Antiporda Photography

It’s Half-Time: Pentax 17 - First Roll Thoughts

2025-07-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

It's been a little over a year since the Pentax 17 (P17) was released and after waiting for the initial reactions to wane, I decided to purchase it. I'm not sure why I chose to purchase the P17, it may have been FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), or motivation to get me back out and taking photos.

Part of my hesitation to buy the Pentax 17, initially, is the half-frame format (24mm x 17mm) and the decreased resolution compared to "full frame" resolution (24mm x 35mm), specifically for darkroom printing or scanning for inkjet printing. However, half the frame size means double the number of exposures. So a 36 exposure roll of 35mm film, will yield 72 images in a half-frame camera and with today's cost of film as compared to 9 years ago, it may be kinda worth it. I found a receipt from Oct 2016 where I bought a 5 pack of Portra 400 36 exp. for $39.95 from B&H, which retails now for $85.

Based on Ricoh Imaging's videos for the P17, it seems that the executives were targeting Social Media Content Creators, as the default image/viewfinder orientation of the P17 is vertical (portrait orientation) and it has an optional AUTO mode for newcomers to film photography, a little bit more on that later in the Final Thoughts section. The video below is Part 1 of their 4-part series of the PENTAX Film Project.

The following images are from my first "learning" roll, so the images aren't in any way interesting, but I wanted to get used to the Scale Focusing and the Shooting Mode Dial functions. The images were shot on expired Fujifilm 200, with no idea of what the Expiry date was, so I set the ISO dial to 125 as I believe I purchased it back in 2020.

I had the roll developed and scanned (Basic Quality) by Photo Shack Las Vegas. Below each image I'll identify the Shooting Mode and Focus Zone with any relevant commentary. Note: I had the lab scan the images in pairs (2 Up) instead of individual frames, which will cause Color Balance and Exposure issues as their scanner is attempting to "correct" for both images and average it out. Be sure to click on the examples below for a larger resolution

Mode P Flash - Macro Zone - Forgot to drop the lanyard, which can be used to measure your distance in Macro Zone. In the subsequent photo I remembered to drop the lanyard. What’s interesting is that Pentax doesn’t recommend using the Flash in Macro Zone.

Both Images are in Bokeh Mode and Macro Zone.

Both P Mode and Mountain Zone

LIKES:

Very Sharp Lens - For half frame the images are sharp from edge to edge. I couldn’t see any vignetting or distortion
Viewfinder is bright - The included frame lines are a nice touch to minimize parallax. Two sets, one set for Macro and Food Zones and the other set for Person to Mountain Zones. Also, you can see what Focus Zone you’re set at.
Adjustable ISO and Exposure Compensation dials - This makes it great to shoot expired films, push/pull films or film canisters without DX coding.
LED indicators - Once I understood the flashing sequences, I didn’t need to remove my eye from the viewfinder. I do wish they weren’t so bright.
Light Meter position above the lens - Although Pentax notes in their manual that placing filters (40.5mm size) over the lens needs to be compensated, it seems that the Light Meter accounts for filters.
Size and Weight - I do wish the P17 was pocketable, but it really isn’t too big and it’s very lightweight. It easily fits in my Peak Design 3L Everyday Sling Bag, along with miscellaneous filters, film canisters and Pentax electronic shutter cable release
Built-in Flash - I’m not a fan of On-Camera flash, but for indoor low-light photos, I’m thankful they included one.
Nostalgic Features:

Film Advance Lever - There's nothing more satisfying than the tactile experience of loading and winding your film.
Rewind Button and Lever - The two-step process of pressing the Rewind Button and then spinning the lever ubntil you feel the film release. If you develop you own film, once you feel the tension release, give the film one more complete 360 wind and then pop the back and you should have some of the leader exposed. This will allow you to trim the leader for feeding into a Lab-Box, Patterson reel, or Stainless steel and then place the film into a dark bag and continue loading. (there's a bit more to it)

Mode: P - Mountain Zone. Mode: P Flash - Macro Zone - Too Close

DISLIKES

Battery Required - I understand you need a battery for the flash and metering, but it would’ve been nice if you could still shoot an image with a preset such as f/11 Mountain Zone and shutter 1/125. Also, the required Battery is a CR2, why not AA or AAA?
Scale Focusing - Thankfully you get double the number of exposures so you could bracket your shot, I can’t imagine an Auto-Focus system would’ve been that difficult to include with the size of the camera. If you watch the lens prior to taking a picture, you’ll see it move. So, PENTAX has some form of motor in place.
Frame Counter - My eyesight is definitely not what it used to be, but it would’ve appreciated an illuminated frame counter, those numbers are pretty small

P Mode in Mountain Zone. Not sure why these images have a Magenta color cast as they were scanned together.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed shooting the P17, it was fun taking photos without overthinking the Settings. I did shoot several frames as diptychs, which is a fun challenge in itself. Again, these are my initial thoughts after oly one roll of film, so I'll post another update after a few more rolls and film types, too.

The included lanyard, which is a brilliant measurement tool for Macro distance, helped in macro shots.

The Scale Focusing system takes a bit getting used to or memorizing, but after some practice, it didn’t seem too difficult to get sharp images.

A majority of P17 reviewers state this camera is not for them, but for me I’ll be using this camera, when I decide to shoot film, as a secondary camera for Behind-the-Scenes photos, images that don’t need to be “bangers” or for social activities. It’ll be nice not worrying about lens choice, carrying around excessive gear or conserving exposures.

P Mode and Mountain Zone. P Mode and 3-Person Zone

I think P17 is a precursor to a future PENTAX 35mm film camera. A majority of the components are there that could be used in their next model. I know the “head” of their Film Project resigned, but based on reported Sales, the P17 appears to be selling well. Fingers crossed we get a PENTAX 35.

Finally, the P17 is a "point and shoot", with some limitations, but the results make up for some of the shortcomings. Is it worth $500? To have a new film camera that operates smoothly and have product support, I think so, but be sure to Subscribe as I will be doing a Hal-fram shoot out where I conmpare the P17 with the Kodak Ektar H35N and my 1961 Olympus Pen EE.

Not So Instant: Lomography's LomoGraflok Back

2025-03-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

If you read my previous POST about absenteeism, you may recall I wrote about not developing film at home since I moved to Las Vegas and due to strict Hazardous Waste regulations. To fill that photographic void, I started relying on my "instant cameras" more often than shooting negative film.

My current inventory of Instant Cameras, where I can purchase semi-affordable/available films, are the:

Lomography Automat Glass Mini - Fuji Instax Mini
Lomography Instant Wide - Fuji Instax Wide

Polaroid One Step 2 (1st Gen) - Polaroid I-Type

Aside from the Automat Glass, the other two Instant cameras have Polycarbonate or Acrylic lenses, which to my eyes aren't tack sharp.

Instax Wide Monochrome

Polaroid I-Type Color

The Automat glass is fairly sharp, except now both Lomography cameras have developed light leaks around the retracting area of their lens. They are about 10 years-old.

Automat Glass - Instax Mini

I do have 6 packs of Fuji FP-100C (expired in 2018) Instant film, that work with my 4x5 Graflok Adapter, but I'm saving those packs for a special project, which has yet to materialize.

Fijifilm FP-100c Instant Film

About a year ago, several YouTube videos about Lomography's Lomo Graflok Back were Recommended, and after watching the videos I went online to the Lomography Store and saw they were offering a discount on the "back".

(Photo by: Lomography)

If I recall, it retails for $170 and I paid $130 with a Discount Code. IMO, the Lomo Graflok back is a much better solution than the current offerings of Instant Cameras with regard to image sharpness. The Lomo back will work on any 4x5 camera with a Graflok back, hence the name.

(Photo by: Lomography)

If you haven't read or watched the videos about the Lomo Graflok back, it looks similar in design to their Lomo Instant Wide Camera without the Lens, shutter, viewing window and buttons/levers. In addition to the back, you get a spacer (to ensure your focusing glass is the correct distance to the Film plane and a dark slide. The Graflok back is powered by 4 AA batteries and after shooting 8 packs of Instax Wide, I have yet to replace them.

Lomo Wide with Splitter Lens - Instax Wide Monochrome

Also around that time, Polaroid released their new camera, the Polaroid I-2, which retails around $600 and has a glass lens, but it also "had" several issues which have since been addressed through Firmware updates.

Having shot Fuji Instax Wide and Polaroids I-Type Instant Film, I prefer Fuji due to it's consistency in color accuracy, although a bit "cool", and cost. That's not to say I don't like the Polaroid format, but I can't justify the price and image inconsistency.

