Bill Smith's Photography

 All good things come to an end, Jo-Anne and I hopped into the car for the trip back to Toronto from a glorious long weekend up in Muskoka. I loaded up my Nikon F2AS with Cinestill 400D, I packed a few rolls for this trip but only wound up shooting this one.  What a way to cap off a long weekend of bright sunshine, 400D delivers, up until now I've only shot through my F5 and 28-105 zoom lens. Older manual focus lenses deliver a pleasing look with not a lot of colour grading at the other end in Lightroom. I plan on buying more 400 D when my stash runs low, I love the character of this emulsion.  Jo-Anne and I had a blast up at Bilie Bear and the count down begins for next year's trip, which for me will be my tenth anniversary going up.  Camera: Nikon F2AS, Nikkor Ai lenses.  Film: Cinestill 400 D. 

 I last passed through Dorset Ontario back in 2019, it's the last stop on the way to and the first stop on the way home from Billie Bear Resort. What I love about this cottage country hamlet is, it feels lke a genuine cottage country hamlet. Communities closer to Highway 11 and west of it have gone higher end due to the amount of money sloshing around.  Dorset lies on the border of Muskoka and the Algonquin Highlands/Haliburton County and is the local hub in the the region with Robinson's General Store which has recently changed hands and the owners aren't messing with a good thing. I'm also thankful to get some great photos of the Bigwin but I always shooting that old lake steamer.  Canera: Nikon F4, Nikkor Ais 50 f1.8 lens, Ais 28 F2.8 lens.   Film: Kodak Color Plus 200

The drive home 35 was a gloomy one and it shows in the photographs, I did a detour on 118 to do a beer run at both Haliburton Highlands Brewing and Boshkung Brewing. When I pass Miner's Bay Resort I know I'm at the south end of the Haliburtons and I'm going back into normal life mode. Camera: Rolleiflex 3.5 Planar F Twin Lens Relfex Camera Film: Bergger Pancro 400, HC110 B.

I look forward to this trip every year as a respite from reality. The further north I drive on 35 towards Dwight, and ultimately Billie Bear Resort, I feel lighter when I hit Dorset. Camera: Olympus OM-2n, Zuiko MC 50 f1.8 lens. Film: Kodak Ektar 100

Sadly all vacations both weeks long or a long weekend come to an end. The drive home along Highway 35 was beautiful even if the lighting was a bit of a challenge with low cloud and misty skies. That said there was no wind that day and I got some great shots with reflections, I'll take what I can get. Asahi Pentax MX, SMC Pentax M 50 f1.7 lens. Rollei RPX 400 processed in HC110 and Kodak Portra 400