Bill Smith's Photography

For the foresable future, I'm staying in my neighbourhood of Southeast Oakville, and channeling a black and white Stephen Shore vibe. Camera: Rolleiflex 3.5 F Planar K4C Twin lens Reflex. Film: Ultrafine Extreme 400 pushed to 1600, HC110 B.

Happy New Year, and happy new decade! I'm so glad to see the backside to 2019, it was a challenging year. I won't get too deep into that, I rather look forward. The Classic Camera Revival podcast   and Defend the Darkoom have some great content on deck for the coming year along meet ups with the Toronto Film Shooters Facebook Group. The other great thing with 2020, is the continued introduction and re-introduction of film stocks like Ektachrome 100 in 120 and 4x5 and the likes of Lomochrome Metropolis. If there is one New Year's resolution, I have print more, either in the darkroom, through my local lab, or more 'zines. My work usually is showcased here and on Flickr as well as a few Facebook groups. I need something tangable to show and share to people. Camera: Nikon FM, Nikkor AiS 24 f2.8 lens. Film: Ultrafine Extreme 400 pushed to 1600 ISO, HC110 B.

The grey season in Toronto can really tax people's pysches. The grey season lasts sort of from mid November to the end of April and covers fall, winter and spring. The grey season refers to the polished concrete skies and less so to temperature and precipatation. For a film photographer, the only solution is to push a 400 ISO black and white film to 1600 and work with what you have. In this case Ultrafine Extreme 400 delivers in spades. I used a nine minutes at 20c with HC110 in dilution B developer, and it delivered. I really love what I get with pushed UFX 400 and Ilford HP5 400, both films look beautiful at 1600, and the big bonus, it dries flat, which is great for scanning. Camera: Nikon FM, Nikkor Ais 50 f1.8 lens. Film: Ulrafine Extreme 400 pushed to 1600, HC110 B.

I sense a 'Zine theme coming on...... Camera: Nikon FM, Nikkor Ais 24 F2.8 lens. Film: Ultrafine Extreme 400, pushed to 1600, HC110 B.

Merry Chirstmas and have a safe happy hoiday season! Camera: Nikon FM, Nikkor Ais 24 F2.8 lens. Film: Ultrafine Extreme 400 pushed to 1600, HC110 B.

I have 24mm lenses in some of my camera systems but not others, and up until recently while I own thses lenses I didn't use them much unitl this past winter, with the Nikkor Ais 24 f2.8 lens with my black Nikon FM. I also used that same lens on this year's NLP trip up to Norhtern Muskoka and I really loved the photographs I got out of it. So with a recent trip into the city, I packed my Nikkor N 24 f2.8 lens with my Nikon F2SB instead of the Nikkor H 28 f3.5 lens. The 24mm lens got used just past sun down which this time of year was around 5 PM. I need something that can hoover light in and the same time deliver reasonably shart results I can print from. The Nikkor N 24 f2.8 delivers in this case. I also love the OM Zuiko, and Canon FD SSC 24 F2.8 lenses. They both deliver in spades in this focal length camera companies usually go to town and deliver a stunning piece of glass. I'm still on the hunt for something in Pentax K mount and Minolta Rokkor MC/MD mount, patience ...