Alien-Bees-B800

4x5 for 365 project (360/365)

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One of the things I really look forward to spending more time doing once this 365 project is over, is getting caught up with the various unique cameras I have been acquiring over the last year.  I bought this Kodak Recomar 33 9x12cm plate camera back in July.  It dates back to around 1932-1938 and was made in the Nagel factory in German after Kodak purchased the Nagel Camera Company in the early 1930s.  This one pictured came with two 9x12cm plate holders and I quickly found an additional nine plate holders in almost brand new condition, all with the hard to find sheet film sheaths.  Shortly after that initial camera purchase I was lucky enough to acquire an additional two Recomar 33s for next to nothing.  One of those has a fully functional 120 roll film adapter (included in this picture) and the other Recomar had been customized by a previous owner to take 2 1/4" X 3 1/4" (6x9cm) sheet film holders.  The condition of all three of the Recomar 33 bodies is excellent with supple leather bellows and no light leaks.  I've loaded a bunch of the plate holders with Foma 100 ISO film and I'll be enjoying these cameras in the coming months.  Five days left in this year long project !

Technical details:
Busch Pressman Model D 4x5 large format press camera.
150mm Caltar-S II F 5.6 lens in Copal BT shutter.
Ilfor Fp4+ B&W film shot at 125 ISO.
1/30th second at F22.
Lighting from an Alien Bees B800 at 1/2 power shot into a 36" Photek Softlighter umbrella softbox positioned to camera left.  A 30" white reflector was held just off to camera right. Strobe triggered with PocketWiard Plus IIs.  
Developed in Adox Rodinal 1:50 dilution for7 minutes and 20 seconds @ 20 degrees Celsius using a Beseler 8x10 print drum placed on Unicolor Uniroller 352 auto-reversing rotary base.
4x5" negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (80/365)

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Another entry for the 4x5 for 365 project featuring items from my vintage analog photography collection.  This is my Minolta Hi-Matic 7s 35mm rangefinder. It features a fixed Rokkor 45mm F1.8 lens, shutter speeds from 1/4 seconds to 1/500th plus bulb mode.  It can use either aperture priority or full manual exposure modes.  It has a coupled rangefinder with coupled parallax correction.  The meter is the CDS CLC type with a viewfinder needle indicator.  The ASA range of the camera if 25-800.  It has both a hotshoe and a PC sync socket and can sync at all speeds on X setting.  It's not the best rangefinder I've ever shot in terms of quality but it's still a fun walk around camera to take along on trips. 

Camera: Calumet 45NX 4x5 large format monorail view camera. 

Lens: Rodenstock Geronar 150mm F6.3 lens in a Copal 0 shutter.  Hoya Yellow-Green filter on the lens. 

Film: Ilford Delta 100 B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed. 

Exposure: 1/60th @ F32. 

Lighting: Subject placed in light tent and lit from above with one Alien Bees B800 studio strobe in a 22" white lined beauty dish with diffusion sock @ full power. Strobe triggered with PocketWizard Plus II radio triggers. 

Development: Self Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Paterson Universal Tank using the Taco Method. 12 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius. Kodak indicator stop bath.  Ilford Rapid Fixer. Photo-Flo rinse.

Scanning: Negative scanned with Epson V600 in two scans and merged back together in PhotoShop since the V600 doesn't natively support 4x5 scans in one pass.  Cropped in Lightroom 4.

4x5 for 365 project (79/365)

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Today's 4x5 for 365 project entry continues on with shots of items from my vintage analog photography collection.  This is my Minolta SR-T 202 35mm film camera.  These were made around 1975.  It features all manual exposure with a TTL option if you have the battery for it.  It has a fully mechanical cloth focal plane shutter with speeds from 1-1/1000 sec plus bulb mode for long exposures.  The shutter makes this amazing "PLACK !!!" sound that is very metallic and satisfying in a tactile kind of way.  There is a self timer mode as well.  The camera can flash X-sync up to 1/60th of a second and has a built in pc-sync port as well as a standard hot shoe.  This particular SR-T 202 came with a Rokkor 50mm F1.7 lens which was the standard lens that usually came with this model and also a Minolta 70-210 F4 telephoto lens.

Camera: Calumet 45NX 4x5 large format monorail view camera. 

Lens: Rodenstock Geronar 150mm F6.3 lens in a Copal 0 shutter.  

Film: Fuji Super HR-T 30 medium speed green sensitive X-Ray film.  Purchased as 8x10" sheets and cut down to 4x5".  Film rated at 100 ISO.  

