Lucky Shinjuku

The Lucky Camera Shop, in Shinjuku, Japan. If you've got a keen eye, you can spot the price tags on some of those TLRs - 32,000 YEN for the Autocord there is equivalent to about $400 Australian. So prices weren't too bad. Of course, what I spent most of my time salivating over was the Leica M3, in just about perfect condition. A cool 500,000 YEN ($6000 Australia) for your rubber-necking, gaijin.

This was only the front window display - inside, pretty much every western, eastern, and soviet manufacturer was represented. There were even a few bakelite beasties that had me scratching my head. Alas, my mind was firmly set on trying to find that rare and most desirable toy, the Fujipet. No luck, I'm afraid.

** note: didn't even buying anything from here, not a sausage. i do think i nearly got kicked out by the owner though - punctuality is important in Japan, and i wasn't quite paying attention to the fact i walked into his shop 5 minutes before he opened. hey, he had the door open and everything...

caught off guard

The fountain in Princes Square, Launceston, 2002-2003.
Probably taken with a Minolta XG-M, on Ilford HP-5+.

Abandoned

Holga 135, probably XP-2, possibly Fuji 400

Not really abandoned. Just early morning at the Seaport. I can't for the life of me remember why I was down here early enough to experience an empty car park. Perhaps work? Maybe.

I've always liked this shot, pointy rooves, nice even-ish mix of tones: no black-metal-blacks or blinging whites.

Chalmers via Soviet Russia

I took this about two years ago for International Commie Camera Day. I used a Zorki 4 with an Industar 50 lens (not the sharpest), and if memory serves, some Fuji 400.

And those are indeed birds on the pointy bits of the tower.

ol' timey

Latest photos from the Holga 135. I am more and more impressed with this camera every time I get results back. I was a bit worried it might be a bit like a "pseudo-Holga" in that it mimics the look of the Holga 120, however I think that would be a bit unfair to say: the Holga 135 is definitely it's own camera.

Film used was Fuji Neopan 400.

Henty House

Not a popular building, but certainly striking. Kind of like a Vogon cruiseliner...

I miss summer...

I need to get some more Ilford Pan F 50. Just a shame that it takes two weeks for a film to come back from the lab here...

Echo (part III)

Never known a cat to snuggle up in the bathtub, especially when it's still wet.

Echo

Old stuff: 6

Minolta XG-M, Ilford HP5.

Old stuff: 7

Sometime 2003-2003.

Ilford Pan (or, How I Tried To Copy Max Dupain)

On New Year's Day, my wife & I went with some friends to Coles Bay. I gave a roll of Ilford Pan F 50 a go. Some of the results were good.

I like the film. I think I'll be using it more often...particularly during the day when it's sunny. Allows me to make the most of wide apertures...

Old stuff: 5

The gorge in flood, 2004.

Minolta XG-M, Ilford HP5.

Old stuff: 4

Same fountain, same set-up.

Old stuff: 3

From a fountain in central Launceston.

2002-2003, Minolta XG-M, Ilford HP5...

Old stuff: 2

Another cat - this time my own cat, Ava.

Again, 2003-2003, possibly Kodak Tri-X, although this is most likely the Minolta's handiwork...

Ilford SFX 200

Today I picked up my first exposed roll of Ilford SFX 200. Today, I also found out that without a red filter, the film is just an expensive B&W film. However, I am still very pleased with the results, it's nice to use a "proper" black & white film - I've always liked Ilford's films better than mono films offered by Fuji & Kodak, but I guess that's all Ilford do, so they may as well do them right.

I probably like the top one best - I miss getting that silvery look of a well exposed black & white image which has the full compliment of in-between tones.

Old stuff: 1

Photo from my university days - sometime 2002-2003.

Scan from negative, possibly Kodak Tri-x, possibly a 1960s Pentax SLR...

A couple of photos from Strathmore, a property behind Evandale. Incidentally, this is where I was married 4 weeks ago. These shots are from the morning after our celebration (bear in mind this is not representative of where our wedding actually took place...that was in the garden area around the other side).

Ilford XP2, Minolta XG-M, 50mm lens. And, if I remember correctly, the first time I've used the UV filter. Whether it had any effect on the resulting film is difficult to say; some say UV filters are only good for protecting your lens from scratches. I have a weak theory that as we have higher levels of UV in our skies down here (thanks to proximity to the ozone hole), it's not completely unneccesary. But I have nothing to back that up.

--

Following this wonderful day, we spent three weeks in sunny New Zealand by way of honeymoon. I took 10 rolls of Fuji Reala 100, 2 rolls of Fuji Velvia 100, and picked up 2 rolls of Kodachrome 100 (which went unused). I think I have 3 rolls of Reala left. I'll be developing those in the next few weeks - more correctly, Stallards will be developing them, and I will be paying them - so I'll post the results as they happen. First time I've used Reala or Velvia, so it'll be interesting to see the results. The Reala I shot at 80iso on advice from a friend, the Velvia I shot at 100 as I've heard horror stories about correct exposure...and as I'm new to Velvia (and slide in general), I thought it best to stick with the safest path, and branch out if I feel like it later.

I'm excited to see how the Reala comes out, as I've had nothing but good results with the standard consumer-level Fuji film (Superia 100, 200, 400), and Reala is supposed to be the bee's knees of Fuji neg. Green is supposed to come out wonderfully vivid, so we'll see...Heidi kindly obliged by buying and wearing a wonderful green knit from Akaroa on our third day in NZ, I guess that will come out pretty amazinglier and stuff.