Close up shot of a honeybee on a dahlia
Busy Pollinator
Tag Archives: Fuji Provia 100F
Keep it down up there, Willya?
Keep it down up there, Willya?
One of the reasons I wanted, and built, this Macrobox was to capture shots of Tess in MF3D. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy pursuit because the moment I started doing something she would be all over it. “No, Tess, I want you *in front* of the camera. Not *on* the camera.” That sort of thing.
I was able to catch her in a quiet moment when the camera and strobes had been pre-set for her position. I like to think that in this shot she is hollering at some kids upstairs to be quiet. In fact I caught her in mid yawn.
Friends And Other Inanimate Objects, Volume One
Counterclockwise, from upper left:
“For Fear Of Branching Out on Arbor Day” – expired Provia 100F.
“Goin’ Pseudo” – expired Provia 100F.
“Behold! The Omnipotent, Ever-Knowing VooDoo Orb Sac!” – expired Astia 100F.
“Weather Most Fowl” – egg-spired Astia 100F, using the Sunflower 16 rule.
All images captured with a TL120-55, and home-processed using a JOBO CPP2 unit, with Unicolor or Arista E6 chemistry.
Paul Gillis’ slides for d23
Well, it’s been about 9 months since I last had the dragon box in my grubby little hands. I wish I’d taken more MF3D images in that time, but I guess it’s good that I at least got a few. All four of these were taken with my TL-120 on Provia 100F, using a tripod.
Conundrum Between Trees
This is the same sculpture that I included in my previous entry (here). I took it on a later visit, and from much further back, so that it is framed by two sturdy trees. I think I like this shot better.
Here, Have Some Snips
This sculpture is just a stone’s throw from the one above; but in an artistic sense they could hardly be farther apart. I still don’t know the name of either work, nor of the sculptors. I shot this very late in the day. The low light level was no problem, shooting from a tripod (2 sec. at f/11, I think) but it did result in some lights in the background coming out distractingly bright.
Dark Star Park (Arlington, Virginia)
Finally, some sculpture that I know something about! This little park (larger than what I show here) is actually very close to the US Marine Corps War Memorial (the Iwo Jima sculpture). Another case of the abstract adjacent to the extremely realistic.
This park & all its sculptural elements were designed by Nancy Holt & built in 1984, commissioned by Arlington County. The Wikipedia article about her goes into some depth about it. I definitely want to go back & photograph the park from other angles. The biggest challenge I had was that from most viewpoints the background was in full sun, while the sculptures were in shade.
Broken Outflow Pipe
Maybe another inadvertent kind of sculpture? Obviously not a very colorful subject, but I was drawn to the 3-dimensional complexity. Another long exposure as the day was waning.
Colony Place
Colony Place
This is along the main tourist shopping street just outside the cruise ship center in Nassau, Bahamas.
This was taken with a handheld (string monopod) Sputnik on Fujifilm Provia 100F.
Red Window
Red Window
Not being one for shopping I wandered off the main throughfare to see what might be more interesting. Luckily we had spectacular weather, which lead to some very nice color contrasts.
This was taken with a handheld (string monopod) Sputnik on Fujifilm Provia 100F.
Unlike most of my mounted slides, I accidently labeled this one on the front side as seen from a viewer.
Green Porch
Green Porch
Just past the Red Window was this porch. I’m not sure what the building was, but the texture and coloring attracted me to it.
This was taken with a handheld (string monopod) Sputnik on Fujifilm Provia 100F.
Columbus
Columbus
Back behind the tourist shopping area is a collection of government buildings. This statue of Columbus is protected by a fence and cannon. I didn’t see any placard describing the building.
This was taken with a handheld (string monopod) Sputnik on Fujifilm Provia 100F.
