents. But I like to make it a little fun for her.

For instance, last year we did a shoot where AM wore her Hunger Games t-shirt and posed with her bow and arrow. I actually never shared those online. They were taken on color film, but the scans I received from the photo lab were pretty terrible. The colors just weren’t right, and I didn’t want to post photos of my niece where her beautiful skin and amazing red hair didn’t look the way they should!

So I left the photos alone. I toyed with the idea of converting the photos to black and white on the computer. That idea never really went anywhere.

But then…

I was doing another photo shoot with my niece and remembered about the bow and arrow photos from last year. I decided to go ahead and make those photos black and white to see if that made me happier. And did it ever! I am in love with these photos now. I think I appreciate them even more than if I’d done this with them when they were originally taken.

Bronica ETRSi •  Zenzanon MC 150mm/3.5 & Zenzanon 75mm/2.8 EII • Kodak Porta 160, converted to b&w
May 2013 (AM, age 11)

 

Posted in: film photography, forgotten frames, personal ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,

{Kit Car} Grainy Mercedes

September 23, 2014 7:23 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

Do you know what a kit car is?

A person can buy a kit of components and build themselves a replica vintage car. I know that, because my dad was hired to build a kit car for someone when I was a child.

The kit car referenced in today’s post is a Mercedes – apparently a replica of a 1929 Merecdes Gazelle.

Most of the photos of cars/motorcycles that I post on SWP are taken at the auto auction where my family’s catering business provides meals on auction days every week. This Mercedes kit car was parked in the auction sales floor one of the days I was there to do food prep work. We were the only people on the premises, so I was free to photograph the car to my heart’s delight!

Bronica ETRSi • Zenzanon 75mm/2.8 EII • Lomography Lady Grey 400 film

Unfortunately, this was probably the last roll I put through my Bronica before I “accidentally” sold it to Urban (the man from whom I won the Konica Big Mini that I’ve been enjoying this year.) I say “unfortunately,” because I had some of the worst film EVER loaded in it for (what would turn out to be) the last roll I’d shoot with the Bronica. That Chinese-made film repackaged by Lomography left all the polka dots and numbers you see on the pictures.  It’s a fault with the film’s backing paper (or the ink on it, according to some.) And BOY is this film grainy! Resulting in a grainy Mercedes…

Posted in: film photography ⋅ Tagged: , , ,

{Redux} ’64 Ford

September 21, 2014 10:15 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

Yashica-Mat • Kodak Ektachrome 64T (tungsten-balanced), expired March 1997 • Cross-processed

The 1964 Ford truck again, taken during the same sunrise as the ones I shared in my recent Kiev 4AM blog post.

I got downright giddy when I saw this truck sitting out on the auction sales floor. Times like these are why I make sure to have a camera with me at all times.

Posted in: film photography ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , ,

{Instant Road trip} Mini Mississippi-Louisiana-Texas Tour

September 14, 2014 12:06 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

I’ve shared photos taken with a Fuji Instax Wide camera on this blog a couple of times, but allow me to introduce you to the Instax Wide’s charming little sibling, the Instax Mini.

There are several different Instax Mini models. Mine is the Mini 50s. Piano black, as it were.

I love the Instax Wide format, but I wasn’t sure I’d be crazy about photos that are so tiny by comparison.

For comparison: Mini on top 1.811″ W x 2.441″ H, Wide on the bottom 3.898″ W x 2.441″ H

I was wrong though! The Mini prints are so cute!

As fortune would have it, I received the Mini 50s the day before I set out on a road trip to Crockett, Texas with my mother. We were going there to visit my aunt and would be driving through Mississippi and Louisiana on our way to Texas. What a perfect way to take the Mini for a spin!

Cracker Barrel | Jackson, Mississippi
What American road trip would be complete without a stop at Cracker Barrel?
(though we had a horrible experience there…)

Palms | Vicksburg, Mississippi
Outside the motel where we’d stopped for the night before continuing on to Texas

Ameristar Casino | Vicksburg, Mississippi

Sunflower | Rest area in Louisiana

Moosehead Cafe | Crockett, Texas

Whataburger | Crockett, Texas

Kwik Kar Wash | Crockett, Texas

Volkswagen Beetle repurposed as a flower planter |Crockett, Texas

Ritz Theater | Crockett, Texas

H-E-B supermarket |Crockett, Texas

H-E-B supermarket |Crockett, Texas

Mom and Aunt Debra at Monte Jack Driskell Stadium, Friday night football | Crockett, Texas

Laundromat | Grapeland, Texas

Laundromat | Grapeland, Texas

Sign for the RV & Recreational Park at Salmon Lake | Grapeland, Texas

Art made from paint brushes, stirrers, and cans @ Salmon Lake Park | Grapeland, Texas

Tattered door @ Salmon Lake Park | Grapeland, Texas

Antique Ford @ Salmon Lake Park | Grapeland, Texas

Firworks stand | Garrison, Texas

Dairy Queen | Linden, Texas

I knew from experience that Fuij’s instant films LOVE primary colors, so I basically wanted to photograph anything with blue, red, yellow, or any combination of those three colors. The weather was beautiful on our trip, and the Instax film did a superb job capturing all those blue skies. I only wish I’d had more time to explore and photograph our journey to and from Texas (and to explore the great state of Texas, of course.) But I suppose that’s a good excuse to make this road trip again, armed with more instant film!

(shout out to Nate for selling me this sweet little camera!)

Posted in: film photography, Fuji Instax ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,