If you've never used a 4 x5 camera, it is a relatively methodical process and should not be rushed otherwise you may have a higher miss-rate. Here is my process once I have the camera setup for an image:

Set Lens to the Widest Aperture, cock the shutter and Open the Iris (this allows more light in for composing and focusing)
Insert the Lomo Graflok Spacer
Adjust Focus and verify Composition on Ground Glass
Readjust Focus
Set Light Meter to ISO 800 (per Fujifilm recommendation)
Take several Meter Readings
Adjust f/stop and Shutter speed on Lens and Release shutter
Cock shutter
Close the Iris - IMPORTANT
Remove Spacer
Remove Ground Glass
Attach Lomo Graflok back
Power On Graflok back, which allows you to remove the Dark Slide
Remove Dark Slide
Click the Shutter
Press the Eject button
Replace Dark Slide and Power Off Graflok back so you don't accidentally press the Eject Button. That's not to say I haven't pressed the Eject button accidentally
Install Ground Glass
Insert Spacer
Repeat

As you can tell, it is a laborious process and not conducive for action shots and is tedious for the model when doing Portraiture. Thankfully, Brooklyn Film Camera sells a 3-D printed Integrated Shim (see Image Below), that has a built-in Ground Glass to reduce the steps, outlined above, by 2 whole steps (Step 2 and Step 9) and costs $85 before Taxes, S&H. I'm reluctant to purchase the shim as it is 3-D printed and may warp during the Vegas Summers.

Images from Brooklyn Camera

So, is the Lomo Graflok back worth the price and the time for me? Maybe, and here's why.

When I decide I want to shoot 4x5, I use Instant film as a rough proof for Composition and Metering, similar to the old analog days of taking Polaroids before capturing it on film.
I prefer sharp images, as I have a mental block when the image is blurry or soft, so the Instax image is relatively sharp as opposed to the Lomo Instant Wide or Fuji's Instax Wide 400
I have 3 lenses for my 4x5 camera: 90mm, 137mm and 300mm, while the current assortment of Instant cameras come with fixed lenses, most are Wide field of view and have some barrel distortion.

The things that deter me from using the Lomo Graflok are:

Convenience/Portability: It's a lot of equipment to haul around: Tripod, Spot Meter, Dark Cloth, Loupe, and Lenses
Lack of Spontaneity. I just can't pull over and take a shot and forget trying to take a picture out the passenger window while driving.
It's far from discreet. Every time I set-up, I get the occasional person wanting to talk about my camera
Then there's the Low Dynamic Range of Instax film, it's real easy to blow your highlights or block up your shadows.

Once I address my Film Developing issues, I'll definitely shoot more Instax Wide on my 4x5 camera for proofing my images, but until then I'm waiting for delivery of my Fujifilm Instax EVO Wide

No Matter Where You Go, There You Are: Moving to Las Vegas

2025-03-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

So how is this post relevant to Photography? It isn't, it is an excuse for absenteeism. That's not to say I haven't been taking pictures, or making images, etc... I have!

(Post was started in December of 2018)
I remember watching the movie "Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" when it was released in he theaters back in 1984 and one line from the movie, delivered by Peter Weller, stood out. He said, "No Matter Where You Go, There You Are." I recall laughing at the time, but not really comprehending what that statement really meant, philosophically. Fast-forward 34 years, I now find myself remembering that line as I pack up all of our possessions and wait for the arrival of the moving company.

The past two years have been hectic for my girlfriend and me, a proverbial "roller coaster" and now that we are in our Middle Years I decided that living in Bakersfield no longer made sense.

We discussed moving elsewhere in California, but with the Cost of Living skyrocketing along with home prices, it didn't make financial sense to stay.

We looked at other places, such as Teresa's hometown in Bellefonte PA, but we both agreed that living in the snow is not enjoyable.

We also talked about the West Coast of Florida as Teresa lived there for a few years and I travelled there for work, too, but with her job, she wanted to be somewhat close to their NorCal Headquarters and in the same time zone as her co-workers.

After several discussions, we decided we would look at one of our favorite Travel Destinations, Las Vegas, Nevada, especially since we have a Timeshare there and my youngest son was accepted into UNLV's Hospitality Program.

After finding our house and a relatively quick process of Selling and Buying a few of our properties, we officially moved into our new home in December of 2018.

Although I started a Photography Business, specifically Drone Photography for Commercial and Residential properties, at the beginning of 2018, business was good, but not profitable. So, I decided to go down the YouTube "rabbit hole" once we moved to Vegas. Here is a link to my Channel: Las Vegas and Beyond, which consumed my time from March of 2019 up until July 2022.

Becoming a "content creator" took me several months of learning and practicing to get comfortable in front of the camera, proficient with videography, post production, and marketing my channel or building a "brand", lol. I still have "Merch" available for my Channel

If I recall, it took me just under one year to reach 1K subs, get monetized and my see my channel slowly grow. However, YouTube Earnings wasn't fast enough or robust enough to meet my Financial obligations, while putting in 70 - 80 hours worth of work on a weekly basis, while relying on my girlfriend to "foot" the bills.

By May of 2022, I began job hunting and in June I was hired by a local Casino to provide Systems Operational Support. That position was ground level, but it provided a consistent revenue stream and allowed me to get my foot in the door for working in Casinos. Three months later, I was contacted by a National Casino group and was hired to provide Mid-tier and Upper Tier Operations Support and I'm still there, as of this post.

During all this time, I did manage to take photos documenting our Move and transition to becoming Las Vegans. I participated in Photo-walks, Scooter rides and even bought a piece of gear; but more later in another blog post, I promise.

Do I enjoy living in Las Vegas more than SoCal/Central CA? Yes, for several reasons, but mainly for the somewhat lower cost of living, traffic and the sheer expanse of this state to explore. I definitely miss some things in California, places like the Central Coast and Northern Coastline (Monte Rio and above), and of course, friends and family.

Back to Photography, there are a couple things I didn't research about moving and living in Vegas and that was 1) the Drought situation and on a more personal/selfish issue; 2) Disposal of Photographic waste chemicals, specifically "spent" Fixer. This is the only reason I haven't been shooting film and developing it at home.

In Bakersfield, they have a Hazardous Waste drop-off and they'll accept up to 5 gallons of liquids, including used Fixer. Figuring that some parts of Vegas, Boulder City and Henderson were dumping grounds for Mining waste, they would some form of Hazardous Waster treatment, but apparently not. So I've postponed developing my own film as "All" water is Recycled and pumped back for Home use.

With my limited funds, I'd need to have my film developed somewhere. Thankfully, there are two Labs in town that Process film, but only C-41 and Black and White (once a week). The cost isn't too bad, about $8-$10 to develop and about $4 for HD scans. The Labs are Photo Shack and Alien Film Lab, along with a couple other smaller labs.

This explains why I haven't posted in over 6 years, or at least rationalizes why I haven't. Enjoy! Thanks for reading and I'll be posting soon. Sooner than 6 years.

Sam, I Am

2018-09-13T10:14:00.001-07:00

I find it amusing to look back and reread my past blog posts and count the frequency of entries when I returned to Photography, back in 2009. The fascination, albeit almost obsession, with rediscovering a craft was exciting and combined with collaboration made for a fun and challenging experience that I felt needed documenting. Now, coming up on 10 years, the posts have significantly tapered off as "life gets in the way" and collaborating became a chore.

I recall many conversations with other photographers who enjoyed the challenges of shooting Landscapes, Street, Architecture or Macro, but I couldn't quite grasp their excitement with photographing those genres. After experimenting with those other genres and realizing how much more in control you are of your sessions, it made more and more sense.

Now when I look through my Photostream, I see a shift in Subject Matter and what has become more important to me. Sometimes it's about Creativity, sometimes it's about Family, sometimes it's about Learning, and on few occasions it's about Collaboration, which finally brings me back to the Title of this Post.

My first Collaboration with Sam was back in June of 2013 for an Artist-themed shoot. We've remained friends since our initial collaboration, but didn't have the opportunity to work together again until 2016. We have collaborated four times and our sessions are more about friendship than themes and the photographs are incidental.

Mamiya 7ii - 9 Months Later

2018-09-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

If you read my post on "Dealing with G.A.S." I wrote about acquiring my Mamiya 7ii in early December of 2017. Since that time I've put close to 30 rolls of film through the camera and use it as my everyday camera, especially when traveling or for "street" photography. It's definitely a conspicuous camera, but it's quick manual focusing and silent shutter makes up for it.

