Photos

4x5 for 365 project (205/365)

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The tail race section of the Cooper Mill in Morris County, New Jersey is in an idyllic setting with lush green vegetation and a view of the distant water wheel and foot bridge arch and mill reflection in the water.  It's one of my favorite locations to shoot.  The mill was built by Nathan Cooper in 1826.  Cooper Mill is a working mill with tours available on a scheduled basis. An organization known as "Friends of Cooper Grist Mill" oversees it's maintenance and operation. You can visit their web site at FriendsOfCooperGristMill.org.

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
150mm Caltar-S II F 5.6 lens in Copal BT shutter.
Carl-Zeiss Softar-1 filter on lens to soften the light and a Tiffen green filter stacked to lighten the lush green vegetation.
Arista EDU Ultra 200 (re-branded Fomapan) B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 160.
3 seconds at F32.
Developed in Rodinal/Adox Adonal 1:50 dilution for 9 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius in Mod54 daylight developing tank.  
Negative scanned with Epson V600.
Subtle warm tone added in post.

4x5 for 365 project (204/365)

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Since diving into large format film photography in 2013, I've fallen in love with and been deeply inspired by the works of guys like Paul Caponigro, John Sexton and Fred Picker.  One thing they all had in common was they could all rock a White Birch Tree image.  The White Birch are a study in subtle contrast changes and bark texture that challenges you to get the exposure correct technically while not loosing sight of trying to make the image aesthetically pleasing at the same time. We have so few of them around where I live so I am always on the lookout for them when I travel.  Exposure made at Waterloo Village in Bryam Township New Jersey.

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
150mm Caltar-S II F 5.6 lens in Copal BT shutter.
B&W brand Yellow-Green filter on the lens to help with contrast.
Arista EDU Ultra 200 (re-branded Fomapan) B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 160.
1/15th at F32. Incident metered with Sekonic L-358 meter.
Developed in Rodinal/Adox Adonal 1:50 dilution for 9 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius in Mod54 daylight developing tank.  
Negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (203/365)

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The massive water wheel of the Cooper Mill in Morris County, New Jersey.  The mill was built by Nathan Cooper in 1826.  The water wheel measures sixteen feet in diameter and weighs 13,000 pounds though it can be turned with just the flow of two cups of water in less than half of its forty-eight buckets.   Cooper Mill is a working mill with tours available on a scheduled basis. An organization known as "Friends of Cooper Grist Mill" oversees it's maintenance and operation. You can visit their web site at FriendsOfCooperGristMill.org.

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
150mm Caltar-S II F 5.6 lens in Copal BT shutter.
Arista EDU Ultra 200 (re-branded Fomapan) B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 160.
1/15th at F32.
Developed in Rodinal/Adox Adonal 1:50 dilution for 9 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius in Mod54 daylight developing tank.  
Negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (202/365)

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A dilapidated mule bridge, once used to cross a pond that joins a section of the Morris Canal at Waterloo Village in Bryam Township New Jersey.  The bridge stands in ruin, the victim of several major hurricanes and Winter storms which raked New Jersey over the last decade.

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
150mm Caltar-S II F 5.6 lens in Copal BT shutter.
Wratten Yellow # 8 filter on the lens to help with contrast.
Arista EDU Ultra 200 (re-branded Fomapan) B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 160.
1/8th at F32.
Developed in Rodinal/Adox Adonal 1:50 dilution for 9 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius in Mod54 daylight developing tank.  
Negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (201/365)

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Nothing lasts forever, better capture it while you can, as is the case with this decaying barn complex on County Road in Pittstown, New Jersey.

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in Copal B shutter.
Tiffen green filter on lens to lighten the foliage in the foreground.
Arista EDU Ultra 200 (re-branded Fomapan) B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 160.
1/8th at F45.
Developed in Rodinal/Adox Adonal 1:50 dilution for 9 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius in Mod54 daylight developing tank.  
Negative scanned with Epson V600.
Cropped in post.
I should have used a graduated neutral density filter to help tame the specular highlights on the top of the silo.

4x5 for 365 project (200/365)

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Located on PA Route 14 in Ralston, Lycoming County Pennsylvania, the Ralston United Methodist Church is typical of so many older, wooden churches that dot the small town landscapes of many Pennsylvania communities.  

