35mm

Shoot It Right With Ilford FP4 Plus

in ,

Ilford FP4 is an ISO 125 film which was released originally in 1968, almost 10 years before Kodak Tri-X first hit the shelves. On their website, Ilford FP4 Plus is shown to be a medium speed, all purpose black and white film with very fine grain, and outstanding sharpness. Ilford would go on to say that it has superb exposure latitude, and below its 125 ISO. This makes it very capable for photographing most subjects in areas, and varied lighting conditions.

Can you shoot Ilford FP4 at box speed? 

You definitely can shoot this film at box speed. When you first use it for a shoot, you'll find the film will give you really pleasing results, particularly in its grain, and especially if you are using strong lighting conditions. 

What are some reasons for shooting with this film? 

You can shoot with it in any situation. That's one of the greatest things about this film. You could use it indoors, outdoors. You could shoot portraits, landscapes. You could shoot architecture, you could shoot macro. Whatever it is that you want to shoot, you can get out and shoot with this film. So, it's a great film to have nipped in your bag somewhere. You can whip it out, and use it in any situation. Wherever you might be.

Picture this. You're at a friend's party or perhaps even at a wedding reception, and definitely have a role of this in your back pocket or in your bag. Its wide latitude of exposure will allow you to shoot in variable lighting conditions. Just don't forget to process it accordingly, or get your favourite film processor to do it for you.

It is a significantly cheaper alternative to using Neopan Acros to, or even using Kodak black and white film. It's a little bit more basic, but actually the results that you're going to get from it are going to be very, very similar to what you would get with Neopan Acros or with Kodak T-MAX or Tri-X, for example. So, if that's an important factor for you, then you should definitely shoot with this film.

It's fantastic in strong light, particularly harsh sunlight. So, if you're going to be somewhere where it's going to be like that, then make sure that you've got a role in this. It also has a really good tolerance to bad exposure. So if you don't have a light metre with you or you don't have one, you're guessing, you'll probably get some good results regardless of how you end up shooting with it. Obviously within its parameters.

You're on a budget. We've already talked about the fact that it's cheaper than using Neopan Acros or Kodak. But also, you can buy this in bulk, and that will significantly reduce the costs of shooting with this film. So, if you are planning on shooting black and white, and you want something which is consistent and gives you a great result, then buy in bulk. Roll up your own film at home, and that will save you a lot of money too.

There's probably two main reasons why you probably don't want to shoot with Ilford FP4. First one is that it's contrast is a little bit of a disappointment. So, if you like having that in your images, then you probably don't want to shoot with this film. The grain structure is good, but the contrast is a little bit off. Secondly, if you are based outside the UK, North America, Australasia, wherever it might be, then it might be more expensive for you to get a hold of this film. And so, cost effectively, it may not be the best option for you. But at the end of the day, you should know your own style, and if this is the right one for you, you should definitely check it out.

What can you take away?

It's definitely worth you getting a role and checking it out. Its medium speed will allow you to shoot in a large variety of situations. Whether that's in the studio, whether that's outside on the street, or even shooting landscapes, you're going to get some fabulous results due to its wide exposure latitude. With that in mind, definitely take the time to work with this film, especially if you like the grain on it, and you like images with a little bit more controlled contrast in it. Certainly, definitely worth trying in lots of different scenarios. Take it for a walk wherever you might be, and see what you get.

I absolutely loved shooting this film and would love to hear your thoughts on Ilford FP4. Have you shot with it? What kind of results did you get with it? Let me know in the comments below? 

Do go ahead and subscribe and turn on the bell icon so you'll know exactly when the next video of this series of videos is gonna drop and I look forward to seeing you in a workshop with me very, very soon.

Start Shooting with Ilford FP4 here

Creating with Kodak Portra 160 on Nikon FA

in

How to shoot Portra 800 on 35mm: https://youtu.be/a9s6h3XRtLE 

Shooting Kodak Portra 160 in typically very poor English weather, is a bit of a risk! At one moment we had a drizzle. Next minute, it was like no I'm not going to rain. Then it rained. Then it was dry again and cloudy. Then it drizzled. In England we're just going to get that kind of weather. You just have to accept it for what it is. 

