Musings

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:10 pm

I have been playing more with film lately, and discovered some shots on the roll I developed a couple of weeks ago that I didn't expect:

This was my mother playing with her chemo wig. She died in March.

And the new deck being built:

and greeting my better half after a visit to her parents in the UK and Spain:

I'm getting into medium format film in a bigger way. Old cameras using 120 roll film are now cheap, and they offer far better quality than the most extreme and expensive digital can. The Fuji MF cameras with fixed lenses for 6x4.5, 6x7, 6x8, and 6x9 (I have no experience of the 6x12 or 6x17 formats) are stunningly good buys at present. Sadly, Kodak is about to die, and Efke in Slovakia is going the same way. A freezer and Ilford film will provide me with supplies for the remainder of my life.

Chris

CMur12 · Post by **CMur12** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 7:36 pm

Those pictures of your mother would be an especially bitter-sweet find, Chris. My condolences to you on your loss.

I'm fascinated by your statement about the image quality of medium format film vs digital. I haven't done much photography in recent years, and I still don't own a digital camera, but my favorites are my old twin lens reflexes: A Rolleiflex T and the even better Minolta Autocords, along with a host of Rollei and Minolta filters and accessories for these lovely devices. These older cameras don't have the optics of the modern Fujis you cited (Boy, would I love one of those!), but they have produced some stellar images nonetheless.

Thanks, once again, for sharing your thoughts and images.

- Murray

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 5:30 am

Sorry about your mom

The glass deck looks incredible....is it difficult to keep clean?

clive

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 3:16 pm

Very - there's only one pane of glass so far! The rest are being cut to size and then have to come from Quebec.

This is from a 6x9 negative, which is 6.25 times the area of a 35mm negative. If it weren't Tri-X, it wouldn't be so grainy.

Chris

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 4:03 pm

Just as a fun comparison, I took my print of the last photo to show to Pippa, and noticed some nice evening light. Grabbed the M9, changed the lens for the indecently sharp Elmarit 24mm, and took a picture. The B&W one above took the same time to take, but then took an hour in the darkroom, two hours to dry, half an hour to scan and adjust in Lightroom. This one was only taken five minutes ago:

Yet I still enjoy the process of film....(which might change a bit when the Leica Monochrom arrives in a couple of days).

Here's the progress on the rest of the deck:

Chris

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 3:33 pm

Frankly, the main problem in my life looks like this:

These wretched felines squawk all night, walk all over me at night, throw up all over the floor, and are generally hateful. I think I might have slept one hour in the last 72. I always assumed my mother would haunt me one way or another, but I never imagined she would be so imaginative.

Chris
Can one have a parental divorce from the dead?

Chaps · Post by **Chaps** » Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:03 pm

Chris, I am sorry about your Mom. Those are nice photos.

Danny

jww · Post by **jww** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 5:55 am

Nice stuff -- sorry about your mom's passing ... she looked wonderful in those shots, so nice memories of her for you, I am sure.

You didn't travel back 'ome and Spain with your wife?????? I bet that was a great trip.

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Fri Aug 31, 2012 6:36 pm

Someone has to work, Wendell, and there's no one to take over my job if I go away, so I'm limited to a couple of weekends a year. The second ever monochrome digital camera (the first was a Kodak DSLR), and the first one to arrive in Canada came today. Fortunately our young physicist made it home for the first time in many weeks:

Leica M Monochrom, Summilux 75

Chris

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Sun Sep 02, 2012 4:12 pm

8pm, the tide is going out.

Chris

celar36 · Post by **celar36** » Wed Sep 05, 2012 4:05 am

I really like the pics from new Leica, might buy it in future. Just spend it few grands on my wedding and few days later on my Mother funeral so sadly Leica need to wait. I need to be satisfied with my Nikon FM3A with Nikkor 50mm 1.8

brothers · Post by **brothers** » Wed Sep 05, 2012 4:43 am

Very impressive Chris. I admire your work. The color photo from your M9 is telling me that the eye is the brain's camera of choice. Those cats look pretty sinister.

What have you done to deserve those?

jww · Post by **jww** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 10:46 am

Beautiful, gorgeous, fabulous -- what more can I say. Great results with an obviously incredible camera. Love Leica - outta my price range, but still love Leica.

Post by **Sam** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 11:36 am

That pic of your son, it seems to me that there is a similarity of you and he with the eyes. I find that the pictures seem to have some sort of quality that most photos lack. Maybe seeing just shots on cell phones, or the occasional photo attachment on a post, but I could just stare at the scenic ones and almost place myself there.

jww · Post by **jww** » Thu Sep 06, 2012 12:42 pm

+1 -- I want the physicist's hair.

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 3:34 am

stare at the scenic ones and almost place myself there.

becks induced imagination run amok(??), i see doc martin and vice versa

clive

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 5:05 pm

Thomas was home tonight as well:

I like this camera.

Chris

jww · Post by **jww** » Fri Sep 07, 2012 6:40 pm

The results do indeed speak for themselves. But let's not forget, cameras don't take good pictures, people take good pictures.

Post by **drmoss_ca** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 12:04 pm

The remaining glass came from Quebec today, and Gail and Doug were kind enough to come and install it:

and the culprits:

Chris

jww · Post by **jww** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 4:44 pm

Brilliant view, brilliant deck -- both of which put our humble little veranda to shame. Most of all, brilliant pics. Thanks Chris.