I Love a Good Mystery Box

November 2021 I was really starting to take Film Photography more seriously. Using different settings and lenses were getting me more interesting results, and I was to the point I wanted a little more creative control in colors and “tones” from my photos. At the time there were a plethora of color film rolls available and I just didn’t know what to choose that would challenge me to be more thoughtful in my decision making and I really didn’t want to buy experimental film I wasn’t sure would turn out with anything usable. Being in the position I was in I decided the best option for me would be to order a “mystery box” from an online shop and just make whatever they sent me work. I sent an order for their 6-roll pack and received 5 rolls of very normal film from Kodak and Ilford, a good variety of color and B/W. There was also a roll from a company by the name of Revolog. I had heard of them and briefly looked at what they offer in the past but hadn’t really been in a place to use it effectively so had never even considered ordering. They sell intentional “defective” film stock that will end up having results like static electricity discharges, unusual color shifting and blobby bubbles. If these were to show up on an ordinary roll of film, I would be unhappy, but if it’s expected I can plan for how it will turn out somewhat. I set aside my roll of Revolog Streak for almost 2 years and finally just decided there’s no better time than late summer to try it out. I read it should end up with a vintage look, almost as if I were shooting through a scratched window. Walking back through Downtown Brighton I tried recreating a few of my favorite photos with the twist of now using color film instead of Black and White.

It was early evening on a Monday, and most of the shops were closed. Construction already keeps the foot traffic low, so I was basically by myself shooting store fronts, alleys, and an occasional interesting car. I knew I only had 36 shots. Trying to remember things I had learned from making this same walk just over a year ago wasn’t much help, I wasn’t even using the same type of camera this time. Now I was using one of the most advanced autofocus SLR bodies ever made from 2006, while previously I was using a fixed lens Rangefinder from 1972. There has been a reset in the way I do this over the past year, and it was time for me to move on and do things in the new way. I have been able to look beyond just interesting observations, getting a little deeper into line of sight and different lighting. In a back alley by the Brighton School of Ballet there is an art installation that can be lined up with the Lions Club statue to create a nice frame. Is it groundbreaking? Not really, but I’m glad I saw it this time so I can integrate that into something later.

I’m still learning how to capture wildlife and vehicles. There’s not much to be done that hasn’t already been done over and over. Maybe someday I will discover something, but for now I still really like just seeing the lines of an exotic car and adorable animals through the lens of my camera. Brighton has an active car culture, both classic and exotic with a few camouflaged preproduction models from time to time and everyone is more than willing to let me take a few shots when I ask. If any of you have an interesting car and want me to come do a photoshoot, I’m sure we can work something out. Unfortunately, an ongoing color film shortage has made the mystery boxes I was enjoying a thing of the very recent past. I’m hoping this comes back soon as it’s really quite a fun experiment…or maybe I’ll just go to one of the local shops and ask them to build one for me and make a whole new post about it.

Overall, I am very satisfied with how this roll turned out. In the future I would probably overexpose it a little as they are a little dark. I think it’s supposed to be that way since the scratches are more pronounced in the darker areas. The rolls are marginally more expensive than standard premium rolls which makes sense as they have added the special effects in house, or at least have the know how to do it consistently to existing film. I think I may need to order a roll of their Tesla film for some Halloween shots this year, and some a roll of Paper for some old-fashioned shoots.

Travel Blog #7: California Coast Rte. 1

Driftwood Beach, Nikon f2

A 5-hour drive is not something I would usually take the time to write about, but when it ends up being a 12-hour side trip, it’s worthwhile. We made the decision to bypass the more direct expressway route and travel north along the California Coast State Route 1. In some parts it’s also called the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), and for us the trip started in fog at The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. While it was cool to see the bridge and Alcatraz Island, we were really looking forward to seeing the Pacific Ocean and the scenery changed quickly north of the city. Driving through this part of the state felt vastly different than the first part of the trip, leaving the arid behind and welcoming rolling hills and scenery everywhere. When we stopped in Bodega Bay there were signs everywhere advertising Dungeness Crab, fishing supplies and trawlers tugging through the calm of the day. It was also the place I bought a bag of chili coated mango strips. The lady at the gas station said they were an amazing local treat, I’m not sure I agree. Maybe they’re an acquired taste.

Bodega Bay, Nikon f2

Just outside the town we ran into the first of many beaches. Seeing the Pacific Ocean for the first time was glorious. There were surfers out on the swells and families wandering the sand. There is a turnout for a beach every couple miles along this road, and if you like going to the beach you could happily spend a day at any of the dozens we saw.

