400TX:365 – Alex Luyckx

400TX:365 – In Review

By Alex | January 1, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

As the project comes to a close, and the new one is just starting to roll out, I figured I should review the Tri-X project. It has been an interesting time for sure, and yes, rules were broken well mostly, switching over to the FM2 then back to the F3. But overall I learned several things over the course of the project.

1. The FM2 likes a 1/3 stop over exposure in dark situation, and a 1/3 under for bright situations.
2. The F3 is a solid camera, but even it needs to be sent in for service (thank you Nikon!)
3. Tri-X looks fantastic pulled to ASA-200 and developed in HC-110 Dil. E
4. Tri-X looks fantastic pushed to ASA-800 and developed in HC-110 Dil. A
5. I should’ve started pushing and pulling Tri-X sooner.
6. 24 Exposure rolls are your friend.

Now in my previous project I did an overview of all 52 weeks, but one thing I’ve really starting doing a good hard look at is editing my own work. By that I mean really only posting the best in my mind. So now I will reduce it even further and put forward my 10 favourites from the whole year.

1.

Week 04 – House Hunting

2.

Week 06 – Transit People

3.

Week 09 – No Theme

4.

Week 22 – Chicago

5.

Week 31 – NY-31

6.

Week 46 – Remember Them

7.

Week 47 – Chicago II

8.

Week 49 – The Tactical

9.

Week 51 – Air Power

10.

Week 52 – All’s Quiet on Christmas Day

400TX:365 – Week 52 – All’s Quiet on Christmas Day

By Alex | December 31, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment

Okay so these weren’t actually taken on Christmas Day, but rather on Boxing Day. For those in the green part of not the British Commonwealth (Watch Crash Course: US History on YouTube to get that (adjusted) reference) Boxing Day is the day after Christmas Day which is a holiday for us in Canada (and much of the Commonwealth), traditionally it was the day when gifts sent by the post would arrive. I decided to attempt a hike up at my favourite winter hiking spot, the Belfountain Conservation Area. However the ice storm earlier in the week thwarted my efforts felling trees across the paths, and as the site is closed in the winter, I was out of luck. But I did manage to move around a bit to get some good photos.

And that’s it…52 rolls, 365 posted images to the blog. Long Live Film and see you all in 2014!

400TX:365 – Week 51 – Air Power

By Alex | December 30, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment

I was pretty disappointed when I pulled the negs out of the tank, but I went ahead and scanned them anyways, and found…wonder. I was really pushing the limit this week, the interior of the National Museum of the United States Air Force at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio (now that’s a mouthful)! Is not exactly the best for photography, dark, spot lights, and when you’re running a camera with a centre-weighted meter the results can be interesting, combine that with pushing the film two stops to ASA-1600, and putting it through HC-110 Dilution B, there’s grain, and the images are spotty, but oddly enough I rather like them. Very Film-Noir. If you’ve never been here, I highly recommend a visit, and if you can, head out to the restricted hangers (you’ll need to sign up for a tour or know someone who works on the base and bring your government ID). The best part is that it’s free!

400TX:365 – Week 50 – Lovely Downtown Findlay

By Alex | December 26, 2013 | Comments 1 comment

There are three places you must visit if you pass through Findlay, OH. The first being Imagine That/The Mecca and be sure to stop and chat about anything film with the owner, the lovely Leslie Lazenby. The second is Logan’s Irish Pub, the craft brew selection is the best in the town, and the third is the Jones Mansion a Civil War Era mansion that is currently under going restoration. For for those who recognize the town name you’ll be thinking “oh wait, hasn’t Findlay already been featured?” and technically yes, back in Week 16 but that was focused mostly on the Film Photography Project Walking Workshop. This time I focused on the downtown itself with my much loved late 19th early 20th century architecture. My playing with pushing and pulling Tri-X continues, for this week I dicided to pull is just slightly to the classic speed of ASA-320 and develop in Dilution E. I’m fairly pleased with the results!

400TX:365 – Week 49 – The Tactical

By Alex | December 9, 2013 | Comments 1 comment

As a reenactor I rarely get the chance to go out and photograph the battle demonstrations that I participate in, and pretty much never get to be out in the middle of the battle with a camera. But when fellow reenactor and friend Phil started to invite me out to his birthday tactical event at Olde Fort Erie, I thought this would be a great chance to be able to get right up close with the guys shooting. So for a couple of rounds of play I shot my trusty F3 and got right up close in the action. Because people like us are all sorts of crazy, because going out in near and below freezing to let loose and have fun with our hobby is nothing short of crazy, especially sleeping in an unheated, uninsulated stone blockhouse. During the day it wasn’t so bad a couple layers of wool and you kept moving around you’ll be just fine, the evenings we spent watching historic films in the heated visitor’s centre, but the nights…yeah, freezing our collective balls off (expect for the two in the kitchen with the fire). But despite all that…it was a great time. Plus Fort Erie looks all sorts of pretty in the winter.

