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Winter has finally come in force to Southern Ontario. And the original plan had been to shoot this week’s roll in Burlington, Ontario. But after fighting our way down to Burlington to pick up Valentine’s Day doughnuts from Sunshine Doughnuts. We got the doughnuts but ended up turning around and headed home right afterwards. And here we are, so instead of Burlington, we’re back in Milton, but in the new part of town, mostly in the Clarke Neighborhood, which a farm recently occupied. I’m not going to go into great detail on the history of Milton, as I already expanded on that in my originalRead More →

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While these days the old standbys are still excellent choices to develop your film and offer up a great deal of variety there’s something to be said about having a universal one-size-fits-all developer. I first discovered this last year with Adox FX-39 II. But I quickly fell a rabbit hole of similar developers. And I’m not talking about Diafine, but rather Rollei Supergrain. Supergrain is an updated version of Amaloco AM 74. Supergrain offers up a series of dilutions and times that will develop most films at the same associated times. Perfect if you’re shooting a whole bunch of different films but have limited timeRead More →

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The historic downtown of Oakville has always been a bit of a respite for me and my photography since I started taking it seriously. It also helps that working fifteen minutes north of this space allows me an easy lunch break escape to relax in an urban environment. But my experience with downtown Oakville goes back further than working at Sheridan. Back in 2002, I attended PYPS Fall Convention at Knox Church. That event stands out in my mind for several reasons. First, I met several longtime friends at that event. The second I did my first serious photography at a PYPS event, and thirdRead More →

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One of the least appreciated focal lengths in the world of photography is the humble 35mm lens. And I make a point to have one for almost all camera systems that I own. So I made a point that as soon as I got into the OM-System that a 35mm lens was on the shopping list. Like Nikon, the f/2 version carries a hefty price tag but like all systems, there is always an alternative. After a positive experience with the Nikkor 35mm f/2.8, I made a point to hunt down the Olympus equivalent. And it quickly became the lens of choice when I takeRead More →

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There’s nothing better than a hike in the wood during the winter, especially when there is a decent snow cover, good sunlight and blue skies. The prior week saw fresh dumping of the white stuff on the ground, which resulted in several days worth of awesome photographic opportunities. And while I took out my new digital camera more than a film camera (because new gear). But Saturday provided Heather and me a chance to head out to one of our favourite parks. And I’m not talking about Niagara Falls, but rather Hilton Falls. One of the many parks around Milton that provides an escape fromRead More →

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Consumer film, often film photographers of a certain type will turn their nose up at them, but as someone who started their film journey on consumer film processed in the local 1-hour lab, going back to review these films is a bit of a throwback. Like all modern consumer films from Kodak, Ultramax traces its heritage back to the original Kodacolor film. The original Kodacolor saw production from 1924 to 1963. In 1963, the updated Kodacolor-X increased the film speed from ASA-25 to ASA-64, both these early offerings using the C-22 process, Kodak discontinued Kodacolor-X in 1974. In 1972 Kodak released a new version, KodacolorRead More →

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Before you start rage commenting, hear me out. We’re still in the grips of a major health crisis that keeps everyone apart, especially if you don’t live in the same house. So any actual photo meetups were out of the question. It has been just under a year since the last official Toronto Film Shooters meetup. And then nothing, because well the time of plague arrived that next month. I got to thinking over the Christmas holidays how to run a photo meet up when we couldn’t use our regular model. The original plan had some serious logistical support. Of course, the stay at homeRead More →

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If there is one place that I have photographed a lot in the past year it’s my hometown of Milton, heck I did a whole project on the town last year. Plus the current restrictions, Milton has become a space that I have gotten to know well. But the day I went out was also the first-ever virtual Toronto Film Shooters meetup. We were only able to meet once last year, and it looks like we’ll be doing the virtual thing for the near future. Rather than let this awesome group lapse in their gathering, we went virtual. I encouraged the group to head outRead More →

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If you’re of a certain age, your entire childhood was captured by a class of cameras that first showed up on the market in the late 1970s, the compact point-and-shoot. While the idea of automatic compact 35mm camera is nothing new, and the idea of the family snapshot as old as Eastman Kodak. But in the 1970s something new showed up on the market, autofocus. No longer did the photographer have to fiddle to get things in focus, autoexposure allowed for no thought to metering. The point, then press the shutter. Harkening back to the original Kodak, you press the button, we do the rest.Read More →

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Ah yes, the daily grind, and it does take many grinds, coffee that is. While many of you know me for my photography that is not my primary source of income (nor would I want it to be), I work in Information Technology at Sheridan College. Yes, I’m on campus daily to help support the small student body that learns on campus on a part-time basis and maintain the movement of technology to and from the whole campus community. While it can get lonely, it does give a rich photographic experience surprisingly. Sheridan traces its history back to a condemned high school in Brampton, Ontario.Read More →