Lomography Colour 100 medium format review

Here we are with part two of a three part series featuring films from a recent portrait shoot with Monika! If you haven’t already, check out part 1 HERE but if you’re not bothered about that then read on and welcome to this review which is focussing on yet another new to me film stock - Lomography Colour 100, which I shot in medium format 120 flavour on the mighty Pentax 67!

I’ve shot a few rolls of different Lomo films over the years (and predictably enough blogged about them too) colour 400 in 35mm HERE and Colour 800 in 120 HERE. So what’s this Lomo colour 100 like then?! I hear you cry! Well first of all just look for yourselves - I think it looks great!

As you can see this was a sunlit location shoot with the very talented Monika. This presented the Lomo film with an opportunity to shine! In good light it’s a clearly very fine grain film, with strong contrast and rich colour balance - it’s punchy which I like and gives plenty of fine detail too. The 120 format certainly helps in that resolving power, as does the Super Multi Coated Takumar 105mm 2.4 lens on the P67 on which it was shot.

I think it has a slightly different look and feel to portra films which can be a little more muted and if I’m honest a little more to my taste. Don’t get me wrong though Lomo colour is a lovely film stock - I haven’t tried it out in poor/mixed lighting yet so I can’t speak to it’s flexibility but if it bears anything in common with the Lomo 800 film I imagine it will hold highlights well but lose the shadows fairly quickly in poor lighting. So it’s all sweetness and light then is it? Not exactly…

I would be remiss dear reader if I didn’t share the shortcomings of this film stock, in fact I think it’s worth saying up front that I have a bit of an issue with Lomo films in general - I don’t know whether it’s how they’re packaged or what but they are VERY prone to light leaks and/or having half a frame burned away for no good reason, I can forgive this when shooting 35mm because with 36 exposures to play with I can spare the odd one or two but when it comes to 120 film and something like the Pentax 67 which only gives me 10 frames per roll if one or two frames are frazzled then that’s a big chunk out the roll - I’m 99% certain it’s not an issue with loading as it only ever seems to be Lomo films that I have this issue with…. what the heck LOMO?!?!

Anyway back to the good stuff, aside from issues with the occasional random light leak/burned frame I really like this film stock - I was going to say that it’s a good budget choice but actually prices seem to be on the rise across the board and prices for a three pack of this film are £22 and upwards which is bonkers really - honestly I’m definitely starting to feel the ‘burn’ pardon the pun with film prices and after this shoot where I shot only colour film stocks I think my next few will be black and white only affairs and develop at home!

So that’s it for this review! I hope you’ve enjoyed the images and my ramblings about Lomo 100 and if you didn’t well - tough! :) Stay tuned for the final thrilling instalment in this trilogy of colour film stock reviews when i’ll be sharing my thoughts on yet another (yes another) new to me film stock!

Holga 120N - the all weather camera!

Living in the North of England you have to get used to the idea that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. In the case of todays blog we’ll be having a look at the Holga 120N - the ideal all weather camera!

I’ve already showcased the Holga’s mysterious wares in a few other blogs HERE and HERE. Having shot with it on quite a few occasions I have a good feel for the look and feel of the images and it remains a firm favourite of mine in the collection (but you know already that I say that about all my cameras)!

First port of call on this dank and dreary day is Bank Bottom Mill in Marsden - tt’s quite a brooding structure, especially when shrouded in mist and rain. One of those buildings where it’s hard to decide if it’s derelict or not… I suspect not, but every time I visit there’s not many signs of life or activity you’d associate with a factory/mill… answers on a postcard please!

And so leaving the stereotypical ‘dark satanic mill’ behind us, we venture up towards Butterly reservoir which sits on the edge of Marsden and the Moors up above.

The rain was really starting to pour down at this point and the mist was sweeping in too, making for some dramatic scenery - enhanced by the dream like qualities of the Holgas ‘optical lens’

Being on your own in a place like this, watching the far distance dissolve into the mist with the sound of the rain intensifying was a deeply satisfying experience - an assault on the senses! I shot these back in February when Lockdown 3.0 was in full swing and I very much needed a blast of ‘fresh’ air to clear my head.

The flooded track along the edge of Butterly reservoir winds up Wessenden Valley and into the mist. I am a sucker for a leading line and a bit of symmerty to boot!

