I loaded up my OM-4Ti with film last summer! The intention was to really master the camera. Well, half a year later, not mastered, but so totally love the OM cameras that I wanted to see what I had. This was taken probably around October 2019, through the studio window in the morning as the light was coming through the leaves. So, of course, “before the fall” – season, and leaves.
Recently I acquired a Pentax 6×7, probably from the earliest manufacturing date of 1969. It came complete with a 135mm f4 macro lens and an eye-level viewfinder. Of course, other lenses are available, as well as a waist-level viewfinder.
The first roll of film I shot was rubbish. Only 3 of 10 images emerged, and all were dreadfully under exposed. Having read that the loading of the 120 into the Pentax 6×7 could be tricky at times, I loaded up Lomo 100 color negative film into it twice. Light meter and tripod.
The results were very good. I had a very limited number of images as the goal was to bracket and see how upping the f/stop and dropping the exposure all worked. I am of the opinion that the shutter needed to be warmed up simply because all my images were exposed.
I took this picture to capture the light falling on a table, a couple of books, and a shawl early in the morning. There are 3 or 4 images of this, bracketed, so I decided it would be fun to merge them into an HDR. Photomatix did the trick. Composition isn’t great, but the colors are good. The sharpness of the lens also becomes evident.
The end result is the camera is being kept – I seriously considered returning it. Now I see adventures ahead for the two of us!
Wuzzup?Â
I have been following my New Year’s resolution pretty steadily. Painting, photography, study, socializing, reading, and doing things I enjoy. Somewhat scheduled, somewhat not. I kept a record for about a week of what I did in the morning and afternoon – in between which was lunch and a nap usually – and thought about how I felt about my day. In general, I found I enjoyed each day a great deal more. I didn’t do the same things every day (other than the usual boring daily routines), but found I did enough to find satisfaction.
Doing some watercolors was satisfying. I hope to do some later this morning before heading out to meet up with a friend. I haven’t done any gouache this year, but that is also on the agenda. Here are some of the paintings.
I also read some fiction – a favorite novel from the 1940s – and started some nonfiction, a book about photography I received as a Christmas present, Behind the Camera. It’s nice to sit outdoors with a book and a cup of coffee or tea, put my feet up, and read. The weather has varied from chilly to warmish, and so have I!
Add to that, I have been learning about a camera which I recently bought: a used Pentax (Honeywell Asahi) non-MLU (mirror lock-up) 6×7 camera. It has been frustrating and fascinating. First, the thing weighs in about 5 lbs. Lugging it around is amusing. I pulled out a tripod. It takes 120 film, and you get ten 6×7 images out of it – supposedly. Out of the 10 exposures I made, only 3 came out, and all came out under-exposed. No idea why.Â
As a result of these mishaps, I loaded up more film, and logged every picture I took. And did it with a second roll, too. I bracketed my images as well as varied exposure factors to get the same picture exposures (i.e. 8 @ 1/30 then 5.6 @ 1/60) using Lomo Color Negative 100 film. I took the two rolls yesterday morning, and dropped them off around noon.Â
Here are the three images from the first roll, which is Portra 400 – what a waste!
I am really curious as to what comes back from the photo lab – hopefully fairly soon. If these are also dismal failures, back the camera goes to the vendor!
So, nothing exciting in my life, like flying to Paris for lunch on a whim. But, some satisfaction, and some frustration, just like real life!
No, not “the rock” known as Alcatraz, but a rock in the park down the way.
This is only one of three images that were exposed on a roll of Portra 400 on my new-to-me Pentax 6×7 with an 135mm f4 macro lens. First roll of film is very disappointing. Apparently, rumors on the ‘net say, there can be issues loading the film.
It also looks as if there could be exposure issues with 7 missing pictures, but let’s ascribe that to user error until I get a second roll through it, logged for subject and exposure, to see what’s up.
This roll was Portra 400, and it’s a sad statement at the present. Sooooo underexposed, and the pictures are essentially worthless except to see what happens.
I am not happy. I have another fortnight within which I can return the camera . . . but I did test the sounds of the exposures and they seem okay. Thus, let’s wait to see what happens in this next roll.
To even make this image somewhat presentable, I messed with it rather a bit – doesn’t even resemble Portra, much less the original image!
I cannot believe I have digital images going back to 2007 – but I do! I will be looking at them a bit more and pulling out ones I rather like. The reasons for choosing this one or that will be variable as the day.
Today’s choice is one that I took in December 2011 at the local botanical garden. I wonder if it’s in bloom right now! I haven’t been up there for a bit because of the rainy weather and the holidays. I should go take a look pretty soon!
BTW, I think this is a protea, but I may be wrong. I used my now-lost Nikon D7000 and Tamron 70-300mm lens.
Ink, Yarn & Beer 