Project:52 – Weeks 42 & 43

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Alex

New York City
The Big Apple
NYC

A city this big cannot be covered in just one week, so I gave it two. Also because I did not actually have a post ready for Week 41 since I was still in the US and did not have the film for that week processed, I probably could have done it, but I don’t know any labs in NY/NJ that could do it for me, so I waited until I got back to Canada. I went through so much film over the course of my time down there, most of which has yet to be scanned, so I worked hard to get at least these photos scanned and uploaded just for you my faithful followers!

Less than ten weeks left in the project, and the book is already starting to take shape. (By shape, I mean I have an idea of how I want it to work, just have to make that a reality.)

Nikon FM2 – AF Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4D – Kodak Ektar 100
Rolleiflex 2.8F – Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 – Kodak Portra 400 & Fuji Velvia 50 (RVP-50)

Project:52 – Update

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Alex

I really can’t believe how close I am to finishing off the project! I’m rather impressed that I’ve actually been able to maintain the images coming out. Not to mention learning a bit more about my various cameras that I have been using, and narrowing down some of my favourite film stocks, and cameras in my vast arsinal.

So far I’ve learned: Wide Angle Lenses are not good for detail work, Toy Cameras are pretty awesome when used right (as in the right situation, I wouldn’t use a holga at a wedding for all the portraits), People are more open to getting their photo taken if it’s on an old strange looking camera (like my Rolleiflex TLR or Polaroid Automatic 250 Land Camera), the new Portra 400 is an amazing and versitile film, Velvia is best shot at ISO-64 without any push in development. There are many more things I’ve learned but I’ll save those for later.

As I close in on the ‘ten weeks left’ mark (Week 42), I sit in the lounge at Toronto’s City Centre (Billy Bishop) airport waiting for my flight to Newark for my usual fall vacation, to not only visit New York City, but to shoot a pile of film. I’m armed with tonnes of film and a pile of cameras. The idea is to use two weeks of the project for the city so there will be a bit of delay in posting them here so watch for a big double whammy of NYC photos.

I have also started compiling a book for the project that will feature my favourite shot of that week, watch for that in early 2012, and since I enjoyed this project I think I’m going to do a repeat for next year, with some different rules in place.

And last a big thank you to all who have commented on my photos, both online and in person and thank you for continuing to follow along.

Keep Shooting!

Project:52 – Week 41

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Alex

Week 41, or how Emily got her groove on.

My original idea for this week (and one I might use later on) was to get random people in the streets to throw on some headphone and dance, but at the time I realized that might be a little creepy, so instead I called up my friend Emily who is always willing to pose for my cameras. So off into Toronto we headed with an mp3 player filled with music, a camera loaded with a roll of film, and she danced, pranced, and played around in parks, subways, and alleys. Yes we got questioning gazes, smiles, and outright confusion.

But good times were had by all.

Did I ever mention that I think I’m addicted to the new Kodak Portra 400? Because I am…such a glorious film.

Nikon F4 – AF Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4D – Kodak Portra 400

Project: 52 – Week 40

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Alex

I do try to keep my family out of my photography specifically the work I show publicly but when your ~~little~~ younger brother gets married, it just has to get shown off. But since I was a groomsman at the wedding bringing out one of my bigger cameras to play like the Rollei, or 645 or even my little FM2 would get in the way. So I turned to a very small camera in my collection, and no it wasn’t a 110 camera…but rather a Olympus Stylus Epic. I was honestly surprised at the quality of images that came out of this pocket camera that could easily fit in the pocket of my tux.

Although the day was dull, grey, cold, and wet at times, the ceremony and reception were incredible, and I wish only the best for my brother and new sister-in-law.

Olympus Stylus Epic DLX – Olympus Lens 35mm 1:2.8 – Kodak Tri-X 400 (400TX)

Project:52 – Week 39

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Alex

There are times when I look at my shots and think to myself, these photos are why I still shoot with film. It was the perfect day again (if only we could have had the weather a week later…but anyways). The sky was a brilliant blue, the weather was warm, it was the perfect day for a BBQ, friends, a beautiful setting, and of course ‘chrome film.

‘chrome film? Why, slide film of course, Fujichrome to be exact, Velvia. Delicious, Delicious Velvia. Fuji’s answer to Kodachrome, and E-6 process also.

So I found myself in beautiful Welland Ontario, I have to say I love small towns, and with the perfect weather and just a touch of fall coming out, I loaded up some of my beloved Velvia and got to shooting, both along the drive to Welland and at Mel and Bryan’s place who graciously hosted us.

A corner store in St. Catherines along old Highway 8

And randomly my friend Coffee (well that’s his nickname)

Pentax 645 – SMC Pentax A 645 35mm 1:3.5 and SMC Pentax A 645 80-160mm 1:4.5 – Fuji Velvia (RVP), Exposed at ISO-64, no change in Processing

Sarah & Derrick’s Wedding

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Alex

September 10th dawned bright and clear, not too cold either. I found myself out in Clarrington, ON at the beautiful 4 Season’s Golf & Country club to photograph Sarah & Derrick’s Wedding, a couple I had photographed for their engagement photos last year. The back drop was beautiful, the sky a deep blue, the greens bright with life, the fall colours not yet starting to come in.

