The Photography of Neil Kesterson http://neilkesterson.posterous.com Photos, comments, information, and anything to do with photography posterous.com Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:35:33 -0700 This Posterous Blog is Shutting Down http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/this-posterous-blog-is-shutting-down http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/this-posterous-blog-is-shutting-down Unfortunately, this Posterous blog is gone, come April 31.  I will be posting directly to my Wordpress blog from now on.  You can find it at kestersonn.wordpress.com.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/445394/Photo_6.jpg http://posterous.com/users/5egXCsWUVypj Neil Kesterson neilkesterson Neil Kesterson
Sun, 24 Feb 2013 08:27:58 -0800 Re-skinned Russian Rangefinder http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/re-skinned-russian-rangefinder http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/re-skinned-russian-rangefinder I recently bought a new iPhone, so I was looking for a case. I ran across a website called www.skinslove.com in the Netherlands. I saw this red leather-like replacement skin for the Fed 3b camera. Coincidentally the leatherette was beginning to peel off my 1970s – era Soviet union rangefinder camera. I couldn't resist a tip of the hat to the Red Army. I would be willing to bet that many conscripts carried this model when on leave. My Fed works quite well for such a shoddy approach to manufacturing. The Industar lens is actually pretty sharp if you can control flare. I've got an old roll of consumer color film in it right now. The skin, by the way, is really a specialty printable plastic from Avery. It has a nice grip to it. It was perfectly cut for my camera and was a breeze to put on. The only thing I had to do was punch holes for the screws. The only negative to the skin is its thinness. On roughly-manufactured cameras like this one, you can't hide the uneven places on the body. Overall a fun upgrade.

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Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:21:40 -0800 20th year picture http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/20th-year-picture http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/20th-year-picture
Mara and I have been coming to this same tree every summer for 20 years now!  This is at the beautiful Lexington Cemetery in the back, beside the mausoleum.  There used to be a park bench in front of this tree for years.  One year, it had been moved to the side.  So I moved it back for the picture, forgetting to replace it.  The next year it was chained down!  I guess they don't want their furniture moved.  The area behind Mara and Daisy used to contain an apple orchard.  It's now an extension, with a boring and ugly pond containing a very loud fountain.

Bronica ETRS, Kodak Portra 400

Mara_cemetery-2012-1129_etrs-p

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Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:13:56 -0800 Autumn at Camp Nelson http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/autumn-at-camp-nelson http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/autumn-at-camp-nelson
I'm simply amazed at how many different personalities this place has.  I've been taking my dog here to run for about 15 months now.  It changes dramatically with each season.  There is a variety of subjects, though I confess I have to look a little harder each time.  The last batch from here had me looking for circles and squares.  This time I was was trying to convey Autumn, though a windy storm earlier in the week blew away most of the leaves.  I still found some interesting shots, though.  The barn was an aside, and it was on a private farm next to the park.  I thought it conveyed the country life pretty well.

Bronica ETRS, Kodak Portra 400

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Sun, 02 Dec 2012 18:07:45 -0800 Maple Leaves http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/maple-leaves http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/maple-leaves
The "Orton Effect" is not an episode from Star Trek, but it sounds like it could be a really cool one with cheesy effects and big-brained green aliens.  Instead, it's an "analog" effect created by Michael Orton in the darkroom.  The simplest version of this is to have one negative of normal exposure/focusing, sandwiched with another negative that's over-exposed and out of focus.  You can simulate this with a double exposure in-camera as well.  This was admittedly done in Photoshop with an "action," or a series of Photoshop procedures that are saved in a macro.   It's a great effect that can save an otherwise run-of-the-mill photo.  I did intentionally de-focus the background leaves during exposure, but it just lacked that dreamy effect I was looking for.

