4x5 for 365 project (83/365)

March 25, 2014 in Photos

Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Stouchsburg near Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania. This church always catches my eye when I drive by because of the unusual shade of stonework which sets it apart from the normal red brick that most of the other area churches have. The congregation was founded in 1743.

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

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

Film: Arista EDU 200 Ultra B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed.

Exposure: 1/8th @ F45.

Development: Self Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in three reel Paterson Universal Tank using Mod54 six sheet 4x5 insert. 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 (82/365

March 24, 2014 in Photos

Home for sale. One owner. A bargain fix-er-upper...

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

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

Film: Kodak Ektascan BR/A single-sided X-Ray film. Purchased from zzmedical.com as 8x10" sheets and cut down to 4x5". Film rated at 80 ISO.

Exposure: 1/30th @ F16.

Development: Self Developed film in Rodinal (Adox Adinol) 1:100 in three reel Paterson Universal Tank using Mod54 six sheet 4x5 insert. Semi-Stand for 15 minutes with initial minute of inversions then 10 seconds of inversion on minutes one and two then let it sit until minute 14 when I do a final ten seconds of 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 (81/365)

March 22, 2014 in Photos

Fonthill was the home of the American archaeologist and tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer. Built between 1908 and 1912, it is an early example of poured-in-place concrete and features 44 rooms, over 200 windows, 18 fireplaces and 10 bathrooms. The mansion is filled with an extensive collection of ceramics embedded in the concrete of the house, as well as other artifacts from his world travels, including cuneiform tablets discovered in Mesopotamia dating back to over 2,300 B.C.E. The home also contains around 1,000 prints from Mercer's extensive collection, as well as over six thousand books, almost all of which were annotated by Mercer himself. It has also been long rumored that the ghost of Henry Chapman Mercer's housekeeper still haunts the Fonthill castle, making it one of Doylestown, PA's prime supernatural hot spots.

I completely messed up the exposure on this one but I still like it enough to post, knowing I will go back and shoot it again in the future.

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

Lens: Schneider 90mm f/5.6 Super-Angulon lens in a Copal 0 shutter mounted on recessed lens board. B+W brand Yellow filter on the lens to help with contrast.

Film: Arista EDU 200 Ultra B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed.

Exposure: 1/15th @ F45.

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.

4x5 for 365 project (80/365)

March 22, 2014 in Photos

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.

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)

March 22, 2014 in Photos

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.

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 (78/365)

March 21, 2014 in Photos

A fencerow on the Gettysburg Civil War battlefield.

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: Arista EDU 200 Ultra B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed.

Exposure: 1/30th second @ F45.

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.

4x5 for 365 project (77/365)

March 18, 2014 in Photos

The Bromley Mill, located on the Cuttalossa Creek in Solebury Township, Bucks County Pennsylvania, not far from New Hope. The Mill has been known as Bromley Lowe’s Hobby Mill or simply Bromley’s Mill. It stands across the street from the Cuttalossa Inn. The name Cuttalossa comes from the name of an Indian village which existed in the area meaning "the place of the middle spring." The original mill dates back to 1752 and was in use until 1929. On the grounds of the mill, mini Baby Doll Sheep are raised alongside Chickens and Geese. You can purchase a handful of feed from a machine in front of the Inn and feed the animals. It's a very quiet and idyllic setting, great for photography.

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

Lens: Rodenstock Geronar 150mm F6.3 lens in a Copal 0 shutter. No filter.

Film: Arista EDU 200 Ultra B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed.

Exposure: 1/2 second @ F45.

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. Lightly warm toned in Lightroom.

4x5 for 365 project (76/365)

March 17, 2014 in Photos

One of the set of arches found at the Moravian Pottery and Tile works in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. At the Pottery and Tile works, which is now a living history museum, handmade tiles are still produced in a manner similar to that developed by the pottery's founder and builder, Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930). Mercer was a major proponent of the Arts & Crafts Movement in America. He directed the work at the pottery from 1898 until his death in 1930.

