We Want Kodak to Bring Back the Brownie!

  By Kiely | May 2, 2012 - 6:01 pm | Analog Photography, Black and White, Color Film, Film Photography, History of Photography, Uncategorized
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Vintage Brownie Camera Advertisement

Okay, so what’s a Brownie?

When Kodak first started selling the Brownie in 1900, the goal was to equip as many people as possible with an affordable and simple-to-use camera. The very first Brownie was a basic box camera, and Kodak used the Brownie name for the next 80 years on a large variety of cameras with different film types and styles. Ranging from the original box to folding cameras, the Brownie name was synonymous with affordability and ease.

With the news that Kodak was filing for bankruptcy protection, people soon began riling that film was dead. Though we already have lost Kodak’s slide films, the general consensus from the #believeinfilm community on Twitter seems to be that they believe in Kodak as well. Just recently, Mary-Irene Marek (@KodakCommunity on Twitter) wrote out a very thoughtful and encouraging article about the #believeinfilm community on Kodak’s blog. Ms. Marek is extremely engaged in the thriving film community, and lately she’s been getting a lot of tweets to bring back the Brownie cameras and the 620 film (which is more in demand than the 127). Tweets regarding these wishes can be seen by searching the #bringbackbrownie hashtag.

Kodak Brownie Flash 20 by Flickr user jakem

 

Okay, so what can I do with this 100 year old camera?

If you have a Brownie model that uses 620 (Brownie Hawkeye) or 120 film (Brownie Cresta), you are better off than a Brownie model that uses 127 film or other discontinued film types. While fresh 620 film may be difficult to find, there are many resources out there for you to put your Brownie to use. 120 roll film is still widely available and fresh (from Kodak)! As stated previously, the difference between 620 and 120 is the spool. Follow these detailed instructions to re-spool your 120 film onto a 620 spool!

Instructions w/ Pictures courtesy of the Brownie Camera Page

Video Instructions

Okay, so why would I want to shoot a Brownie?

The photos have a distinct look which can be similar to that of the Holga or Diana cameras, except the Brownie has a unique history, and may be 100 years old! Not to mention if you’re stuck in a creative rut, restoring and using an antique camera could be the inspiration you’ve been looking for. View the great examples below, and maybe you’ll be wanting to bring back the Brownie:

by woosang on Flickr

by believeinfilm on Flickr

by rocketttodd on Flickr

by robert schneider (rolopix) on Flickr

by SteveMPhoto on Flickr

by @cgmoyer on Twitter (click-through for his blog which features many more Brownie images)

I know what my next project will be! I would like to find and restore an old Brownie to use with 120 film. If you have or plan to buy a Brownie and are unsure of its condition the website Hawkeyemods.com would be worth your visit. You can purchase a newly restored Brownie or have yours sent in to be restored for a reasonable price. There is also a tutorial for flipping the lens in the Brownie (which makes for different looking images), as well as an instructional manual and a gallery of the new & improved Brownie Hawkeyes.

I think it is important to share with Kodak how much we as a community enjoy the photographs that come from these vintage cameras. Using the #bringbackbrownie tag is a great way to start. If you don’t have Twitter, I encourage you to sign up and tag your tweets with #believeinfilm. The film photography community on Twitter is a big reason why I’ve stuck with shooting film through all of my mistakes. I want to thank everyone who contributed photos today and encourage you to view more of their work.

For more information on Brownies here are a few websites that you can visit: The Brownie Camera Page, The Brownie Camera (On Kodak Website), and Brownie Box Cameras.

Scanning Film For Dummies Like Me

  By Kiely | April 4, 2012 - 3:27 am | Color Film, For Beginners, My Photography, Resources
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If you’ve ever dabbled in film scanning (and mostly, color negative film), then I’m sure you recall a time (or 1,000 times) where you’ve been frustrated. Maybe more than frustrated. Maybe you almost swore off shooting film altogether! I kid. The past few days I have been working with my flatbed scanner (Epson 4490) and Vuescan software, running into plenty of annoying issues. Flatbed scanners are not the best way to digitalize your film. If you have the funds, I would highly recommend a dedicated film scanner. Flatbeds work for people on a budget, myself included, while dedicated film scanners and drum scanners bring out the best of your photographic film. This article is mostly aimed at those using flatbed scanners and color negative film.

I knew that there had to be an easier or more effective way with less obstacles. I was receiving scans that were extra dark, had a blue-green cast, or both. However, now that I consider myself “a scanning expert,” I want to share with you the tools and articles that supplied this knowledge. I realize that I could very well have summarized my learnings and presented them to you as if they were original, however, I like to give exposure to other websites and enjoy giving credit where credit is due.

