Frugal Film Project 2022 - May

May has soon rolled up and for this month I really wanted a change as I have been close to the deadline the last two months. This months roll of Ilford HP5 in my Pentax SP500 was completed with a little help from my friend Keith Sharples, who paid my wife and I a visit for the first time since covid restrictions were eased.

We had planned on having a wander with a camera or two during his visit and that day arrived in the second half of May. We headed to Southport, a seaside town on the west coast of England just north of Liverpool, which has seen better days. It has still got a couple of things going for it, one of those being Lord Street, the main thoroughfare and shopping street in the town.

We made a couple of stops along the route, first at Parbold Hill for a landscape shot or two and Parbold itself where we made good use of the boats on the canal and the old windmill. I wish the sun could have broken through the clouds but sadly it did not and we tried to make the best of the conditions before continuing onwards to Southport.

A walk along Lord St in Southport, with it's ornate verandas running the length of the street, was once the pinnacle of a day at the seaside for many folks living in South Lancashire. Folk from Wigan would hop on the train during "wakes week" to enjoy a day out for some sea air and relaxation away from the mines and the mills. Southport was very busy during that time as holiday makers and day trippers descended upon the town from far and wide.

Sadly the rise of cheap package holidays to Spain began a decline in the number of visitors from the 1960's onwards and the pandemic did it no favours at all. The number of empty shops is a sad sight to see, but there is hope that things will improve as we try to get back to some semblance of normality.

The Scarisbrick Hotel was once the place to be for high society and many a day tripper has enjoyed a cream tea there over the years. It may not be as exclusive today, but it's presence is still a welcome sight. The Royal Arcade and Wayfarers Arcade are still open with the Royal Arcade having plenty of traders within it's walls. The Wayfarers has basically become a relic of bygone times, the only businesses in there being coffee shops and cafes and a couple of art galleries.

The further north we walked along Lord St beneath the ornate verandas, the more empty shops we saw so we decided to head across the road to photograph some civic buildings and the Band Stand that Keith has performed on, he plays the Tuba in a brass band. It was there we had to abandon our photowalk as the rain came down. We quickly crossed the road again to shelter beneath the veranda and made our way back to Keith's car to head home.

We didn't get the light we desired, but that's ok. Southport is still a nice place to take photos and here are a few of mine shot with my trusty Pentax SP500 and Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 30mm f/3.5 Lydith lens. I developed the film in Kodak HC-110 dilution B, scanned it with my Ion Slides2PC 35mm scanner and tidied it up with Affinity Photo. I have also placed them and more in my Frugal Film Project 2022 album on Flickr, you can visit it using the link below. We had a decent day out and not even a drenching at the end could spoil the day for us. We really must do it again sometime. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did taking them. It was a fun day out.

Frugal Film Project 2022

Kodak Gold - Olympus 35RC

Recently I shot a roll of Kodak Gold in my Olympus 35RC whilst out and about. Spring has definitely been showing her colours this year and this roll of Kodak Gold was shot over a few days as I wandered about in the local woodland, the Park and around our Parish Church in town to try to capture some of that display of spring colour. Kodak Gold is a fine film to capture spring colours and paired with my little pocket powerhouse, my 35RC, it makes a great combination.

I have been using my 35RC in manual lately simply because I can. Many cameras with auto exposure modes need a battery to work, this is not so with the 35RC. Yes, it needs a battery to work in auto, but when using manual settings, the battery is just ballast. You can take it out and happily shoot in manual all day, every day. So I did.

I love my Olympus 35RC, it's small and fits in a pocket which is very handy when your other camera takes up the entire bag. I was out with my Goodman Zone trying to get used to it and having a bit of a nightmare in the process. My 35RC was a great back up camera that day and I made the most of it on that first walk around the nature trails and woodland near my home.

The next time I took it out was to try to finish the roll with a walk around Wigan Parish Church. I had gone to get some birthday cards for my grandson and whilst I was in town I took a few snapshots of the church. This is where the 35RC excels, Once I got sunny 16 in my head and figured out the settings I was using it as a point and shoot. All I did was make sure the composition was in focus and had fun.

Here in Wigan we get a lot of f/11 1/250th kind of days, but as this day was hovering around an f16 I bracketed my shots. I really didn't need to as Kodak Gold has enough exposure latitude to make the difference hardly noticeable. Once I had done the bit of shopping I had to do I headed to the Park and polished off the last few frames left on the roll. The Rhododendrons had started to flower and I had to get a shot or two.