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: Arista EDU 200 Ultra B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed.

Exposure: 6 seconds @ F64.

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.

4x5 for 365 project (75/365)

March 16, 2014 in Photos

A canon aimed out over the Gettysburg Civil War battlefield.

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: Arista EDU 200 Ultra B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed.

Exposure: 1/30th second @ F45.

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.

4x5 for 365 project (74/365)

March 16, 2014 in Photos

This is Union Pacific Steam Locomotive # 4012 which resides on the grounds of the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA. It's one of the "Big Boys", a series of Locomotives that were designed for hauling large loads of freight (3600 ton train) over mountains passes in Colorado and Wyoming where the incline was often up to a 1.14% grade. The 25 Big Boys were built in two groups. The first group, called "class 1", were built starting in 1941. They were numbered 4000-4019. The second group, "class 2", were built in 1944. They were numbered 4020-4024. The last revenue freight pulled by a Big Boy was in July of 1959. Most were retired in 1961. The last one was retired in July of 1962. As late as September, 1962, there were still four operational Big Boys at Green River, WY. Most of the Big Boys achieved over a million miles of service during their working life. The overall length of this locomotive is 132 feet, 9-1/4 inches. It was retired by the Union Pacific in February 1962 after logging 1,029,507 miles. The locomotive cost the UP $265,000 when it was built in the 1940s. The train weighs 1,189,500 pounds and was designed to be operated at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour.

I could have really used a more interesting sky on this day. You can be assured I will revisit and reshoot this as the weather improves this Spring/Summer.

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

Lens: Schneider 90mm f/5.6 Super-Angulon lens in a Copal 0 shutter mounted on recessed lens board. B+W brand Yellow filter on the lens to help with contrast.

Film: Arista EDU 200 Ultra B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed.

Exposure: 6 seconds @ F45.

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. I don't usually get uneven development but it's pretty evident on the front of the lccomotive on this shot.

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.

4x5 for 365 project (73/365)

March 14, 2014 in Photos

The curvy nature of Sickles Avenue on the Gettysburg Civil War battlefield has always attracted my eye. I saw these afternoon fence shadows on this trip and decided to shoot it.

4x5 for 365 project (72/365)

March 13, 2014 in Photos

The State of Pennsylvania Monument on Hancock Avenue on the Gettysburg Civil War battlefield is the largest of the battlefield monuments. The winged statue of victory stands at a height of 110 feet. The monument is made of granite from North Carolina, built over an iron and concrete frame. It honors the 34,000 Pennsylvanians who participated in the 1863 battle. The monument was dedicated on September 27th, 1910.

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

Lens: Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in a Copal B shutter. Deep red (29A) filter on the lens to create a dramatic sky. On reflection, I should have probably went with the # 25 lighter red filter for less contrast.

Film: Arista EDU 200 Ultra B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed.

Exposure: 1/30th second @ F45.

Development: Self Developed in Rodinal (Adox Adonal) 1:50 dilution in Paterson Universal Tank using the Taco Method. 9 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 (71/365)

March 12, 2014 in Photos

This is the Sherfy Farm on Emmitsburg Road in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. During the Civil War battle of Gettysburg on July 2nd and 3rd of 1863, the Sherfy family was ordered off their farm while the battle commenced, eventually leaving the house and barn ransacked and hit by at least seven artillery shells. Their field was left covered with their possessions, bloody parts and dead bodies and 48 dead horses. The barn had been burned and the charred remains of men who had sought refuge from the fighting outside were piled high inside the burn. Eventually the Sherfy family rebuilt the barn and repaired the house and replanted the fields. Today the farm is owned by the National Park Service and the farmhouse is rented out.

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

Lens: Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in a Copal B shutter. Deep red (29A) filter on the lens to create a dramatic sky.

Film: Arista EDU 200 Ultra B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed.

Exposure: 1/2 second @ F45.

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 (70/365)

March 11, 2014 in Photos

A line of canons stand at the ready along a ridge on the Gettysburg Civil War battlefield.