And a bonus for this week!

The gang with some American tourists who happened upon us.

400TX:365 – Week 48 – Crieff

By Alex | December 4, 2013 | Comments 1 comment

From 1999 all the way to 2008 an organization called the Presbyterian Young People’s Society (PYPS) was a big part of my life. PYPS helped me with social skills, leadership, faith, and photography. From 2002 onwards I always had a camera with me at events, all film at first, then mostly digital, and film starting to creep in again at the end. From 2003 onwards I was heavily involved in the leadership of the group as well, and every year we would attend a leadership retreat at Crieff Hills. Crieff is a large area of land donated to the Presbyterian Church in Canada by the McLean family and now serves as a retreat area for the church as a whole and beyond. So for week 48 I was aiming to wander the historic downtown Cambridge. Funny how things change on the very day. As I’m driving I notice that the light is perfect and just let instincts take over, and I found myself back at Crieff.

400TX:365 – Week 47 – Chicago II

By Alex | November 29, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment

I told you that I couldn’t capture all of Chicago in seven images…but fourteen doesn’t seem to work either. But anyways, for week 47 I decided to blow back to Chicago for a quick trip, mostly Chinatown but I did swing up into the Loop to take a visit to Central Camera (I needed fixer). Chinatown was fantastic, it felt very much like Toronto’s but with the Sears Tower looming overhead rather than the CN Tower, the same mix of north American and Asian influenced architecture (there was even a pagoda on the roof of a building). Not to mention tea shops, restaurants (I do recommend Three Happiness), plus the usual grocery and gift stores. The gift stores sell these ‘mystery’ packages all wrapped in newsprint for 5$, you buy it and unwrap it and see what you got!

400TX:365 – Week 46 – Remember Them

By Alex | November 25, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

Week 46 fell on the week of Remembrance Day (Veterans Day for you in the US), November 11th marks the end of the First World War, and in Canada at the 11th Hour, on the 11th Month, on the 11th day we pause to remember them. I happened to find myself at the National Air Force Museum at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, in Trenton, ON is filled with the long and proud history of Canadian airmen and women. While many I can no longer photograph, I can photograph the planes that carried them to the sky. Remember them, not the planes. The planes are merely hunks of metal, wood, fabric, and plastic, but the brave men and women who took to the sky to fight for freedom, who still take to the dangerous skies to defend that freedom.

They are the ones that should be remembered.

400TX:365 – Week 45 – Ottawa Street

By Alex | November 20, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment

Although Hamilton has already been featured in the project back in May, that was the lovely undergoing extensive restoration downtown. But Hamilton is more than that, there’s a real gritty side to the city, on the other side of the tracks. Hamilton is an industrial town, it was built on the steel industry. And from what I’ve shared from Gary, IN, steel took a big hit, and cities built on it also took the hit. Although Hamilton has bounced back much more than Gary, there’s still evidence. Ottawa Street is not as bad as some other areas that I had actually planned to photograph, but a sudden need to run to a camera shop changed the plan and I photographed Ottawa Street. The street is well known by the locals as the place to get fabrics, and while there are still many and various fabric stores, there are also antique stores, junk shops, and empty store fronts as well. The weather really sucked, cold, wet, raining (sometimes pretty hard), but I simply wrapped my ’52 army great coat around me tighter and kept on going.

400TX:365 – Week 44 – Photo Plus Expo

By Alex | November 12, 2013 | Comments 0 Comment

Every year in NYC Photo District News (PDN) puts on a big show (what show!?!) in New York City known as the Photo Plus Expo, this will have been my third year attending the show and it is by far my favourite camera trade show out there. Although there was no official FPP meetup this year, the powers that be (Michael Raso) gave permission for myself and Hunter (Man-On-The-Street) to put together a small gathering, in the end there were four of us, Hunter, Brian, Brandon, and I took to the floor. We also met up with Phil from The Darkroom, Tim from Kodak alaris (first time seeing them under their new name), Mat in his new role as product manager for LumoPro, and Brandon from Fujifilm North America, even Keith Canham!. Over all a great time…good chance to catch up with friends, industry contacts, and New York Pizza.