When I got home the roll sat in my fridge for a few days as I was busy doing other stuff and after I had shot a roll of ColorPlus in a Pentax P30n I was recently given by a dear chum, I developed both of them in my Cinestill CS41 kit. Yep, that kit is still doing the business after three months as I take care to squeeze the air out of the bottles and keep it in a cool, dark cupboard. I scanned the film with my Ion Slides2PC scanner and processed the images with Affinity Photo.

Here's a few of my shots from this roll of Gold, I have placed them and more in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. Also if you enjoy my blog please consider giving a small donation via the Ko-Fi buttons. It helps me continue my blog. In the mean time, I hope you enjoy the photo's as much as I did taking them.

Kodak Gold - Olympus 35RC

A weekend away in Cheshire

Two years. Two long and at times painful years have passed since I was last able to go to a bike show and have some fun with my friends. This week I was finally able to start getting out and about again after the restrictions were lifted. I have been out and about visiting family, but I have not done one of the things we Bikers enjoy doing at weekends, going for a ride, pitching our tents in a field and having a party with our friends.

This event was put on by the National Association for Bikers with a Disability, the NABD here in the UK and it is the worlds premier Bikers charity. I have been a member of the NABD for almost 30 years and the chance to go along was too good to pass up. The NABD provides grants so any biker here in the UK can adapt their machine to once again allow them to ride their bike or trike and enjoy the freedom motorcycling brings us.

I took my trusty Olympus OM-2, a couple of lenses and three rolls of film with me, a half roll of Ilford FP4 and full rolls of Ilford HP5+ and Fomapan 200. Why did I chose three different films rather than take three the same? Because I can, It's that simple. I was also making sure I had something for whatever the weather was going to do over the weekend. I planned on taking some photos of  the Bikes and Trikes that always grace the Bike Show at the event. I was curious as to what my fellow bikers had been up to during the pandemic and was pleased to see the standard was high.

On Saturday morning I had a wander around the camp site before making my way to the Bike Show in the main arena and saw some great bikes that weren't just limited to custom bikes. there was street bikes, choppers, adventure bikes and classics mixed with trikes that included some V8 engined monsters and many a bike based model, all lovingly built by talented engineers.

My walk around the camp site was done with a half roll of Ilford FP4 and my Zuiko 135mm f/3.5 lens on my OM-2. I couldn't always get close to the bikes as I wandered around, so the reach of the 135mm was plenty to get some good shots from a distance. I just had to pick my spots and look around.

My second roll was my favourite Ilford HP5+ and I switched to my 28mm f/3.5 wide angle as I made my way to the arena on what turned out to be a gloriously sunny spring day. I wanted to get close up as there was a lot of people wandering around the bikes, admiring the engineering and paintwork on display. It saved me from having to ask people to move out of the way. Everyone wins with that strategy and I still enjoyed having a chat with folk picking out bits we liked about various machines.

A few folks stopped and had a natter about my camera rather than the bikes. This wasn't a surprise as my OM-2 is considered a classic and they were interested in how I went about keeping my cameras in good order and where I bought my film. I recommended PPP Cameras and Analogue Wonderland to those interested. Most just wanted a natter to while away the afternoon. Happy days!

I soon finished my roll of HP5+ and loaded my last film for the day.  Fomapan 200 has had a bit of a chequered time of late. Photographers have had problems with rather heavy spotting on the medium format stock, but the 35mm stock is fine. I happily used up this film in what seemed like no time and, with my film supply exhausted, I switched to my Nikon D700 for the rest of the event.

I developed my Ilford film in Kodak HC-110 dilution B and my Fomapan 200 in Rodinal 1+50. I scanned the negatives into my PC using my Nokia 5.3 phone, Pixl-Latr with sprocket mask and my A5 light pad. I processed them with Affintity Photo. I really enjoyed shooting film at the event, here are a few of my favourites. I have put them and more in albums on Flickr you can visit using the links below. If you wish to know more about the NABD I have also placed a link for ther website below. If you enjoy my blog and wish to support me, you can use the Ko-Fi buttons on this page. I hope you enjoy them.

N.A.B.D.
NABD Bike Rally - Ilford FP4 - OM-2
NABD Bike Rally - Ilford HP5 - OM-2
NABD Bike Rally - Foma 200 - OM-2

Frugal Film Project 2022 - April

 Having been rather taken up with getting to know how to use my Goodan Zone, I left my Frugal Film Project roll of HP5 for April until the last day of the month. Yes, I am trying to do too many things at once. I have a roll of Kodak Gold waiting to be developed that I shot with my Olympus 35RC for a future blog and I still have half a roll of Ilford FP4 shot with my OM-2 to develop for a 135mm lens challenge. Is it bad time management on my part or am I too enthusiastic for my own good? Probably both.