Nikon Fm2n, Fuji 200 (self-developed Digibase C-41)

Maple_leaves-orton-2012-1125_n

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Sun, 02 Dec 2012 17:59:17 -0800 Fall Contrail http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/fall-contrail http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/fall-contrail
When I was a boy, someone told me that the Strategic Air Command had a jet in the air all times, covering all the U.S.  I of course had seen Jimmy Stewart's "Strategic Air Command" movie, so I knew they used high flying jets to protect us from Commies.  So every contrail I saw, I thought it was SAC.  I remember getting worried one day when I say a bunch of the vapor trails criss-crossing the sky like a tic-tac-toe game.

Taken one morning in my driveway before leaving for work.

Nikon Fm2n, polarizer, Fuji 200 (self-developed Digibase C-41)

Fall_contrail-2012-1125_nkfm2n

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Sat, 27 Oct 2012 11:56:19 -0700 The Sears Tower http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/the-sears-tower http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/the-sears-tower Sears rebadged a lot of goods over the years, including cameras. The Tower brand came from a mix of manufacturers, including respected ones like Olympus. They also rebadged some average cameras. This Sears Tower No.1 camera is one of those. I don't know who made it in 1955, but I suspect it's Chinese or Japanese in origin. It's classic bakelite with a plastic lens and hard-to-see viewfinder more common in pre-war cameras like the Kodak Brownie. It takes 120 medium format film, still available today. It does have some unusual features, however. The best, outside of its great styling, is the film advance knob. As you rotate it, it cocks the shutter and then stops precisely on the next frame. No need to look in the tiny red hole trying to see the frame number on the backing paper. And look at those lines. Just like cars from the 50's there's a lot of wasted space on corners, curves and bulk. I bet if it came out in '57, it would have had two big fins. Mine has a fully intact rubber strap. Some of the bakelite was cracked, so I taped it up just in case. It has a regular one-speed shutter, as well as a setting for "Bulb" mode. It also has a fixed aperture. It's basically a box camera with style.

And I have to admit, the pictures aren't bad. It has that dreamy blurred vignetting and lack of great detail that plastic lenses give you. But the surprise to me was the contrast. I shot with a roll of Ilford FP4 (ISO 125), a fine grained film. I also developed in Ilford Perceptol (their version of Microdol-X). That may have played a little role in the contrast, but not much. Overall, a pretty nice little casual camera for the casual shooter in 1955, especially if you want to look good carrying it.

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Sat, 27 Oct 2012 11:28:51 -0700 Adventures in Color Processing http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/adventures-in-color-processing http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/adventures-in-color-processing
Well, I did it.  I finally processed my first rolls of color negative film.  It was definitely easier than I thought it would be.  My results were mixed.  Although the negs came out exposed properly, I had issues with either the chemistry, or the handling.  There were streaks and black spots all along the length of both rolls of film I processed.  

I reviewed the process on line, and it may come down to washing.  My C41 Digibase kit doesn't mention washing at all.  Nor does any official process I can find.  However, some amateur users online like to wash between every step.  It's also possible I had chemicals that weren't fully mixed, as this is my first time doing this.  It may also be the lack of enough Stabilizer (see "CONS" below)

Okay, the pros and the cons of the Digibase kit:

PROS
  • Easy to mix up
  • Lower temperature required than previous C41 kits
  • Economical

CONS
  • Not enough Stabilizer to make the required amount.  All the other supplied bottles had more than enough to make solutions.  I was short about 20%.  I wound up having a diluted Stabilizer.  I don't know how they could have missed this in packaging the product.
  • Instructions not always clear in the steps.  It's obviously targeted to beginners like me, but I would appreciate some "dummy" steps and B&W comparisons.
  • In the "Troubleshooting" section, it mentions the black spots and suggests not enough washing.  However, this is the only place it mentions any washing.

Fortunately I chose consumer film to experiment with.  The Fuji color is okay, but a little grainy.  It also lacks color depth compared to Portra and Ektar.  But I'm comparing a Chevy to a Porsche, which isn't always fair.