Doran Beach, Nikon f2

Doran Surf, Nikon f2

Black Point Beach is the first we stopped at but didn’t get far into the walk. It looked like there was about a mile to the beach and we needed to keep moving. There were also multiple signs stating this is one of the most dangerous beaches in the state due to waves and undertow, so we moved on. If we were going to be walking a mile to touch water, it should be reasonably safe to do so.

Doran Beach, Nikon f2

The beach we did stop at was every bit worthy of being called majestic. Aptly named Driftwood Beach it was easy to understand why when we finally go down to it. About halfway there is a beautiful tunnel through a grove of over-arching trees followed by a flight of wooden stairs down to a packed dirt trail. The whole stretch leads to an incredible view. The beach is littered with more driftwood than I’ve seen in one place, enough to build a small hut if you wanted (which someone had). At most parks it’s not allowed to remove vegetation or rocks so I took a minute to see how illegal it would be for us to gather the driftwood I knew we would be taking home with us. According to the California State Park website, visitors are allowed to take no more than 5 pounds with them. We spent about an hour here just wandering around and then out to an overlook that separates two beaches. If you only have time to stop for one beach on Rte. 1, you could do a lot worse than Driftwood.

Driftwood Overlook, Nikon f2

Tunnel, Nikon f2

Driftwood Beach 2, Nikon f2

The rest of the day was more amazing views, cute little beach towns with BBQ trailers and more switchback roads than I’ve ever imagined could be stuffed into miles of road. The speed limit through most of this part is 55 mph. I don’t think we were able to even go 30 mph most of the time. The speed limit signs should all say “55”, but it was beautiful and I’m glad we took the detour. An RV or pull behind trailer would be a tough drive, but there are campgrounds on bluffs over the ocean I could see myself pulling over to spend a day grilling, drinking a local beer and watching what would be an amazing sunset. If I were to move to California, one of these little towns would be a dream.

Harbor Seal Nursery, Nikon f2

We ended the day in Arcata, just north of Eureka after a lot of searching for a safe town to sleep. This was the first time we saw a publicly available patch of green grass in nearly a week. Grass typically isn’t something I’m particularly happy to see, but this time it meant hopefully there would be a little less dust for at least that day. Traveler’s Tip: on our journey we were all craving pizza and the first real city we came through between San Francisco and Arcata was Fort Bragg. While it is a chain restaurant, they do make a very nice pie. Even better they make a really good Gluten Free/Soy Free pizza and were very friendly while I was waiting. It’s a little expensive but was well worth a stop in the middle of the day.

Travel Blog 2023 #3: Death Valley

Badwater Basin, Leica M2

Our second main stop for this trip was THE hottest place on planet Earth: Death Valley National Park. The day we were there it was not a record-breaking day, but it was 101 degrees fahrenheit by the time we were ready to leave at 1:00 PM.

 We were up and ready to leave the hotel and make what we expected to be about an hour drive and get there just after sunrise. Travelers tip for this park is the 2 resort Hotels inside the park are nominally more expensive than the ones an hour outside the park. When I checked the night we stayed it was only about $20-30 more for the rooms inside the park, but we were already unpacked and settled by the time I saw it. The drive into the park though was quite incredible with the sun coming up slowly behind the mountains. Local traffic was not patient with us as we observed the 70-mph speed limit though. Once we were past the few businesses in the area everyone was passing us to get to and over the first set of mountains, it truly felt isolated. Driving in through the valley adjacent to the park took about 40 minutes and we did not see a single living being the entire drive. There was a factory of some sort and even a small town we passed through, nothing was stirring. At the very end of the single road, we did unexpectedly run into something I had heard about but never knew where they were. The “Sailing Stones” are rocks that seem to float around on the sand as they heat and cool, leaving cryptic looking “drawings” behind. It was so unassuming and in the middle of nowhere we didn’t even know we were looking at them until we were nearly all the way past.

Once we got over the final pass and into the park, it was easy to understand how it got its name. It was only 89 degrees, but the air felt dead. The entrance was not staffed, and honestly the only place we saw anyone was at the Visitor Center. But the first attraction we stopped at was the Mesquite Flat Dunes. While it initially appears to be just another small set of sand dunes (though beautiful to look at), this was the first of at least two places’ parts of Star Wars: A New Hope was filmed. Here is the spot R2D2 decided to roll away from C3PO after arguing about the best way to go. There was no Krayt Dragon skeleton, just a couple Old Timers’ chatting outside an RV, drinking coffee. It would have been kind of neat to go on a hike out into the sand, but the last time I went out on a sand dune I regretted it.

Most of the park is at or below sea level. Combined with being in a valley, it adds up to oppressive daytime temperatures. It also makes for being very remote. There is one gas station inside the park, which I have read on more than one occasion is the most expensive one in the country. The day we drove past, it had a sign out front with a price of $6.29 per gallon. To say I was happy to have spent $4 a couple hours beforehand would be an understatement. But on to the main draw of Death Valley we went: Badwater Basin.