I went on a little trip on the day in question to visit my daughter and attend my grandson's 18th birthday celebration. I was asked to take photos of the occasion, which meant my DSLR was coming with me. You know I can't just take one camera out so I also took my trusty Pentax SP500 with 30mm f/3.5 Lydith lens, loaded it with Ilfords finest HP5 at box speed and decided to shoot as many photos as I could on the way. I don't drive and as I was with my youngest daughter and her two boys we went by train. This gave me the excuse to take photos through the window as we travelled.

I enjoy travelling by train, it gets a little crowded at peak times, but for most of my journeys I have been able to find a seat and relax. Having my daughter and grandsons along for the trip meant getting a seat for all of us together would be a little challenging if the trains were full. I need not have worried as there were some kind hearted folks along the way who gave up seats for us so we could enjoy our journey as a family. I couldn't thank them enough for their kindness.

As we settled down for our trip I spent a lot of time gazing through the window, finding compositions and interesting land marks on our journey. The city of Manchester where we made our first change has seen a lot of high rise development over the last decade or two. Several modern skyscrapers have added to the rich tapestry of the city skyline as demand for inner city apartments has grown.

Our second leg took us through the picturesque Derbyshire dales and I was able to capture some beautiful scenic vistas as our train made its way along the Hope Valley line to Sheffield. A few buildings caught my eye and also some shadows at various staions on route just begged for a photo. I only stopped taking photos when we entered the 3 miles long Totley Tunnel that took us beneath the eastern moors and on to our second change of trains.

We didn't have to wait long as our connecting train to our destination was waiting for us at the platform as our train pulled in to Sheffield. It didn't take long to disembark from one train and embark on the other and we were soon settled in our seats for the final leg of our journey. Sheffield and South Yorkshire were once the heartlands of the coal and steel industry here in the UK. Sadly the last of the coal mines closed long ago and only a fracion of the sprawling steel works has survived.

This last leg was a short one and we soon arrived at our destination. Bolton Upon Dearne is a former coal mining community, but now mainly a commuter town that relies upon it's railway link to take it's inhabitants to and from the cities of Sheffield and Leeds. We experienced no delays on our journey and it was reasonably priced too. My grandsons enjoyed their trip out, the birthday party was a lot of fun and we only managed one hiccup on the way home when our train from Sheffield to Manchester was delayed. But that's another tale.

I developed my roll of Ilford HP5 in Kodak HC-110 dilution H for 11 minutes and it was soon hanging to dry. I scanned it using my trusty Ion Slides2PC scanner for quickness and tidied up the spots and scratches in Affinity Photo. Here are a few of my photos from our train ride and I have placed them and more in my Frugal Film project album on Flickr. You can visit it using the link below. If you enjoy my blog you can support me by clicking on the Ko-Fi buttons on this page. A small donation will help me treat my Pentax SP500 to a well deserved service in 2023. As you can see from my photos, it really has earned it. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project - April

Olympus OM-2 and Ilford FP4

 My Olympus OM-2 has been a favourite camera of mine since I bought it in an estate sale a couple of years back. I have often spoken of my OM-1 being my dream camera since childhood, but the OM-2 comes a very close second. I had taken it out a few weeks back to use it during a recent walk around town, but it jammed and I couldn't get it to wind on nor release the shutter. This would make anyone tear their hair out, but as I don't have much left I sent it to my friend Pierro at PPP Cameras to get it repaired.

Pierro was the chap who serviced my OM-1 for a very reasonable price and I didn't hesitate in arranging for him to take a look at my poorly OM-2. Booking a repair at PPP Cameras is a very easy process, you simply fill out the form on his website giving your details and a brief description of the symptoms your poorly camera is exhibiting. Pierro then gives you a date when he will be able to fit it into his busy schedule and it's up to you to make sure it gets delivered in time for the appointment.

When the day of my appointment arrived Pierro sent me an email with his apppraisal of the problem and a price for the repair. Aparently some debris had got in to works and caused my OM-2 to jam. I told him I was happy for him to proceed and Pierro fixed my OM-2 for a very reasonable price. A few days later I received my OM-2 back via Royal Mail and it is working beautifully once again. All I had to do was load a roll of Ilford FP4 and head out for a photowalk.