Stereoscopic Creatures And Beasts, Or Where To Find Them
“BAR BAND“
Another pinhole picture, to the delight of some, and much to the chagrin of others. This is the mighty Heavyweights Brass Band entertaining a throng at Toronto’s Rail Path, an activity that started with the COVID 19 lockdown. The band decided to rehearse outdoors; a crowd soon gathered and threw money at them, so they made their Rail Path get-together into a weekly ritual. Seen here are Tom Richards, sousaphone, Lowell Whitty, drums, and Paul Metcalfe, tenor saxophone. Not pictured; John Pittman, trumpet, and RJ Satchithananthan, trombone. The image was a bit difficult to mount with the 3D World mounts – the step at the bottom left juts out on the left image more so than on the right image. I did try to use a cardboard close-up mount, but then a good portion of the image was lost. Just don’t glance down at the bottom left hand corner and you’ll be fine.
Captured with Clint O’Connor’s Limited Edition Stereo Flyer (#11 out of 100), on a Gorillapod, 2 second exposure, expired Fuji Provia 100F. Processed in my JOBO unit.
“MONOCHROME LAKE“
This was shot in a remote region of Northern Ontario, situated on Monochrome Lake, not to be confused with Black Lake, Mono Lake, Grey Lake or Gray Lake. The dumping of nuclear waste in the region caused the vegetation to devoid itself of its photosynthetic pigments, chlorophylls a & b, resulting in its inability to preferentially absorb light. This manifests as foliage with a very grey appearance. Monochrome Lake has experienced its fifteen minutes of fame – it was used as the location for the incredibly popular “Creature From The Black And White Lagoon” 3D movie franchise. It has also been featured in some episodes of the television series “Black And White Mirror”, currently streaming on one or another of those television streaming services that streams television. I guess that’s technically more than fifteen minutes of fame, as those “Creature” movies are well over an hour each. But I digress. Just in case you think I’m trying to hand you another one of my tall tales, I shot this image on Velvia 100 to prove that the area really looks like this in person. There. I knew that would convince you.
Captured with a Sputnik, handheld, on Velvia 100. Processed in my JOBO CPP2 unit.
“BEWARE OF DUCK“
I wanted to obtain some sunflowers, as one is wont to do, and was shadowed by a highly-trained, very aggressive Attack Duck. It was a situation most fowl! I was operating on a wing and a prayer as it tried to egg me on! When I finished gathering the sunflowers I told it to send me the bill!
Captured with a 3D World TL120-1 modified with a Thurston lens board and Mamiya 55mm lenses (TL120-55) on EGGspired KoDUCK E100G, sunny 16 (Sunflower 16) rule, processed in my Jobo CPP2 unit.
“SCREAMING HEADS TWO“
A wide angle cha-cha experiment. The lower left hand corner has an issue, so don’t glance down there. I’m sensing a theme! I shot this handheld, so perhaps it’s time to invest in a slider bar. From my similar submission to the recent Dragon Folio loop:
“Every year, Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day falls on the last Sunday in April. It is an excuse for my daughter and I to spend a day together photographing various locations in Ontario using pinhole cameras. I will usually pack a “lensed” camera in addition to my pinhole camera(s). On WPPD 2019 we visited artist Peter Camani’s residence which hosts his grand scale outdoor art exhibition. There are various shapes of cast concrete screaming heads situated throughout his 310-acre property near Burk’s Falls, Ontario, each sculpture being in the 15-20 foot tall range. On this occasion I had packed my Hasselblad SWC, and I can’t remember if I was consciously trying to capture a stereo cha-cha image or not. In any case, I found an uncut roll of film with three pairs of images that looked like they might work as stereo pairs. Despite some anomalies between the left and right chips, my brain can fuse these images into a stereo image. Hasselblad SWC, yellow or orange drop-in filter, expired Kodak Aerochrome film, home processed with a Jobo CPP2 unit.”
Cooper Lake, Cle Elum, Washington
Travel has been a bit hard to do recently, out of the country at least. As you all know there’s a bit of a ‘stay-cation’ happening for most of us. Due to this fact, I have decided to share some of my more recent camping experiences that we have taken within Washington state, and with my newly acquired 3D World TL-120 camera (bought in 2020). This particular lake you see here is one of my favorite spots in Washington. It’s a small lake, but big enough to paddle around and explore. Only paddle boats are allowed which makes it nice and quiet at times and the camping is inexpensive. This shot was taken towards the Northwest side of the lake, just a little ways into Cooper River, which feeds into the lake. Since the lake is river fed from far off mountains, it gets pretty cold but is also nice and clear. I managed to scramble over the log jag to get this shot of my fiancee and our canoe named ‘Downeaster Alexa’. Both of them accompany me in many camping excursions that we all love to take. My personal critique would say, ‘get low to see more water and logs in the foreground’. But, other than that, I think it works ok.
