Outer Banks Sunrise on Kodak Ektachrome 100 Shooting slide film might be the most difficult challenge in film photography. To me, it’s the final boss. In the 10 years I’ve been shooting film, I’ve been able to count the number of shots on slide film I’ve taken and loved on one hand. Until now. How did I suddenly learn to expose and create photos on slide film that I’m absolutely thrilled with? Surpringly simple - I treated it like digital.   The Sea Foam Motel in Nags Head, North Carolina   The crux of my film photography experience is my reliance on color negative film have amazin ..read more

Millionaires Row ■ Pentax 67 ■ Ilford XP2 I have finally found “the one”. The black and white film to compliment my color work on Portra 400, with it’s silvery highlights, shadow detail and deep blacks: Ilford XP2 Super 400. It’s been right in front of me this entire time. I even did a mini review of this film 3 1/2 years ago during my One Roll, One Day Challenge. Why I haven’t shot it at the beach is a mystery. I’ve shot nearly every other black and white film: Ilford Delta 100/400/3200, Ilford FP4, Ilford HP5 (pushed, of course) Kodak Tri-X, Kodak Tmax, Fomapan, and even a bunch of expired ..read more

DRUM SCANS When scanning your film, it’s natural to want the best results possible out of your scanner. It’s usually the cost that limits us from getting the best possible scan out of our negative. Many of us DIY film photographers have resorted to cobbling together some kind of makeshift copy stand to use that old digital camera we have lying around to “scan” our negatives. With lab prices exceeding $20 to develop and scan a roll of 35mm film, there has been dollars to save putting that old digital camera to use. What about on the opposite end of that spectrum? No, not the “high quality” lab ..read more

Jennette’s Pier on Portra 400 Views from the best pier in the Outer Banks with my Mamiya 6 Outer Banks Film Photography Time to kill in the Outer Banks is not a problem, at least not with my Mamiya 6 and a roll of Portra 400. Waiting for some friends for what would be an amazing sunset, I dropped a couple of bucks for a visitor’s pass at Jennette’s Pier and strolled along looking for those compositions. Popped a roll of my favorite film in that square beast with the 75mm f/3.5 and took in the scenes around me. No shallow portraits here, just fully locked in at f/11 and 1/500 with this bright ..read more

Pentax 67 Review An SLR on Steroids Introduction The Pentax 67 needs no introduction. You’re not here because you’ve never heard of this camera - you’re here because you want to know if it’s best for you. As prices for old film cameras continue to climb, the Pentax 67 seems to be lagging a bit behind the majority of medium format systems. An older Pentax 6x7 can still be had for under $500, and many of the lenses for around $300 (even one of the sharpest lenses in the catalog - the 75mm f/4.5 - can be had for $100-200). So do you get in now before they climb even higher? Let’s review this bea ..read more

Mamiya 6 review The king of medium format THE KING OF MEDIUM FORMAT* Holy hyperbole Batman! With all the camera options out there in the film photography sphere, how could this one be placed atop the pedestal? There’s a lot to unpack here, but I will say for my shooting style and interests the Mamiya 6 is about as good as it gets. So consider this question as you read this review as you’re contemplating investing some serious cash into this camera system: Can this camera help me create? If you don’t know my work or know where I roam, let me lay that out for you - I shoot mostly landscapes, wi ..read more

Pentax 67 ■ Pentax SMC 105mm f/2.4 ■ Fuji Acros 100 One Roll, One Day - March 2020 This was a day I’ve been patiently waiting for. A day where all the stars aligned, literally and figuratively. I stuffed my bag with three medium format cameras - a Pentax 6x7, a newer Pentax 67, and my Hasselblad 500c/m - as the fam loaded up for a beach weekend in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I had one goal in mind this weekend, photograhy-wise: star trails on film. I’ve attempted this multiple times before, only to either fail or have the weather foil my plan. There are three critical requirements for ..read more

Photographing Bodie Island The Outer Banks of North Carolina is well known for it’s lighthouses along it’s narrow stretch, from the Currituck Lighthouse all the way down the coast to Cape Lookout. The Cape Hatteras light gets most the recognition for it’s height, age, history, and it’s gorgeous spiraling paint job. And that’s all very interesting, but since it’s move in 1999, it became the least photogenic. This is where Bodie Island stands the tallest (figuratively). From north, south, east and west, the Bodie Island Lighthouse offers amazing views and vast landscapes that it’s easy to get a ..read more

Voigtlander Vitomatic IIa w/ Ultron f/2 50mm lens It’s every photographer’s worst enemy: GAS, or Gear Acquisition Syndrome. The endless desire for more gear. I think film photographers are afflicted even worse, as the options of film formats (35mm, medium format, large format) and camera styles (SLR, TLR, waist level finders, rangefinders) offer so many combinations, we are curious to try them all. So I’m GASing bad right now. And usually when I GAS for something, I end up with it. So I thought, “why not capture these GASY thoughts, and see how the desires match up to the feeling once I put a ..read more

Dune Cruising in the OBX ■ Pentax 6x7 ■ Kodak Ektachrome 100 (35mm) THE WHY Because it’s fun. The aspect ratio, the sprocket holes, the challenge. There’s always a reason for doing something, and all of these answers satisfy the question: “Why?” It’s gimmicky, so what? Purists may roll their eyes, but let ‘em. Have your fun. No one said 35mm film has to be shot only in a 35mm camera. If someone has come up with way, explore your creativity. THE HOW Now that you’ve justified your reason for wanting to run 35mm film through a Pentax 67, let’s get to making that possible. Here is what you’re goi ..read more