When it comes to a winning colour film for the modern film age, look no further than Kodak Portra 400. The stock, a combination of the best of the older VC and NC stocks, the film burst onto the scene as part of the early film resurgence from Kodak. When it comes to fast colour films and money is no object then you want to shoot Portra 400, it’s like the Tri-X of the colour film world, you can push and pull the film all you want, even on the same roll! Which makes it in my mind the perfect film for digital shooters toRead More →

Despite being a cheap alternative the folding SX-70, the OneStep is an icon among camera collectors, and instant photographers, the white plastic and more importantly the rainbow strip are so iconic it graced the first icon for Instagram. The Polaroid OneStep is a white plastic camera, and this is a black one! I can honestly say I’ve never seen one like this before. But I couldn’t well forget an icon in the world of Polaroid, and unlike many of the older models, this one still works. Special thanks to Knox Presbyterian Church in Milton, Ontario for this camera. Camera Specifications Make: Polaroid Model: OneStep SERead More →

There was much more to the Upper Canada Rebellion than just the armed engagements that I discussed in the past three entries. Underlying the entire year of 1838 the government continued to operate and the biggest issue facing them would be prosecuting the rebels and their American allies after their capture. The whole matter would have been a lot cleaner if an actual war was declared. The treatment of Prisoners of War was an internationally understood law, but to the British, there was no war, they were dealing with a rebellion. And in the case of the Upper Canada Rebellion, the Provincial Government and theRead More →

Often overlooked by many photographers in favour of Portra 400, Portra 160 is a different film altogether and one that is not a particular favourite of mine. Part of the early resurgence of film from Kodak that brought us Ektar 100 and Portra 400. Portra 160 is the combination of the two early films Portra 160NC and 160VC. As the name suggests, the film is designed primarily for Portraits and presents a low contrast almost pastel look a clear departure from the vibrant colours you get from Ektar 100. Film Specs Type: Colour Negative, C-41 Process Film Base: Acetate Film Speed: ASA-160, Latitude +/- 2-StopsRead More →

If there’s one lens that I don’t use that much is the 135mm focal length. I shoot a tonne with my pair of Nikon 105mm lenses and the 100mm in my Maxxum system is becoming a fast favourite. But I have a pair of 135mm lens one in Nikon the other in Rokkor that just don’t get the same amount of love as the others do. And oddly enough there are plenty of other photographers out there that their lenses feel the same lack of love. Enter Dan Novack when he posted a challenge on the Negative Postive’s Podcast group on Facebook asking if anyoneRead More →

If there is a singular organisation that is synonymous with the Patriot Wars and the Upper Canada Rebellion as a whole that group is the Hunter’s Lodge. The group grew out of the Frise Chassure, a group founded by the Lower Canada Patriotes under Joseph-Louis Papineau. Papineau had been waging his rebellion against Lower Canada out of Vermont. And while Papineau saw no better success than those in the west, the use of a central group and the model of a secret society had kept the group much better aligned with the goals of their rebellion. It also attracted the attention of Charles Duncombe whoRead More →

I honestly don’t mind leaving at 6:30 in the morning, I had a two-hour drive in front of me and these days, especially on the weekend traffic, is an unknown variable. But I was Peterborough bound, having grabbed a coffee at the local Starbucks before getting on the highway. But this wasn’t going to be the average Toronto Film Shooters Meetup, we had guests this time around. I’ve been in talks with our cousin group in Kingston for a joint meetup. It would then just be a matter of finding an interesting spot in the middle of our two cities. Eventually, I settled on PeterboroughRead More →

John and Bill sit down to talk to Stephen Dowling, the man behind the website Kosmo Foto and the driving force behind bringing Kosmo Foto Mono 100 to the market. The three sit down around our interview table to discuss everything about the site, how it came to be, the man behind the site, and the reasons behind bringing Mono 100 to the market. Along with the inspiration behind the awesome Soviet Style graphics. If you haven’t visited Kosmo Foto, we certainly recommend visiting and following the awesome content. You can follow Kosmo Foto through the followings means Website – kosmofoto.com Twitter – @kosmofoto InstagramRead More →

The continuing rebellion shifted after Pelee Island, as the leadership changed and William Lyon MacKenzie separated himself while living in Rochester while out on bail from his arrest in Buffalo following the evacuation from Navy Island. The Rebel Cause fell under the leadership of the Council of Thirteen. A mixed group of Canadian and American sympathisers. However, their actions against Upper Canada and their behaviour in the American cities had forced them to seek shelter in the rural areas along the border. Charles Duncombe had been working in the east and was spreading a new secret society based on a French-Canadian society to spread theRead More →

Continuing with our love of chemistry in part two we dig into some of the older and stranger developers. While many of these are speciality they are rather common in our own chemistry cabinets and they include the likes of the alphabet soup that is HC-110, the oldest commercial developer Rodinal, and the rather toxic Pyrocat-HD. Kodak HC-110 Kodak’s HC-110 developer is a strange creature, released with little fanfare in 1962 with a small article in a photography magazine, the developer became an instant classic. It’s best known as the developer of choice for Ansel Adams. And while most Kodak Developers had the letter DRead More →