As I mentioned, this was shot on my new TL-120 camera (1st generation), using good old Fuji Provia 100f film.
Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington
The Hoh Rainforest is one of the wettest places in all of the continental United States, and has been on my bucket list for years after moving to Washington. The Hoh Rainforest wasn’t dry per se, but it was definitely experiencing a drought, much like most of the west this year. The rangers had posted that it had received 5-7 inches less rain than previous years. It’s a bit of a drive to get here (although one of the prettiest I have ever driven), and it can become a crowded experience, especially during a weekend. However, it was still great to visit and a wonderful spot to see. Hopefully it will survive the implications of climate change, because it’s a gorgeous place in the world. This was taken towards the end of the Spruce Nature Trail. It was definitely one of the highlights within our visit of Olympic National Park. My inner critique would be, get low and get close (again)!
Taken with my 3D World TL-120, and again with Fuji Provia 100f film.
Diablo Lake, North Cascades National Park, Washington
This was taken at one of my favorite campsites in all of Washington. It’s by far, one of the prettiest and most secluded sites on Diablo Lake. It features a lookout, swimming hole, a bear box, and even an outhouse! Not to mention access to the serenity of the lake and it’s wonderful turquoise glacier fed water. Now, this shot could easily have NOT been taken near any lake, since you can’t see any water. However, it was one of my favorite shots on this roll of film, and was taken spontaneously. The lighting was amazing, and definitely inspired me to take a shot. Diablo Lake campsites are on a ‘lottery reservation’ system through the National Park service and reservations are especially needed for this spot on the lake. The North Cascades are wonderful to visit, and I highly recommend coming here if you are ever in Washington. My personal critique would be, maybe get a little closer, and show some of the lake! Other than that, it was a moment of time that I was happy to capture, especially in 3D!
Shot also on my 3D World Tl-120 camera, with Fuji Provia 100f film.
F32 and BEE There!
F32 and BEE There!
Ian Andvaag’s D23 submission
Jade Lake (Narrow Hills Provincial Park, SK)
The last round I submitted a couple images I took at Narrow Hills Provincial Park, but not at this location. This is a lovely location in the North West section of the park with seven small (but very deep) lakes with very clear water. They are called the Gem Lakes, so-named for their rich blue and green colours. A network of trails runs around the lakes with several camping locations. I pitched my tent at the Diamond Lake site for two nights, which gave me a full day from dawn to dusk to photograph the area. The trails only total a length of about 6 km, so I did about 3 loops around the lakes throughout the day. This is a high spot overlooking Jade Lake. The spruce tree in the foreground is perhaps a bit gratuitous or cliche, but I thought it looked pretty and gave a good impression of what it is like to look down at the lake from the trail. The film is Delta 100, home-developed in D-67 reversal.
Meewasin Trail – Fall (Saskatoon, SK)
Meewasin Trail – Winter (Saskatoon, SK)
This is a section of trail quite near to my apartment in Saskatoon. It’s not the most remarkable location, but due to its proximity, I do get the opportunity to photograph it a lot (although I haven’t been recently). It’s the location I go to when there is some interesting light from a clearing storm or when there is hoarfrost in the winter before it gets blown off in the wind. The power plant and waste water treatment plant discharge into the river about 15 km upriver, so this section never completely freezes over. I thought the two images contrast each other nicely, although perhaps it’s a bit too repetitive since they are both taken from nearly the same perspective.
