I want to call out a good, long term supplier: Holland Photo in Austin, Texas. They've been souping my film for the last decade and they do a great job. My Tri-X is always the right density. And the price is bearable. If you are interested in getting back to shooting film, or trying it for the first time, I have a little bit of advice: Go slow. Don't shoot a bunch of film, drop it at the lab and only start evaluating your technique when you get the film back. Even though I've been shooting film on and off for decades I started my newest flirtation by shooting one test roll (training wheels) and having the lab run it. Then I scanned it five or six different ways and messed with the files for contrast and what not in PhotoShop until I got just what I wanted. Only then did I start shooting a bit more. Now I feel comfortable shooting a couple rolls at a time.......
And we can follow how Ben become a handsome man from a cute boy :D
ReplyDeleteWhat a good looking young man.
ReplyDeleteI love the grain of the image...I never shot 35mm so I have no experience with it. Your latest work is giving me the itch to give it a shot.
Thanks for posting your re-familiarization with film. This is new to me and much appreciated.
*edit* and I know this was not doen with 35mm, but I mean regarding film in general...
ReplyDeleteWish I would have read this post before I processed 3 rolls of MF and 2 rolls of 35mm over the last couple of weeks! Unfortunately only small % were keepers, frustrating when precious $$ is spent on developing, makes case for digital even stronger (at least according to my wife)!
ReplyDeleteMight attempt it again with a better film camera, using lomo gear---learned my lesson the expensive and hard way!!
Your photos of Ben have become dramatically more intense since you reverted to MF. It just dawned on me that it's probably really the Irving Penn thing - it takes more time to do MF on film than to machine gun away digitally, so it's not just the background that goes out of focus, the subject too (sic) ... so the subject acquires that timeless look.
ReplyDeleteYou must stop showing us the clearly inferior photos that are produced by this outdated and clearly inferior technology which must be purged from the earth.
ReplyDeleteAfter all software and megapixels, along with actions, are the only things that produce great photos.
Cease this unholy fascination you have with vision, technique and the right tool for the job at hand.
Next you'll be implying that we must get out from behind our computers, building a life and interests which contribute to our perspective, and in truth what we have to offer, as photographers.
You Philistine!
ps - beautiful images.
Holland has my first-ever shot with a Hasselblad roll of film. The second roll was completed after they closed.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to pick up the results tomorrow!