Film, and other stories...

"I was never a fan of the 50mm focal length," said the man working behind the counter at Leo's Cameras. I was buying 10 rolls of film, a Peterson graduated cylinder and film chemistry and he obviously still shot film.. He had asked what I was "using." As someone buying film I was a rare kindred spirit in a rapidly changing world.

"Yeah, I don't like the 50mm focal length either. I'm not sure why it's considered such a 'standard' lens."

"I quite like 35mm."

"Me too," I responded. "I have a lovely Leica M3 but it has a 50mm lens on it and I rarely use it. But a 35mm lens on anything makes me happy."

So I'm still shooting film and, because I'm stubborn, I put a 50mm Super Takumar f/1.4 lens on the Pentax Spotmatic tonight. It's a highly revered and coveted lens, and I have two of them, but I rarely use them. I have a 28mm lens on the camera I've been shooting with most recently, and a 35mm on another Spotmatic that I used at the beginning of all this recent film nonsense. For the rest of this current roll of film, which is near its beginning, it will be the 50mm lens. Comfort zones. It's good to step outside of them. Maybe. I guess I'll know in a few days.

Speaking of lost arts, this article really grabbed me.

17-6-25

Coincidences. Nothing more. Nothing less.

17-6-24

 Still on the road. Ucluelet for one night. The majesty of the budget hotel... (it felt so good taking off those boots)

...vs the wonder of the ocean. I like this side of the island. I like seeing the horizon.

17-6-23

"You don't take pictures of sunsets with black and white film." I said that once. And yet here's a black and white sunset.

17-6-22

17-6-21

Too nostalgic for my own good.

17-6-20

17-6-19

Back to film. Kodak T-MAX 400. It's been serving me well.

17-6-18

There's a pig under there. And this photo is digital. I've been shooting film every day since the 20th of May. Two more days and it would have been a perfect month. Wabi-sabi, the Japanese call it. Finding beauty in the imperfections. I didn't take a photo on film today. I am flawed, and so my work is flawed. I'll sometimes skip a day on purpose because maintaining a perfect record of daily photos is a pressure I don't want here, so things get messed up.

There's a metaphor in there. And an analogy. And a flaw.

But I'm working on it.

17-6-17

If you're going to roast a pig, you're going to need a pig.

17-6-16

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17-6-14

If you're going to roast a pig, you're going to need some wood.

17-6-13

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17-6-11

It's been the better part of 20 years since I've climbed to the top of that rock. The Chief. It's time to do it again. Not this day, but soon.

John Lennon

"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."

It's debatable if John coined that phrase, but when a Beatle says something, ex or otherwise, it's noted. And John did say that.

Film is hanging and drying. I'm off to Victoria in the morning for a week. So no chance to scan and post for a while.

But life is happening.

And I did have other plans.

Horace

"Desinit in piscem, mulier formosa superne."

The beautiful woman ends in a fish's tail.

- Horace, Art Poetica (18BC)

More photos soon. Film is slow. Digital may make a return. Fuji has had my little camera for over two weeks now. No word on its return. Maybe I don't care anymore. In another two weeks I'll know for sure.

17-6-10

"When cooking a pig in the ground, you will dig what looks like a shallow grave..."

17-6-9

17-6-8

17-6-7

Jimi Hendrix shrine. These things we worship, these things we create shrines to.

17-6-6

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17-6-4

Taking stock of where I am.

17-6-3

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17-6-1

Those clouds...

17-5-31

When corralling electrons onto a drive of some sort it doesn't feel wrong to not share too many photos, but when shooting film, the sacrifice of chemicals and frames of film seems to suggest more photos should be shown.

Maybe not.

But here's 3.

That house will be gone in a few months, maybe sooner.

And the trees in the park are like a photograph of a dream.

17-5-30

17-5-29

Kodak TMAX 100. film film film

17-5-28

Scanning film. Shooting film.