Day 4 - Still Life

This time around I wanted to try something very different with the IKONTA.. Close-up Still Life. I've never really done too much with Still Life photography, so this was a big step for me. I've always wanted to, but know how hard it is and never did do it. Well that's not true, I have done some still life, but it never worked out properly... Okay, one or two images have, but I always thought it was more luck than anything..

This time around I had help.. Using my phone as a framing guide from the distance I had chosen (making corrections to match frame size between the phone and the Ikonta (wider angle lens on the phone)..

Playing with lighting, positioning and just outright moving the whole frame closer...

I got this...

Still Life - A New Approach - Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 530/2 Ilford XP2+ Super

I felt it was too far.. I couldn't get the look I was after.. I wanted tighter and closer... less ... noise.. clutter..

Well, I moved the camera closer.. The problem, however, is that my camera cannot focus closer than 1.5m (1.5 meters, learn the metric system, it's based off of parts of ten. Ten fingers ten toes)

So I had to think how I can change that.. Well sure enough I remembered... I have a close up filter!

Grabbed my Kodak Portra +2 closeup filter.. only to realize I'm going to have to hold it over the lens because I didn't have a filter holder.. Dammit!
On top of that, I didn't know the distances... So onto the internets I go.. Then I find it.. a scan of the quick guide... Set lens to INF and measure to 19 7/8".. good thing I also know the Imperial USA system as well as Metric, right? Guess what, lens is in Metric... hahah! So I have to convert.. okay, INF!

Well, a cable release in hand, filter in the other.... and ... CLICK...

Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 530/2 - Novar Anastigmat 105mm 3.5 w/Kodak Portra +2 Filter - Ilford XP2 @ EI800

I think I nailed it...

Until next time, keep those shutters firing!

Day 3 - January 4th, 2018 - XP2 and the Ikonta

I took a few photos on my way to work one morning. Since I was running with XP2 I knew I should get something..

So here are a few of the photos I took that morning..

All photos are taken on Ilford XP2 and shot rated for 800.. However I could only do so much without a tripod for the last photo..

Until next time, keep those shutters firing!

Back In The Darkroom - Jan. 22 - 2018

Back in January, on the 22nd, I ducked into my Darkroom to do some printing for a print-exchange I'm a part of..

The photo I printed is this one below that I shot using my Yashica Lynx 5000 with Rollei RPX 25.. However, I'm not really sure I am going to go with this image after all. I mean, it's lovely, I know, but I'm really thinking I have a better image for the exchange..

Yashica Lynx 5000 - Yashinon 45mm 1.8 - Rollei RPX25 - Printed on Agfa MCP310 Semi-gloss RC paper

It has been quite amazing the experience of selecting the negative to use and the whole process to get that image the way you want it on paper..
So maybe it'll be the image I send off around the world, or maybe it'll be something different..

But when I was setting up to do the actual Print itself, I decided I was going to get a shot for my Zeiss Ikon Project.. Sure enough my Ikonta was loaded with a near finished roll of Portra160NC.  I had my lightmeter on my photo to get an ambient reading with my red LED light... Sure enough it read... ƒ/4 10s ... Crap that's leaving too much to chance on focus and framing being absolutely near perfect..
OKAY stop down to ƒ/5.6 for that much wider a margin for error.. Good 15s... Reciprocity plus less than ideal film colour sensitivity range... frig.. 30s I have to hold still... while depressing the shutter release cable... All the while trying to pose like I was examining a projected negative to try to determine the best framing for a print...

Darkroom Selfie - Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 530/2
Novar Anastigmar 105mm ƒ/3.5 @ ƒ/5.6 30s Exposure
Kodak Portra 160

So you can achieve the unlikely in one take on film.. It's the only frame I wanted to use and it worked perfectly the first time around!

Until next time, keep those shutters firing!