Will I process color again?  You bet.  I still have a bunch of stock solution for about 8 more rolls.  Significantly cheaper than mail out to a lab.  If I work out the chemistry problems, I might order the Digibase again.  But, I think I'll try another kit first and see if the instructions are better.   In fact, I'll probably try E-6 (slide film) processing this winter.  There's only an extra step more than C41 (which itself has an extra step or two over B&W).  

For those of you that have a history with B&W that are wanting to try color, go for it!  If you're pretty meticulous in the darkroom already; you understand simple temperature control using coolers or trays of water; and you've experimented with different developers;  you're ready.  Also, if there are no good labs left in town that you trust with your color, then go bust through some cheap film and try a kit.  The biggest difference I saw was the hotter temperatures.  Mixing the chemicals posed some challenges, as I  had to boil water to get my distilled water up to mixing temperature.  Once there, it was all pretty easy.  The other slight difference was how fast the developer worked - 3:15.  It was over before I knew it started.  After that, it took about as long as B&W to get to the drying stage.

Oh, and the drying time is extremely short compared to B&W.  I think you could probably scan an hour later.

These shots were taken on a Canon T-90 and Minolta SRT-202.  I had some scanning issues, so these are not quality scans.  For some reason, my Plustek OpticFilm 7500i with Silverfast hates Fuji Extra film.  I could not get any dynamic range or consistent color.  I know my developing was good, as I've had this problem before.  Sometimes a film and scanner don't like each other.

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Sat, 13 Oct 2012 09:30:49 -0700 Balanced Rocks http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/balanced-rocks http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/balanced-rocks Auxier Ridge, Red River Gorge, Kentucky

Bronica ETRS (Kodak Portra 400)

Balance_rocks-auxier_ridge-201

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Sat, 13 Oct 2012 09:29:56 -0700 Beauty Among the Ugly http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/beauty-among-the-ugly http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/beauty-among-the-ugly The flowers growing among the wheels of the cannon are as if they are trying to hold it back from advancing.

Bronica ETRS (Kodak Portra 400)

Beauty_among_the_ugly-perryvil

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Sat, 13 Oct 2012 09:28:00 -0700 Doctor's Creek Wildflowers http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/doctors-creek-wildflowers http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/doctors-creek-wildflowers Along the mostly dry creek bed of Doctor's Creek, new life grows. This creek served as the beginning of one of the bloodiest wars of the Civil War, The Battle of Perryville.

Bronica ETRS (Kodak Portra 400)

Doctors_creek_wildflowers-2012

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Sat, 06 Oct 2012 14:23:40 -0700 Adventures in Extreme Detail - Rollei 25 http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/adventures-in-extreme-detail-rollei-25 http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/adventures-in-extreme-detail-rollei-25 I bought a roll of 120 format Rollei Pan 25 film a while ago. This is ISO/ASA 25 film. Very, very slow. And very sharp indeed. One of the advantages you often get with slow film is less grain and more detail. I'd say it's true with this film. There are a couple of factors that may have reduced its detail, though. One of which is my scanner, the Epson V500. While a very nice scanner, I felt it couldn't dig deep into this film. With other, less detailed films, especially B&W, the detail of the film and the detail of the scanner optics seem to bottom out together. But I seemed to see just a little bit more with my loupe than the scanner saw. The other factor in reducing sharpness was probably the thin film base. This film curled excessively. I hung to dry with weights. Then I wound it up backwards to flatten the curl. I let it sit several days like this, but it sprang back around with a vengeance. I fought every strip of film into the holder. It looked a little bubbly in the holder, as if it were ready to pop out.

Instead of developing in regular old Ilfosol, I ordered some Ilford Perceptol, their version of Microdol-X. The development time was roughly 16 minutes, almost 3 times longer than Delta film. I could tell as soon as I pulled the negs off the reel that they were different. The film base was clear, as opposed to neutral. Without a loupe, I could see the detail and rich tones. But that curl!