All Mamiya 7 N lenses have built-in electronic shutters, which means that if I choose to shoot with off-camera flash I can expose the film at 1/500th of a second. Most film cameras will only allow you to use off-camera flash at 1/60th of a second. That's important when you want to shoot at a wider aperture (for blurring the background) in bright daylight and minimize the sun's brightness, but I haven't tested that functionality as of this post. The three Mamiya 7 N lenses I own are the:

Mamiya 7 N 50mm f/4.5: Equivalent to a 24mm lens on a 35mm camera. Good for Landscapes & Architecture. Photo from B&H Photo

Mamiya 7 N 80mm f/4.0: Equivalent to a 40mm lens on a 35mm camera. Good for Street Photography and Environmental Portraiture

Mamiya 7 N 150mm f/4.5: Equivalent to a 75mm lens on a 35mm camera. Good for Portraiture

Things I've Learned About Using the Mamiya 7ii Rangefinder

Taking A Picture: The Mamiya 7ii is a Rangefinder camera, which means that when you look through the viewfinder you are seeing an approximation of what your lens is seeing, that also applies to focusing with the Mamiya 7ii. With SLR cameras, when you look through the viewfinder the light coming in through the lens is reflected onto a mirror, up to a prism and then redirected to your eye. So why is this important? The number one reason is that you can take a picture with the Mamiya 7ii and not realize you left the lens cap on. Yes, I have done this once and only on one exposure.
Metering: The Mamiya 7ii has two automated Modes: A Mode for Aperture Priority and AEL Model for Auto-Exposure Lock. I tend to use AEL Mode when doing street photography and when using my handheld light meter is readily available. Metering is calculated by a small rectangular patch in the center of the viewfinder. Placing the patch on the important area (subject) will display the suggested Shutter speed for your set Aperture. When shooting Landscapes, or where I'm not in a rush to take a picture, I will put the Mamiya 7ii in Manual mode.
Using Lens Filters: Depending on the type of film I'm shooting, I'll use an assortment of Lens Filters to alter the light that enters the lens and hits the film. Each filter's light-blocking strength (Exposure Value measured in 1/3rd Stops) should be considered when calculating your exposure, especially when shooting in one of the two Mamiya 7ii's Auto Modes. Again, why is this important? When you meter your subject, the metering is done by the camera and not through the lens. The camera has no idea if you are using a filter, or have the lens cap on. I photographed a landscape on black and white film with a Red Filter on the lens. The image came out very dark because I forgot to compensate for the Red Filter (+2E/V). I've only made that mistake once on two back-to-back exposures. If you're interested in the "easy" workaround, Comment Below and I'll post the workaround.

This camera produces tack sharp images, is lightweight and fun to shoot. It is definitely not for Beginners. Enough of the tech stuff, below are more images taken with the Mamiya 7ii. Enjoy!!!

Funding Film Part II: Chroma Camera

2018-09-07T09:43:00.004-07:00

Earlier this year I participated in a Kickstarter Project for a new 4x5 Technical Camera, called The Chroma Camera. The creator, Steve Lloyd is based out of the U.K. and wanted to create a new, lightweight field camera that would work with existing film holders and lenses. Previous 4x5 field cameras were usually made of either wood, or metal, but this one would be made of Acrylic. You can view images of the camera on the Chroma Camera FLICKR Group page.

First of all, as Kickstarter Projects go, this one was pretty close to hitting its "Delivery" date (within a couple months) while I have "backed" two others that are 1 year (Lab-Box) behind and 4 years (Film Ferrania) behind and I have basically given up hope of receiving the "promised" product, or as they call it "Rewards." As with all Kickstarter backed Projects, it's the backing that is the key and actually receiving a "Reward" is coincidental.

Three weeks ago I received an e-mail showing that my Chroma Camera was shipped on August 18 from the U.K. and would arrive on August 25. Realizing that none of my lenses for my Speed Graphic would fit the Lens Board (Copal 0), I bid on a "Super-W-Komura 90mm f/6.3 lens" and won, but the lens wouldn't arrive until a few days after I received the Chroma. The lens is about as long and wide as a can of soda.

As part of the Reward, the Chroma also comes with a "pinhole" lens board, which meant that I could still go out and shoot it until my new lens arrived.

I have never shot a pinhole camera, but thankfully there are websites that help you calculate exposure times based on the pinhole diameter. This pinhole lens board is close to an aperture of f/224, according to Steve. Before shooting film and hoping I nailed my exposure and composition, I used a pack of Fujifilm FP-100C Instant film, which is Fuji's version of Polaroids. Below is an Instant Film image.

You'll notice a "light leak" on the left edge of the image. I thought it might have been the way I exposed the film, but after several exposures, the "light leak" was still there. I went ahead and shot some Black and White Film anyway. Again, the light leaks are present.

The one thing I did notice was the Exposure times were not the 2.5 seconds as the chart indicated, but rather 1 minute and 45 seconds. As I was folding up the camera to put it away, one of the front standards wouldn't collapse, so I loosened all the tension knobs and tried to carefully fold it down and then I heard a crack. Ugh... I went home and ordered a tube of acrylic glue from Amazon. I also contacted Steve and sent him the pictures with the "light leaks" and he suggested that I use my dark cloth to cover the back while he works on a solution to mitigate the light leak.

The following day, after the glue dried and several folding tests, I set out to take more pictures with the camera, but only used Instant Film. Here is what what the camera looked like sporting its new dark cloth shroud.

I basically covered it from the front to the back. The results were much better. A couple things to bear in mind, shooting Instant Film with a pinhole does not yield tack sharp images.

With the success of the dark cloth shroud configuration, I went home and waited for my new lens to arrive. Two days later, the lens arrived so set out to give it a try. Due to the large amount of glass and no lens hood you will get sun flares unless you try shielding the lens. This is my attempt to shield the lens from the sun, but forgetting the wideness is of the lens' "field of view" (90mm). This lens is really sharp and required my moving the front standard back past the gearing would allow.

Yesterday, Sept. 6, I received an email from Chroma Camera creator, Steve, informing his project backers that there is definitely a light leak, especially when the camera is used in bright sunlight. Apparently the U.K. isn't nearly as sunny and bright as Southern California. He went on to write that he will be sending out a Light Seal Kit with instructions on how to apply the seals.

Overall, I'm happy with my investment, but unlike my Speed Graphic, care must be used when using this camera. If you're interested to see more images produced from this camera, you can visit my Chroma Flickr Album.

Cheers and thank you for reading, Alan

The Heat Is On*

2018-04-04T12:53:00.001-07:00

(*This post was supposed to be published back at the end of August 2017)

This past summer we recorded 67 days over 100 degrees in Bakersfield. When the weather is that hot your options are to shoot early in the morning, late at night, in a studio, or travel outside of Bakersfield, I chose the latter.

Teresa and I headed back to our other house in her hometown of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania to finish up some personal family matters from earlier in the year, but this time we would have the opportunity to visit some sites that we've been putting off. For the trip I packed my , Nikon D700, Nikon F5 and 6 rolls of film: 2 rolls of Kodak Double-X B&W , 2 rolls of Kodak UltraMax 400 and 2 rolls of Fuji Superia 400.

First on the list was the city of Centralia, PA. Although there have been several recorded Coal Mine fires throughout the world, this one was only 100 miles away and some video gamers suggested that it was the inspiration for the Silent Hill video game locale (I doubt it).

When we finally arrived at the city limits our expectations exceeded the reality of Centralia. Almost all of the homes were bulldozed and removed except for a few steadfast homeowners that refused to move out. As we wandered around for 90 minutes we finally found Graffiti Hwy, which was the original road in and out of Centralia.

If you decide to take a trip, be sure to look for this berm with the signs pointing to the left. Up and over the berm you will see the original Hwy.

Overall the trip was anticlimactic, but at least I can cross that off my Bucket List.

On the way home we stopped at a Country Restaurant that had a huge gift shop that was larger than the actual restaurant.

An unexpected destination was the Sunflower fields in Centre Hall, PA. I asked Teresa's cousin if she would like some photos of her family and she mentioned that the sunflowers were blooming. The weather was in the low 80's, but with the humidity it felt warm, not hot, just warm.

Our next trip was to visit Belleville, PA and attempt to photograph the Amish and Mennonite community. I write "attempt" because vanity, via pictures, of Amish is not allowed and so I made sure that any photos I took would not capture clear pictures of their faces. I brought along my Nikon F5, loaded with Kodak Double-XX film. I decided that Black and White would emote a rustic and authentic mood.

On the way home we stopped off at a relatives house (a.k.a. Horner's Corner) to check out their corn and also pick up some canned peppers.