I can officially say I have now visited the lowest elevation on the surface of the United States, 282 feet below sea level. The salt on the ground is so thick and hard it feels like concrete. You can look out for miles and see nothing but more salt and sand. The sign stating the elevation is cool, but it doesn’t feel quite that impressive until you decide to turn back to your car and way up on the wall of the mountain road you drove in on is a small sign showing where sea level is. By this time, it was already sweltering, and we still had two more main sites to see.

Artist Pallet is one a one-way turnout loop off the main drive, very much worth the time. The draw is a small group of hills colored by volcanic deposits containing chlorite, iron, and others. The colors are a beautiful pastel and when we arrived the sun hadn’t quite gotten to it yet, so while it was warm it was very much worth getting out and hiking around. It was not strenuous, even with taking a little bit of a scramble off the trail to the top of a few hills.

The final stop for us was also the one I was looking the most forward to. It was also the only spot that felt even remotely crowded. Zabriskie Point is the spot I was hoping to get to before sunrise but failed. Even at midday and the sun beating down mercilessly on every person brave enough to get out of their car, I could barely contain my excitement. Yes, there is a half mile paved climb to get to it. Yes, it’s an incredible view. And YES, this is the spot Obi Wan Kenobi told Luke Skywalker, “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.”, as they were about to enter Mos Eisley. If you haven’t noticed yet I am a Star Wars fan, thankfully it’s not as nerdy as it was when I was a kid. This spot was much busier than any we had seen yet, it is very accessible by tour buses, RV’s and even though the walk up is steep, there are several places to stop and rest. If you are physically capable of getting there, please do. On a clear day, the Ranger’s say you can see Mt. Whitney from here. On our vacation, there was a distinct haze over everything but thankfully the Canadian Wildfires did not seem to be affecting us. So, we made the decision to take a circuitous route to our next destination that would take us past a closer view of Mt. Whitney and it’s friends.

Zabriskie Point, Leica M2

Driving through this part of California really makes you think about how much land here is just unusable for anything, and how truly wild it really is.

Mt Whitney, Nikon D500

Mt Whitney, Leica M2

Single Roll Review: Nikon F4s

I rarely use an autofocus film camera. I have and still do own more than a couple, I just prefer to use a manual focus camera and lens most of the time. My first was a Nikon N8008s which was a pleasant surprise for being an incredibly inexpensive purchase. At the point I was using the N8008s I decided I would someday like to use one of the professional models. I wanted to stick with Nikon since I already had the lenses. The Nikon F6 was my first choice but was far too expensive and has more features than I know what to do with. The F5 would be great but I honestly just don’t even see them for sale very often. Then one day I happened to see someone list an F4s for sale at a very reasonable price, and it included three lenses I was also very interested in getting some day. I ended up paying essentially for the lenses and got the camera at no extra charge. The F4s was the highest-level professional camera Nikon made from 1988 when it was introduced until the F5 was introduced in 1996. It was a giant leap forward from the F3, introducing autofocus to the professional line, better metering than any previous model and used readily available AA batteries. It also accepts almost every F mount lens Nikon (and other third parties) have created since 1959. I understand it will even work in P and S mode when using lenses without an aperture ring, but I did not own any at the time so did not test that feature. It is not able to use current VR features on any lens.

 Once it arrived, I was very impressed with every aspect about how well it is built, and this camera is just massive. The F4s has an added grip over the F4 that makes it take a total of 6 batteries. It is a very heavy camera, but not to the point of being cumbersome. Paired with the Nikkor 50mm f1.8 AF lens I chose it was well balanced and the lens practically disappeared when mounted. Once I started using it, the autofocus was so fast I barely had to think about what I was wanting to focus on. I could see using a full roll in a very short period.

The day I loaded up a roll and went out for a drive, I also was supposed to be picking up someone at a horse farm. Not a lot of people know, but I have a lifelong fear of horses. I know they probably won’t hurt me, but they’re just so big and strong and I don’t know how they behave. I was able to get close to a handsome boy named JJ and I’m pretty sure we’re best friends now.

Using this camera was a joy and the lens captured my photos so close to what I wanted I just loved it once the film was developed. I’m not sure what was happening in the atmosphere these days, but the sky looked like cotton candy and the camera caught every shot I wanted.

This single roll was all I ended up shooting with this camera. Even though I really liked it, the weight just made me too aware I was using it. It felt more like a tool than an extension of myself. Given the choice between using this and my significantly smaller and lighter F3 I chose the latter every time. I did end up trying a prosumer model, the F100 and it achieved everything the F4 does besides use a pre AI lens but in a more compact package. The F4 is probably the best built camera I have used to date, and honestly, I miss it a little. I still prefer my original F, but I would not be unhappy with an F4 again someday.