I'm super pleased with the outcome with the Kodak Portra 160 considering the challenges it was well worth it in the end. Massive shout out to Luke & Lucas in particular who came out with some killer outfits and made the BTS video in the background. 

Get out there and shoot whatever the situation is gonna be. Get out there, enjoy it. Here are some more videos for you to check out! I'll see you In the next one.

Any questions about 35mm or Medium Format film, shoot a message in the comments! 

For more Subscribe and turn on the notifications for your weekly video drop! 

How to shoot Kodak Gold 35mm on Zeiss Ikon Nettar

in

Have you seen the pictures on a Hasselblad Xpan? The landscape format is ridiculous. It's amazing. Have you seen the price? It's nuts! It’ll cost you more than £4k online and no, I haven’t got that kind of money. So I thought to myself, how am I gonna get that sort of look on a budget?

I came across 35mm to 120mm adapters which you pop into any medium format camera. You can grab some from Analogue Wonderland. I decided to go out with my Ikon Zeiss Nettar with some Kodak Gold and had a play. Check out the results in the video here. 

Not sure how the large orange halation came about in the centre of the negative. I think it's to do with the lens and maybe perhaps there's too much exposure in the centre, than on the sides of the film. I'm not sure how to reduce that effect. 

I think it looks cool, but it'd be interesting to see how it looks without it. I've tried in post  to reduce it down and so forth, but not much luck. If you know how to get rid of that effect, let me know in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you because I think if I can solve this, then there will be some absolutely amazing pictures that you can take on 35mm

As you can see from some of the images that I've taken with this the first time, there's been occasional areas where there's been a double exposure or the reel's not been moved along fully. I was moving this dial about one and a half turns, stroke two turns each time, to see what I could get. Clearly a very subjective way of trying to figure out how far the film had moved along the back. Next time, I'm going to do a little bit more experimentation, figure out this dial. Once I've got that nailed, I think there's some real potential, some wonderful shots with this. 

Some of the images have been cut off from below, and I think that's to do with the fact that I was looking through the visor here, and forgetting that it's got a medium format backing. 

Next time, by lowering my perspective a little bit from where I am so as to not shoot from eye length and a bit more from the hip will probably be about the right sweet spot. Perhaps to get around it, would be to get a film strip and stick it on the back of your camera here. This allows for some visualisation . Again, it is shooting by trial and error, but once you've done it a few times, I think, again, the potential is looking good. 

Thank you to Analogue Wonderland for actually making and producing these things. Definitely, if you've got a medium format camera, throw in some 35 millimetre in, and you'll see what kind of images you can get. 

I think, if you love photography, you're always exploring new ways of shooting and trying to figure out how you can create something different and unique. These 35mm to 120 adapters will help you to do that, and you can tuck them into any medium format camera that you've got at home. 

Does it match up to Hasselblad Xpan? I think it's a work in progress. If I can nail the centre part of the frame, get rid of that halation that exists there, then I think, yes. It's a really cheap landscape alternative, but at the same time, I think having that halation, there actually creates a very different dynamic to it, which is a lot of fun. 

Do go ahead and subscribe and turn on the bell icon so you'll know exactly when the next video of this series of videos is going to drop and I look forward to seeing you in a workshop with me very, very soon.

For more Subscribe and turn on the notifications for your weekly video drop! 

Pentax Ilford HP5 5 best ways to shoot in bad weather

in

Shooting 35mm Nikon FA with Ilford HP5 Plus in the rain: https://youtu.be/jZalyJvSRhg

Where are you going? How are you going to get there? Which route are you going to take? What are the alternative options of getting there?

If one form of transport doesn't work, think about where you could divert and go through different routes, which might interest you. Use Google, go onto the maps, check them out, see what the places are like before you can even get there.

If you have a visual idea of where you're going to be working, you will focus on photography. Keep it light, small backpack waterproof with you, a waterproof for your camera. If you can't afford one of those, grab a plastic bag, chuck it into your bag. The last thing that you need when walking through rain or through bad weather is a heavy rucksack, which is getting heavier with the rain falling on it. Focus on keeping things as minimal and as light as possible.

Embrace the weather. It's going to rain in England. It's going to be windy, stay safe, but make sure that you have planned for the eventuality. Go through it. This way you will be prepared for that magic moment where someone might walk by in a certain way. Someone might do something in a certain way and you'll be ready with your camera to take that shot.