I have to admit that owning some property and growing food sounds enticing, but being a "City Boy" I'm sure I'd get lazy and run to the store, far too often.

The last trip was relatively close to our home, about 2.5 miles away, at Talleyrand Park in Bellefonte for the Annual Arts and Crafts Fair. As you can see, the weather was overcast and cool.

The Fair was just like any other Arts and Crafts event, not a single booth stood out except for one gentleman who had a booth with pictures he took from safaris in Africa. He quickly identified my Nikon film camera and we got to talking about the wonders and frustrations of shooting film.

I'm looking forward to heading back to our "other" home soon, I miss our family and friends, and the peace and quiet of a small town.

Dealing with GAS

2018-04-01T11:55:00.004-07:00

I’m not sure what emotions trigger Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) among photographers, maybe we feel it will improve our images by having better equipment, or if it is a false desire to possess something we couldn’t afford in our younger days, or may be an even older desire to be the part of an elite group of “look what I have” snobs. Whatever instigates these desires I too suffer from GAS.

A longstanding desire of mine was to own a Leica camera, which is a well-known and respected 35mm brand in the Photography world. My Father encouraged me to buy one and said that he too always wanted a Leica and that he would split the cost with me. The look of shock on his face when I told him that his share would be $3,000 dollars made me reassure him that I had no intention of spending that much money on a camera. After all it is only a camera, a tool, one piece in a process and that making images comes from the person behind the camera and not the tool.

However, while browsing eBay I found a Leica in Excellent Condition for $35. Was this too good to be true? Of course it was, the Leica AF-C1 is actually a rebranded Minolta “Dual” Point-N-Shoot 35mm camera. Suddenly I felt the onset of GAS and my finger quickly and decisively clicked on the “Buy It Now” button. A week later the Leica arrived and after unboxing it, installing fresh batteries and a couple test frames, I set out to put the camera through some tests.

As with most Point-N-Shoot 35mm cameras, the image quality and ease of use are predictable. What I like about this camera is the dual lenses, one for wider compositions (40mm) and another for Close-up compositions (80mm).

The next camera I purchased was from Polaroid Originals, formerly known as The Impossible Project, who released their One Step 2 instant camera that was based on the Polaroid One Step camera. The design and technology put into this camera was very commendable, but the images leave a lot to be desired as you can see by the scanned images.

With the release of their new Instant Camera, Polaroid Originals also released two new pack films, Color and Black and White, labelled i-Type. In low light, without the flash, the Color i-Type film has a heavy pink tint and even in broad daylight the pink tint is noticeable. I know image sharpness is not why you buy an Instant Film camera, but even Lomography's Automat Glass Lens Instant Camera using Fujifilm's Instax Mini film has superior image quality on a smaller print. I have yet to shoot Polaroid Originals' Black and White Instant Pack Film, but I won't get my hopes up. I'll probably keep the camera, but won't purchase anymore film for it. As you can see below, the square format instant film is the new I-Type, which is substandard compared to Fuji Instax and has an overpowering pink color cast.

My most recent acquisition was the Mamiya 7ii, which is a Rangefinder camera, that shoots medium format film providing a 6 x 7 negative. I've been wanting this camera for the past 7 years due to it's large negative, lightweight and portability, and the electronic shutter built into each lenses. Several have come up on eBay, but the prices were usually on the high end, $2,500 to $3,000, and were located in Japan. Then in early December a student posted one with three lenses (50mm, 80mm, and 150mm) in very good condition. The asking price was more than half of what I've seen listed and with a quick click on the "Buy It Now" button the camera was mine. I have to admit, this is my favorite film camera, although it does get some getting used to the "rangefinder" aspect, but the quality of the images rival those of today 25+ megapixel dSLRs and Digital Medium Format cameras.

When the camera arrived, I tested all the lenses and the camera. It worked flawlessly!!! This camera is suitable for Landscape, Street, and Portraiture photography.

Since the purchase of my Mamiya 7ii, my GAS has subsided and there aren't any film cameras I need, or honestly want. Well except for the Kickstarter project for a new acrylic 4x5 view camera which I helped fund, but that's definitely another post.

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Getting Pushy

2017-07-15T14:01:00.001-07:00

Digital is much more convenient and instantaneous than traditional film in a multitude of ways and one such convenience is the ability to adjust your light sensitivity on the fly, I'm referring to ISO. With film you purchase film stock based on your needs and hope that it will work for the lighting conditions during your session.

I have shot several rolls of Black and White film and pushed them by two or three stops above their rated value, but wasn't happy with the results, too grainy and contrasty, which was caused by the developer and developing process ( See above to photos).

Recently I purchased Adox Rodinal and went back to Stainless Steel tanks and reels to utilize and older process known as Stand Development. The usual development method I to continuously invert the tank slowly the first minute and then 10 seconds every minute until the recommended time is achieved.

With Stand Development, I pre-wash the film, then once the developer is poured in continuously invert or 30 seconds and let is stand for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the number of stops the film was pushed and the ratio of develop to distilled water, invert four times and then let stand until the recommended time is reached. The rest of the process remains the same.

As you can see, there's a huge difference in the quality of the image. Both Color Negative (C-41) film and Slide film(E-6) can be Pushed, but the process involves only extending the development time based on the number of stops. Please see my previous post where I pushed CineStill 800 to ISO 3200 Funding Film

Thank you for reading,

Alan

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Funding Film Part I: CineStill 120mm 800T Film

2017-05-19T13:17:00.003-07:00

#cinestill800t120 #mediumformat #alpharoll #c41presskit #fingerscrossed #antipordaphotography #ishootfilm #filmisnotdead #filmcommunity

A post shared by Antiporda Photography (@antiporda_photography) on Feb 23, 2017 at 8:11am PST

A year and a half ago I participated in another IndieGoGo Campaign initiated by CineStill Film. Note the operative word is “another”, I have backed a combined total of five KickStarter and IndieGogo fundraising campaigns to date.

I became a fan of CineStill back in March of 2013 when they released their remjet-free Kodak 35mm Movie Film, which was a 500 ISO Tungsten balanced film. This time CineStill wanted to expand their product line to include both medium format and large format film stock and so I pledged $150 (they offered Film Rewards based on contribution) back in July of 2016 during their second round of funding (Their initial round was started in February of 2016 and the campaign was funded by March of 2016). In return, CineStill would send me 6 rolls of their new 120mm 800 ISO Tungsten-balanced film, a film case, a t-shirt, and assorted stickers by August of 2016.

#reload #bts of shooting #cinestill800t120 with #model @sarahsmyles and my #mamiya645pro #antipordaphotography #iphoneography

A post shared by Antiporda Photography (@antiporda_photography) on Feb 24, 2017 at 8:06am PST

Production delays pushed the release date farther into the future with very little communication from CineStill and most "backers" were getting frustrated based on the number of posts on the CineStill Group on FaceBook. Finally in February of 2017 I received e-mail from CineStill informing me that they had shipped my Rewards and a letter. In the letter, CineStill thanked me for my support and noted that the film is an "alpha" release and asked that I share with them any issues with the film.

Rolls 1 and 2 (on 6 x 4.5 equates to 15 images per roll):

I wanted to shoot this film at box speed, which is ISO 800 and not at ISO 500 as recommended by other film photographers who were familiar with the 35mm version of the 800T film stock. I'm paying for ISO 800 so why shoot it at anything less. I setup a night shoot with a friend and warned her ahead of time that I was shooting test film ("alpha" release per CineStill) and that we may or may not get any images. I loaded two Mamiya film backs and brought along my Sekor C 45mm f/2.8 lens, Sekor C 80mm f/1.9 lens, a tripod and a spotmeter.

I had no issues loading or shooting the film, but upon unloading the film, I noticed that the exposed film felt a bit loose on the take-up spool so I placed them in my dark bag to ensure they didn't get exposed to anymore light. The following day I loaded one roll into my Patterson tank and the other in a Kalt Stainless Steel (SS) 120mm tank with a Hewes 120 SS reel. Loading the exposed films on the reels went smoothly and I noticed the film stock film felt a bit stiffer than other films.

After developing the rolls at home and scanning the negatives I noticed there were static electricity streaks on one roll (see above image). I messaged CineStill and they confirmed that this was a known issue and provided "alpha' testers with a webpage documenting all reported issues and possible solutions.

Roll 3 (6 x 6 produces 12 images per roll):

Having read on the web that 800T film works best when shot at ISO 500, I loaded an alpha roll into my Rolleiflex f/3.5 TLR. Again there were no issues loading and unloading the film. Development and scanning went smoothly, but I noticed that the edges of the film were lighter than the middle portion. I sent the images to CineStill and they responded that they hadn't seen this issue before.