Nikon F: The Start

When I sat down to type my first real post for this blog, I had huge ambitions and ended up writing 1,000 words that made sense to me. When I asked my bride to proofread it for me, I could see the look on her face change with every sentence and I knew for certain it was far too much “stuff” all at once. I managed to cram almost 100 years of history into 5 paragraphs, and honestly when I went back and read it myself it was the ramblings of someone way too excited about what they were writing. I suspect my main audience is more interested in what I can create and what I think about when I’m doing it. So, I decided I would start where I truly began to understand what I was doing and not just hoping to get lucky with a decent shot occasionally.

When I started looking around at what type of film camera was “best” and read numerous articles of what the most famous and desirable version were, the Nikon F was mentioned invariably as the most influential. In comparison to later models, it’s just a huge clunky block of metal. It has sharp edges, is difficult to load film into and doesn’t really offer anything in the line of technology that can’t be had cheaper elsewhere. The thing is does offer is absolute reliability, ability to use 50+ years of terrific lenses and the feeling you are absolutely using a camera people will notice.

The Nikon F was first introduced in 1959 and took over a big part of the photography market. I once read it was so popular Leica almost went out of business because of this singular release. It was their first professional single lens reflex (SLR). An SLR simplifies the process to make a well composed, focused photo. Looking through the viewfinder is a direct reflection of the image coming through the front glass of the lens. With the F, Nikon allowed each photographer the option of choosing the style of viewfinder they prefer. In the 24 years they actively produced it, there were three main types created: 1. Eyelevel finder, 2. Waist level finder, 3. Metered eyelevel finder. Currently the most desirable version is the basic unmetered eye level finder. In my opinion it is the best looking of all the styles, and I’ve yet to find the version with the light meter that works. The waist level finder is quite cool though as it lets you hold the camera much lower while focusing and allows you to create a more “heroic” point of view when taking portraits or when you just want a lower focus and don’t feel like laying on the ground. It’s super easy to change between finders as it only requires a single button push and 10-15 seconds. The design of this body allows for 100% reliability despite the modularity. It was used regularly in active combat areas during the Vietnam War by photojournalists, and still today by hobbyists. I’ve had 4 different copies of it and every single one has worked perfectly despite being over 50 years old with no maintenance and being stored in basements and garages for the past 20 years. I was fortunate enough to get one from the original owner and still have all the original packaging and paperwork. I have become a sucker for these kinds of finds and have no plan to ever get rid of it.

For me the most important of any camera system are the lenses available for it. The Nikon F can use any lens that has been made by Nikon since 1959 up through currently available models. If it has an aperture ring, it can be used. When I first started shooting Nikon bodies, I desperately wanted a 50mm f1.4 lens. It’s a nice big chunk of glass and takes such amazing pictures. It’s sharp and fast. I have both a very early version from around 1972 as well as a newer improved version from 1981. Zoom lenses from the same time frame are generally terrible. I was given a copy of the 43-86mm which is considered the worst zoom lens ever made. I won’t ever use it, but it’s kind of a neat thing to own for the novelty. I’m pretty sure the original owner felt the same way, because it looks brand new despite being almost 60 years old. It is known to take pictures that are not sharp with light flares and just generally looks terrible. It’s bad enough it set back the reputation of zoom lenses in general for years. Fortunately, lens technology has improved drastically and now are generally just as good as fixed prime lenses like the 50mm I mentioned earlier. I have an 80-200mm f2.8 autofocus lens I’ve really liked using on all my Nikon cameras and have taken some of my favorite photos of my family with it…usually despite their objections. All three of them are beautiful people but have grown tired of being the first subject I look to whenever I put a new roll of film in anything.

Nikon has unfortunately removed the aperture rings from current lens models, so they are not able to be used with these old cameras

When it comes to using a distinctive piece of equipment, the Nikon F always gets attention when I take it out. In fact, I would say commands attention would be an accurate description. Not only is it large and blocky, but the sound the shutter makes can best be described as a THWUNK. It is loud enough I’ve had people turn around to see what was happening on a somewhat busy street. Loading film isn’t an easy one-handed process like it is on newer cameras. In order to put in a new roll, you need to remove the back of it entirely and then carefully replace it afterward. If you don’t like or want attention this is not the camera for you. It’s a very fun time though if you want to have random people ask you questions like “do they even still sell film?” and “do you develop your own film?”.

 Overall, if you want a camera that only has the absolute basics and feel comfortable having to do every single aspect of photography manually you need to jump online and find someone with one of these for sale right now.