Bill Smith's Photography

I standardised pretty much on Kodak Tri-x or Ilford HP5 as my go to ISO 400 black and white film. To date I have have not done the same with a slower emulsion. So to give T-Grain films another go, I am a big fan of traditional silver hallaide but I have an open mind. I picked up two rolls of Kodak Tmax 100, shot one through my Nikon F2 and processed with HC110 Dilution B. Well first lesson if you get a pink tone after fix and rinse, the film has not been fixed long enough. Learned that the hard way I refixed the negatives and now I get it. I have not printed from these negatives, that will have to wait. I might try Ilford Delta 100 and see which works better for me. I am starting to warm to T-grain film and I just have to be careful with my developing. I shot these two entries up at the Forks of the Credit in Belfountain Ontario. I never get tired with this part of the world.

Part One of my Kodak Tmax 100 experiment.

Two shots taken up at Belfountain Conservation Area back in early March with a Nikon F2 with Nikkor H 28/3.5 lens with Adox CHS100 film. I printed on Ilford Multigrade IV 5x7 RC glossy paper with Dektol 1+3 on a Devere 504 enlarger.

Two Oakville Harbour shots taken with a Nikon f with Nikkor H 28/3.5 lens with Classicpan 400 film processed in D76 1+1. I printed on Ilford Multigrade IV 5x7 RC glossy paper with Dektol 1+3 on a Devere 504 enlarger.

More Leica M3 images shot with Tri-x processed in D76 1+1. I was up in a familier neighbourhood a few weeks ago meeting with classmates in regards to a case study. I got there an hour early and walked along Bloor St east of Jane. I would love to live around here at some point.

I pulled the Leica M3 out and took it with me to a job interview downtown a few weeks ago. I went in early to take some pictures and prepare myself mentally to meet with a professional association for a PR/communications writing position. The interview was a bust but I got some decent pictures as the faint consolation prize. I used my M3 with 50/2 collapsable Summicron with Kodak Tri-x processed in D76 1+1. I have some more shots from this roll to be posted later.

I am back, my class is over and the PR certificate is on Hiatus until the fall when my last course is offered. Some cool night shots from the downtown core shot in January and printed last weekend on Ilford Multigrade IV 5x7 RC glossy paper. I really dig the Brookfield Place Atrium print I have to make a bigger one of that. I used a Nikon F2 with Ilford HP5 pushed to 1600 and I got some some more prints to make from this roll down the road.

I'm back! I am nearly done my second to last PR course and I got some time to hit the darkroom over Easter. I got some really good winter shots this year. I plan to do some more shooting when the weather warms up around Belfountain when more of the snow melts and there is still a lot up there. I just finished off a roll in my Leica and I got a couple of shots the scream to be printed so stay tuned. I am going to use the M3 a little more often this spring.

Got a note in the Fun With Cameras virtual mailbag from Earl. To answer his question, I print mostly 8x10" with 5x7" as a secondary smaller size for family photo albums. Another bit of business, I am taking a break from the darkroom for bit. I am nursing the second cold in the past four weeks and I am not having fun. I find I make stupid mistakes in the darkroom (mostly wasting paper by not loading the easel properly) when I am fatigued and I am running out of inspiration. Secondly I am concentrating on my second to last course in my Public Relations Certificate and job search, both areas have been neglected and I have get started on a few class projects. I will be back by mid spring with some new prints. I am still shooting, don't worry about that. You can find my negative scans on Flickr. Both Prints are taken around Befountain Ontario, the top two weeks ago and the bottom on the Bruce Trail back in November.

We have real winter this year and I am re-joicing. Nothing is more depressing than mid winter with no snow on the ground and super cold tempretures. These prints are of locations in the Belfountain Conservation Area.

I came up from the darkroom a fan of Kentmere's VC Select RC fine lustre paper. It behaves just like their Fibre paper which I have been using on a regular basis. The exposure times on the enlarger are the same which makes me happy, if I decide to print a RC print on fibre, I don't have to fiddle around with the times. VC Select responds well to Dektol. What I love is the almost 3-D look the prints have you usually get with the glossy finish.

I pulled out an old favourite to shoot with before last week's Reputation Management class at Ryerson. I packed my Nikkormat FTN because I know it would work flawlessly in the cold. I used Tri-X rated at 1600 ISO and processed in Diafine. I really have to find out how long that developer lasts. Metering was touch and go as the battery decided after three years to start to fail on me. Lucky guesses help out.

I am blown away with both these prints. I have not done much in the way of night photography but finding the Kodak Tri-x rated at 1600 ISO and processed in Diafine makes me a really happy camper. I shot both these prints around the Ryerson University Campus with a Minolta XE-7 set on AE. Printing them was fun too, I used up my remaining Kentmere fibre paper stash and I nailed the tones perfectly.

I hit a magic combination this photo, the lighting was just right and I got the perfect tones printing it. I was out a week ago with my Leica M3 and had a Canon 50 f1.4 lens. Yes Canon made Leica thread mount lenses back in the early 1960's and I use mine with an adapter, I really like the contrast this lens renders. The film of choice was Ilford HP5 processed in D-76 1+1 dilution which gets you a nice grain structure and I printed on Kentmere Fineprint glossy fibre paper.

This is the first set from the bulk roll of Tri-X I got for Christmas. Loading your own film cassettes save a ton of money, I should have done this a lot sooner. I shot this at my nephew Marcus' Fourth Birthday party, rating the film at 1600 ISO and processing in Diafine. I used my Minolta XE-7 with a 50mm F1.4 MC Rokkor Lens exclusively. I can't believe Marcus turned four, other photos include Aunt Maryanne, his sister Charlotte and his mom Ruxie.

More photos taken with the Canonet QL 17 GIII back in November-December 2007.

Happy New Year! I think 2008 is going to be a really good year for everyone out there. Below are two shots of winter wonderland that alas won't be around next week as we are getting the early January melt with temperatures forecast in the +10c range. I wish I was kidding, I am skier and I get my skis back from being tuned up on the weekend and I like shooting in the winter. It's too early for April weather, this is Canada and it's supposed to stay cold. The photos below were taken with my Canonet with Agfa APX 400 processed in D76. Neat little fixed lens rangefinder camera, I was a little worried about the meter and shutter speed accuracy after a drop. There are more photos to be posted from the fall coming up next.

A few things, one a safe happy new year to all out there, I hope 2008 is going to be a great year for everyone. I learned a lot in 2007 in several areas in my life, I have switched developers for printing and I will be making a switch from HC-110, syrup developer to D-76 which you have to mix up a stock solution from a powder. Heavy overcast days have been my challenge in the past, no more with D-76. I love the finer grain results I get with Ilford HP5 and Kodak Tri-X.