Rolls 4 and 5.25:

A musician friend was playing at local spot and I let him know I'd swing by to shoot some film. I brought the Mamiya 645 Pro, 45mm and 80mm lenses, and two rolls of "alpha" film into their own film backs. This time I pushed the film to ISO 3200 since other photographers were able to get good results.

The settings were f/2.8 at 1/15 for the f2.8 lens and 1/30 for the f/1.9 lens. I was able to shoot the first roll without any issues, but when I mounted the second film back the film wound to the end of the roll after 4 shutter presses.

I successfully developed and scanned the fully exposed roll #4 and the other "faulty" roll #5 I rewound to the beginning in my dark bag then loaded it into the same film back. I mounted the film back on the Mamiya, left the lens cap on and exposed one picture (I noted that I shot four images before the film wound until the end) and as I advanced the film for the next exposure it wound to the end. I tagged the film back as "bad", rewound the film again and placed it in my other film back. I have yet to shoot, or advance the film. I'm hoping procrastination will make it work.

I'm not sure if I will purchase any more CineStill film as I prefer Black and White film stock when shooting medium format and large format. More images from the "alpha" rolls can be found on my flickr stream by clicking the image below.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

Alan

and now for a Commercial Break

2017-05-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

I've been working with AMA SEABEAUTY for about a year by providing them with pictures of their products and with their storefront at 506 State Street, in Santa Barbara. They are California's premiere Seaweed farmers and have formulated natural products for the body . You can find out more information about them at www.pharmersea.com and their products at: www.amaseabeauty.com

As part of their Marketing strategy, they wanted some "clean" images. I suggested we shoot everything using high-key lighting against white backgrounds so the images could be combined with text for advertising materials

For lighting I used three of my Paul C. Buff studio strobes, 2 - Einsteins and an Alien B1600. For my key light I chose the Alien Bee, with a Beauty Dish and Diffusion Sock. I prefer the AB1600 because it lighter than the Einsteins and easier to position during a shoot. One Einstein was used for the rim light with a strip box and the internal diffusion screen and grid in place, and the other Einstein was for the background with barndoors and bare bulb.

After adjusting the output from each strobe, the settings were:

Key: f/10
Rim: f/13
Background f/16

I set my camera to f/8, or f/9 depending on the skin color of each model.

In addition to the lights and modifiers, I also used a tri-flector to provide me with clamshell lighting. The picture below does not show the final position for the key light, it was set just high enough above the reflector that I can photograph the model using a 105mm field of view.

Now it's time to get back to work. As always, please feel free to comment, or ask questions.

Alan

Spring Has Sprung: Part III - Poppies

2017-04-01T16:17:00.005-07:00

Finally the Poppies decided to bloom in the California Central Valley along the Arvin foothills, albeit not nearly in the volume as in previous years during this time of year. Not to be deterred, I drove up and down Hwy 223 until I found a patch of Poppies on a hillside. A majority of the land where the Poppies bloom is owned by a private group called the Tejon Ranch, consisting of 270,000-acres, and is the largest single piece of private property in the state.

As I was prepping my gear, a gentleman pulled up in an unmarked pick-up truck and rolled down his window to remind me that climbing over the fence would be trespassing on private land. I brought my Mamiya 645 Pro, tripod, 80mm Macro lens, 45mm lens, 210mm lens and two rolls of Ektar 100 and two rolls of TMAX 400. I also brought a Red filter to darken the sky and foliage while brightening the Poppies to use with TMAX 400.

I carefully walked around the patches of wildflowers ensuring I didn't step on any and was very cautious when using my tripod. After shooting for an hour I packed up and was about to leave when a family pulled up. Out of the car came 2 year-old girl, her Mom and grandmother. We exchanged pleasantries and I took some pictures of them using their smartphone. I reminded them to be sure to leave the area as they found it so others may enjoy the wildflowers and to be careful where they walked as there are rattlesnakes in the area.

The following day I processed both rolls of film and was pleased with the Kodak Ektar. I usually shoot Portraiture, such as Kodak Portra or Fuji Pro 400H, but Ektar is ideal for rich and saturated colors and it definitely shows in the pictures.

In the past month I've photographed three species of flowers, but none quite met my expectations for a Fine Art photograph. I did learn a lot and now have more experience going forward.

If you liked any of the pictures in my three-part flower series, please head on over to my store and surprise me with a purchase 😉

Alan

Spring Has Sprung: Part II - Rose Lily

2017-03-30T17:15:00.003-07:00

I took a motorcycle ride out to the local foothills to see if the poppies were in bloom, but due to the amount of rain and cooler than normal temperatures they haven't started blooming. On the way home I stopped by the local market to see what flowers they had on sale. The sales clerk showed me their just-delivered Rose Lilies, which I have never seen before. Luckily they were short enough to fit in my saddlebag and made the 3 minute ride home undamaged.

While I was setting up my studio, I decided to do a quick test to see how the image would look against a dark backdrop. Yes, this was photo was taken with an iPhone 6, LED flashlight and edited using Google's SnapSeed app.

Based on the results, shooting the flower against a black backdrop with studio lights (Einstein 640 and Alien Bee 1600) and assorted light modifiers seemed like a good option. To validate my exposure settings I used a Sekonic L-358 Light meter and a Polaroid back for my Mamiya 645 Pro loaded with Fujifilm's FP-100C Instant Film.

Note how much instant film is wasted when using 6x4.5 camera.

I loaded one film back with Arista EDU Ultra 100 and the other with re-rolled Fujifim Provia 100F slide film. As an aside, I was out shooting a month earlier and after shooting my 4th exposure of the Provia the film crank advanced to the end of the roll. When I got home I re-rolled the film and loaded it into the film back with a Post-It noting to shoot 4 images with the lens covered, which should put me on the 5th frame.

After exposing both rolls of 120mm film I moved the Flowers to our Master Bedroom and setup my Speed Graphic. After a few test shots of FP-100C to verify exposure, I shot 4 sheets of Provia 100F. Unlike Negative film and exposing for the shadows, with Slide Film, you really have to maintain a narrow exposure range similar to digital.

The following day I processed the 120mm slide film using a Unicolor E-6 Press Kit and when I unraveled the 120mm strip to dry, this is what I saw. Apparently when I re-rolled the film I must've done it backwards because the film was double exposed.

After reheating the E-6 chemicals back to 105F I developed the Provia sheet film using the SP-445 tank, but I noticed a slight magenta color cast when hanging them up to dry. Color shifts are caused by possible contamination of the Color Developer. So I'll dump this batch of chemicals and make a fresh batch before I shoot slide film, again.

Note: Stearman Press recently revised their SP-445 film holders by cutting out some of the plastic minimizing developing issues.

Dissatisfied with the 4x5 film results, I ended up using the digital images I shot of the Rose Lilies for my store; however. not being one to give up I'm still planning to photograph more flowers.

To Be Continued...

Spring has Sprung: Part I - Tulips

2017-03-29T15:36:00.001-07:00

With the amount of rain drenching California this winter, I decided it was time to try my hand and eye at photographing flowers. Although I have shot flowers in the past, digitally, I wanted to see if I could create a Fine Art image by taking it through the entire analog process resulting with an 11 x 14 enlargement.

To have a usable negative for enlarging to 11 x 14 or larger, I decided to shoot using both Medium Format and Large Format films, which meant using Ilford Delta 400 (I was out of TMAX 100) for my Mamiya 645 and Arista Ultra EDU 100 for my Speed Graphic. I also wanted to use Natural light to give a more natural look to the images.

My garage faces the southwest and by Noon I get a lot of reflected light bouncing around the garage interior when the door is open. Using my Zone VI Pentax Spotmeter, I determined the tonal range for my image by taking at three readings: 1) highlights, 2) mid-tones, and 3) shadows while ensuring that I maintain detail in the shadows where needed. As you can see below, I was shooting at f/5.6 and 1/8 shutter.

Tangent: For those readers that are new to film, it’s recommended to set your exposure to open up the shadows because once you develop your film, areas of true black will end up clear on the negative (assuming your film didn’t get fogged) and when printed, they will be just black. Exposing for the shadows is only a guideline and shouldn’t hinder you from creating your image.

In addition to photographing the Tulips, I wanted something a little different so instead of using a solid black backdrop I decided to use a mottled grey muslin to provide some depth to the images. After reviewing the images, I should’ve shielded the grey background from the sun by changing the angle of the backdrop and removed some of the hard wrinkles.