Always be aware of your surroundings, regardless of what is going on, focus on your goal. The amazing thing is that these clouds are going to act like a giant softbox. So you're going to get something lovely, even light if it's a subject or whatever it might be. Focus on using that as an advantage for you also take as a backup, a light metre that can be on your phone, or you can use a dedicated light metre. such as a Sekonic light metre. Both those options are going to really allow you to shoot really well, don't be afraid of the elements. Get out there, use that beautiful giant softbox that you're going to have for you as a backup, always get prepared, take a light metre with you on your phone, or a Sekonic light metre for example, you will get that shot for sure. Take loads and loads of film with you. You wanna have the option so that when you arrive at your destination, you might find that the weather might be a bit more variable.

The sun may have come out. It means that you can then change it up. Maybe you want to initially shoot with black and white, but now you decide colour might be a better option for you therefore have lots of rolls with you, chuck them in a freezer bag. Take them with you as they are light to carry. It gives you that little bit of flexibility when you're out there on the fly shooting.

If the conditions are cloudy and they're overcast, my recommendation is to shoot with Ilford HP5 Plus as it has amazing latitude. If you're not sure about what this is, then you can just check out my video here .

Ilford HP5 Plus will give you results in good lighting conditions, as well as terrible lighting conditions. Alternatively, you can use other 400 ISO film, whether it's colour or black and white, you should be able to get some good shots in that.

When you're shooting outside, think carefully about the theme that you're going to be shooting before you start going out to shoot. You should have done that in your prep work, your planning work so that when you are out there, you can focus on that and find the film that fits your goals.

What is it that you want to capture in that particular environment? What is that message that you want to communicate through images? Make sure that you're prepared and have lots of roll with you so that when you arrive on site with a focus on getting that shot in the best possible way possible.

You'll notice that I didn't talk much about the settings on your camera. What position needs to be in manual mode and the aperture settings. It's not important. Focus on your planning before you head out. Know your camera, go out and make sure that you understand how it works and what works best for you before you go out and shoot. That's fundamentally important in your planning phase.

Plan, plan, plan! When you do that, you're going to walk away knowing that you've done the best that you can to capture the best images in the circumstances that you had in bad lighting conditions you can do really well, as long as you have planned it out, and you have an idea in your mind of what you want to achieve.

Do go ahead and subscribe and turn on the bell icon so you'll know exactly when the next video of this series of videos is going to drop and I look forward to seeing you in a workshop with me very, very soon.

For more Subscribe and turn on the notifications for your weekly video drop!

Follow: IG @analogueahsan

Prints: https://stilljourneying.smugmug.com

Support my work here and get your hands on my prints: https://www.patreon.com/ahsanabbas

Website: www.ahsanabbas.com


CineStill 800T on Yashica T5 vs Yashica Mat 124G

in

Which film camera would fare better, I wondered? The rise in popularity of the modest compact camera has been one to watch over the past year or so. I certainly was very excited to be shooting with the Yashica T5, in part, because of my experience with the Yashica Mat 124G and hoping to find a similar enjoyable shooting experience.

At the early onset of the digital camera era, I remember there being a lot of discussions about Megapixels - it entirely dominated the conversation. Which got me thinking about how much detail the compact camera with its tiny body and lens could take. Would the images come out similarly or exactly the same? Of course both Yashica cameras are very different to each other, so it’s not a like to like comparison in the fullest sense of the experience but fun nonetheless!

Low light conditions along the River Thames called for some higher ISO film which had been lounging around in my bag for a while now. I always find unwrapping CineStill 800T film a little tricky, they use some strong glue! It was the first time I would be shooting this film in the late afternoon and I was very much looking forward to seeing the results.

The Yashica T5 is very simple to load, frighteningly simple. I can see why this would appeal to the enthusiast for sure! Everything boils down to the number 35 on this camera. The Carl Zeiss Tessar 35mm f/3.5 lens can allow you take images as close as 35cm away from you which is great for any budding street photographer. The ISO ranges is from 50-3200 and when you load the film it will automatically adjust the settings using its inbuilt DX Code Reader.

