StatCounter

If anybody needs a website counter and statistic collector and you don't have a budget worth speaking about, then I highly recommend StatCounter, they are the best I've seen. Below is a screenshot from my yearly stats... looks like a little growth happening there since I started the blog in 2008! Hooray!

It's really easy to use and is great for seeing if anyone is actually visiting the blog you work so hard on updating!

What brand of film do you prefer?

There is an interesting question asked here about which brand of film is your favourite. Here is my answer to that question:


I like a few, depending on the application.

A good all round cheap daily use film: Fuji Superia 200 (cheap to buy and develop, and surprisingly good quality, a little grainy but in a nice way)
Black and White: Ilford XP2 400 (cheap to develop, sharp and has great exposure latitude, unobtrusive grain)
Landscapes: Fuji Velvia 50 (expensive to buy and develop, but incredible colours and no grain)

...there are many other very competent films out there and really it comes down to what "look" you prefer. Try as many as you can, compare the results and then concentrate on getting to really know how to use those films to get your own unique look and style.


How about you guys, what do you prefer to use and why?

A Velvia 50 Sunset!

Nikon f801s, Junky Quantarray 35-80 zoom, Fuji Velvia 50, scanned with a CanoScan 5600F, edited in the GIMP.

Natures Patterns

Nikon F801s, Nikon 50mm F1.8D, Ilford XP2 Super 400 C41 process B&W film. Scanned on a CanoScan 5600F. Edited with the GIMP.

537

Nikon F801s, Nikon 50mm F1.8D, heavily expired but frozen for years Kodak Ektachrome EPR 64 ISO film.  Scanned on a CanoScan 5600F. Edited, and desaturated, with the GIMP.

Red and white toilets on Kodak Ektachrome EPR 64

Nikon F801s, Nikon 50mm F1.8D, heavily expired but frozen for years Kodak Ektachrome EPR 64 ISO film. Scanned on a CanoScan 5600F. Edited with the GIMP. I got given about 30 rolls of this fantastic, historic film.

The wild colours of Fuji Velvia 50!

These colours are straight out of the scanner, no saturation applied. No wonder it has such a following. Just look at the amazing blue of the sky, the reds are really RED (not orange), the orange is orange, and the blacks are deep black. Nice and sharp film too.

Nikon F801s, Nikon 50mm f1.8D, Fuji Velvia 50.

Homemade Flash Diffuser

Just trying some DIY and came up with this handy, homemade flash diffuser made from a margarine tub, bubble wrap, duct tape and a rubber band. Tech info: the bubble wrap is a double layer and I used a Stanley knife to cut the tub. ;-)

Not sure how it will work, if at all, but I will post sample pics as soon as I have some. Stay tuned!

Plane in a Dramatic Sky

Minor disaster useing the Olympus Trip 35

I think I must have had a defective roll of film, my first ever, because it simply pulled very easily out of the canister when it got to the end. Not really knowing what happened, and not having a dark room, I opened the camera and discovered the fatal problem. Oh well, now I can re-shoot the same shots and do them better! (me being positive!)

At least this means I could finally look under the pressure plate for the date of manufacture code and can now say with certainty that my Trip 35 was manufactured in March 1969. That makes it 41 years old! My hat off to Olympus for great build quality!

In my initial post I never included a pic of the original leather pouch it came with so here is the poor hapless battered wreck... but it does still work!

More to come soon...

Abstracts we pass by every day 2

Olympus Trip 35 Cult

I just discovered that a particularly addictive cult exists in the world today that seems to be grabbing thousands of unsuspecting and innocent people and turning them into retro photographers. It is the cult of the Olympus Trip 35.
I was quite innocently lured into this seedy cult this week when I unknowingly purchased an Olympus Trip 35 at a local antique store this week for the incredible price of R30 ($3.90) and I confess that I am hooked!

I am not really sure what it is, but it just feels right in the hand, a small solidly built piece of craftsmanship that simply oozes simplicity. It has a nifty 40mm f2.8 Zuiko lens that is reported to be quite sharp and, judging by the photos I Googled, is quite capable of outperforming some of the more modern pieces of kit out there. Excuse me as I wipe the beads of sweat from my palms...

Judging by the low serial number, mine was manufactured some time in the 60's. I will be able to get the exact date when I get the film out and can look under the pressure plate. I discovered this fact here. I was so eager to get film in and start shooting that I didn't find this out until today when I looked it up on line. Holy smokes, that means this camera is almost as old as I am!

When I finish my roll of film I will scan the results and post them for your viewing pleasure.

You can buy them reconditioned here: Trip Man
Ken Rockwell has a nice little review here: Ken Rockwell Trip 35
Camerapedia lists it here: Trip 35
A blog for it exists here: Olympus Trip 35
You can find a manual here: Trip 35 Manual

The manual is a very reasonable 12 pages instead of the volumes you need to read before you turn on your new dslr.

Please be advised that this cult is extremely addictive and will probably get you too if you don't exercise some restraint and take suitable precautions... or you can just jump right in and smile insanely, yet smugly, like the rest of us!

Thunder Ridge Spur

Featured Photographer - Danie Bester

This was a candid shot. I was walking out of a wedding reception and saw this girl standing at the fountain. She looked sad, in contrast with all the other children playing in the background. I love the shot for the emotion and the shallow depth of field.
Danie Bester

You can find Danie's blog here.

Strange Civilizations...