View from the 101 Building – Taipei, Taiwan

by Jim Harp

May 2012

This is the view from the observation deck of the 101 building which is the tallest skyscraper in Asia.   This was a cha-cha shot with a TL-120 using Provia 100F pushed one stop.   I used a four foot separation, which is quite a bit less than the “1/30” rule would dictate.  While I don’t think this separation would produce satisfactory depth in 35mm or digital I feel that it works well for medium format.   Medium Format’s high level of detail provides plenty of depth cues and there’s none of the miniaturization effects that a 20 foot separation would have created.

 

“Forgotten Old Relic Discovered”

by Steven Lederman

  Many acronyms have been created for the letters in “Ford”.  Most of them are unflattering.  I’m a big Ford fan, so I’ve created a positive acronym for F.O.R.D. – “Forgotten Old Relic Discovered”.  This old Ford is resting peacefully by the side of the road in Crawfordville, Florida.  I bought some infrared filters for my TL-120 and shot a few rolls of Kodak Aerochrome on that trip.  This is one of the results.  This particular strain of Aerochrome can be (and was) processed in E6 chemistry.  The film is rated at 400, and I took exposure readings through the TL-120’s meter.  The metering lens also had an infrared filter on it.  I much prefer to photograph old wrecks and decaying cars over restored vintage vehicles (even though I do appreciate restored vintage vehicles).  It’s been said many times, but if only these old rust-buckets could talk!

“THE COLOUR OF DEBRIS”

by Steven Lederman

  I had my TL-120 down at Toronto’s waterfront and I was attracted by the myriad of shapes, textures and colours (or colors, if you happen to reside in The States) that were migrating towards the shoreline.  I kept a tight composition with the intent of creating a sort of in-camera collage.  I wanted to fill the frame with as many of the various and sundry debris as I could, illustrating the contrast between man-made and natural debris, without necessarily establishing an indication of their location.  This was shot on Velvia 100 using the TL-120’s built-in meter.

“KENDREW DISTRICT 8”

by Steven Lederman

  I used to travel to Upstate New York quite frequently.  My friend Erich Hadfield has over 250,000 78 rpm records piled up in two barns about 20 minutes apart there.  After I purchased my TL-120 I started taking it on my record buying trips instead of my Realist.  This photograph is one of a series of shots of an old abandoned boarded-up school house.  On the side of it is a large pentagram-type star.  I was drawn to this school house because of all of the history, memories and stories it contains.  I tried to imagine what this place was like when it was operative and thriving.  I like the depth between the viewer and the school house, but I’m not crazy about the soft foreground grass.  I’m considering re-mounting this one in a cardboard landscape mount (if I can get my hands on one) and masking out as much of the soft-focus grass as I can.  I shot this on Ilford Pan F Plus, and it was processed by dr5.  I shot the roll at whatever ASA his site suggests for this film.

“TEXTURES”

by Steven Lederman

We used to live in an old Victorian house in downtown Toronto.  Access to the garages was via an alley, and that’s where I found the door in this photograph.  The door served as an entrance to someone’s garden, and I was drawn to the textures of the weathered wood, tarnished metal, and peeling layers of paint.  This might’ve been one of the first shots I took with my TL-120, or it might’ve been shot with my Sputnik – I’m not too sure.  What I do know is that around this time my local lab stopped processing AGFA Scala, and I wanted to determine where I should send my Scala rolls in the future.  I shot a few rolls and sent a couple to dr5, and a couple to Mainphoto.  This is one of the shots from a Mainphoto roll.  Washed out, not a lot of contrast.  I think it has a vintage aged look to match the textures on the door.  It would have been a very different shot had dr5 processed it.  Not necessarily better, but different.

MOG Walkway

by Bob Venezia
MOG Walkway #1

Looking up from a walkway outside the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington.

Yeah, not a whole lotta depth. But I took it and you’re gonna look at it!

It was a bit of a challenge to shoot as I wanted the lenses parallel to the ceiling and it was an awkward position from which to check my framing.

TL-120, 1/2 second at f19, Provia 100F. Taken on New Year’s Eve 2009.

Chelsea Market

by Bob Venezia
Chelsea Market

Street scene in the Chelsea district

Visiting Manhattan over Christmas 2010 we got socked in by a blizzard. Our flight was cancelled so I got in a few more days of shooting scenes in the snow. Here I’m precariously perched on a mound of snow and could have used some snowshoes on my tripod. I love the quality of the saturated color in the reflections.

Twin Hasselblad 500Cs on a custom wood bar, 50mm, Provia 100F.

Approaching the Pillars

by Bob Venezia
Approaching the Pillars

An area near the Pillars of Silence

When I visited the Southwest a few years back I stopped in Page, Arizona, and hired a photoguide to cart me around to some interesting spots. There’s one spot called the Pillars of Silence where there’s a deep layer of white sandstone topped by a harder layer of rock. As the cliffs erode there are places where a hard rock is still protecting the soft sandstone directly below it so you get to an area full of white pillars each with a stone cap. It looks like an art installation. This photo is of an area right before you get to the pillars. You can see the amazing patterns made in the sandstone as it melts away. It reminds me of brain matter!

Shot with the TL-120, Provia 100F, f22, on a tripod. Shutter unrecorded.

More Pictures From Philip

by Philip Steinman