Was it worth it? You bet. It's fun to get this detail. I'll know what to expect next time with the curl. Is it the best ISO 25 film? I have no idea, it's the first I've used. I read a bunch of reviews before I bought it - half were good, the other panned it. I suspect that the naysayers were probably comparing it to films of old, such as the heralded Kodak Technical Pan. It's probably an Eastern European or Chinese film because of the thin film base, but I like it. I didn't really have any exposure issues that weren't my or the camera's fault. I had no trouble pulling detail out of the shadows. The highlights were pretty detailed as well. Overall, a very nice film for those times you want either slow shutter speeds or improved detail. I'd be interested to know how the 35mm version helps the smaller format.

Bronica ETRS (Rollei 25)

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Sat, 06 Oct 2012 13:59:51 -0700 Welcome to Paris http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/welcome-to-paris http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/welcome-to-paris More shots from an afternoon in the bucolic Paris, Kentucky.

Nikon F4s (Kodak Portra 400)

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Sat, 06 Oct 2012 13:57:02 -0700 Copper Cannon http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/copper-cannon http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/copper-cannon A cannon at Perryville Battlefield State Park. Every year in October, they hold a Civil War reenactment. I think this year may be one of the biggest. I'd only been to the park during a reenactment, so an afternoon's hike through the place with my dog brought many nice surprises you don't see with the crowds.

Ollympus OM-4 (Fuji Superia 200)

Copper_cannon-perryville-2012-

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Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:57:09 -0700 Tractor Engine http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/tractor-engine http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/tractor-engine Closeup of the venerable John Deere tractor. Camp Nelson, KY. Do these things ever quit?

Nikon F4s (Kodak Portra 400)

Tractor_engine-camp_nelson-201

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Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:54:20 -0700 John Deere Circles http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/john-deere-circles http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/john-deere-circles On this day, I was studying shapes. The prodigious amounts of round hay bales this time of year led me to photograph circles. I about fell over when I saw the two circles surrounding the square. I also indulged in a closeup of the engine (look for a later post).

Nikon F4s (Kodak Portra 400)

John_deere-camp_nelson-2012-09

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Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:48:55 -0700 Haymaker Axle http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/haymaker-axle http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/haymaker-axle This rusty beast makes the round bales of hay you see on farms in the late summer and early fall. I've made several studies of this farm implement, mostly showing the whole device or its aftermath.

Nikon F4s, Micro-Nikkor 105mm/f2.8 (Kodak Portra 400)

Hay_axle-camp_nelson-2012-0917

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Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:45:33 -0700 Woah, Black Betty, Bam-ah-lam http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/woah-black-betty-bam-ah-lam http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/woah-black-betty-bam-ah-lam I know you're humming that great guitar lick by Ram Jam now. Well this guy (or girl, I'm not a lepidopterologist) basically posed for me. I had to fire several shots, but he (she) seemed to know i was looking for the "spread." I was knee-deep in wildflowers and bumblebees at Camp Nelson. Meanwhile, my dog Daisy was trying to eat the bees.

Nikon F4s, Micro-Nikkor 105mm/f2.8 (Kodak Portra 400)

Black_betty-campnelson-2012-09

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Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:36:59 -0700 Polishing a Turd http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/polishing-a-turd http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/polishing-a-turd In this photo from my much-traveled Camp Nelson, I basically polished a turd. I shot this on a 35mm camera (Nikon F4s) and scanned it with my dedicated 35mm scanner (Plustek OpticFilm 7500i). The companion software (Silverfast) has a really nifty infrared scratch and noise filter built in. It basically looks for vertical, horizontal, and dots on the film surface using an infrared light source built in to the scanner. It saves hours of Photoshop work in most cases. But in this instance, I had just left the settings on from the last scan. It takes several minutes to pre-scan and adjust the settings, so doing this for EVERY scan eats up precious time. Well, the vertical grass and weeds were perceived as scratches by the software and subsequently blurred. I've had this happen with brickwork as well. So, following a saying in my professional field (audio production), I polished a turd by taking an otherwise crappy photo and "dumbing it down." I applied filters to emulate paint daubs and texture. And to be completely honest, I actually thought "painting" when I took the photo. I've been honored a few times by having my photos turned in to paintings (not that this was on my mind at the time). But I was on a mission to apply classic painting techniques of shapes and framing the day I took this. It doesn't quite smell as bad now, does it?

