Bill Smith's Photography

I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a safe happy 2018! Just a note my blog posts are going to be a little random until the new year!

Nikon F2A, Nikkor Ai 50 f1.4 lens.
Film: Lomography F Squared 400

I really needed to get out of town for the day. I took advantage of the Caledon Ski Club opening up their lodges so members can drop their skis off in their lockers, so I headed north. Instead of shooting black and white I loaded one of my F2's with some Lomography F Squared 400 which I have mentioned in the past is repackaged Solaris 400 that was freezer stored for over a decade. I really hope Film Ferrania relaunches Solaris 400, I love the look I get from this film and I want to see what fresh stock looks like.

My Nikons are my go to "get stuff done" cameras when I need the shot bang on, it was also a chance to take my 2018 Christmas Card shot.


Camera: Nikon F2A, Nikkor Ai 50 f1.4 lens and Ais 28 f2.8 lens.
Film: Lomography F Squared 400 (Solaris 400, expired)

I have to get back to the Brickworks more often.


Camera: Nikon F3HP, Nikkor Ai 50 f2 lens, Ais 28 f2.8 lens.
Film: Kodak Tri-X 400 pushed to 1600, HC110 B.

It's been ages since I shot around the Don Valley Brick Works so the Toronto Photowalks Pre Anniversary Dinner walk was a great excuse to get there. I had fun, however I couldn't stay for dinner because I had another event I had to be at.


Camera: Nikon F3HP, Nikkor Ai 50 f2 lens. Ais 28 f2.8 Lens.
Film: Kodak Tri-X 400, Pushed to 1600 ISO, HC110 B.

Now the one drawback with Kodak Tri-X 400 in HC110, for me it curls, with Xtol not so much. The dreaded curl can be solved with flattening with heavy Pubic Relations textbooks for a few days. The weather in Toronto in late November-early December is capital G grey. If the Inuit have a thousand words for snow, Torontonians have a thousand ways to describe the grey skies (pale anthracite, polished cement, pale pewter, off black anyone?). Pushed Tri-x is great for shooting in this weather, and I'm willing to put up with the curl. I forgot how nice Tri-X is to photograph with.


Camera: Nikon F3HP, Nikkor Ai 50 f2 lens, Ais 28 f2.8 lens.
Film: Kodak Tri-X 400, pushed to 1600 ISO, HC110 B.

I haven't shot much with Kodak Tri-X in the past few years, I by and large have switched to Ilford HP5 and Rollei RPX 400 for my core shooting habits in 35mm and 120 format. This also the first time I've pushed processed in a while too. I'm really happy with what I got. Now for those who shoot pixels, pushing film is deliberate under exposure and over developing. What comes out is grittier than closer to box speed, but that's ok because I wanted that look.

The other thing is I shot with one of my Nikon F3HP's, the workhorse one my brother got me in NYC for my birthday a few years ago. Considering this camera was made 25-30 years ago, the meter is still bang on with exposure.

Camera: Nikon F3HP, Nikkor Ai 50 f2 lens, Nikkor Ais 28 f2.8 lens.
Film: Kodak Tri-X 400 pushed to 1600, HC100 B.

I haven't hiked much this year, I wanted to make up for this by heading out in the fall. I explored a section of the Bruce Trail between Limehouse and Hilton Falls north of Milton. Of course I had to choose the second most dismal day of the fall to head out. It was a nice walk in the woods but I really didn't find much to shoot compared to Limehouse, that said there are still some gems if you know where to look.

Camera: Olympus OM-1 MD, Zuiko  lenses.
Film: Rollei Retro 400S, HC110 B.

I never tire of shooting in this neighbourhood.

Camera: Nikon FE2, Nikkor  lenses.
Film: Rollei Retro 400S, HC110 B.

A few weeks ago I was up in in the Yonge/Bloor Area and points north on a Sunday morning. I was meeting up with my friend John Meadows for a shoot. The lighting of course is the endless grey skies we get from the middle of October to about May the following year. I shot with my Nikon FE2 with Rollei Retro 400S which gives me the contrast I need to get through polished cement skies.

Camera: Nikon FE2, Nikkor Ai and Ais lenses.
Film: Rollei Retro 400S, HC110 B.