It was such a day that I wish I had access to Kodachrome to shoot, and the colour processing to match.

Sarah & Derrick were a wonderful couple to work with, both naturals in front of the cameras and very easy to photograph.

Sometimes some of the strongest photos are the ones that catch a moment of peace between the couple amidst the chaos of hte day

Project:52 – Week 38

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Alex

I broadened my horizons, and went W I D E, and when I mean WIDE, I’m talking panoramic wide…using one of the more unique cameras in my collection. After popping into the Lomography store to get a lesson on how to use the Horizon Kompakt, a Russian swing lens camera I took once again to the streets of Toronto to give it a go. The camera itself is what makes the whole concept unique, as I mentioned earlier it is a swing lens, a fixed 28mm f/8 lens, that will travel across a 120 degree arc exposing a thin slit of the film as it passes to create the final image which takes up approximately two standard frames. The best part, no batteries, powered entirely by a near silent clockwork motor. I got many stares as I stopped to use the camera as I wandered along.

So yes, this camera eats film, a roll of 36 will yield about 22 images, also with no meter in it you have to be careful about the film you load into it. Using the 400 speed film (Ilford HP5+) on that bright a day made a lot of the images unrecoverable, a 200 or even 100 speed may have worked better. But with a bit of work in post I was able to pull out some pretty awesome photos.

Horizon Kompakt – Обьектив ИНДУСТАР MC 8/28 – Ilford HP5+

Cross Processing

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Alex

Cross Processing or XPro the act of developing film specifically colour in the wrong chemicals.

Yes, you just read that right, I purposefully got some film developed wrong.

It sounds weird I know, putting your slide film in chemicals made for colour negative film, or colour negative in slide film chemicals. But as of late I’ve been getting into a bit of a lo-fi vibe, so I figured it was about time to try out some cross processing. The Lomographic Society markets film that is designed for cross processing, called aptly XPro. Just between us, it is actually old Agfa slide film stock just re-branded on the canister. Developing the film as slide film (which it is natively) brings out wonderful colour and resolution, so it was the film I was going to try out.

Lomography XPro 100 developed as Slide Film

So I loaded in a roll of Lomography’s XPro 100 film into my trusty Nikon FM2 and the 50mm 1.4 lens and hit the streets of Toronto.

Now I had seen XPro photos in the past, and wasn’t really that keen on the look, but I went into the project knowing that the results might be a bit…weird, but I was ready for that. Of course there was a call from the lab making sure that I wasn’t being an idiot for requesting that the slide film be processed in colour negative chemistry, and me reassuring them that yes, I really wanted it done this way and that I wasn’t an idiot.

The results were…much better than I expected, of course there were several shots that really didn’t turn out that well, cross processing is not good when you’re shooting in very low light, but in the bright sun earlier in the day, the results were actually pretty fantastic.

See for yourself!

Most of these were shot straight from the hip, very little attention was paid to the settings (Sunny-16 metering). Would I do it again…most definitely.

Project:52 – Week 37

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Alex

Demolition Man…

I have to keep reminding myself that I don’t actually own any of the buildings that I explore, but sometimes I can’t help but become attached to them, even shit holes like the former Park Plaza Hotel in Oakville. It sort of became my own personal abandonment since I work right across the road from it. I first checked it out late one night coming back from a church event, and then a second time with friends Wu and Boffo on a cold and snowy evening. The place was gutted and ripped apart inside, trashed by local kids and teens or druggies. But it became the spot for me to flee from the work of the day on my lunches, I’d find a spot in one of the rooms, overlooking the overgrown section in the centre of the building where the pool was, and enjoy the quiet.

Not so much anymore.

They’ve been finally starting the demolition on my hotel, replacing it with a big commercial building. So much for that idea.

Nikon FM2 – Nikon Series E 50mm 1:1.8 – Fuji Neopan Arcos 100

Project:52 – Week 36

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Alex

I have seen the grand Fort Niagara from across the river in Niagara-On-The-Lake so I finally took time to go and see the oldest fort in the area. The fort and the people there made the two hour border wait worth it!

The history of the site started back in 1678 when the French established their first fort. The current construction is a mixed bag of French buildings from 1688 to 1759, British who took the Fort from the French in a siege in 1759. The British were forced to hand over the fort to the United States at the end of the Revolutionary War, only to take it back in 1813 during the War of 1812. The British again handed over the fort 1815 when the War was over. The Americans have maintained a military presence at the fort since. Most of the Army left the site in 1963 with the Coast Guard still maintain a presence.

Nikon F3 – AI-S Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 – Kodak Portra 160

alex luyckx | blog

Explorer, Photographer, Wanderer