Broad Resources

Fixing Colors

Across all of these resources, there remain conflicting viewpoints. Some say that the pre-set film type color preferences work, while others claim they are not to be used. Some say that you should scan an unexposed part of the film (each time you scan a new/different roll) to obtain that roll’s unique traits and then lock the settings for the rest of the images. Others say to color correct by clicking on a neutral part of the image to set the white balance. So what should you do? Experiment, then experiment some more. The problem with color negative film is that unlike a slide which you can view on a light table and see the precise coloration, when scanning negative film (unless you make a print) you aren’t sure of what to go off of. So while I jokingly consider myself a “scanning expert,” I am hoping to absorb this information provided in the links above and make scanning a less annoying process (though it will always be tedious).

To conclude, I would like to share with you some bad scans and some scans I did after a lot of reading.

BAD SCANS:

And something a bit better:

Both of the above images came straight out of Vuescan with no post processing. I’d say that I’m quickly learning how to make my color negative scanning experience less negative! Hopefully if you’ve ever shared scanning problems, these resources will aid in your frustrations. As always, if you believe I have missed an important scanning write-up, perhaps your own, feel free to leave a link in the comments and I will add it.

A Few from My Mamiya SLR

  By Kiely | March 18, 2012 - 9:33 pm | Color Film, Film Photography, My Photography, Uncategorized
4 Comments

Some of you may know that I first developed a thirst for shooting film when my father lent me his Mamiya Sekor 1000/DTL SLR when I was still in high school. Ever since, I have enjoyed working with this camera even though it is heavier than my other SLR’s and has a non-working meter. Maybe it is purely nostalgia that makes this camera one of my favorites to shoot with, but I also have to give credit to its consistency. Here I would like to share with you a few recent pictures I have taken with this treasured camera.

All of these pictures were taken with a 50mm f/1.8 lens, camera was loaded with an expired roll of Kodak Gold 200.

First a few of the Boston Harbor Marina:

The next few were taken at the McLane Nature Trail.

I’m going to put a few posts together to be published this week & the following, as I am leaving on vacation this upcoming Saturday and would like to be more diligent with posting. As always I am open to questions, comments, and critiques. Also more can be viewed on Flickr.

Kodak Discontinues Slide Films, an Appreciation Post

  By Kiely | March 5, 2012 - 12:42 am | Analog Photography, Color Film, Film Photography, Inspiration
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With the news that Kodak is discontinuing their slide films, I wanted to put together a post with photos from the FilmWins Flickr Group that demonstrate the incredible results one can get from Kodak color reversal films! Although production has ceased, there are still a lot of these films out there. When putting this post together I decided it was necessary for me to enjoy some Kodak slide film of my own. This lead to a purchase of some 135 Elite Chrome 100. Expect to see results from this endeavor in the following months!

To start, here is a nice night time exposure taken in Singapore on Kodak EB3 (Elite Chrome 100) taken by mi..chael on Flickr:

Example of the striking colors that come from cross processed Kodak slide film

Next is a shot taken on Ektachrome E100, and this shot showcases the beautiful details that can be captured with Kodak slide films. This one is by Flickr member acetonic:

Check out the crisp details in the sand, lovely shadows, and deep blues.

I like the color tones in this photo, taken using a Lomography Supersampler with cross processed Elitechrome by Flickr member Luciana Urtiga:

Fun use of slide film in a Lomography camera

Here is another lovely cross processing example, this time with autumn colors. Taken on Ektachrome E100G by Flickr member The Hamster Factor:

When a great exposure and Kodak slide film meet to create a lovely image.

 

Kodak slide films can be found around the web, via Freestyle Photo, B&H Photo/Video, Adorama, etc., though prices seem to have gone up since the announcement. While we are sad to see Kodak slide film go, we plan to show Kodak some love by buying some new stock of their films still in production!

March of Film!

  By Kiely | February 29, 2012 - 11:43 pm | Analog Photography, Film Photography
2 Comments

It’s the last day of February, which means that March Film Madness starts tomorrow! What is March of Film? From what I understand, each week a list of themes will be posted on the March of Film Flickr Group, with your submissions uploaded to the group the following week. I think this is a great project to explore one’s creativity through shooting film. I definitely plan on participating myself so expect some of my personal work to be uploaded throughout the month. To keep yourself updated visit the following links:

Another exciting part of this challenge is that Old School Photo Lab is offering a coupon that can be used once a week to have the lab scan and upload your photos for you to see instantly (as soon as it is processed, of course), instead of waiting for a shipment! This can be found here: Old School Lab Coupon. Not only am I excited for fun challenges but also to use Old School Lab’s services for the first time. I hear and also see that they do an amazing job!

This is the camera I will be using for the first week:

Minolta XE-7

I can’t wait to see everyone’s results. You can probably expect to see some of my favorites posted here throughout the month as well!

Looking to Show off Your Film Pictures on Flickr?

  By Kiely | February 22, 2012 - 11:52 am | Analog Photography, Film Photography, Inspiration
1 Comment

If you use Flickr then you know that there are many groups in which people view and critique images, as well as converse and share information via forums. I am writing this as a guide for those of you who want to showcase your images in film photography groups but do not want to join 100 groups in the process.

