Category: Film Photography

Moore State Park in Winter — Hasselblad 500cm / Ilford HP5 I took this image on Ilford HP5 120 film with the Hasselblad 500cm and the 80mm f/2.8 C lens. The negative was developed in Rodinal, and the enlargement was developed in EcoPro Paper Developer. What drew me to this scene was the scale —...

Shooting medium format film is one of the most rewarding experiences in photography. The massive negatives, the shallow depth of field, the tonal richness — there’s nothing quite like it. But let’s not sugarcoat it: medium format film is expensive to shoot, and the costs have only gone up in recent years. Whether you’re considering...

There’s something unmistakable about a well-exposed medium format negative. When you hold a 6×6 or 6×7 transparency up to the light, or pull a contact print from the wash, you’re looking at something digital simply cannot replicate. It’s not nostalgia talking—there are real, measurable reasons why medium format film produces images with a distinct aesthetic...

I just purchased the Omega C-700 dichroic enlarger and have started enlarging a few b&w 6×6 negatives this weekend. I also bought a Rodenstock 80mm f5.6 enlarging lens to go with it. All-in-all, I’m very happy with the setup. I still need to get an enlarger timer to trigger the enlarger lamp for specific lengths...

Kodak Portra has become something of a legend in the film photography world, and for good reason. Here’s the story: Origins and Evolution Portra launched in 1998 as a replacement for Kodak’s Vericolor line of professional portrait films. The name itself is a portmanteau of “portrait” and “Kodak” — it was purpose-built for skin tones...

A Guide to this Iconic Medium Format System The Hasselblad 500 series represents one of the most celebrated camera systems in photographic history. Introduced in 1957, this modular 6×6 medium format system became the gold standard for professional photography, famously accompanying NASA astronauts to the moon. Today, these cameras remain beloved by film photographers for...

This image was shot on Kodak Gold 200 with the Pentax 6×7. I also took a similar pic with the GFX 100s, but like this image more. There’s just something about film. Larger image below: Below is the similar image shot with the Fujifilm GFX 100s and GF 63mm f2.8. I prefer the film colors...

Wachusett Mountain, shot with the Pentax 6×7 and 55mm f4, @f4 and 1/500s. Kodak Gold 200. Shot on Memorial day on the way to the summit. Larger image below. The image below is resized for the web. The original image scan is 400mb. There’s something about this image which is so much more pleasing than...

While not medium format, I really enjoy contact printing with my 8×10 view camera. There’s something special about making a direct print without any kind of enlarging, nor scanning process, and the level of detail is astonishing! This is a portrait my wife took of me. I often use the quality of an 8×10 print...

A test image of Kodak Gold 200 taken with the Hasselblad 500cm. Anna took this shot. I’m loving the colors of this film. I noticed there’s a straight line on the photograph. Possibly an issue with scanning. Not really sure. The grain of this film looks great on 120 film. The History of Kodak Gold...

Here is a lake shot I took today with the Hasselblad 500cm. Film was Kodak Portra 400. This scan was wet mounted on the Epson V850 and scanned at 1600 ppi. I missed a small bubble in the top right-hand corner of the photo. This was taken at Wachusett’s Reservoir. Link to larger image below:...

Today’s not a great day for photography as it’s raining and my Hasselblad has no weather sealing of any sort. I really enjoy photographing in the rain but need to find ways of keeping the camera dry. I also have some b&w developer trying to expire so I need to get out and shoot regardless....