Exposure: 1/60th @ F32. 

Lighting: Subject placed in light tent and lit from above with one Alien Bees B800 studio strobe in a 22" white lined beauty dish with diffusion sock @ full power. Strobe triggered with PocketWizard Plus II radio triggers. 

Development: Self Developed film in Rodinal (Adox Adinol) 1:100 in three reel Paterson Universal Tank using Mod54 six sheet 4x5 insert.  7 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius with minimal inversions. Kodak indicator stop bath. Ilford Rapid Fixer. Photo-Flo. Hung to dry. 

Scanning: Negative scanned with Epson V600 in two scans and merged back together in PhotoShop since the V600 doesn't natively support 4x5 scans in one pass.

4x5 for 365 project (65/365)

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Today's 4x5 for 365 project entry continues on with shots of items from my vintage analog photography collection.  This is my Yashica Electro 35 GSN rangefinder.  They were first introduced in 1973.  It's a solid rangefinder that could easily be used as a self-defense weapon if needed.  It features aperture priority mode with shutter speeds from 30 seconds to 1/500th plus bulb mode.  The rangefinder is coupled with auto parallax correction.  It supports film ASAs from 25 through 1000.  It originally took the mercury PX32 batteries but this one has been modified with a battery conversion kit from the "Yashica Guy" so that it now takes modern 4LR44 batteries.  It also features a hot shoe, self-timer and battery check lamp.  The Yashinon 45mm F1.7 lens is very sharp though not interchangeable.  I use this rangefinder primarily for street photography.  The only weakness I can note would be the film advance lever does have a pretty long throw but I have gotten used to that.   

Camera: Calumet 45NX 4x5 large format monorail view camera. 

Lens: Rodenstock Geronar 150mm F6.3 lens in a Copal 0 shutter.  Hoya Yellow-Green filter on the lens. 

Film: Ilford Delta 100 B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed. 

Exposure: 1/60th @ F32. 

Lighting: Subject placed in light tent and lit from above with one Alien Bees B800 studio strobe in a 22" white lined beauty dish with diffusion sock @ full power. Strobe triggered with PocketWizard Plus II radio triggers. 

Development: Self Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Paterson Universal Tank using the Taco Method. 12 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius. Kodak indicator stop bath.  Ilford Rapid Fixer. Photo-Flo rinse.

Scanning: Negative scanned with Epson V600 in two scans and merged back together in PhotoShop since the V600 doesn't natively support 4x5 scans in one pass.  Cropped in Lightroom 4.

4x5 for 365 project (63/365)

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Today's project entry features a vintage Olympus OM-1n 35mm SLR.  The OM-1n is the similar to the earlier OM-1MD, with a redesigned film advance lever, a flash ready/sufficient flash LED in the viewfinder, and automatic X-sync regardless of the position of the FP/X switch when coupled with a T-series flash unit mounted on Flash Shoe 4.  This OM-1 series was introduced by Olympus in 1973.  I picked this one up at a street flea market in Philadelphia in the Summer of 2013. The lens has issues that keep it from focusing and eventually I will get around to getting a new 50mm lens for it.  The body is the smallest of my 35mm SLR bodies and it would be nice to have it as an operating walk around camera one day. 

Camera: Calumet 45NX 4x5 large format monorail view camera. 

Lens: Rodenstock Geronar 150mm F6.3 lens in a Copal 0 shutter.  Hoya Yellow-Green filter on the lens. 

Film: Ilford Delta 100 B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed. 

Exposure: 1/60th @ F32. 

Lighting: Subject placed in light tent and lit from above with one Alien Bees B800 studio strobe in a 22" white lined beauty dish with diffusion sock @ full power. Strobe triggered with PocketWizard Plus II radio triggers. 

Development: Self Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Paterson Universal Tank using the Taco Method. 12 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius. Kodak indicator stop bath.  Ilford Rapid Fixer. Photo-Flo rinse.

Scanning: Negative scanned with Epson V600 in two scans and merged back together in PhotoShop since the V600 doesn't natively support 4x5 scans in one pass.

4x5 for 365 project (32/365)

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I had posted an earlier shot of my Grandmother that I shot last Sunday during her 91st birthday party.  That earlier shot was on Ilford HP5+ while this is one I did on Fujifilm HR-T 30 green sensitive X-Ray film for comparison. 

Camera: Calumet 45NX 4x5 large format monorail view camera. 

Lens: Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in a Copal B shutter.  Carl-Zeiss Softar-1 filter on lens to add some edge softness.