The intensifying downpour of rain and my contemplative mood got me trying a couple of ‘creative’ shots - neither of which worked the way I’d intended if I’m honest… For the shot above I forget now what my ‘creative’ concept was aside from - hey look! It’s raining… the one below I was very definitely aware of being ‘alone’ on this trackway seemingly leading to no where… I wanted to create a self portrait which reflected this (literally) - but since the viewfinder is not coupled to the lens didn’t noticed the camera strap hanging in shot or my two big clod hopper boots in frame too - oh well! I’m sure the art world will survive this catastrophic loss…

You get 12 shots on a roll of 120 film with the Holga - and you’ve got 12 shots here in this blog post - I like every frame! Sure some are better than others, and I walked for quite a while beyond the point where I ran out of film - changing film in the Holga is a bit of a faff at the best of times (the biggest job being peeling back all the electrical tape - I mean ‘weather sealing’ that holds the back of the camera on) never mind in the pouring rain (note to self buy another Holga for such an occasion)

Using a Holga there’s never too much to say about the technicalities - you load your film, guestimate the distance to your subject, point it in the general direction and hope for the best! I tend to use Ilford HP5 in my Holga - its so flipping reliable that it’s one less thing to worry about! The holga’s shutter (read: bit of spring loaded wire) is fixed at a vague point somewhere about 1/100 of a second and the lens aperture can be set to either wide open (about f8) and stopped down (about f11) so really you’re only variable you have control over is at what speed do you rate your film at - I sent my film off to the good people at Exposure FIlm Lab as I have no time or space for home developing at the moment, I asked them to treat it as shot at 1600 ISO this gives a little lee way in the shadows and provides lovely punchy contrast as you can see!

After walking a little further up the track, I stood on top of a wall to grab this final shot and was more than a little surprised when two people walked past me - I’d been so wrapped up in my own thoughts, and the rain had masked sounds of their approach that it startled me at first. But watching them ascend into the clouds ahead of me, I felt glad of their presence. Even when we think we’re alone - theres always someone near at hand. (And they usually manage to walk into your frame just as you’re taking the flipping shot…) Bless em…

New Topographics - finding the extraordinary in the every day world

I don’t know about you but I’m definitely feeling the burn with Lockdown 3! Hope you’re all doing ok out there! One thing I’ve been doing with my time (time?what’s time?) Ok on the rare occasions that I have time… I’m checking off some of those “I really must take some photos of that one day” places that I have listed in my brain. Do you do this too? These are places which you might pass once or twice or maybe it’s somewhere you visit everyday and something about it speaks to you…. well on more than one occasion I have been caught out when these places have been demolished/rebuilt or otherwise spoiled (photographically speaking) and one such place which has been on my ‘to shoot’ list was this old gas works just outside Huddersfield Town centre - oh the glamour!!

I recall seeing quite a few of these things knocking around in my youth - but not so much these days, and this one certainly has the air of a place that if it’s not too careful could end up on the literal scrap heap of history! It’s certainly an enjoyable architectural/structural subject which inspired me to shoot it in a ‘new topographic’ style - finding the beauty in the banal and the extra-ordinary in the ordinary!

I was keen to take my ARAX CM out for a spin, in part because I just love shooting with the thing, also I thought that 6X6 square format would suit this subject and I wanted to undertake a very technical test…. I’ve been experiencing some annoying light leaks with this camera, most likely source is where the interchangeable film back joins the body, so to be doubly sure I used some black electrical tape around the join to make sure - and voila! No light leaks! I’ve ordered some replacement seals and time permitting (ha) I might write a ‘how to’ on the repair job (assuming I don’t knacker it further in the process of course)!

I shot 1 roll of Ilford HP5 rated at 1000 ISO - it was an overcast day with even and plentiful available light, perfect conditions really! So why did I want to push the film to 1000?? I hear you cry! Well two reasons, firstly that extra speed allows me to stop the lens down whilst still maintaining a reasonable shutter speed, this allowed me to get more of the structure in focus which I think suits this subject better (I know that the ‘I only shoot wide open’ brigade will recoil in horror at this idea but hey - fuck them)!

I don’t think a blurry background would suit this subject and in some of these frames I want the backdrop to form a part of the composition too. Secondly - HP5 just sings when it’s pushed! It’s such a flexible film stock I very rarely shoot it at 400 it’s usually around 1000 or 1600 I find it works best for me.

And just look at the details! Beautiful!! That pealing paint work in the foreground, the decaying dome in the middle distance and the framework forming the background - I love these shots!

Composition wise I just keep things fairly simple really - my main challenge is that the structure itself is surrounded by a modern metal fence so to shoot these I had to stick the camera through gaps in the fence!

I really enjoy shooting square format especially for subjects like this it prompts you to work the angles for an interesting composition, similarly using the 80mm Biometar lens (equivalent to a standard 50mm) was another compositional prompt to isolate elements of the scene - I was tempted to bring a wide angle lens with me too but on reflection I’m glad I didn’t - less is definitely more! (Says the man who owns too many cameras)

I’m very happy with how these have turned out - I’d like to try printing some of these in the darkroom (yes I am planning my very own darkroom - watch this space)!

So there we are, finding the beauty in the everyday! I hope that this structure remains a part of the skyline in this part of town for a long time to come but whatever happens in the future I’ve ticked this one off my ‘must shoot it one day’ list!

Pentax 645 medium format camera review: My new favourite portrait camera

Some cameras attract your attention because of their sleek industrial design others with their classic style and charm - the Pentax 645 is not one of those cameras!

Seen here lurking in it's natural environment -the pentax 645 sneaks up on an unsuspecting roll of Fuji pro 400H.....

