Shooting Vegetables.........

Donald pulled out the Intrepid 4X5 to photograph some of our garden veggies.......starting with our Garlic:

Getting in Focus

Final Adjustments

Make the Image....

I'll have some Diana images of Donald and our special zucchini.  But that's on film, so you know that you have to wait.

It started out Well........But

So I seem to be adding up some less successful photo outings here in the 'Dog Days' of Summer.  It's time to put another project to bed.

So let's deal with my 'Frankenstein Camera', The Mercury Universal Camera:

(Intended configuration with spacer and leaf shutter lens)

Well, it just never worked as advertised.  This was my first Kickstarter.  I've participated in some others that have turned out fine like Film Ferrania and SolarCan; and Film Silberra in Indiegogo.  Presently I'm waiting on my "Box Camera"from Kickstarter.

But this one is packed away.  Most of the successes for this camera seem to be 4X5, as posted on their Facebook page. And that's what I might recommend as the best use case.  But for me, the owner of many fine Medium Format Cameras, it became a waste of time and effort. I want to have fun with my photography and have good results with equipment whose function is second nature to me.  Also, I'm going to inherit an Intrepid 4X5 when my husband upgrades, so no point in trying to make this work as a 4X5 either.

The main problem was trying to get the spacer to work with my leaf shutter lens.  It didn't mate properly and even though I asked the developers for assistance, there was only silence.  Also, the Ilex #4 shutter seemed altogether too heavy to use with a 3-D printed body.  And, the Ilex also could not be mated properly to the spacer either:

Resulting in images like this:

I can say that the focusing Screen Worked well:

So it's dead to me, and some of the accessory items that I bought for it will go back on Ebay shortly.......

Here's what it actually cost:

The basic parts together (Spacer is attached to the camera):

For the Ilex cost I did actually buy 2 shutters for that price, so subtract $150 from the total.  And I am going to keep one of the shutters as a novelty item. Having two backs so you can change film types is completely reasonable.

Final Catch-up #5 #filmjune

Final Posts Summary the Twitter #filmjune series

26. Dream Camera and Ilford Film Collaboration:
My Dream Camera: Any Rollei 6000-Series Medium Format SLR in collaboration with Ilford SFX-200 Film.

Here's a review of the camera: https://www.casualphotophile.com/2017/10/06/rollei-6008-professional-medium-format-slr-camera-review/

27.  Have you ever used Zone focusing?
I have used zone focusing, especially in street photography.  But also using it as I test my Mercury camera.  Still learning to use the focusing screen, so sometimes I just go with my estimated distances.

28. Are you a fine grained photographer, or the more grain the better?
I'm a fine grain photographer.  That's why I've never liked HP5 or Tri-X.  The grain just doesn't appeal to me.

29. Have you bought a camera that has been on your wish list?
Yes, I always wanted a Press Camera.  But I didn't have to buy it, our neighbor gave us his Burke and James Press Camera!

30. Have You taught anyone film photography?
No, but I did bring my Husband back from the digital abyss and into the 'Light' of Film Photography again. The last time he picked up his DSLR the dates on the images showed that he hadn't used it in months.  He now favors his Mamiya 6 and Intrepid 4X5.  Saving the analogue world one person at a time!

Catch-Up Part IV #filmjune

Summary of #filmjune Days 21-25:  Remember you can follow this on Twitter #filmjune

Q21. What are you go to Film developing chemicals?
It used to be D76, but mixing the powder and getting it to fully dissolve was problematic. So we've switched to all liquid developers with Clayton F76 No. 1 in our darkroom and Ilfotec DD-X our next choice. We also use Ilford Rapid Fixer.

Q22. How do you store your film for a day out photographing?
I keep the film in the box (120 size) and put the box in my pack.  If I'm wearing my photo vest, I'll keep a roll or two in a pocket for quick access:

If I'm on the road I'll wrap the boxes in ziplocs and keep them in the cooler.

Q23.  Do you own a fantastic camera that no one hypes about?
My favorite go to 35mm that never gets any love is the Minolta X-700.  When I started photography to document my geological work, my parents could only afford one of the SRT-Series cameras.  They were marked down because the X-700 was about to debut.  So I started with Minolta and when I was ready for a new camera, saw no reason to change brands so I bought an X-700.  I now own three!  It was my stalwart reliable field geology field camera since the late 1980's.  Minolta lenses also don't get the credit due them.

Cerro Totuma, Panama.  Another place I did geological work.

Me being a Geologist on Reunion Island, Indian Ocean.

Q24. Which current photographer do you admire most and why?
I'm going to give you two:  Clyde Butcher, because I love his capture of the Florida Landscape and his recent book Inspired by Dali; Also John Sexton, because he's continuing the Monterey B&W Tradition and I love his Book, Places of Power.  Steps out of landscape mode.

Q25. Have you built or made any accessories for your camera?  Easy answer, NO!

Catch-up Part 4 #filmjune

16.  Have you experimented with any new formats?  Yes, I'm in the middle of testing 6X9 in my Mercury universal Camera:


17. Share a picture of your favorite camera (and yourself if you dare)?  Not a Problem:

18. What is the largest Format you have used?  I've experimented with 4X5 pinhole paper negatives.  I have an Ilford 4X5 Obscura Pinhole that I plan on experimenting with soon.....