For the 4x5 images I switched to the black backdrop and used a reflector to bounce light onto the tulip. I also used a yellow filter to brighten portions of the tulip, but after developing and scanning both formats Ive decided to choose one of the Medium Format images to enlarge.

I haven't had the time to enlarge any of the images, but plan to do so before the end of April. A few things I learned after the shoot were:

Fix your background, spend the time to remove the wrinkles
Buy wire for the flowers to make them pliable for posing
Buy a Macro lens for closer focusing

To Be Continued...

Why #IShootFilm

2017-02-15T17:02:00.002-08:00

There are plenty of articles and blog posts debating the pros and cons of shooting film over digital, but for me it boils down to two reasons: 1) I want to create something that doesn't require more of my time spent on a computer and 2) I miss working in a darkroom. If you've never developed negatives and created a print with your hands then you are missing the excitement of watching your images come to life. I find that when I shoot film, I tend to take my time with composition, proper exposure and choice of colored filters for my black and white film.

I've been developing my own Black and White film since 2010. The process is fairly quick and straightforward as long as I have a quality negative, properly stored chemicals and the correct developing temperature. After developing and drying the negatives, I scan them onto my computer for editing and the uploading to the web.

Last year I was looking for some new film, I stumbled upon the Film Photography Project's Podcast and empathized with their excitement about shooting film and developing it at home. Their excitement rekindled my desire to build my own darkroom. So while on vacation in Las Vegas I searched eBay for an enlarger and bought a well-maintained Beseler 67CP, but after reading reviews on the seller I got worried so I bought another Beseler 67 for the same price from a different, highly-rated, seller. Well they both showed up at the same time, so now I have two enlargers. I purchased the rest of the darkroom supplies from B&H Photo. The only thing left to do was convert the guest bathroom into a make-shift darkroom.

After putting weather stripping on the doors and a black towel under the door I was able to stop a majority of the light from creeping in, but in the shower stall there's a small rectangular window that I decided to turn into an exhaust fan. I bought a window fan and built a cabinet that would fit the window and block out stray light.

Now that the room was ready, it was time to get enlarging and printing. Below are examples of a contact sheet and print. I still have a long way to go, but it sure beats sitting in front of a computer and using someone else's actions and filters.

One new thing I did learn is split-filtering. Back in school we usually chose one grade of contrast filter and made multiple test exposures, but with split filtering you use one filter to ensure you maintain detail in the highlights and another to maintain details in the shadows.

Once the prints have been developed and washed I place them on expandable windows screens in the shower.

Tip: before drying negatives or prints, run a hot shower until it gets steamy and then dry the prints. The moisture will give the dust particles something to adhere.

If you have the opportunity to shoot film, try developing your own, it is really rewarding and then you can post your film pictures with hashtags that say #ishootfilm #filmisnotdead #analogrenaissance #shootfilmnotmegapixels

-

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Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder...

2016-05-18T21:34:00.003-07:00

...except when it comes to Blogging.

It's May already and I realized that I haven't blogged since my shoot with Joy back in November 2015. Looking back at my previous posts, I blogged at least once a month, but now I'm lucky if I blog quarterly. With that said, here's a summary of my shoots from December 2015 through May 8.

In December 2015, I realized I had not photographed anyone using a speedlight and a modifier. As I mentioned in previous posts, setting up shoots has been a laborious process which is why I work with models that I have an established rapport. I was lucky enough to find a "new to me" model and she was willing to shoot, her name is Ka'lulani. These images were shot using a Nikon SB-900 and an Apollo Orb modifier.

On January 2, I photographed local Country Singer Joshua Wade Aigner. He needed some images for his upcoming EP and also for Social Media. It was a mix of Available Light and an Alien Bee 1600 with the Apollo Orb and no diffusion. Assisting were models Sarah and Erica, which was great having a second and third set of eyes and hands.

On January 9, I had the opportunity to photograph Ka'lulani, again. This time I used "PRE" mode for white balancing the light in the Hotel room. Thank goodness for fast lenses and decent ISO.

On the following day, I photographed Erica and Sarah. It was all Available Light and the occasional white towel used as a reflector. In addition to shooting digital, I also shot two rolls of film, One roll was Kodak Tri-X pushed to 1600 and Fuji's Natura 1600 Color film.

Towards the end of January, I photographed a co-woker who was expecting her second child. I shot a mix of Digital, 35mm and 120mm film. Unfortunately the 120mm film was 4 years old and I had issues developing it, but managed to save a couple negatives. All images were shot in my studio, similar to our Maternity shoot for her first child.

The majority of February was spent relearning my film cameras and working on my film development techniques. I also reacquainted myself with color filters and picked up a Pentax Spotter V to brush up my metering/exposure settings. Here are some sample images.

In March, I put my education to the test by shooting Serina. The day started with partly cloudy skies, but as shoot time approached, the sky became overcast. Not my favorite lighting to shoot in, but being prepared, I brought a speed light and a mini softball to add some directional light. Again, I shot with my D700 and Nikon F5.

In April, I attended a Meet-N-Shoot with a local photo group and only brought my Mamya 645 1000S with 2 rolls of film, TMAX 400 and Tri-X 400 and mainly shot with a 45mm f/2.8 lens. The Field of View of a 45mm is similar to 28mm lens for a 35mm camera. Both rolls of film were developed successfully.

At the end of April, I had a Studio shoot with my favorite model Joy. Simple lighting set-up: Einstein strobe 7ft high, 45 degrees from Joy, camera left and an Alien Bee 1600with a 60" PLM, camera right to act as fill.Shot digital and Ilford XP2 Super 400 film (Nikon F5). It would've been fun to shoot some BTS footage to show Joy working the poses.

As of this post, I have already shot 3 times in May. A majority of the images were shot on film. The first shoot was with Madison, who I met at the April Meet-N-Shot. We shot at Hart Park, even with all the people. I shot with my Dad's 1951 Rolleiflex TLR and my Mamiya 645 1000S. Aside from using Available light, I also brought a 60" Oval reflector. For the Mamiya pictures ,I used a Green Filter.

The following weekend Mykela and I finally coordinated our schedules and shot Downtown. Note to self, do not shoot round town in Mid-May, it's Prom Season. We did manage to find some places that were devoid of Prommies, but not many. I shot mostly film using both the Rolleiflex and Mamiya. All images were Available Light and the Mamiya pictures were shot with a Yellow Filter.

Last weekend I had the opportunity to shoot with Erika after a two year hiatus. This time I brought my "New To Me" Mamiya 645 Pro with removable backs. One back had Portra 160 and the other contained TMAX 400. Prior to the shoot, I burned through one roll of Tri-X and noticed that the focusing was a bit off. Well once I got home and developed the TMAX 400, all images were out of focus. ARRRGGGHHHH!!! Thankfully, I shot a majority of the images digitally.

Whew, I'm all caught up with 2016. Rediscovering film has been a rewarding experience, especially the control in developing your images and then enlarging and printing them. Did I mention I have a darkroom now? My next post will document my return to Analog Photography.

The Joy of Fall

2015-11-23T21:41:00.000-08:00

Photography has dropped down my priority list as a means of relaxation and creativity, it ranks among blogging, doing laundry and gardening. The only time shooting moves up the list is when I receive a message from one of the models I've worked with in the past. Such was the case when Joy messaged me that she was interested in shooting. We shot back in July of 2014 and its hard to believe that more than a year has passed.

The theme of this shoot was all Joy's idea, albeit I do shoot risque, or provocative images, but having known Joy for a few years now it was subject matter I wouldn't have considered. I agreed to do the shoot for two reasons: 1) We work well together and 2) we trust each other.

To demonstrate Joy's dedication and professionalism, we scheduled our shoot November 1 at 6:30 AM. First of all Halloween was the night before our shoot and most young adults like to attend parties, second being ready to shoot at 6:30 AM means getting earlier for hair and make-up. Joy arrived early and ready to shoot. She did her own hair and make-up and it was perfect!!!

All lighting is window with the sheers drawn to keep it diffused. I have never shot at this hotel, but decided to choose a room that faced Southwest, which ended up being the correct decision.

During a lens changed I realized I hadn't shot any film. I always bring along my Nikon F5 to shoot some film images and keep my manual focus and manual exposure skills honed. Due to the low light in the room, I loaded Portra 800 and metered the room in several areas.

The images above were developed at a local lab. As we were wrapping up I pulled out my Fuji Instax Wide Instant camera. The first images were too blowout, so I covered the flash with my hand. As you can tell they came out underexposed, but they definitely look better than the overexposed images.

