A video collection of some images I took these last days around here in Michiana, the Indiana Dunes and the Salamonie River.
I love winter
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Shooting Film: Indiana Dunes
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The Indiana Dunes is one of the very few places I have here (within driving distance for a one-day trip) where I can take somewhat outdoors photos.
I'd never been to the place before, so I'm not sure what's going to look like when the snow melts. I've seen photos and to be honest, it's a bit "blah".
But now, in winter, it's a landscape I'd never seen before. This video is the first of my already multiple trips up there, and probably not the last one to come (last time I was there, the lake was frozen as far as I could see - truly an amazing view).
Morning, San Francisco, November 2017
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Camera and Lens: Bronica SQ-Ai, Zenzanon PS 250mm f/5.6
Film stock: Ilford HP5+
Exposure: 800
Developer: Ilfotec HC
If you've watched the video from San Francisco, you know I had to visit San Francisco a few times, and drive to Marin Headlands 4 mornings in a row to get this shot.
I wanted to make an image of the Golden Gate, at sunrise, with the fog. And while the bridge is always at the same place and sunrise happens always at the same time, the fog is more elusive. Persistence paid off though.
American Road Trip Journal #16: San Francisco
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This was my 6th or 7th visit to the city of San Francisco, and after trying and failing all of those times, I was determined to get the shot I always wanted: the San Francisco fog, at the Golden Gate, at sunrise. It took me a few days and a few toll payments, but I finally got it.
Some more things in the video, along with some random comments about some of the photos.
Developing HP5+ at 1600 using D-76 and TF-4
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Short video about developing Ilford HP5, shot at 1600 ASA, using Kodak D-76 and Photographer's Formulary TF-4 as the developer and fixer respectively.
Recipe is as follows:
film stock: Ilford HP5+, 120 film
temperature: 70F - 21C
developer: Kodak D-76, 1+1
...notes: 18 minutes, agitation / inversion of 10 seconds
stop bath: water
...notes: 3 rinses, 1 minute agitation
fixer: Photographer's Formulary TF-4
...notes: 6 minutes, agitation / inversion of 30 seconds
wet agent: Kodak Photo-Flo
"One tree and one thousand shadows", Chain O Lakes, January 2018
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Camera and Lens: Bronica SQ-Ai, Zenzanon PS 50mm f/3.5
Film stock: Ilford HP5+
Exposure: 800
Developer: Kodak D-76
This is one of the images from my visit to Chain O Lakes. The Sun was behind me and I saw these shadows on the frozen lake, casting from the line of the trees also behind me, contrasting with the ones at the other side of the lake.
I thought that image wouldn't work like that, so I added an extra element: the lone tree. Now, I wish I'd taken the other photo as well because it might have worked as well, or even better, than this one with the tree in it.
But anyway, here it is: "One Tree and One Thousand Shadows".
Shooting film in Chain O Lakes, Indiana
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There aren't many places where you can go out and enjoy nature here in Northern Indiana, and they require some driving to get to. But they are going to be my playground for a couple more months, so I'm spending some time getting to know them.
The first one, Chain O Lakes, is 40 minutes away from where we live. It's far from being "wilderness", but it does offer some nature that you can enjoy mostly by yourself at this time of the year, as long as you avoid the smaller lakes, crowded with people ice fishing.
As usual, I shot Ilford HP5+ with my Bronica SQ-Ai, although I also loaded Fuji Acros 100 for the first time. I only got to get one shot with this new film (for me) over there, and it's at the very end of the video.
Sutro Baths, San Francisco, November 2017
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Camera and Lens: Bronica SQ-Ai, Zenzanon PS 150mm f/4
Film stock: Ilford HP5+
Exposure: 800
Developer: Ilfotech HC
Point Lobos and the Sutro Baths are a pretty cool spot to visit in San Francisco. But please do so early in the morning, on a weekday if possible. I tried to go there for sunset and it was impossible to find a place where to park the car.
But the day I took this photo, I got there before noon after photographing the Golden Gate and the Fisherman's Wharf. Granted, there were already a few people, but no crowds. This is why I was able to set up my camera a few times and take a few long exposures of this beautiful place.
In this photo, you are seeing the "pond" that is part of the baths, the wall that seaparates it from the ocean -with some birds on it- and a couple rocks being hit by waves.
Indiana Diary II
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Long exposure #FAIL, Chicago, January 2018
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Last week, I got to spend a few days in Chicago. And of course, I brought my film camera gear with me. The hotel we stayed at had a very sweet view, so before going to bed to take a well deserved nap I set up my camera and left it taking a 40-minute long exposure. But it was a fail.
Long exposures at sunrise or sunset times are very tricky.
Read MoreSunset Tree, Salt Point State Park, November 2017
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Camera and Lens: Bronica SQ-Ai, Zenzanon PS 80mm f/2.8
Film stock: Ilford HP5+
Exposure: 800
Developer: Ilfotec HC
I saw this tree earlier that day, and I knew I had to take some photographs at sunset or near sunset time. I did take a few shots from the sides, but I wasn't fully happy with those compositions.
I kept walking around the tree, looking for new angles, when I came across a picnic table that had the best perspective of it. Sitting down on one of the benches, I made this image of the silhouette of the tree.