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
150mm Caltar-S II F 5.6 lens in Copal BT shutter.
Arista EDU Ultra 200 (re-branded Fomapan) B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 160.
1/15th second at F32.
Incident metered with Sekonic L358 meter.
Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Mod54 daylight development tank. 9 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius.
Negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (199/365)

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The front door of the abandoned Knox House, also known as "Old Hickory" in Coudersport, Pennsylvania.  Designed in the Italian Villa style of architecture and built in 1875, it was the home of F.W. Knox (1824-1884), a prominent businessman, lawyer and president of the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad. After Knox's death, the house was used for about three decades as a tavern, restaurant and hotel called "Old Hickory".  The hotel and restaurant operated on the top floors for several years before closing while the tavern, housed in the basement, remained open for several more years.  It is said that during the prohibition years Elliot Ness used to be a secret but frequent patron of the speakeasy here. It has changed hands several times over the years but has been abandoned for several decades now.  It's one of the most famous houses in Pennsylvania.  

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in Copal B shutter.
Wratten # 8 filter on lens.
Ilford FP4+ B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 125.
1/2 second at F32.
Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Mod54 daylight development tank. 11 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius.
Negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (198/365)

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I stumbled on this overlook along PA Route 44 in Potter County Pennsylvania named Water Tank Hollow Vista. The view is 2,235 feet above sea level and looks north-northeast.  There was a large amount of haze in the valley and off in the distance so I wasn't very hopeful for a good shot and used this opportunity more for a scouting shot for a return during the Fall color season.  I would imagine this area will be very colorful in the Autumn.

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
150mm Caltar-S II F 5.6 lens in Copal BT shutter.
Tiffen Green filter on lens to lighten folliage and Cokin graduated neutral density filter held in front of lens to slightly darken sky.
Ilford Delta 100 B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 100.
1/15 second at F45.
Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Mod54 daylight development tank. 13 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius.
Negative scanned with Epson V600. Cropped to desired size in post.

4x5 for 365 project (197/365)

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This is the corner and side view of the Knox House, also known as "Old Hickory" in Coudersport, Pennsylvania.  Designed in the Italian Villa style of architecture and built in 1875, it was the home of F.W. Knox (1824-1884), a prominent businessman, lawyer and president of the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad. After Knox's death, the house was used for about three decades as a tavern, restaurant and hotel called "Old Hickory".  The hotel and restaurant operated on the top floors for several years before closing while the tavern, housed in the basement, remained open for several more years.  It is said that during the prohibition years Elliot Ness used to be a secret but frequent patron of the speakeasy here. It has changed hands several times over the years but has been abandoned for several decades now.  It's one of the most famous houses in Pennsylvania.  

I wish internet sites and browsers could handle much larger image files because even scaled down to 4096 on the long side, twice the size posted here, you can see individual paint chip detail in the shadows at the top of the house.  Large format for the win.

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in Copal B shutter.
Ilford FP4+ B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 125.
1/8 second at F45.
Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Mod54 daylight development tank. 11 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius.
Negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (195/365)

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A small section of a tiny man-made waterfall found in the Allentown Rose Garden in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in Copal B shutter.
Tiffen 0.6/ND4 2 stop neutral density filter.
Ilford FP4+ B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 125.
2 seconds at F22.
Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Mod54 daylight development tank. 11 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius.
Negative scanned with Epson V600. Cropped to desired size in post.

4x5 for 365 project (194/365)

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A tree reflection in one of the reflecting pools found in the Allentown Rose Garden in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
90mm F5.6 Schneider Super-Angulon lens in a Copal 0 shutter.
Yellow-Green filter on lens.
Ilford FP4+ B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 125.
1/8 second at F45.
Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Mod54 daylight development tank. 11 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius.
Negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (193/365)

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An old mill stone, once used to grid corn and wheat into cornmeal and flour for bread, sits in front of the grist mill at Batsto Historic Village in Hammonton, New Jersey.  

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in Copal B shutter.
Wratten # 8 Yellow filter on lens.
Ilford FP4+ B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 125.
1/4 second at F32.
Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Mod54 daylight development tank. 11 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius.
Negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (192/365)

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The south side of the mansion house at Batsto Historic Village in Hammonton, New Jersey.  The thirty two room mansion house is the center of Batsto Village and served as the home of the ironmasters who ran the village in the 1800s. In the late 1800s the mansion was renovated into an Italianate style of architecture by Joseph Wharton, a Philadelphia Businessman.  Today, visitors can tour fourteen of the rooms including parlors, dining room, library and bedrooms.

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in Copal B shutter.
Wratten # 8 Yellow filter on lens.
Ilford FP4+ B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 125.
1/8 second at F45.
Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Mod54 daylight development tank. 11 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius.
Negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (191/365)

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The Blacksmith and Wheelwright shops at Batsto Historic Village in Hammonton, New Jersey.  The Wheelwright made and repaired wheels for carriages and wagons. The Blacksmith shoed horses, and also, made and repaired farming tools and implements as well as domestic hardware such as hinges and locks.