Overall the shoot was very productive and we were both happy with the images we created.

What Did I Learn?

That it's always fun and productive to work with Joy

As usual, here's a photo of my editor scrutinizing my work and ensuring I get "the shot".

Thanks Joy for trusting me to photograph you!

The Heat Is On

2015-11-18T22:18:00.004-08:00

NOTE: I started writing this entry July 12, 2015

As Summer comes to an end in Bakersfield, we're still experiencing temps in the high 90's, I realized I hadn't blogged my last two shoots. My first shoot was early June with Model Erica Morgan, who I've worked with in the past and realized it had been almost two years since we last collaborated.

Erica has a great look and is the consummate professional, she even remembered how I like her hair. We met early in the morning before the Sun got too hot. For lighting, I brought an Alien Bee 1600, Vagabond Battery, 22" Beauty Dish and a 1 Stop 4' x 6' scrim.

My challenge was to overpower the sun and balance artificial light with available light. Using the Sun as a kicker and the strobe as a key light.

Even at 9 AM, I had to set the AB1600 at 3/4 power, using a 4x ND Filter, ISO 100, 1/125 shutter and shoot at f/8.

To escape the heat, we did some interior shots, but that didn't seem to help. I draped the scrim over the top of the car and draped it over the windows to diffuse the light and minimize distracting background elements.

At the end of June, my favorite model, Jenna, called and asked if I would photograph her for San Luis Obispo based Artist. This was the third collaboration for Jenna, Sydniiee (MUA/HS) and me.

The lighting was done with an SB-900 Speedlight, SB-600 Speedlight, a Westcott Apollo Orb and a HONL 1/4 grid.

The make-up and hair was stunning and Jenna's choice of vintage clothing was spot on. This next image was basically what the artist wanted to recreate.

What Did I Learn?

I need to set new photographic goals that will rekindle the desire and creativity I exhibited back in 2009.

Tatt'ed Sheets

2015-02-03T22:42:00.003-08:00

When I feel uninspired I'll shoot a theme from the past. It's been almost two years since I've shot a White Sheets Session and decided I needed to add to the Series. I photographed Brittney at Pismo Beach in May of 2013 and hadn't had an opportunity to work with her since that time. Reluctantly she agreed to work with me on adding to my White Sheets Session, I also let her know I would shoot some video.

The lighting for the session was nothing new, a strobe placed behind a white muslin at Full Power, a Beauty Dish for key and another strobe bounced off the garage door for fill. The above diagram shows the setup.

Once we were done shooting with the dSLR, I turned all the strobes to full power, moved them around to get a decent lighting ratio. I mounted my Olympus PEN e-PL1 to a DIY Slider. It took only two takes to get the footage I wanted. Brittney did an excellent job taking direction and it shows.

In post, I bumped up the exposure about a full stop and slowed down the motion by 50%. I originally used Usher's "I Don't Mind" for the music track, but as Facebook pointed out I didn't have a license for use. So I purchased a license for "Suppressed Emotions" from www.melodyloops.com and looped the track for the duration of the video. Oh, I used Adobe Premire Elements 13 to create the finished video, below.

Brittney White Sheets from Alan Antiporda on Vimeo.

What Did I Learn:

Shooting video requires different skills and planning as opposed to still images. I'd elaborate, but that would put everyone to sleep. Suffice it to say, I will shoot more video in the future. Actually it will be Super 8 film and not video.

Stay Tuned, I'm actually working on a script and a 3:00 minute film.

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Illusive Photography 2014 - Year in Review

2014-12-31T22:27:00.001-08:00

It is that time of year where I look back at my photographic progress for 2014 and comment on the Most Viewed, or Fave'd Images from each session with some comments.

January:

The purpose of this session was for Hair Stylist and Make-up Artist Sydniiee to submit an image for Hair Styling Competition with Model Jenna volunteering for the session. This image was shot with 3 blue gelled strobes and an "ice" filter applied in post. Without the "ice" filter, Jenna's skin was too warm, so I wanted to cool it down to give the image a Lycanthrope feel. It's hard to believe that Jenna is under all that hair.

February:

Nothing

March:

First time I worked with Angelica was for a Photo Throw-down. This image was close to what I wanted, but trekking around with more than one studio strobe, battery pack, boom stand, sand bag and a Beauty Dish is way too much of an effort for me ;). This image could have been better if I shot it at 35mm focal length, moved in closer and framed it in Landscape Orientation. This area is where all the feral cats in Hart Park reside, so the ammonia smell from their scat is overwhelming.

Mid-March, Jenna and I met at Shell Beach to photograph some of her vintage swimsuits, isn't it interesting that the Most Popular image is Jenna only wearing a high-waist bottom? I wish I would've brought a rake, or something to smooth out the sand.

April:

Primary Threads, a BMX and Skateboarding Clothing company out of Australia, provided Jenna with some of their merchandise to model. I'm always honored that she asks me to shoot with her. This image was what I wanted, but I'm sure they weren't pleased. It's black and white and the clothing is burgundy and grey. We did provide them with several color images, but this one focuses on their logo.

May:

The last time Eddy and worked together was back in October of 2012. I asked if we could re-shoot our Poler series, but this time with more of an athletic feel as opposed to a Gentlemen's Club ambiance. I forgot that when she is on the pole, I need a lot more vertical space. I spent most of the time shooting laying on my stomach.

June:

Ahhh...one of my favorite sessions for 2014. This was our 5th collaboration and Joy wanted to shed the "Girl Next Door" image. Shot using Ilford XP2 Super 400 film and only Natural Light, this is one of my two favorite images. I can nitpick about the image, but overall I do like this image.

This image is the other favorite from the session which also was highly viewed. Shot inside my Abarth with Available Light.

August:

I've had good luck photographing "models" outside of Bakersfield and stumbled on Erika through a co-worker. This image had the most "Faves". Lighting was provided by a 4' x 6' 1-stop scrim placed between the sun and the model. there's a bit of chromatic aberration on the her white shoes. I really prefer the black and white image posted following this one.

In fact, I liked the B&W image so much that I had it printed 22" x 36" and mounted. No special lighting, or modifiers.

September:

Another "Reunion" of sorts with Model Jessica, who moved down to San Clemente, but happened to be in Hanford for a week. Notice a recurring black unitard theme? Shot at 12:25 PM, no modifiers, just direct hard sunlight.

Primary Threads Pt. II - Jenna asked if we could shoot some more Primary Threads "merch", but also with some video. Instead I opted for shooting Super 8, which I haven't shot since College. Although the "views" and "likes" are non-existent, I'll post the video.

Primary Threads from Alan Antiporda on Vimeo.

October:

A photographer friend suggested I shoot with Kaitlynn and said I wouldn't be disappointed. He was right. I haven't shot an image using a wide angle in a long-time, but felt the POV would accentuate her long legs.

November:

Nothing

December:

Then the highlight of 2014 happened, the birth of my first grandchild. Princess Zelda was born on November 1. This has to be my favorite model to date.

I haven't given much thought to 2015 and what photographic goals I wish to achieve. I am working on shooting a Super 8mm Film and will re-visit my White Sheets Sessions with some new models.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!!

Wayfarers

2014-09-05T20:21:00.002-07:00

Time seems to pass quickly the older I get and it's hard to believe that we are 2/3rds of the way through 2014. In June I decided to shoot at least once a month for the remainder of the year, but as I've written previously, Summer is a difficult time to shoot in the Central Valley. The temperature hovers around 100 degrees and the only wind is created by the numerous dirt devils meandering across the arid landscapes.

Jessica happened to be visiting family in Hanford and was free to shoot on Labor Day. Eleven months have lapsed since we last collaborated. With a majority of the models that I photograph more than once, we picked up right where we left off. Quick conversations about wardrobe, makeup and hair are decided two days prior to the shoot and then during the shoot a multitude of topics and opinions are shared.

For this shoot I brought my 1-stop scrim, SB-900, Apollo Orb modifier and reflector. I also packed a roll of CINE200 and Ilford XP2 Super 400 film. The forecast was 98 degrees and we would start at 11:30 AM. After 25 minutes on the road, we pulled up to the locale. The gates were wide open and not a single No Trespassing sign in sight.

The first series was shot in my FIAT 500 Abarth. The light was everywhere and harsh, so I draped my scrim over the side windows to diffuse the light coming into the car.

The fifth image above was taken around 12:30 with no light modifiers, except for the concrete acting as a huge fill card.

