The 70mm Rolleiflex (sort of)

I spooled two rolls of 35mm film onto a single medium format film spool and shot them through the Rolleiflex 2.8E, generating this overlapping sprocket effect. Non-photonerds be like, 'Da frick you just say?' The focus is off in these pictures (explained below), but I love them regardless. What I learned shooting them: Anita doesn't know how to act terrified. That dinosaur hand puppet should instill far more pants crapping terror than what she's emoting.












The camera on the white onesie in Scott's hand is what I shot this set with.

So continuing with the photo nerd talk from above, the reason the focus is so weird down the middle in all of these shots is a result of the overlap in the centre. That extra thickness of the overlapped area causes the film(s) to shift slightly out of the film plane. It's not an exact science, but if you're interested in trying this technique out, I wrote up a short little tutorial last year here. Just be prepared for a little bit of frustration fumbling around in the dark (or film change bag) while trying to spool the rolls evenly.

All photos shot with the Rolleiflex 2.8E, on Lomo Lady Grey 400 film, developed in Rodinal, 1+24 for 5:00min at 68 deg. F.

Strangers in the City - Andreja

Have you ever wondered what the chemical structure of a caffeine molecule etched into your skin would look? Or how much hair it actually takes to turn into a man-bun? Yeah, me neither, but I'm going to show you anyways. Last Sunday, Tytus and I were out for 'a drink,' the events of which eventually lead to me snapping these photos before semi-passing out on the bus home (yeah, I was 'THAT GUY'). My cousin Vi was like, 'Who goes drinking before noon on Sunday?!'




Tytus the Beerbarian, sporting quite the mop.


You need at least that much hair to start a man-bun. FYI.


Keep Calm and Pour It On - an official shirt straight from the Sriracha factory in Irwindale.

It's been a long time since I've approached a stranger to ask to take their portrait, but I had the opportunity while we were out at National on 17th. I will admit to being completely smashed at this point, but I still nailed focus: this is Andreja, who sported some crazy painful looking scarification/ etching on the upper arm and thigh. I can't say I'll understand why someone would do this, but who am I to judge.




That's a caffeine molecule, etched (not tattooed) into the skin.

All photos taken with the Rolleiflex 2.8E on Kodak Tri-X, souped in Rodinal for 7:00 at 68 deg. F.

LAX

I'm charting largely unfamiliar waters this week, living the bachelor life while Anita's away. It's like going a week without internet... sort of liberating, yet largely boring at the same time. Mostly, I just don't know what to do with myself. I envisioned a productive week of half completed projects finally getting some attention, but the reality thus far has been a parade of beer, cheetos, and falling asleep to movies I've already watched too many times.

Enough with that. Here are some photos from our trip to LA in July, where we did nothing but eat and drink to excess.


Crab claw bloody mary from Venice Whaler, on Venice Beach.


A build your own Bloody Mary I made at The Attic in Long Beach. This was for breakfast.


I need this is my house. We went here to try a bloody mary served out of a Campbell's Soup can, but they discontinued it. Inventive bloody mary streak broken!


A selection of east and west coast oysters.


I'm always fascinated by each variety's very different and distinct shell morphology.




The closest we got to seeing a celebrity - foodies will recognize Roy Choi, celebrated food truck innovator.


The famous Kogi food truck.


Latte art in Koreatown.


Hello Kitty latte.


Coffee science.




Breakfast at the uber busy Eggslut in Grand Central Market, downtown LA.


The 'slut' - a coddled egg on top of a smooth potato purée, poached in a glass jar.


A most delicious breakfast sandwich - warm and fluffy brioche, turkey sausage, and a golden runny yolk sunny side egg bursting out after biting into it.


Grilled avocados. Why hadn't I thought of this?

Photographing the Pupils, part VIII

And here are the latest portraits of my victims... er, I mean, students. I just wrapped teaching a small DSLR class, and these folks patiently sat for me during break time for these film portraits, shot with the Rolleiflex 2.8E on Kodak Tri-X 400. Souped in rodinal at 68 deg. F for 7:00min. The negatives turned out grainy as all heck, but I love them. Some of my favourites to date, for sure.


This is probably one of my favourite portraits of a student I've ever taken. I love the stern expression.






Sadly the film advance crank wasn't cooperating, and I ended up partially double exposing this shot.

Eau Claire Distillery - Alberta's First Craft Distillery

Anita and I were looking for something different to experience this weekend, so we rounded up Amy and headed south to Turner Valley to take a tour and tasting of Alberta's first craft distillery, Eau Claire Distillery. Their Parlour Gin is pretty damn amazing! Smooth with a rich nose of juniper, coriander, and aromatics from other regional botanicals like rosehips and saskatoon berries, I could see us drinking ourselves silly way too easily. Taken straight, it was pleasant to sip, but paired with a splash of tonic, look out. My new favourite drink.

Like so much of the craft movement, Eau Claire focuses on locally sourced and hand crafted product, basing their spirits on regional flavours and ingredients. Unlike many other spirit distillers, they start with locally grown barley, and put it through their custom copper still in various stages to achieve a distinct aromatic and flavour profile for their Vodka and Gin products, while we await their whiskey to finish aging in 2017.


Parlour Gin. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!


Three Point Vodka. Smooth, with a strong nose of banana and vanilla.


Gin Rummy. Aromas remniscient of Spiced Christmas Fruitcake. (I don't like Fruitcake, but this smelled amazing).


The main aromatics in Parlour Gin: Coriander, Juniper Berries, and Angelica Root.


The small batch fermentation tanks in their production room.


Tour guide explaining the process.


Custom copper stills and proofing (?) tank.






Barrel/ cask aging room for their single malt whiskey, to be ready for consumption in 2017.


The floor may look like just a patch of gravel, but it is a purposefully laid mixture of clay underneath to help with humidity control in an otherwise low humidity province.


Anita and Amy in the tasting room. Which was once home to a brothel.



And for a little history lesson: Prohibition era Alberta (1916 - 1923) meant that to legally obtain alcohol, one needed a prescription. Here's an example of a bottle of liquor that was prescribed for medicinal reasons - this one was for treatment of anemia, with the description: Especially recommended for young girls, elderly people and for all persons requiring invigorating Iron Treatment. Early 20th century medicine, yo!

Film: The next mass extinction

Film is for dinosaurs. Literally, in this case. I shot a couple rolls of Kodak Tri-x through the Rolleiflex at the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller on Saturday.

















The light was so low inside that these were shot at f/ 2.8 at 1/15s. I was mildly surprised that I managed to get fairly sharp images. Film processed in Rodinal 1+24, for approx. 8:30 at 68 deg. F. The 8.5 min dev time was a guesstimate to push the Tri-X about 1/2 stop.

And because the Rolleiflex' 80mm lens wasn't quite wide enough for these Albertosauruses, I shot a couple with the Fuji X100s and the Fujinon wide conversion lens.