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in Copal B shutter.
Yellow-Green filter on lens.
Ilford FP4+ B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 125.
1/4 second at F45.
Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Mod54 daylight development tank. 11 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius.
Negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (190/365)

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The grist mill at Batsto Historic Village in Hammonton, New Jersey.  The water powered grist mill was built in 1828 by Jesse Richards and his son Thomas and originally operated with a wooden water wheel. In 1882, the wheel was replaced with a more efficient "side winder" water turbine. The mill was used to grind and process wheat, corn, other grains which were stored and sold in the village's general store.

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in Copal B shutter.
Wratten # 8 yellow filter on lens.
Ilford FP4+ B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 125.
1/8 second at F32.
Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Mod54 daylight development tank. 11 1/2 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius.
Negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (189/365)

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Part of the grounds of the Reading Museum Arboretum.  It was very windy and I knew the chance of getting a sharp shot with the camera out in the open was low due to vibrations so I decided it was a good time to try out a series VI Tiffen diffusion filter that I had recently picked up.  When nature gives you wind it's sometimes best to accept it and spend some time exploring the softer side of Pictorialism.

Technical details:
Busch Pressman Model D 4x5 large format press camera.
Graflex Optar 135mm F4.7 lens in a Graphex shutter.
Series VI Tiffen diffusion filter on lens using a Kodak series VI slip-on filter adapter.  
Kodak Ektascan BR/A single-sided X-Ray film shot at ISO 50.
1 second @ F32.
Semi-stand development in Rodinal/Adox Adonal 1:100 dilution for 15 minutes in Mod54 daylight developing tank.  
Negative scanned with Epson V600.  Slightly warm toned in post.

4x5 for 365 project (188/365)

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A large tree trunk and root system found on the grounds of the Reading Museum Arboretum.  This one really didn't live up to what I had pre-visualized for this tree and at some point I'm going to go back with the Toyo field camera and re-shoot it with more front tilt to get more even, sharp focus on the various parts of both the roots and trunk. The Bush Pressman 4x5 I used has some front tilt movement available but not enough for what I wanted to do here. I lower tripod height for a slightly more dramatic perspective could probably have helped on this one too.

Technical details:
Busch Pressman Model D 4x5 large format press camera.
Graflex Optar 135mm F4.7 lens in a Graphex shutter.
Wratten yellow #8 filter on lens using a Kodak series VI slip-on filter adapter.  
Ilford FP4+ B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 125.
2 seconds @ F32.
Semi-stand development in Rodinal/Adox Adonal 1:100 dilution for 15 minutes in Mod54 daylight developing tank.
Negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (187/365)

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A set of stone steps found at the Reading Museum Arboretum.  There was more wind swirling around than I usually like to shoot in but the remnants of Hurricane Arthur were making their presence known as it was passing far off the Atlantic coast.

Technical details:
Busch Pressman Model D 4x5 large format press camera.
Graflex Optar 135mm F4.7 lens in a Graphex shutter.
Wratten yellow #8 filter on lens using a Kodak series VI slip-on filter adapter.  
Kodak Ektascan BR/A single-sided X-Ray film shot at ISO 50.
1/2 second @ F32.
Semi-stand development in Rodinal/Adox Adonal 1:100 dilution for 15 minutes in Mod54 daylight developing tank.
Negative scanned with Epson V600.

4x5 for 365 project (186/365)

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Water droplets languish on the lilypads in our backyard pond after a day of storms.

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
Fujinon-W 210mm F5.6 lens in Copal B shutter.
Tiffen Green filter on lens.
Ilford Delta 100 B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 100.
1/4 second at F45.
Developed in Kodak Xtol 1+2 dilution in Mod54 daylight development tank. 13 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius.
Negative scanned with Epson V600. 

4x5 for 365 project (185/365)

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A single lane dirt road bends its way through a farm area at Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Technical details:
Sakai Toyo 5x7 large format metal field camera with 4x5 film back.
150mm Caltar-S II F 5.6 lens in Copal BT shutter.
Wratten # 8 yellow filter on lens.
Ilford FP4+ B&W Negative Film, shot at ISO 125.
1/4th second at F45.
Semi-stand development in Rodinal/Adox Adonal 1:100 dilution for 15 minutes in Mod54 daylight developing tank.
Negative scanned with Epson V600.