7 Bronica SQ-Ai Shooting Tips
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I've been shooting quite a lot with my Bronica since I got it last year. I brought it with me to the mountains, to the desert and to the shores of oceans and lakes all across the country (see my [American Road Trip series on YouTube).
I sat down and I thought about some tips I would've loved to know about when I started shooting it. Hoping they help someone, here they go in no particular order.
Read MoreAmerican Road Trip Journal #15: Salt Point State Park
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New episode of the American Road Trip, number 15!
This time we car camp in Salt Point State Park. This spot is some 2 hours south of Mendocino and 2.5 hours north of the Bay Area.
We went back to Point Arena from there: the weather was much nicer than last time and also Rachel didn't get to visit it last time. Walking on the headlands of this place was one of the most relaxing things we did during the whole road trip.
Salt Point is not very big, but it's still beautiful and perfect to catch a sunset, which is what we did.
We also visited the coast of Sonoma County so I checked a few extra places I'd never been to.
Next episode, San Francisco! My favorite city in the United States.
Shooting film in Notre Dame, South Bend
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If you follow college football, you know Notre Dame. Their team is very popular nationwide, or at least that's what I've been told (I'm not a huge football fan, although I do watch games from time to time and I have my favorites - the Seahawks and the Ducks, of course!).
ND game in Fenway Park, Boston. The only football game I've been to so far. It was fun!
Even though we are now very close to South Bend, I'd never been to the actual campus. So taking advantage of a trip I had to make there, and given that the hotel where I was staying was literally next door to the university, I finally paid a visit to the place.
I only had one hour at the one parking lot I could find that didn't require a permit, and it was very, very cold (as usual). So the photos are nothing amazing - they could've been much better if I got there just 5-10 minutes earlier though, while the snowstorm was still strong.
I'll have to go back and spend some more time there.
"Snowstorm", Indiana, January 2018
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Camera and Lens: Bronica SQ-Ai, Zenzanon PS 150mm f/4
Film stock: Ilford HP5+
Exposure: 800
Developer: Kodak D76
Others: Orange Filter
On my way back from New Buffalo, I took some secondary roads looking for some farms and farm equipment that would look good in that weather: snow and heavy, dense fog.
I found a few scenes but it's hard to find a place to stop on those roads, and they can be dangerous when the visibility is so low. So I couldn't spend much time there nor shoot all the images I wanted to. But I still managed to come back with a couple I really like, this being one of them.
How I found time for landscape photography while having a day job
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Time is precious. Being a landscape photographer requires a lot of exclusive time but most people don't seem to have it. These are some things I used to do that helped me find that time.
Read More"Island in time", Point Arena, November 2017
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Camera and Lens: Bronica SQ-Ai, Zenzanon PS 80mm f/2.8
Film stock: Ilford HP5+
Exposure: 800
Developer: Ilfotec HC
I can't say enough good things about Point Arena, one of my favorite spots in the whole coast of California.
On my second day there I found a mostly sunny day, very different to what I'd had a couple days before that. This weather and the beautiful landscape were calling for some long exposures, so that's what I did here.
America Road Trip Journal #14: Mendocino County
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Mendocino was the first "new" place to us on this road trip. It was an entirely new landscape for me to explore, and I finally had the time to do so.
Based in Fort Bragg, I spent some 2 and half to 3 full days driving and hiking around the cute small towns and beautiful coastal line that this part of California has to offer.
You can't really go wrong here: not only you have the southern part of the Lost Coast very close, but also places like Glass Beach or Mendocino Headlands.
And further south, my favorite of them all: Point Arena. I took some long exposures there that are some of my favorite photos of this road trip so far.
"Frozen rocks from a frozen world", Lake Michigan, January 2018
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Camera and Lens: Bronica SQ-Ai, Zenzanon PS 80mm f/2.8
Film stock: Ilford HP5+
Exposure: 800
Developer: Kodak D76
Notes: Orange Filter
These big, frozen rocks were the first thing that caught my eye once I got to New Buffalo, Michigan. An inch of ice was wrapping them, like big ice cubes. They were smooth, very slippery.
I knew I wanted to photograph them, but I couldn't find a good angle / composition so I gave up and headed towards the beach.
On my way back, I looked for more images near the jetty and saw those rocks again. It was by far the most interesting thing in that place, and I still didn't have an image of it!
I finally found what I was looking for, just when I was ready to give up again due to the freezing wind chills. I saw this space in between four of those rocks, filled with snow, and I decided to compose it. I took two exposures but this is the best one.
Probably not a shot that will speak to many, but it reminds me of that day, brings back feelings of the cold, ice and snow. Frozen rocks from a frozen world.
"Windmill", Bonneyville Mills, Indiana, January 2018
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Camera and Lens: Bronica SQ-Ai, Zenzanon PS 80mm f/2.8
Film stock: Ilford FP4+
Exposure: 125
Developer: Kodak D76
There aren't many places to explore around here in Northern Indiana, so I'm trying to take full advantage of those few I've found so far. One of them is Bonneyville Mills.
I wasn't alone that day so I didn't have as much time as I would've loved but I still managed to take a few shots, some -like this one- will be part of #fp4party!