FilmNeverDie.com – Shirokuro 400 film

Give me a hand – Wide Open, a bit OOF, quite smooth

One of the pleasures of shooting film is trying different films when you come across some. When I was last in Melbourne, I stumbled by complete chance upon the shop / gallery of FilmNeverDie.com.

Thai Smile – very grainy probably under exposed

These are die shard film fans, with a collection of vintage cams on display, a fridge well stocked with various emulsions but I was also told by Gary, who looks to be the guy in charge, that they will soon launch their own film. Soon being very soon, Gary sold me two rolls and here are the results of the first one. I also bough a JapanCameraHunter JCH StreetPan roll, that will be for another day.

Sungei Road Golden hour

 

Apart from the label saying C41 and the indication “made in Belgium” the label of the lab and myself were not able to decipher what film it is. I am not aware of C41 films made by Agfa, the only Belgium factory, so this is news for me. But I am just an amateur so who knows.

Stacking up – Sungei Road

The film turns out quite grainy and the negatives show low contrast (I mean there are no white areas, the lighter areas being 30% grey), the scans are looking quite ok though and maybe the exposition was not so great. I used the Nikon F with one of my prisms that does not meter and an old Goosen meter. I will shot my second film more carefully.

Standard Ti Shaw

Trishaw handle bar close up. Grainy but quite pleasing

The result is quite interesting and will probably appeal to the crowd of street photographers that  like grain and “gritty” look.

IAmCeno2 mural on Funan destruction site. Nice rendering to my taste

Shirokuro 400 – Black and White chromogenic film c-41 process 35mm 27 exposure film

FilmneverDie.com: 2/640 Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD, 3000

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39 Syed Alwi Road – Singapore

Shop houses 39 to 45 on Syed Alwi Road in jalan Besar Area in Singapore are undergoing a massive renovation.

Camera::Hasselblad 500CM
Lens:Planar 80mmF2.8
Film::Kodak Portra 400ISO
 

The smallest hairdresser in town and the old bike repair shop are now gone and a boutique hotel will rise in the renovated building. A part of my Singaporean playground is going away it seems.

 

Wild Style

Camera::Leica IIIC
Lens:Jupiter 8 35mmF2.8
Film::Kodak Tri-x400
 

The old repair shop

Camera::Nikon F
Lens::50mmF1.4AIS
Film::Kodak Tri-x400
 

The old repair shop

Camera::Leica M4
Lens:Summilux 50mmF1.4
Film::Kodak Tri-x400
 

The trishaw

Camera::Nikon D700
Lens:Nikkor 85mmF1.8D

A roll with the Nikon F – part 2 : around town

Not much talk today, just 3 more pictures of the first Nikon F roll of the year. As usual I spend some time weekly around the popular yet central area between Lavender MRT and Serangoon road (Little India).

Below one of the stall  in the ground floor of the public housing building opposite lavender MRT.

The shop fruit a Lavender MRT

Just before Serangoon road, on Marne street s small Chinese temple lies in a patch of greenery that will soon be used for more constructions. I do not know his name and but two of the horse statues were guarding the entrance (closed). These are something temples and shrines, I must find someone to explain me one day.

Horse statue at a small temple on Marne Street

Another day, another place. Hong Lim Complex is a public housing building at the border between  the CDB (Central Business District) and Chinatown. These are a lot of shops selling food, Chinese medicine items, and so on. I liked the scale they use in that one.

The Scale – grocery store – Hong Lim Complex

A roll with the Nikon F – part 1 : There is always something going on on Orchard Road

Nikon F – FTn finder – Nikkor-S Auto 50mm f:1/4

Time to pull another friend from the dry box ! At least once a year let’s get together and have a walk around town. The Ftn finder uses the same batteries as the Minolta Hi-Matic so there was no problem to get started, just loading a fresh (and cold from the fridge) roll of Ilford Delta 400 and off we go. When I say off we go its a kind of shortcut, because it took me more than two weeks to complete the 36 exposures, but you know what I mean.  Oh, and I have chosen the original 50mm 1.4 Auto-s; last year I was very pleased with the pictures I did with the more recent 50mm 1.4 AIS, so let’s try to see if there is an objective difference or if it was just chance.

Here are 3 shots make on Orchard Road, in rather dim light, so wider aperture (probably around 2.8) and slow speed (30 to 60).

Nobody was dancing in the street at the sound of the band that Sunday, but that’s a common sight. Too bad!

In term of dancing I was luckier withe the Line Dancing Fiesta and the two shots below.

More chess players aka The revenge of the Nikon F

More chess players

The Nikon F has nothing to seek revenge from; apart from not going on holidays like the Hasselblad. This set apart I am amazed by the last film I got from the lab, well some of it at least.

Back in Toa Payoh to see the chess players and I got this so colorful image.

Camera: Nikon F – 1966
Lens: 50mmF1.4 S-Auto
Film: Kodak elitechrome 100 asa
Scanner: Epson v500

Mrs B view through the Nikon F

I’m a bit lazy these days and did not shoot anything worthy the last month or so; so I’m going through the Lightroom library for something to post.

Here is a portrait of Mrs B. shot with the Nikon F last April and the (by then) new 50mmAIS.

Camera: Nikon F Photomnic (Prism in working order)
Lens: Nikkor 50mmF1.4 AIS
Film: Hilford Delta 100
Scanner Epson ,V500
Processing: LR3+PS Elements 4.0

Old Kallang Airport – Singapore

Old Kallang Airport - Singapore

Camera: Nikon F Photomnic (Prism in working order)
Lens: Nikkor 50mmF1.4 AIS
Film: Hilford Delta 100
ScannerEpson ,V500
Processing: LR3+PS Elements 4.0

Ok, this week a small break from the Nepal pictures; the Kallang Airport (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kallang_Airport), which was Singapore airport from 1937 to 1995, was opened to the public this year as part on the Singapore Biennale. Just got the film back from the shop and here are some pictures.

For these picture I brought my Manfrotto tripod; the F mirror shake is generally so bad that I feel these pictures really got a benetif from using a tripod for once.

Instead of the original 50mmF1.4 S I used my “new” 50mmF1.4AIS.

Also during this time I have been de-stocking some stuff: my Lowepro Slingshot bag is gone, it was too small , my gear too heavy (and the strap does not feel comfortable with my beerbelly ;)), the excellent Nikkor 24mm F2.8 is gone today as well, I don’t really use it any more since I bought the 17-35F2.8, fair-well my friends. Don’t worry, I am not just making void; mostly making room for a new acquisition very soon.