We’ve made it here to the end of another year and another season of the Classic Camera Revival! So why not join the whole team, John, Jess, Chris, Bill and Alex, as we talk about everything we have been using and working with throughout 2022? It’s a classic round table to round out the year. Cheap & Cheerful – 90s/00s SLRs If there’s one thing that Alex found a soft spot in 2022 is the entry-level SLR from the late 1990s to early 2000s, and this year he branched out from his usual taste for professional line cameras, adding simple entry-level options for his mainRead More →

I never expected this project to take such a dark turn overall. This project grew out of a larger project about the forces that drove the Canadian Confederation and is one of two such ‘short history’ projects. I have now realised that there is no such thing as a brief history. History is a messy business, no matter how much you might want to think otherwise. My ancestors were not part of Canada’s colonial history as someone of Dutch descent. I cannot deny that my ancestors were colonials all the same but in a different part of the world. As colonials, we have two choices;Read More →

There have been a lot of great releases of developers onto the market of late, including refreshes and clones of some of my favourites. And this won’t be the last time you see a clone of a beloved developer in this series. But with the dull grey days of winter starting to pile on, now is the time to begin using developers designed to help push development and ensure your fast films keep their fine grain. But there’s something that sets Bellini EcoFilm developer apart from other Xtol clones, such as Adox XT-3, which is that the concentrate comes in liquid form rather than powder.Read More →

Well, we made it through another year. And my past year certainly started with a surprise, the arrival of my son in February. And while you don’t see him featured on my blog anytime soon, I hope to introduce him to photography when he’s old enough. He will certainly have a full pick of cameras to work with if he chooses to explore the hobby further. And the best part is that I love being a dad, but I still love my photography hobby, and this year has been an excellent one for photography. With a good winter, spring and delightful fall, it made forRead More →

Sitting north of the downtown, surrounded by tall towers and more restaurants than you can shake a stick at, the former London Richmond Street Station is far worse for wear out of all the stations I have visited throughout this project. While most stations I’ve featured are in good condition, well-maintained, and protected, none can be said for this one. The first three railways to arrive in London came in the 1850s, with Great Western Railway driving their mainline through the small city with Grand Trunk coming in from St. Mary’s. And in 1856, London and Port Stanley arrived in the city. When the CreditRead More →

I love a good wide-angle lens, and while I have two excellent options in my A-Mount kit, the 17-35mm and the 28mm f/2.8, sometimes you want something a touch wider and in a fast prime. So I kept my eyes out for a 24mm f/2.8 and jumped when I came across one for a good price. I was not disappointed at all; this is a fantastic lens and one that will be used much more than the 28mm when photographing landscapes and urbanscapes. Lens Specifications Make: Minolta Model: Maxxum AF 24mm 1:2.8 Focal Length: 24mm Focal Range: ∞ – 0.25m Aperture: f/2.8 – f/22, 7Read More →

This past year has been a lot of fun looking at different cameras. While some of these cameras I will have already released a review, others will be coming out next year. But that’s the thing about writing these reviews is that I’m often working 2-3 months ahead of the actual release. I put a lot of work into these reviews, between looking up specs, shooting multiple rolls of film through the cameras and trying to get the best results so I can give a fair and balanced review. But a group in the film photography blogging community decided to put out a series ofRead More →

Established in 2013 by MainStreetHost and taken on by Alex Luyckx Photography in 2015, #photochat is a community of photography professionals and enthusiasts who congregate to talk shop and discuss anything and everything photography. To participate in our weekly chat (every Thursday at 1:00 pm), search the #photochat hashtag on either Twitter or Counter.Social to see the conversation, or find me at @AlexLuyckxPhoto on Twitter and Counter.Social @AlexLuyckxPhoto for more info. Include the hashtag in your tweets to answer the questions and talk with the other participants. If there’s a topic you’d like to see covered in #photochat, hop onto Facebook, Twitter, or good oldRead More →

At first glance, you’ll be confused at the placement of the former Petrolia Grand Trunk station. And honestly, I thought that the trains ran parallel to the downtown behind the streets. Or that the station itself had been moved. Neither of these is true, as the station remains in its original location! The trains arrived at the station’s rear and the line terminated at Petrolia. Petrolia had never been part of the original expansion to Sarnia by both Great Western Railway and Grand Trunk Railway during their construction in 1857. Despite the oil boom in the region continued to grow and attract more and moreRead More →

It was raining in the city by the lake, a hard rain. A hard rain would wash the silver halides off any type of film. I was looking for something or someone for that matter. Someone contacted me about something new hitting the streets. A film stock would deliver the look of those old detective movies from the mid-century. I spent hours in the old one-screen cinema watching these films when I was a kid, growing up on the wrong side of the tracks. He called himself Shadow, Agent Shadow, although, given his love of cloak and dagger, I think the “agent” part was made-up,Read More →