At first glance the Pentax 645 looks like a big plastic box with a lens sticking out of the front and at second glance it also looks like a big plastic box with a lens sticking out the front, but hey this ain't a beauty contest! it's a camera and a bloody awesome one too! in fact (and yes I know that I say this a lot) it's my new fave camera and i really, really,really-really-really mean it this time, honest.... no, really....

I think I've reached that point in my film camera tomfoolery where I'm looking for my cameras to do different things or have specific purposes - I've shot loads of different cameras so I can speak with some experience that most 35mm film SLR cameras are a variation on a theme - they have various control layouts/feature sets etc but ultimately they are much of a muchness so whilst I am thinning out my collection of 35mm film cameras which all do pretty much the same thing I am also expanding the collection to include cameras which do things a little bit differently - and therefore in my warped Gear Acquisition Syndrome afflicted brain I can be justified in purchasing...the Pentax 645 which is a medium format film camera and it's amazing, let me introduce you..

The first thing that is obvious is what era this camera hails from - this thing is so 80's it hurts!! the buttons and the chunky design are total give aways and i love it!! despite it's brick like subtlety the 645 is actually very ergonomic and I love the button placement, there are loads of hokey reviews out there on the net talking about all sorts of nonsense about this camera like the viewfinder being dim (it's not - it's VERY bright and HUGE) and there is an even larger amount of claptrap out there about the shutter being VERY LOUD (it's not.... yeah you can hear it but it's not THAT bad) what else... oh yeah people complain about the button placement, for me this is just not an issue at all....this thing is so easy to shoot with!! it has a full range of shutter priority, aperture priority and full manual modes (there are also people out there claiming that the 645 doesn't have a full manual mode, erm yes it does)..... the great thing about all these crap reviews and internet forums recylcing this duff info about the camera is that nobody wants to buy it - so it's CHEAP!!! like REALLY cheap!! hurray!

These cameras are not particularly common in the UK these days so I imported mine from Japan and even with shipping and Her Majesty's rip off merchants at UK customs it was still a good deal! If you think you want a Pentax 645 then buy one - you will not be dissapointed! Mine came with the standard 75mm 2.8 lens attached already and I very quickly added a 150mm 3.5 lens too - the pentax 645 glass is AMAZING! it's a totally manual focus system and that's the way (a ha a ha) I like it! very smooth focussing action and a lovely bright viewfinder to nail focus - Love it!!

Above you can see my set up - the Pentax 645 itself sporting the 150mm lens, a spare film back which can be preloaded with film making it much easier in the field to load a new film, a light meter which I've just started using to help nail exposure and of course a few rolls of film - the 645 is a bulky beast, but it's not mega heavy, I use my Joby slingstrap with it and I've carried around for a few hours at a time during a shoot with no bothers.

Anyway enough with the camera review stuff - I don't shoot film just so I can review cameras, in fact the real reason I shoot film is in no small part becuase as a photographer what I like to do is take photographs!! yes i know! crazy! what I mean is I'd like to spend a little more time on the photograph taking side and a little less on the sitting in front of the computer editing side of the euqation - I fully believe that editing and processing is an important part of the photographic process but with film it's a much more hands on process, film also gives you some constraints to work within and I like that too, oh and it looks flipping awesome too - did i mention that already?

Anyway for someone who is trying to reduce the amount of camera review waffling I don't half bang on about cameras - let's call it a work in progress, now let's talk about the photos instead though shall we? These images were created on a modelshoot with the amazingly talented Pandora Belle - for the shoot we took a walk in the woods on a bright sunny day just outside Bradford in a place called Judy Woods, a beautiful setting with soft light filtered through the trees, the bluebells were in full swing and Pandora suggested a goth look which I think works great in this setting. Over the moon with how these turned out - this is how I want to work from now on, spend more time being much more intentional about visualising the shot and getting the compostion and exposure right during the shoot so that the images look how I imagined right off the bat - beautiful!

I've been wanting to incorporate film into my professional work for some time now - in particular for portraits, but to do that i first needed to build some experience of shooting portraits on film and at the same time build my portfolio in that direction so i have something to show people, this is where working with models on a TF (Time For) basis is a great option as it helps us both build our portfolios so it's mutually beneficial - it's also a good creative outlet and you can test out new ideas (like shooting with film) without the pressure of a paying client.

These images were shot on Fuji pro 400H film and wow!! I love how they look - i intentionally overexposed the film which is a way of creating a more light and airy feel to the images and I think it's worked great, what this means is I rate the film as 200 speed so in effect treating it as though it requires twice the amount of light and voila! amazing tones and lovely feel to the photos - I did next to nothing with the scans I got back from Exposure Film Lab because to my eye they look exactly how I'd envisioned things, fantastic stuff :)

Exposure Film Lab did such a great job of developing and scanning the film - it was my first time using these guys but I have to say they did a wonderful job and I cannot recommend them highly enough, and also a huge thank you to Pandora Belle for working with me on this shoot - she's a very creative and talented model and I'm sure we'll work together again soon!