19. What is the most creative process that you have done with film?  My Uelsmann Assignment at MPC:

20. My top three social media photography accounts followed all via Twitter:
Here are my top three photography accounts: @EMULSIVEfilm @HamishGill (35 mmc) and @Phoblographer   I'm also going to add a shout out to three photographers I communicate most often with: @donkittle @Givemeabiscuit and @cpindell1

Saturdays Online: A Final Perspective

On a clear day I have a good view of Mt Meeker and Longs Peak from the park near my home.  I'm always trying to get the 'perfect' shot from this location:

Here the Mamiya 7 with the 150mm lens. But I remembered that ages ago I had purchased a 210mm lens, and never really used it.  So I took it out to get a closer view:

of course, it would have been nice to have a few clouds.  But here we either have too many clouds or none.  You can see a wisp of cloud starting to form in the upper right corner.

Now for a further test I should taken the Mamiya 645 with its 210mm lens and my 2X teleconverter.  So we will revisit this scene again soon.

And Now for a totally different kind of perspective as Large Format Photographer Mat Marrash talks about why he loves large format, and especially what he has learned from the process.

Saturdays Online: Meet our 'Newest' Camera Family Member

I say 'newest' because it is not a new camera at all.  Just joining us for the first time.  I have a wonderful neighbor that has given us a lot of darkroom equipment, including the Beautiful Durst Enlarger.  The B&J Press Camera is the latests item to take that walk across the street:

The Burke and James Press Camera, beautifully described here on YouTube.

So Donald has the 4X5 camera that he's been wanting.  Me, I'm sticking with Medium Format, but cause I ain't hiking a 4X5 (and the heavier tripod it requires) any where!

But read this Case For Large Format Film,  which tells you why it does make a difference to go Bigger!

We'll update you with our first results soon!

Saturdays Online: Another Reflection on Legacy

Posting another Reflection on theLegacy of a Landscape Photographer: Clyde Butcher, who in addition to being a fabulous photographer, has worked through his photography to protect and preserve the Everglades and other natural areas in Florida.

There's a KickStarter going to produce a film about Clyde's life and work.  Let's honor him while he's still with us and can enjoy it!


Below a reposting of one of my meager landscape offerings:

Panamint Mountains, Death Valley, California

Saturdays Online: Clyde Butcher Comments on "Life in the Digital Fast Lane"

Ah, some of us can relate.  I am about to go on a field trip to photograph Colorado Ghost Towns.  And I can already see that the Itinerary and Time Lines are much to fast to really do much.  So we are planning an additional day to revisit places that need time to be "seen" completely.

Clyde Butcher, one of my photo influences, commented on a recent trip to Antelope Canyon.  A place, as he says "YOU could spend a lifetime photographing".

A Redux of our trip to Antelope Canyon

Take as much time as you need to compose the photo image AKA take time to smell the roses.  Two good images are worth more than 100 quick shots with your digital camera (And remember you still have to sort through those 100 shots to find the really good ones).  Digital doesn't demand quick shooting unless you are a photo journalist.  But people seem to think it does.

Saturdays Online: The Photochrom Age

Hand Colored Images from the 1800's.  How many of us have (or have seen) old photos that were 'hand colored'?

These are great.........And a reasonably easy to understand explanation of what a PHOTOCHROM is. They were willing to do a lot of work to get color.  Why Are we so Lazy Now?

Didn't have any Photochromes lying around the house.  So I'll just have to leave you with another 'lost' film type:

Rock Photography Part III: Scanning Electron Microscope Images (EPMA Systems)

As I resume my life in geologic research (more on that later), it seem appropriate to make my last entry on technical photography and wrap-up the Rock Photography Series.

Most of you have heard of and seen Scanning Electron Microscope Images (SEM), but maybe you never really thought of them as photography. Anything involving a camera is photography. In this case the ‘light’ for the exposure is actually electrons reflected off of the surface of the thin section sample and collected by a spectrometer. Magnification may be 10X to 1000X depending upon, in this case, the size of the mineral crystals.

An SEM is optimized for imaging, and has a less precise chemical analysis mode. When the same instrument is designed to optimize analytical capabilities it is called an Electron Probe Micro-Analyzer (EPMA). This is what I typically used, rather than an SEM. But it is still possible, and often highly desirable to take images of the samples. The standard film type was Polaroid 4X5. I guess the newer models will use digital imaging by now.

Tech Photos: SEM Electron Imaging

The white mineral is Spinel (Left a close-up with the scale bar representing 10 microns; Right the Spinel shown within the crystal matrix, scale bar 100 microns).

Minerals composed of heavier elements reflect the most electrons and are therefore brighter. Spinel is an Iron-Magnesium oxide. The Points marked on the image to the left are the points that I chose to analyze.





This is the mineral Zircon. Zircons have been used to date the oldest events in Earth History, because they are virtually indestructible once formed. Each layer that you see represents a new geological event in the 'life' of this Zircon. This mineral is a primary source for the element Zirconium and was mined fro a heavy mineral sand deposit.