Film: Fuji Super HR-T 30 medium speed green sensitive X-Ray film.  Purchased as 8x10" sheets and cut down to 4x5".  Film rated at 100 ISO. 

Exposure: 1/60th @ F16. 

Lighting:  Because of the tight space this was taken in, I was limited to a single strobe and small(ish) light modifier.  I used a Alien Bees B800 @ 3/4 power with a spill kill reflector shot through a 34" Westcott shoot-through umbrella placed camera left aimed at a 45 degree angle to subject. 

Development: Self Developed film in Rodinal (Adox Adinol) 1:100 in three reel Paterson Universal Tank using Mod54 six sheet 4x5 insert.  6 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius with minimal inversions. Tap water stop bath. Ilford Rapid Fixer. Photo-Flo. Hung on shower curtain to dry on film.

Scanning: Negative scanned with Epson V600 in two scans and merged back together in PhotoShop since the V600 doesn't natively support 4x5 scans in one pass.  Cropped to taste in Lightroom 4. 

4x5 for 365 project (30/365)

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My Father, Charles Obst poses for a portrait for my project.  My Dad is a no nonsense kind of guy who is quick with a story and a laugh.

Camera: Calumet 45NX 4x5 large format monorail view camera. 

Lens: Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in a Copal B shutter.  

Film: Fuji Super HR-T 30 medium speed green sensitive X-Ray film.  Purchased as 8x10" sheets and cut down to 4x5".  Film rated at 100 ISO. 

Exposure: 1/60th @ F16. 

Lighting:  Because of the tight space this was taken in, I was limited to a single strobe and small(ish) light modifier.  I used a Alien Bees B800 @ 3/4 power with a spill kill reflector shot through a 34" Westcott shoot-through umbrella placed camera left aimed at a 45 degree angle to subject. 

Development: Self Developed film in Rodinal (Adox Adinol) 1:100 in three reel Paterson Universal Tank using Mod54 six sheet 4x5 insert.  6 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius with minimal inversions. Tap water stop bath. Ilford Rapid Fixer. Photo-Flo. Hung on shower curtain to dry on film.

Scanning: Negative scanned with Epson V600 in two scans and merged back together in PhotoShop since the V600 doesn't natively support 4x5 scans in one pass.

4x5 for 365 project (28/365)

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My Grandmother's 91st birthday was celebrated this past Sunday and I took the opportunity to capture some portraits of her with the 4x5 large format camera. I made images using both traditional Ilford HP5+ and X-Ray film.  This one is the Ilford HP5+ version. I made a million mistakes on this one in terms of framing on the bottom and not using a reflector to fill in the shadow on the right side but it was my first portrait with a large format camera and I plan to build on this, learn and do better next time. 

Camera: Calumet 45NX 4x5 large format monorail view camera. 

Lens: Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in a Copal B shutter.  Carl-Zeiss Softar-1 filter on lens to add some edge softness.

Film: Ilford HP5+ 400 ISO Negative Film, shot at 200 ISO. 

Exposure: 1/60th @ F16. 

Lighting:  Because of the tight space this was taken in, I was limited to a single strobe and small(ish) light modifier.  I used a Alien Bees B800 @ 3/4 power with a spill kill reflector shot through a 34" Westcott shoot-through umbrella placed camera left aimed at a 45 degree angle to subject. 

Development: Self Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Paterson Universal Tank using the Taco Method. 13 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius. Kodak indicator stop bath. Ilford Rapid Fixer. Photo-Flo rinse.

Scanning: Negative scanned with Epson V600 in two scans and merged back together in PhotoShop since the V600 doesn't natively support 4x5 scans in one pass.

4x5 for 365 project (22/365)

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I went for a still life for today's entry to the project.  Basket full of vitamin rich fruit and other assorted goodness.  

Camera: Calumet 45NX 4x5 large format monorail view camera. 

Lens: Rodenstock Geronar 150mm F6.3 lens in a Copal 0 shutter. Yellow filter on the lens to improve contrast.

Film: Fuji Super HR-T 30 medium speed green sensitive X-Ray film.  Purchased as 8x10" sheets and cut down to 4x5".  

Exposure: 1/60th second @ F32. 

Lighting: Alien Bees B800 studio strobe @ 3/4 power in 22" soft white beauty dish with diffusion sock, positioned above and slightly in front of camera position.  A 45" white reflector on reflector stand positioned to camera left to bounce some light back onto the subject.  Strobes triggered with PocketWizard Plus II radio triggers. 

