Vignettes

This is a collection of images taken in and around my home. I've been trying to capture the little places around my home where the light reaches in and wakes things up in a special way, but I just havent been able to do it, until now.

I got my Pentax working and when I combine it with some other lenses, well, I got what I was looking for.

Starting off this set with Spencer the rat dog. His image was taken with just the Pentax but all the others were combos of lenses.

Reverie Options

These are the first group of selections I've made for the show. I have to narrow this list down to one image. I really want to go with film but I like the abstract ice images as well. Im stuck and need some help. If anybody looking at these images wants to offer a suggestion of their 3 favorites, I would be much obliged.

My top 3 are second from the top, third from the top and the last image in the list.

B&W Klick color film conversion

This was also shot with the Klick film but I converted it to B&W because it was mostly all green and I felt that B&W would better serve the mood I was going for when I took the shot and it really did.

Getting a little more accurate

These shots were done on the 135BC with expired Klick film, ASA 200. Again, like the other color films, it seems to have better color results depending on how much light there is. Of course, some of these shots are just of monochromatic, or near monochromatic, scenes.

I have also used the Holga telephone lens on at least one of the shots. I really must keep a journal so I will remember what lens was used on what shot. I never want to deal with the hassle of it and so keep telling myself I'll just remember this time. I never do! LOL! Time to bite the bullet and keep a damned journal.

Oh yeah, and I probably should talk a little bit about the meaning behind the title of the post. Most of these shots are framed really close to what I was hoping for. I discovered that very little correction is needed to line the lens up with what I saw in the viewfinder with these 135 cameras. Before I was way overcompensating for the difference and shooting way too high, if shooting landscape, or too far right if shooting portrait. I think I have a handle on that now.

And another oh yeah, post script. The second image down is the only image that I used the tele lens on. At least I think so. I know for a fact I used it on that shot but cant recall if I used it on any of the other shots. And my favorite shot of the bunch is the one just below.

Cheers!

Kodak Portra 160VC

Got some really interesting effects with this film. I thought I'd take a chance and see what it did with all kinds of different situations. All shots were taken at the Huntington Library in Pasedena. I used my Holga 135 and have cropped some of the images due to some defects that I am finding with the camera, which is mainly a huge black edge to the frame. It was only a problem on some of the low light shots.


This first shot was full sunlight and the color is spectacular! This shot hasnt been cropped and there wasnt much problem with the black edge on the frame. It is darker on the left edge but that could just be shade. I dont remember.



The sun was very low at this point and I had the huge black edge on the left. Took up at least a 3rd of the frame. The color is still pretty saturated in this shot and I really like it. It almost looks like a 120 shot.



Now this I find very interesting. The light almost looks like strobe lighting but its the sun. I stood in the shade and took this shot. That huge black edge was on this one too.



Odd how this low light shot doesnt do the strange thing with the sunlight, making it look like strobes. Not really sure why. I did have the black edge problem with this shot too.



This shot is interesting because the only saturated color I see is the tiny bit of blue sky you can see. Other than that, the greens look pretty flat. Full sunlight shot and I had no issues with the underexposed edge.



As I was leaving I took this shot. I wanted to see how the film with do with all those shadows in a landscape. Seemed to handle it well and I like the effect the Holga gave to the trees. I did crop out part of the sky but there was no issue with the black edge in this shot.



Heres another one of those weird shots that looks like a flash or some other manmade light source, but thats the sun. Oh yeah, and this image isnt cropped.

Holga 135BC

Got a new Holga. Two actually. The shots in this post were taken at different locations around Southern California with the Holga 135BC using various types of film. I'm not sure I can remember them all but I'll do my best.

This is a shot of a factory I found on my way to Death Valley. I used Kodak Portra 400 B&W film that I had processed at Target. They really scratch the hell out of the film so I had to do a ton of repairs on this. Other than that, and a little contrast adjustments, what you see is what the camera did.



This shot was taken at Calico ghost town in California using the same roll of Kodak Portra. I had to do the same repairs to this image as well.



This shot was also taken at Calico with the same roll of Kodak Portra.



Again, Calico ghost town, same roll of Kodak Portra. And as an embarrassing side note, as I was walking in to Calico, a running race was just finishing up right at the entrance to the town. Much of where I needed to walk was blocked by people standing around so I just sort of wound my way around them to the street. As I was walking, a runner came right at me. I dodged out of her way and said sorry because I realized I had walked right through their finish line. Duh! It was all marked off with orange cones and everything. I just never saw them! HAHAHAHA!



Ok, all the shots below are of the same abandoned house. I believe that I shot all of these using plain old Kodak Professional BW400CN. Ok, just found the box so I know it was that film. : )






There is a very interesting thing going on with the trees here, especially with this shot. Maybe its just a coincidence, but the upper branches are in a kind of halo of clouds and light. Some of that is due to the clouds behind the tree, but not all of it. Its almost as if the little insert the mfr put in the camera to add the black corners is behaving strangely, or something like that. Not quite sure but I really like the effect. Looks like a painting.

Toy Camera Fun

Sorry its been so long since my last post.

Here are some new shots taken with plastic cameras. A few are from my Holga and a few from disposable Kodak and Fuji cameras.

This image was taken with a Fuji disposable outdoor camera on color 35mm film. I just converted it. One of the nice things about these cameras is that they have no vignetting so I can crop the image, which is often necessary because of the minimum distance required for clear focus and the wide angle lens they use.

This is a shot of a new abandoned house I found last weekend.



The image below was taken at Stovepipe Wells, Death Valley, CA with the same Fuji camera. There were all these areas between the dunes where creosote grew and all that white stuff was hard packed, dried mud.



I believe the image below was taken with a Kodak Funsaver camera. It has a built in flash that you cant turn off so I just tape the flash. This shot was taken at Devils Punchbowl, CA.



I dont normally take shots of power lines but this one was so cluttered up with wire that I couldnt resist. Taken with my Holga using Ilford color film but I can remember if it was 160c or s.



Another shot taken with one of my Holgas. It too was taken with color film but I converted it to black and white for a class project and just prefer it this way.