Barn_painting-campnelson-2012-

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Sat, 01 Sep 2012 12:57:15 -0700 The Canon T-90 - The Last Great Manual-Focus Canon http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/the-canon-t-90-the-last-great-manual-focus-ca http://neilkesterson.posterous.com/the-canon-t-90-the-last-great-manual-focus-ca I recently acquired a Canon T-90. I bid low on eBay and got it, along with a matched TTL flash and a 50mm f1.4 lens. All were in very good condition. The T-90 is a bit of an experiment. Canon started to phase out their A series cameras (AE-1, A-1,, etc.), which were groundbreaking electronic wonders. I personally thought the A-1 was a let down when I finally got one, only because of the way I shoot. I prefer manual mode, and the A-1 was built with automation in mind, so I never warmed up to it. Now mind you, I think it's a brilliant camera for its time. Beautiful design, accurate meter and shutter, exciting new features, years ahead of its time, etc. I don't hate the A-1 (I still shoot with it occasionally), I respect it. But I have to say I respect Canon's lenses more.

Some of my sharpest pictures are from the Canon FD line of manual-focus lenses. I have a nice line up, all the way from an extremely fun 17mm to a 100-300mm zoom. I resurrected my beautiful A-1 by fixing the dreaded "Canon Squeak." I then started to have power issues. Although I love my AE-1, I found myself just letting my Canon gear sit unused for long periods of time. I wanted to shoot with those lenses, but my bodies were just not up to the task. What to do? I thought of going down the F1n route (there older pro line which never caught on). I might buy one someday with the right opportunity, but it's just too expensive. So, I began researching the T-series cameras as an alternative. The one camera that kept popping up as the one to have was the T-90.

In 1986, the T-90 was the last of the manual-focus Canons before they abandoned the FD series lenses in favor of a completely new mount, the EF autofocus series for the new EOS line of cameras. This was a huge risk for Canon, but a potentially great reward. I think it was a very smart move, because when anybody thinks great professional camera, only two come to mind - Nikon and Canon. But this huge step came about in baby steps first. The T-series cameras bridged the gap, building on the success of the A-series, and bringing new innovations to consumers. The T-90, though short-lived, was the last baby step before EOS. It even looks like an EOS camera.

The smooth form factor, the LCD panel on top, the forward trigger button, the built-in motor drive, the function wheel, the menus. These now-familiar features were a brand new way of thinking in 1986. Today, the T-90 sort of looks like a modern digital SLR. In fact, I've threatened to put a picture on the back of the film door and look at it after each shot, just like digital shooters do. I bet people wouldn't even look at you twice.

I love shooting with this camera. Of course it feels nice in the hands, it's ergonomically designed. There's not a vast amount of info in the viewfinder, but enough to get the shot. The spot meter averaging feature is the main reason I own this camera. It's very similar to the Olympus OM-4 spot metering (which they invented first). The touch-sensative shutter button works very similar to today's cameras, but lacks a now common feature. If you touch the button slightly, the meter comes to life - that's good. If you take a picture and keep your finger on the button, it retains the exposure. If you take it off, even for a second, you must re-meter - not good. I will learn how to get around this, I'm just spoiled with today's cameras that leave the meter (and memory) on for 30-seconds. I really can't complain though, it was a 1980's wonder camera.

My only real complaint is the ugly front. That logo with T90 and the features listed on the front look like a peel away sticker for the showroom. I might paint over that and glue a new Canon logo on there. With the chimp picture on the back and the new logo on the front, I'm ready for everyone to think I'm part of the digital age!

Enjoy a few pictures from my first test roll on Ilford Delta 100 B&W film. Now to dust off those old lenses.

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