These are my recommendations for film photography groups on Flickr:

1. I Shoot Film: This group is definitely the largest Flickr group for film photographers. It has almost 2 million pictures in the group pool and many helpful discussion topics for the newcomers to the seasoned professionals.

2. Film Photography Podcast: Another large group with many photos for inspiration as well as convenient and supportive discussion topics.

3. Analog Photography/Analogue Photography: Two different groups with the same name and different spellings. High numbers of photos and members in both!

4. Believe In Film: This group is brand new on Flickr, but the phrase #believeinfilm is well-known and supported by a large community of members who are extremely interactive and helpful. It was recently announced that there will be a #believeinfilm publication (for more info and news on this I direct you to follow @filmdevelop and @BelieveInFilm on Twitter) and in order to be considered you must submit to the OFFICIAL Believe in Film group. There is another Believe In Film group, though unofficial, that would be a nice complement to your groups as well!

These are my top suggestions. There are hundreds of groups on Flickr out there where you could submit your images! I myself like to cut down on the groups and focus on only a few.

I also recommend the Film Wins Flickr Group for obvious reasons!

Whoever Said ‘Film is Dead’ Lied.

  By Kiely | February 10, 2012 - 9:59 am | Analog Photography, Color Film, Film Photography, My Photography
5 Comments

Yesterday, those of us who still shoot film heard some pretty exciting news from Kodak. Kodak has decided to dump its digital products and focus their energy on their film products. If you want to read more, check out this article: “Kodak to shutter camera business.” The article also states that, “Kodak came under pressure from investors because margins are higher for products such as photography film and printer ink cartridges, which consumers buy far more frequently than cameras.” Now this is what we like to hear!

 

In celebration of this news I would like to share with you a few photos taken with expired Kodak Gold 800. However, I will be buying new film to support Kodak and encourage others to do the same!

 

 

Here’s to hoping you all have a pleasant weekend, and that you shoot more film!

I Scored!

  By Kiely | February 6, 2012 - 10:14 am | Analog Photography, Color Film, Film Photography, Instant Film, My Photography
6 Comments

This weekend I was poking around at a local thrift store and stumbled upon a pack of Polaroid Polacolor type 669 pack film that fits Polaroid Land Cameras. I couldn’t pass this up – especially at the sweet price of $1.99. The pack of film was 10 years expired, which was exciting but also made me nervous if it would even work. I went into town near sunset and took a few shots with it. This is what I came out with:

Polaroid

Expired Polacolor Film

 

Overall I have liked shooting with this pack, but I do enjoy how on point the Fuji packfilm colors are. Because this is expired, I expected to get some funky results. I will share the rest of them as they are shot!

February Film Goals

  By Kiely | February 1, 2012 - 11:41 am | Analog Photography, Black and White, Film Photography
7 Comments

January was a long month – what was I doing? I wasn’t shooting enough film, that is for sure! I’ve written up a few goals that will hopefully keep me on track with my craft.

For the month of February I would like to:

1. AT LEAST mix the stock chemicals for my black and white developing. I will be really aiming to develop my first roll(s) this month. Work has been crazy and so has school.

2. Shoot my first 800 ISO film (that fell into my lap from a good friend recently) and experiment with night time shooting.

3. Obtain and shoot some FP-3000B pack film for my Polaroid Land Camera.

4. Become proficient with my light meter. I tend to always rely on the meter inside the camera. Some of my cameras have batteries that are hard to find or expensive. It is time for me to learn how to use my light meter (effectively). I have various book resources on this and plan to use them.

This should be good for now.

Any specific goals you have for February?

Instant Film Follies

  By Kiely | January 30, 2012 - 4:51 pm | Analog Photography, Color Film, Film Photography, Instant Film, My Photography
2 Comments

I recently bought film and a battery for my Polaroid 320 Land Camera and have been experimenting ever since. I used Polaroid as a kid, but it had been a long time since I had taken an instant film picture. I ordered a pack of the FP-100C film off of Amazon and loaded up my camera.I did a lot of reading/watching things about land cameras via the FilmPhotographyProject.com prior to this as I had never used this type of camera or film. The first pack I decided would be used as a test… I am glad I didn’t take any special pictures that I really wanted to keep. It is important to take into account the film ISO (and set the camera accordingly), development time, as well as the temperature wherever you’re taking the picture. Most of the ones from the first pack were “throw-aways,” but I wanted to share a couple with you. I definitely plan on getting more film for my land camera (very interested in the black and white which is “faster” than the color film) as well as acquiring a flash because the color film needs a LOT of light.

Mess up

I had never used a film that was peel-apart, and they advise you to leave it hanging in your hand until you peel it apart. Here I must have bumped it on accident, causing it to make that mistake.

This one was correct as I just “let it hang” before peeling apart the film, but I find it a little too over-exposed for my taste.

I plan on using more of this film, and encourage anyone interested in “economical” instant photography to do similar. Land cameras can be found for very cheap on Ebay or at thrift stores. The film goes for under $10 a pack (for 10 pictures) and less than that if you buy in bulk! Expect to see more instant appreciation in the coming months.