In comparison the 80mm f/3.5 lens produces some fabulously sharp images on the Yashica Mat 124Gs however the ISO range is only up to 400. So when shooting on this camera you will need to push the film in development. You won’t be able to get as close to your subject as the Yashica T5 but it is surprisingly far less invasive in public than holding up a 35mm to your eye. Also, the limited 12 shots will force you to think carefully about what is actually worth shooting.

The automatic focus on the Yashica T5 is handy and takes a few seconds to adjust while it makes whirring sound. I have found that it likes to compensate for the lack of light constantly by adjusting to using its quite powerful on board flash. If you don’t want this trigger then you’ll have to manually switch it off each time which can be quite tedious.

Taking images on the Yashica Mat 124G is a serene experience, the simple click sound can be lost if in a loud environment but it compensates for it by its quite enjoyable winding mechanism. It will need a lot more delicate care and touch when using it.

Both cameras feature a plastic body design which aids in their lighter weight and portability. However, you do need to be careful with both from knocking them about. The compact non professional Yashica T5 is great for those grab and go situations, easily loaded and popped in to your bag or pocket. The Yashica Mat 124G is really for a photographer looking to capture much more detail and depth in their images with a clearer idea and purpose of what they will be shooting.

Overall, there are some distinct differences in results between both cameras. The Yashica Mat 124G pushing to the blue end of the spectrum in far more the shots than the Yashica T5. Was this down to the differences in the lenses between the cameras or the format of the film?

Finally a big thank you to Lucas & Molly for helping with filming and capturing some wonderful snaps on their film cameras! You can follow them on IG here:

Lucas: @analogsquare Cover Image by Molly: @eclectachrome

Shooting Fujicolor ISO 100 on Yashica T5

in ,

It has almost become strange to get snowfall in the south of England. I remember, when I was very young, when winter days would bring in several days of snowfall. Now, we get a few hours if we are lucky. This winter seems more colder than usual, but this has probably been amplified by the lockdown so when we got a break in the weather, I grabbed the Yashica T5 for a long walk.

It was a bright sunny day and the skies were clear. First time using the Fujicolor ISO 100 film which has been imported to the UK. It had been a while since I had shot some colour film and I really wanted to enjoy the walk while documenting it in a simple way. Enter the Yashica T5 compact camera with its f3.5 Carl Zeiss lens, with ISO 50-3200 range.

I decided to wonder in the direction of the countryside through the urban metropolis. Wandering through back streets and main roads along the way I took the opportunity to capture some new graffiti and the now dilapidated billboards along the way. Sadly, no Banksy style art here but the occasional Covid denials art got captured with the low-lying winter sun.

‘With the introduction of (New Super Uniform Fine Grain) technology, the reproduction range from highlights to shadows has expanded. By matching with the excellent graininess unique to ISO100, it reproduces a natural skin color with good connection. Product application: High-sensitivity fine particles for daylight / general photography. ISO sensitivity: ISO100’

Source: https://www.fujifilm.com/jp/ja/consumer/films/negative-and-reversal

This was an enjoyable film to shoot with. If you want a grainy colour film stock with a slow speed rating, then this is a good shout. If you compare it with Kodak Ektar 100 then it certainly has more grain and more subtle colour renditions.

I shot some images of the sky and there was a strong push towards the blue end of the colour spectrum. The images have an old cinematic feel to them, something from the 70s or 80s! I wonder if I had shot some CineStill 800T or Kodak 500T how similar the images would have been as these tungsten balanced films also produce a blue tinge when shot in daylight.

In comparison when shooting in an area with dry grass the colour came out more orange, perhaps due to the film pushing towards the away from the red end of the spectrum. Ultimately, there is no push to balance out the spectral sensitivity in this film which is one thing to carefully consider before shooting!

Fujicolor 100 is sold as an ‘Industrial’ film, I’m not entirely sure what this means! However, if you are looking for a film that does create a cinematic style look in daylight conditions then you should definitely shoot a roll or more.

The short winter days with their low light and occasional blue skies are enjoyable when they come! I enjoyed the casual nature of shooting with the Yashica and the Fujicolor 100. Next time, I may even take another slow rated ISO 100 film for comparison. I wonder how it may look in an ‘Industrial’ or even a ‘bright light’ setting?