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: Arista EDU 200 Ultra B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed.

Exposure: 1/30th second @ F45.

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.

4x5 for 365 project (69/365)

March 10, 2014 in Photos

Reading Railroad locomotive # 2124 started life as Reading Company class I-10sa 2-8-0 number 2044 in 1924. During World War II due to steel shortages building of new locomotives was prohibited but ingenuity within the Reading Company shops went to work and the staff came up with the idea to re-build existing locomotives to better suite current needs. This engine emerged from the Reading shops in January of 1947 as the 2124. The locomotive was used primarily on freight lines hauling coal trains in Pennsylvania. It was retired from active service in 1956. From 1959 through 1963 it was added to the roster of engines pulling tourist excursions known as the "Iron Horse Rambles" before being sold to railroad collector F. Nelson Blount who displayed the engine in both New Hampshire and Vermont. When Steamtown re-located to Scranton Pennsylvania in the Winter of 1983-1984, the 2124 re-located with it. It's the first locomotive you encounter as you pull into the parking lot at Steamtown.

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

Lens: Schneider 90mm f/5.6 Super-Angulon lens in a Copal 0 shutter mounted on recessed lens board. B+W brand Yellow filter on the lens to help with contrast.

Film: Arista EDU 200 Ultra B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed.

Exposure: 6 seconds @ F45.

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.

4x5 for 365 project (68/365)

March 09, 2014 in Photos

The front doorway to the Sciota Mill in Hamilton Township, Pennsylvania. The mill was built in 1800 by Bernhard Fenner and replaced an earlier mill built of logs. The mill has also been known as Brinker's Mill. In 1989, Hamilton Township received a sizeable contribution from the Robacker Estate for the restoration of the mill. The Hamilton Township Supervisors engaged Gus Roof, a millwright, who restored the millworks to a working 1700’s condition. The mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in May of 1976.

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: Arista EDU 200 Ultra B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed.

Exposure: 1/2 second @ F22.

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 (67/365)

March 09, 2014 in Photos

Reading Railroad diesel locomotive 902 was one of the first six FP7s ordered by the railroad in March 1950 to replace passenger steam locomotives. It and sister Reading 903 were completed on June 1 of that year and delivered to the Reading via the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The pair pulled their first train on June 6. In the following years, the two locomotives sometimes worked together, and sometimes were split, depending on the size of their trains. Both 902 and 903 are currently on loan to the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton Pennsylvania where this photo was taken.

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

Lens: Schneider 90mm f/5.6 Super-Angulon lens in a Copal 0 shutter mounted on recessed lens board. B+W brand Yellow filter on the lens to help with contrast. I should have brought my bag bellows along on this trip. You can see how the 90mm lens with a normal bellows was struggling with light falloff on the right side with the tint bit of swing movement I was doing.

Film: Arista EDU 200 Ultra B&W Negative Film, shot at box speed.

Exposure: 6 seconds @ F45.

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 (66/365)

March 07, 2014 in Photos

Another of the character rich trees that surround the Muhlenberg Brigade encampment area at the Valley Forge National Historic Site. Winter offers a time when all the branches can show off their unique bends and twists for all the world to see.

Camera: Homemade 4x5 wooden and brass pinhole camera. 0.4mm diameter laser cut pinhole, 90mm focal length giving F225 aperture.

Lens: None.

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: 8 seconds.

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. Lightly textured, toned and edges burned in Photoshop CS5.

4x5 for 365 project (65/365)

March 06, 2014 in Photos

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.

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 (64/365)

March 05, 2014 in Photos

A stone sculpted face protrudes from the inside of the United States Memorial Arch, located at the intersection of Outerline Drive and Gulph Road within the Valley Forge National Historic Site. The arch was erected to commemorate the arrival of General George Washington and his Continental Army into Valley Forge.

Camera: Homemade 4x5 wooden and brass pinhole camera. 0.4mm diameter laser cut pinhole, 90mm focal length giving F225 aperture.

Lens: None.

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: 12 seconds.

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.