Development: Self Developed film in Rodinal (Adox Adinol) 1:100 in three reel Paterson Universal Tank using Mod54 six sheet 4x5 insert.  6 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius with minimal inversions. Tap water stop bath. Ilford Rapid Fixer. Photo-Flo. Hung on shower curtain to dry on film 

Scanning: Negative scanned with Epson V600 in two scans and merged back together in PhotoShop since the V600 doesn't natively support 4x5 scans in one pass.  

4x5 for 365 project (10/365)

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"Time was God's first creation." --Walter Lang.   

This is one of those cheap, giant 30" wall clocks that you can purchase from Target, Lowes or Home Depot.  They are made to look like the clock surface is chiseled from ancient marble but the entire thing is just aluminum which makes the clock light to hang and work with. 

4x5_for_365_project_010_Clock_001.jpg


Camera: Calumet 45NX 4x5 large format monorail view camera. 

Lens: Rodenstock Geronar 150mm F6.3 lens in a Copal 0 shutter.  

Film: Fuji Super HR-T 30 medium speed green sensitive X-Ray film.  Purchased as 8x10" sheets and cut down to 4x5" using a rotary trimmer under 11w red bulb safelight. 

Exposure: 1/60th @ F16

Lighting: Alien Bees B800 studio strobe @ 1/2 power in 22" soft white beauty dish with diffusion sock, positioned above and slightly in front of camera position.   A 30" silver reflector on reflector stand positioned to camera left to bounce some light back onto the subject.  
 
Development: Self Developed film in Rodinal (Adox Adinol) 1:100 in three reel Paterson Universal Tank using Mod54 six sheet 4x5 insert.  6 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius. Tap water stop bath. Ilford Rapid Fixer. Photo-Flo. Hung on shower curtain to dry on film clips. 

Scanning: Negative scanned with Epson V600 in two scans and merged back together in PhotoShop since the V600 doesn't natively support 4x5 scans in one pass.  Toned to match the actual color of the clock in post.

4x5 for 365 project (8/365)

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My good friend Bearenice Abbott enjoying her copy of Gregory Crewdson's "Beneath The Roses" in the comfort of her reading chair.   You'll be seeing more of Bearenice throughout this project.  She is, of course, named after the American photographer Berenice Abbott who is most famous for her street photography in New York and Paris starting in the 1920s. 

Camera: Calumet 45NX 4x5 large format monorail view camera. 

Lens: Rodenstock Geronar 150mm F6.3 lens in a Copal 0 shutter.  Carl-Zeiss Softar-1 filter on lens to add some edge softness.

Lighting: Single Alien Bees B800 studio strobe @ 1/2 power in a 22" soft white beauty dish with diffusion sock, positioned camera left.  A 45" silver reflector on reflector stand positioned to camera right to bounce some light back onto the subject.  Strobe triggered with PocketWizard Plus II radio triggers. 

Film: Ilford HP5+ 400 ISO Negative Film, shot at 200 ISO. 

Exposure: 1/30th second @ F22. 

Development: Self Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Paterson Universal Tank using the Taco Method. 13 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius. Tap water stop bath. Ilford Rapid Fixer. Photo-Flo rinse.

Scanning: Negative scanned with Epson V600 in two scans and merged back together in PhotoShop since the V600 doesn't natively support 4x5 scans in one pass.

4x5 for 365 project (6/365)

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A simple flower bouquet my Wife purchased from the local Giant supermarket.  

Camera: Calumet 45NX 4x5 large format monorail view camera. 

Lens: Rodenstock Geronar 150mm F6.3 lens in a Copal 0 shutter.  Carl-Zeiss Softar-1 filter on lens to add some edge softness.

Film: Arista EDU 100 Ultra 100 ISO Negative sheet Film (re-branded Fomapan), shot at 64 ISO.

Exposure: 1/60th second @ F16. 

Lighting: Single Alien Bees B800 studio strobe @ 3/4 power in 60" Photek Softlighter, positioned to camera right.  White bounce card placed to camera left to reflect light back onto subject.  Strobe triggered with PocketWizard Plus II radio triggers.  Metered with Sekonic L358 meter. 

Development: Self Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Paterson Universal Tank using the Taco Method. 13 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius. Tap water stop bath. Ilford Rapid Fixer. Photo-Flo rinse.

Scanning: Negative scanned with Epson V600 in two scans and merged back together in PhotoShop since the V600 doesn't natively support 4x5 scans in one pass.