Tundra Swan (Wascana Waterfowl Park, Regina, SK)
In my hometown of Regina, there is a bird sanctuary beside the creek. There are some “display ponds”, but the grounds are really not that attractive. Although the birds are not captive, they are not easily frightened since they are used to being fed. In the shade it was rather dim using ISO 100 film, and I really was at the limit of what I could manage in terms of exposure. Handheld Tl120, not sure of the exposure settings, perhaps 1/60 and f/8. The shutter speed wasn’t enough to freeze the swan. There wasn’t enough DOF to cover the background or the foreground, but it wasn’t particularly interesting, so I just cropped it out. Next time I’ll hopefully have a flash with me, or maybe I’ll consider pushing Provia. I enjoy viewing these type of “action shots”, but I find them very challenging to take!
Stereo Staycation!
Due to the pandemic, my road trips to the States have been curtailed and limited to shorter journeys within my home province of Ontario. With all of the beautiful Saskatchewan vistas and the spectacular travel photos that were featured in the recent go ’round of the folio, I felt that Ontario should also have a chance to show off some of its breath-taking scenery.
“SLIDE AND THE FAMILY STONED”
Who needs to travel to Kingston, Jamaica when you can easily drive to Kingston, Ontario? On the way to Kingston, why not stop in Napanee? Napanee is so named for the unusual practice of its residents, who kneel while sleeping, which incidentally is not the same as sleeping while kneeling. Napanee is full of pastoral views, such as this parking lot amusement park, seen here via an EHO stereo box camera. The Altissa-EHO Stereo box camera was manufactured in the ’30s and has no provision for focusing. It has a choice of two Waterhouse f stops – f11 and f22. This image was shot using the EHO’s original single shutter speed of (I believe) 1/30th of a second. The camera has visited a technician in the interim and has had its spring tensioned so that now it is capable of firing its shutter somewhere between 1/60th – 1/100th of a second!! Captured on expired Velvia 50 and home-processed with a CPP2 Jobo unit.
“THEIR SNOW BUSINESS”
Meet Lorrie and Ray Dillard. They reside in Barrie, Ontario, which is very far North of anything and above the permafrost line. Lorrie and Ray run a successful snow-harvesting business, selling their surplus snow to countries around the world that won’t or are unable to grow their own snow. The snow is shipped out via husky-powered sled in small individual manila bubble pack envelopes twice daily. Lorrie and Ray hired Ethel Merman to sing their social media jingle; “Their Snow Business! Like ‘Snow Business’!” This image is from a test roll I shot to determine if Rollei Superpan 200 could be reverse-processed in the sometimes-available Foma reversal processing kit. Captured with Sam Smith’s conjoined AGFA Isolettes (the “Samulette”) on the aforementioned Rollei Superpan 200, and home-processed with a CPP2 Jobo unit.
“THAT’S IT (IN SPANISH)”
People not your thing? How about taking a road trip to Cooper’s Falls, Ontario? This here gas pump is one of the most photographed entities in an almost-ghost town with not that many entities in it. Approximately 14 houses in the area are still inhabited, and the waterfall after which this semi-ghost town is named cannot really be seen (or photographed) without trespassing, as it is situated on private property. The title of this image is of the crossword puzzle question type, and by request, I am not supplying the crossword puzzle answer here. Captured with an as-fine-tuned-as-is-possible-with-a-Soviet-camera Sputnik cobbled together of donated parts, on expired Provia 100F and home processed with a CPP2 Jobo unit.
“SCREAMING HEADS OF MIDLOTHIAN”
Every year, Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day falls on the last Sunday in April. It is an excuse for my daughter and I to spend a day together photographing various locations in Ontario using pinhole cameras. I will usually pack a “lensed” camera in addition to my pinhole camera(s). On WPPD 2019 we visited artist Peter Camani’s residence which hosts his grand scale outdoor art exhibition. There are various shapes of cast concrete screaming heads situated throughout his 310-acre property near Burk’s Falls, Ontario, each sculpture being in the 15-20 foot tall range. On this occasion I had packed my Hasselblad SWC, and I can’t remember if I was consciously trying to capture a stereo cha-cha image or not. In any case, I found an uncut roll of film with three pairs of images that looked like they might work as stereo pairs. Despite some anomalies between the left and right chips, my brain can fuse these images into a stereo image. As John Thurston likes to say, “your mileage may vary”. Hasselblad SWC, yellow or orange drop-in filter, expired Kodak Aerochrome film, home processed with a Jobo CPP2 unit.