Shooting 35mm B&W Film – Again
Four years ago I tried to resurrect my 3 Prints Project — shooting film each week and making three gelatin silver prints. It began back in 2008 along with my friend Gordon Harkins and served to motivate both of us to keep working after we got out of art school. It worked for a few years until I faded into the digital world. And when I tried to revive it four years ago — I just couldn’t sustain the effort. Career demands were different and photography took a back seat.
Nikon F3 HP Camera
For a brief moment I considered buying another used Leica M6. But then I looked at the cost. Particularly for lenses. Until I’m convinced this project with film is long-lived, the Leica is off the table.
Instead, I bought a used Nikon F3 HP and a couples lenses. They’re available for almost nothing and are capable cameras. The HP version of the F3 has a huge viewfinder and since everything is manually focused — a boon to my aging eyes. I quickly ran a roll of Ilford Hp5+ through the camera to confirm everything was working and I’m back in business.
Darkroom Processes
My darkroom is all set to process film and make prints. I can handle prints up to 20×24 inches in size. I seldom make prints that large. The normal sizes are 8×10 and 11×14.
To speed things along and keep things simple I use common darkroom chemicals. Kodak HC110 and D-76 for developing film. Ilford HP5+ for 35mm work and Kodak TXP for 4×5.
For film and prints I use Heico NH5 fixer. Sprint Indicator Stop Bath. And Kodak Dektol for developing prints. Permawash is my go to chemical for archival washing of negatives and prints.
Print from a 4×5 negative
This was made using a 4×5 Zone VI view camera with a 105mm Ektar lens at a nearby park. The image is a scan from a print on Ilford Multigrade Fiber paper.
Lilyhammer
From the first roll of Ilford HP5+ film run through the Nikon F3. It was early morning at 4F. Exposure was 1/15th at F2. Lily can’t hold still and neither can I.
KaBooma (Junior)
Junior is a more cooperative subject and will stay still. Even when snow is falling on his head. Again, 1/15th at F2.
The F3 works fine and the meter is consistent which will allow me to focus on what my eye latches on to without being concerned for the workings of the camera.
So far, so good.
Digital Cameras, Dogs and Vespa Riding
Couldn’t resist making a photograph of Lily watching someone walking a dog outside. The iPhone is a fine tool for this. As are the other digital tools I have in my collection.
The temperature has warmed considerable from the frigid temperatures of last week. As the thermometer pushed past 40F today I almost took the Vespa for a ride. Almost. But soon it will find its way out of the garage and on toward new adventures.
But mostly right now I’m focused on shooting film and making prints. And that’s ok.
Looks like a nice resurrection of a past interest. I’ll look forward to seeing more of your work.
Thanks Jim. Lots of work ahead.
Sadly my darkroom is gone, a victim of lack of interest and space. I am looking forward to see what fine images emerge from yours. The shot of the trays reminds me that I can’t use a tube of silicone sealer without smelling stop bath.
Best wishes for your project.
Stop bath. One of the old photographers perfume.
I’m glad I didn’t tear my darkroom out. It’s functioning fine right now. The only thing I want to do is install a new mixing valve so I have an easier time keeping the water temperature stable. Not a huge issue, but it’s nice when you don’t have to struggle.
Sounds like an enjoyable and creative hobby Steve. I never learned the darkroom processes so I’m still digital old dude. Glad to see the warming trend in your area!
Seems to be a resurgence in analog photography, especially among the affluent millennials. Prices are rising for all sorts of film cameras. And there is a lot of chemistry, film and paper available too.
Warming but not warm. And so much rain and snow melt now that the ground is soggy and a sea of mud. I have to hose the dogs off before they come in the house a lot of the time. They hate that and so do I.
Ever since digital cameras I haven’t broken out my Pentax AE1 or my Ikoflex. With retirement coming up this might be a good time.
Nothing wrong with digital. I still use it for a lot of things. Not sure where my film use will take me. For now it’s enough to just be making photographs.
Going back to film really is a challenge. Film is expensive as is the whole developing and printing process. Can you still get things like bulk film? I found that handy as many times I used to go out with short rolls of B/W from the bulk roll.
I calculated the cost of my current plan for film use. With chemistry, paper and film, the annual cost will be around $1000.00. Working digitally the cost of ink and paper would be around $700.00. If you factor in equipment costs, film is much cheaper in the long run. Cameras and darkroom equipment basically last a lifetime. Not the case with digital. Software, computers, printers and cameras are constantly changing, failing and are really expensive. The “free” part of digital is you can shoot a lot. But with film I shoot as much as I want.
I’ve bulk loaded in the past but don’t like it. More than once a stray piece of grit in the system led to long scratches on the film. Add my laziness to the mix and you have a factory load guy!
When did you get rid of your M6?
Four years ago. Kim told me not to do it. She was right. I sold the M6 body and two Leica lenses for around $2000.00. It will cost me $6200.00 to buy them back. Ugh.
1/15 with that big old mirror flapping about … Kudos, I can only wish ?
The Nikon F3 does a good job dampening the mirror but 1/15th is the slowest I can hand hold. I can go slowed with a digital camera with image stabilization. And you can always jack up the ISO. Neither an option with the F3.
Great work Steve! You have inspired me to get out and about with my Vespa and my phone (not as accomplished a photographer as you) and record things.
Phone cameras are pretty amazing tools these days. I always marvel at the photography on the Fuzzygalore.com site. She uses an iPhone.
I like the introspective look captured on the dogs….
This post reminds me of me sealing up the bathroom in my parent’s house, developing prints for a photojournalism course during college.
Our two Belgian Sheepdogs are thinkers Dom. They are always hanging around with those introspective looks!
I remember sealing up the bathroom at my parents house in high school. Nice to have a real darkroom now.
As I suggested previously use the field camera, the Nikon F3HP is good, wore out two of them at work, and
then switched to Hasselblads for large format; they too died over time. Imagine a square box with a shutter a lens on one end, a roll film back on the rear. In both cases of the ‘Blads the shutters expired. Expensive to repair. By that time my world of employment was changing, and then Kodachrome disappeared. That killed
most photography for me. Now I am starting to sell off and rid myself of more colour
slides than I shake a stick at.
So am looking forward to something “positive!”
BTW the photograph of Lily watching outside is lovely.
My field camera is for a specific project. One that I’m am slow to engage but will shortly. It has a lot of life in it. Likely more than I have in me.
The F3 HP I have now is in excellent condition. Fingers crossed than it functions reliably for a few years. Repairs to these old cameras are hard to come by since no one makes parts anymore. You can get them fixed but as you say it’s expensive.
Kodachrome. I used to shoot tons of that. Mostly Kodachrome 64 but sometimes 200 and rarely 25. For personal work though, it has always been black and white.
Lily blushed when I told her she’s lovely!
Beautiful photos! The rest of the technical detail was like “yadda, yadda” to me, sadly. I look forward to seeing more of your film work!
Thanks for the kind words. There’s a lot of yadda, yadda in photography that gets in the way. I’ll try and keep it all to a minimum and focus on the pictures!
Don’t do that on my account! I wish I knew more and most of your readers do!
Glad you are back at it!
Working again with film and spending time in the darkroom has been a joy. At least when I get there. Still have a lot of mental inertia to overcome to push myself to the basement and heat up the darkroom. Now I just have to post some of the results — if only occasionally.
I visit your blog looking for new work. Something that sticks in my mind is the subtitle, “a late stage photoblog.” On bad days that sounds kind of ominous.