I intended to shoot some behind the scenes photos for a photo challenge hosted by Jason Avery, the driving force behind #CameraChallenge on Twitter. The challenge involved taking B&W photos on the theme of "seasons" in week 1, developing the film in  week 2 and showing them in week 3. I had planned to use my Goodman Zone Z1 for the challenge with a few behind the scenes shots for good measure. That's not how it turned out for me.

For whatever reason, either my hamfistedness or just sheer bad luck, I made a right pigs ear of my first roll of Fomapan 400 for the challenge shot with my Z1. Light leaks were plentiful and I had 10 images I simply couldn't use. I was in trouble, but time was on my side and I headed out again a day or two later and made a concentrated effort to produce some medium format images for the challenge. I must have upset the Photography Gods as this roll of Fomapan 400 was even worse than my first attempt.

By the time I had developed the film is was too late to go out again and I resigned myself to having to give the challenge a miss. I was getting a bit fed up of failing and decided a change of cameras was in order to rediscover my mojo. I began emptying my camera bag out and sat beneath my dark cloth was my OM-2 with half a roll of exposed FP4. I had forgotten it was in my bag as I put all my thought into getting some results with the Z1. Was salvation at hand?

As it was developing week I cut the film out of my OM-2 and developed it in Kodak HC-110 dilution H and to my relief I had photos I could use for show and tell week. I scanned the film with my Ion Slides2PC scanner and I was a bit disappointed with the scans. They didn't look good at all. This challenge has seriously tested my patience so I changed tack and using my Pixl-Latr, an A5 led light pad and my smart phone, I tried again.

Never underestimate the value of a smart phone with a decent camera built in. My Nokia 5.3 not only took sharp images of my negatives, it retained a heck of a lot more detail than the 5mp camera in my Ion Slides2PC did. I soon had them processed with Affinity Photo and I was finally happy to share them with the film community on Twitter who also took part in #CameraChallenge.

Here are a few of my images shot with my OM-2 and Zuiko 28mm f/3.5 lens. I have placed them in an album on Flickr for you to see in full resolution via the link below. If you like my photos, I have a Ko-Fi account where you can support me and help me continue My Journey into Photography via the a link below. There's is also a link to Pierro's website, PPP Cameras where you can find decent cameras, lenses and accessories for sale and also the booking form should you wish to use his excellent service and repair skills.

This was a challenge that lived up to it's name in more ways than one for me, but was saved by my OM-2 that I forgot was in my bag. It has proven yet again that taking more than one camera out for a photowalk does pay off and that Pierro did a fine job of repairing my OM-2.  I hope you enjoy them.

Ilford FP4 - Olympus OM-2
Ko-Fi.com - Jim Graves
PPP Cameras

Getting Acquainted With My Goodman Zone Z1

After my recent rushing about to get my Frugal Film Project roll of Ilford HP5 shot and developed before March ended, I decided I needed to slow down. I have been putting things off that really needed my attention and I took the opportunity of a sunny weekend at the beginning of April to get acquainted with my Goodman Zone Z1.

Back in February I wrote about my good fortune at winning the camera in a giveaway hosted by PetaPixel.com and Dora Goodman Cameras and then allowed myself to get distracted by other shiny things. I really must get that looked in to. Anyway, on the first Saturday of April I loaded a roll of Fomapan 400 into the RB67 Pro S film back on my Goodman Zone Z1, grabbed my tripod and headed off to the local countryside to see what I could do with it.

This was a whole new experience for me. I am used to shooting 35mm with my only foray into medium format being 6x6 with my Agfa Isolette 1 and I would soon find out just how out of my depth I had plunged. My first mistake was thinking that I could use my skills as a 35mm photographer to shoot reasonable photos from the start. I was wrong! The Schneider-Kreuznach 90mm f/8 Super Angulon lens is built for large format photography, specifically 5x7 and 8x10. I soon learned I needed to think like a large format photographer.

My first roll of film through it wasn't my finest attempt at learning a new skill. I was using the wrong apertures, wrong shutter speeds and I completely failed to nail the focus on more than one or two. The focus screen was a little tricky to get used to and I have acquired a dark cloth from a very nice man named Dan to help rectify that. I wasn't expecting miracles, but I really need to get the method dialled in to give me the best chance at producing reasonable images. Fortunately for me the weather was decent in the first half of April and I was able to shoot a few rolls in my Z1 to get it figured out.