We moved between direct and indirect light and then after an hour packed up and headed back into town. Jessica took me to a mature Walnut Grove, which in itself is a challenge due to the dappled light. We spent about 45 minutes shooting, but by that time the temperature was close to 100. I realized I hadn't shot any film, but it was too hot to go back out into the sun. At least Jessica will be moving back to Hanford within a few months, so we will shoot film another time.

On occasion I have a shoot where I didn't learn something new, or faced a challenge that couldn't be addressed on the spot. They are few and far in between.

It was a blast, as always, Jess!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my illusive iPad

Location:Hanford, CA

Rust Never Sleeps

2014-08-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

I remember buying the Neil Young album "Rust Never Sleeps" and never really thinking much about the meaning behind the title until I was reviewing my shoots from this year. For me, the title applies to both my artistic endeavors and technical skills. My infrequent shoots created by my diminished desire to create something different has also caused me doubt when using my speed lights. If you review my images since the beginning of this year you'll notice that a majority of them were either shot using Available Light, or Natural Light which brings me to my latest shoot.

I messaged one of my new Instagram followers to see if she was interested in helping me out scrape the rust off of my skills; she agreed. It turned out that her family, including her, babysat my co-worker's 4 year-old son since he was a baby.

The town she lives in accounts for 55% of all Roses grown in the United States, so my first thought was to shoot among the Roses. I wanted to shoot early so I could use my speed lights, but just in case it was too bright I also packed my Alien Bee 1600.

On the early drive into town, I noticed that the roses were no more than 2 feet high, which really didn't fit my theme. So we drove to the local AMTRAK station and as we parked we encountered a fair amount of vagrants. We left the parking in search for another locale.

We shot at four locations all within a block of each other. On some images I used an SB-900 in an Apollo Orb, other images I used a 4' x 6' 1-Stop Scrim and others was either direct sunlight, or reflected sunlight.

The next four images below were shot with my Nikon D700 dSLR and with my Nikon F5 film camera loaded with Ilford XP2 Super 400.

As we were packing up add heading back to our cars, I noticed a gently-used clothing store and had Erika ask the owner if we could shoot inside.

After arriving home and reviewing the images I felt a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. It was a casual shoot with the simple premise of "Shooting for Fun." No expectations, no preconcieved ideas, aside from the Rose theme, and be spontaneous.

Erika was very patient and took direction extremely well. She also did her own make-up, which is always a plus when I choose a model for collaborative shoots.

The "rust" may not be gone, but at least it slowed down for a bit on this particular day.

Roses are Red, Violet is Blue

2014-08-17T10:49:00.005-07:00

It's been over a year since I've had the opportunity to shoot with my friend Rob. Recently, Rob invited me to tag along on a shoot with a local Hair and Make-up Model, Melissa "Violet". Usually I don't shoot during the week, but I recently purchased 5 rolls of Lomography CINE200 35mm film and wanted to test it out. CINE200 is cutdown Tungsten movie film packaged for 35mm camera use similar to the CineStill 400T film I shot last year. Taking Rob up on his offer to shoot Melissa gave me the opportunity to shoot both rolls of Tungsten film and compare the nuances of both brands.

I met up with Rob and Melissa at 6:30 and loaded a roll of CineStill 400T shot at 200 ISO. With the sun setting, I figured it would help balance the Tungsten Film. We moved pretty quickly and I shot through 36 exposures within an hour. For me, shooting film is a more thoughtful process than shooting digital, mostly because of the Picture Preview capabilities with digital cameras. Film makes me pause and consider composition, shadows, poses and the color palette of the surroundings.

I then loaded the roll of CINE200, shot at 100 ISO, and shot for about 40 minutes. I rewound the film and opened the back of the camera, only to close it quickly when I realized the film was still on the take-up reel. After closing the back and rewinding the film, it was still on the take-up reel. Similar to the big fish that got away, I'm sure "that" roll had the best images. After several attempts to rewind the film, I pulled the roll out and threw it on the ground.

I then loaded a roll of Portra 160 and shot for another 40 minutes with no issues when rewinding that roll of film. (The two images below are Portra 160)

The following weekend, I jumped on the Vespa, loaded up another roll of CINE200 in the F5 and shot around downtown Bakersfield. (The following 4 images are CINE200)

I had both rolls developed at the local Walgreens and after viewing the images, I wasn't impressed, but after viewing my buddy Rob's images I think I need to be patient and have an actual "film lab" develop the images.

What Did I Learn?

With respect to shooting both Tungsten Films, nothing really and I'll chalk up the CINE200 incident as a fluke since it didn't happen to Rob or me on my second attempt.
Pay for a real film lab to develop your film, the One Hour places are very little Quality Control.

Last, but not least an Outtake from the shoot with Melissa Violet

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The Joys of Summer

2014-07-27T22:49:00.002-07:00

It's hard to believe that 2014 is halfway over and I haven't shot since May. Looking back at the beginning of this year, I haven't shot with anyone new except for a quick Group Meet-up in mid-January and a photo challenge in March. I had a feeling that I would be rusty shooting in the studio, or "On Location" and when Joy asked to shoot I was extremely reluctant.

Earlier this year Joy posted a pic of herself wearing a Star and Stripes bikini and I commented that we needed to shoot, she agreed, but that was back in January. When we picked a date I set out to find a Make-up Artist (MUA), however; most were busy, or don't do "trade" work anymore. As luck would have it, Ande was available. Initially I was going to ask Ande, but after a collaboration that went sour (it was neither Ande's fault, nor mine), I didn't want to impose on her. Ande is such a giving person and didn't hesitate to help out. In less than an hour, Joy was ready to shoot.

This would be the fifth time Joy and I have worked together since our first shoot where she won a local Model Search and her face graced a Billboard for a now defunct boutique.

We headed out at 9:00 AM, covered some 20 miles and ended up at a vinyl record store. We shot at locations I've used before, but that was early on when I started shooting and trying to make a frequented locale seem new is always a good challenge.

First stop was Ethel's Corral Cafe, where I had shot at least three previous times, but we were there early enough to get some good light.

As we were driving towards our next stop, I quickly pulled over and asked Joy to stand in the middle of road for a quick converging line shot.

Shooting with Joy is real easy, she knows how to pose and requires little instruction. She also doesn't take me too serious and is willing to try different poses, as awkward as I try to make them.

We made our way to the "infamous" Hart Park Barn many local photogrhers have used and some vandalized. We knocked out some images that embodied the style and "look" I had imagined. The following two images were shot on Ilford XP2 Super 400 using my Nikon F5 and Nikkor 85mm f/1.4G lens. The film was developed at Walgreens.

All images were shot using Available Light since I was going for a more natural look and I was too lazy to use speed lights, or strobes. I also brought my Fuji Instax Wide, which really sucks since it's a true Point-N-Shoot camera. I had to cover the flash with some gaffers tape to stop it from blowing out images.

This was the first time I actually photographed a model on the benches at The Barn. A couple wardrobe changes later and then off we went to World Records. I spoke with the store owner and he allowed us to shoot in his store.

What Did I Learn?

The longer I'm away from Model Photography the more I don't miss it. I do enjoy having a fun session that yields results such as this session with Joy and Ande. Maybe I just need to buy another camera, that should fix my apathy.

Of course here are some Outtakes from our shoot. After re-reading this post I didn't share any new tips, or tricks. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment.

Alan

- Posted using BlogPress from my illusive iPad

Poler Vortex

2014-05-10T18:06:00.005-07:00

Back in August 2012, I photographed Poler Eddy for a Pole Dancer themed shoot and although I think I accomplished my goal, I really didn't display the strength and beauty of what she can do. Originally I wanted to shoot back in 2012, but after our Padre shoot Eddy informed me that she and her Husband were expecting.

Fast forward 18 months later and their daughter is a toddler and Eddy is still working the pole. So I reached out to her and she was interested in helping out. Eddy has a portable pole and we determined it would fit in my garage. We reviewed other poler images on the web and decided to shoot it in black and white.

I decided I would use a combination of Available Light and Artificial Light for a majority of the images. With the garage door open, my exposure readings were f/5.6, ISO 400 at 1/125 which turns out to be an excellent overall "fill" light when using strobes.

After several wardrobe and background changes we wrapped within two hours. See if you can guess the lighting for each image.

What Did I Learn?

I really need wider and taller backgrounds when shooting polers, the two backdrops are 10' feet wide and my garage is 8' tall and with the Eddy being 5' 6", she would exceed the framing.

Of course, what's a shoot without a Behind-the-Scenes image. So here is my Hi-key set-up without infringing on Amazon.com's newest Patent on shooting against a white background.