I needed to use them too as I made just about every rookie mistake, including forgetting to take the dark slide out when it was time to release the shutter. D'oh! Also I am so used to using f/8 and f/11 to get a decent depth of field for my 35mm shots, I didn't think about it and made a right pigs ear of the depth of field on my first roll. I learned that f/11 on my 35mm cameras is equivalent to f/45 on the Schneider. All I can say is thank the deity of your choosing that Fomapan film is cheap.

I decided to re-shoot a couple of compositions to compare with my previous attempts and shot a couple of others that I hadn't bothered with previously. Nothing special, I just needed to get my head around the Schneider lens and shutter. I also took my Vivitar 45 light meter to get my exposure right. I was using the meter on my cell phone on that first roll and wanted to do something different, it was a good excuse to take as much electrickery out of my day as possible.

Complicated electronic 35mm cameras I can do without thinking, this "simple" camera is making me think a lot more about the art of photography. It sounds crazy, but unless I get each step right I won't produce anything worth showing. We take so many things for granted with the cameras we love to use that It requires a serious change in the way we go about our photography when we strip it back to basics. This is one hell of a learning curve!

Until I got my Z1 I never fully appreciated the joy that large format photographers get from using the most basic of techniques to create their images. My Goodman Zone Z1 is medium format, but it does have large format at it's heart with the superb Schneider-Kreuznach 90mm f/8 Super Angulon. You can also fit Mamiya press lenses to the Z1 too, there is a list of lenses that can be used on the Z1 on the Dora Goodman website.

The Goodman Zone Z1 is a pleasure to use. It's taking me a little time to figure it out and with more practice I know I will be able to produce better quality images. If this blog hits the spot and has you wondering about buying one, you can buy one ready made from Dora Goodman or buy the parts and build your own. You will find all the details on doragoodman.com

Here's a few images from my early attempts and I have put them in an album on Flickr you can visit using the link below. If you enjoy my content please consider supporting me through my Ko-Fi account via the link below. Every donation helps me continue my journey into photography and share the joy I get from taking photographs with the world. I hope you enjoy them.

Goodman Zone Z1 Flickr Album
Ko-fi.com - Jim Graves

DubbleFilm Daily Black and White film

 My friend Keith Sharples gave me some film for Christmas, but that's not the only time he has sent a parcel through the post. A few months ago he sent me a roll of Dubblefilm Daily 400 Black and White to get my take on it. Alas it took me a while to get around to using this unexpected gift, but recently I managed to shoot it on a walk around my local area. My camera of choice was my Olympus OM-1 with three Zuiko lenses. A 50mm f/1.4, 28mm f/3.5 and 135mm f/3.5.

I was on my way home from a trip into the town centre when I shot my roll of Dubblefilm 400. I was finding things I would have normally walked past without noticing had I not been carrying my camera. A flight of steps caught my eye, as did a shadow on a wall under a railway bridge and the shadow of some fencing on the pavement. I also took some photo's of a couple of buildings, old and new, and possibly my last winter shots of some local trees as they are starting to wake up from their winter slumber.

Whilst the compositions are nothing special, I realised that I had not taken many photo's of the trees in my neighbourhood for a while. I think I will have to make amends this year, I like the display of colour the trees give us through the year with their spring blossom, bright green summer foliage and golden hues in the autumn. Most compositions I shot were done using my favourite 400 speed film settings, 1/250th - f/11 and, though it is working perfectly, I didn't use the meter on my OM-1 at all. The sky was bright and clear so I used sunny 16. It's always good to test my memory and read the light using my Mk 1 eyeballs.

I developed the roll later that evening using Kodak HC-110 dilution B and the time that the good folks at Dubblefilm had printed on the inside of the box for that developer. I was very pleased to see a nicely developed roll of film as I took it out of the tank and hung it to dry for a couple of hours in my bathroom. I scanned it using my Ion Slides2PC 35mm scanner and gave them a quick tidy up to remove dust spots and scratches in Affinity Photo.

I have no idea what emulsion the folks at Dubblefilm acquired to brand as their daily Black and White film, there is no markings on the edges of the film to denote batch number, frame numbers or the name of the manufacturer. However, I do know it produces decent results and was glad to finally find out how this film performs. It wont be the last time I use it. Here's a few of the photo's I shot that day and I have placed them and more in an album on my Flickr account you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

I have a Ko-Fi account. I wont lie, the rising cost of living is affecting everyone, including me. If you enjoy my blog and my photos, please consider donating £3 using the Ko-Fi link below to help me get my beloved Pentax SP500 serviced at the end of the year. Your support is very much appreciated.

DubbleFilm Daily Flickr
Ko-Fi.com/Jim Graves