Author: Madison Hyer

Banff (In Monochrome): New City, New Film – Acros & T-Max 100/400

Published by

This article shows off some of the black and white negative film I tried out on my vacation to Banff, CA in April2019. To see some of the color negative work, please follow this link. Several of this films in this article have exposure tested and compared to other B&W negative films – this article is located here.   The Canadian Rockies were calling and we answered. In a moment of spontaneity and luck finding round-trip tickets for only 18k points, we got our tickets and booked a hotel within a couple hours and I immediately started thinking about what film I was going to take. For ease (and out of pure laziness) I needed to make sure everything was ASA 400 or slower so I didn’t have to have the film hand-checked. For black and white negative film, I ended up taking a pro pack of T-Max 400 120 and 1 roll of 35mm. A few rolls of T-Max 100 120 and a couple rolls of Acros 120. Acros Of all the films I …

Banff (In Color): New City, New Film – Ektar & Portra 160

Published by

This article shows off some of the color negative film I tried out on my vacation to Banff, CA in April2019. To see some of the black and white negative work, please follow this link.  Several of this films in this article have exposure tested and compared to other color negative films – this article is located here.   The Canadian Rockies were calling and we answered. In a moment of spontaneity and luck finding round-trip tickets for only 18k points, we got our tickets and booked a hotel within a couple hours and I immediately started thinking about what film I was going to take. For ease (and out of pure laziness) I needed to make sure everything was ASA 400 or slower so I didn’t have to have the film hand-checked. For color negative film, I ended up taking a pro pack of Portra 400 (per usual), Ektar, and Portra 160. I also ended up taking a few rolls of Fuji Provia and Ektachrome. Portra 160 I gave this film a shot after …

Guide: Scanning with the Epson v600

Published by

First and foremost, I would like to say that I love my V600 scanner. I couldn’t imagine not having it. It’s difficult to imagine the true potential of your photographs until you have total control over how it’s digitized. Sure – there are more sophisticated scanners out there but this scanner does an excellent job for the money. At less than $200, it’s difficult not to get your moneys worth. As a disclaimer, this article is not intended to be any more than a guide for other getting started in scanning at home or looking from someone else’s perspective. I’m not saying it’s the best but it works well for me. The Image I took this photograph on an early morning hike in Hocking Hills, Ohio nearby where I live. I didn’t have my tripod that day but I had Portra 400 loaded in my Mamiya 645 Pro TL (the reviews for each are linked) and had the morning ahead of me. Step 1 – Scanning using Epson Scan software To start, I prefer to …

Guide: White Balancing in Photoshop

Published by

In this guide I am going to walk you through the 3 techniques I employ to white balance (WB) an image. The third method is more comprehensive and the method I use when I’m really taking my time and/or when the WB is really off. The first method is much faster but doesn’t give as good of results and the second method is a blend of the first and third. Preface Below is the before/after image that I will be using as a demonstration. To complete the edits on the image following white balancing, please see the article where I walk through my techniques for editing/finishing scanned images. Aside from white balancing, it consists of adjusting contrast/brightness and increasing the sharpness of the photograph. Method 1 This method, as stated above, is a lot faster but does not give as good results. The quality of the WB is lower and it darkens the image too much in my opinion. The start, open a curves adjustment and using the baster looking icons on the left, select …

Interview: David Chan

Published by

“Once I got the hang of it, it was easy to see why so many photographers are (re)discovering film. The way that light renders on film is simply magic…” David is an avid film photographer in California. I came across his work shortly after a trip he took to Banff and I was blown away by his work. His panoramic photos made me want an X-Pan (or Fujifilm TX-1), the colors in photos made me want to try Ektar again, and the energy of his work has inspired me to travel and take more photographs. JM: Thanks so much for doing this.  Your shots in Banff have inspired me to try Ektar again after one failed roll.  I’ve really appreciated all the direction and advice about my trip to Banff and photography in general. JM: Why do you shoot film? DC: I took some film and darkroom classes in high school and college, but it wasn’t until about a few years ago that I started seriously pursuing photography as a hobby again after purchasing a …

Interview: Craig McIntosh

Published by

“When I made the move from digital to shooting on film I immediately noticed how much it forced me to slow down and actually think about how I wanted to compose the scene or my subject.” Craig is a film photographer in Scotland. His work is really creative and has helped me to focus on the importance of light and setting up the framing to emphasize light. He also has a website you should check out (he suggests looking at it on a desktop to fully appreciate it). MH: Hey Craig! Thanks so much for doing this! I really love your style and hope learning more about you can help me start to see light the way you do. MH: Why do you shoot film? CM: Film photography as a medium just works for me. When I made the move from digital to shooting on film I immediately noticed how much it forced me to slow down and actually think about how I wanted to compose the scene or my subject. Every photo you take …

Experiment 1: Exposure Testing 11 Film Stocks

Published by

In this experiment, we exposure tested 11 film stocks and Kodak Portra 400 pushed one stop to 800. Among the color films, we tested: Kodak Ektar 100, Kodak Portra 400, Portra 400 Pushed One Stop, Kodak Portra 800, and Fuji Pro 400H. Among the Black and White films, we tested: Ilford PanF, Kodak TMax 100, Kodak TMax 400, Kodak Tri-X, Ilford HP5, Ilford XP2 Super, Ilford Delta 3200. To ensure consistency throughout the experiment, the film stock was the only experimental condition. The control conditions are as follows: Camera: Hasselblad 501CM Lens: 60mm f/3.5 CB Lighting: 2 Profoto B1X with diffusers Light meter: Sekonic Lightmaster Focusing Aid: Schneider Kreuznach 4x loupe The loupe was used to set the focus at the start of the exposure test for each film stock. To ensure the exposure value (EV) was correct, the light meter (using an incident setting) was used to identify the neutral exposure as well as each EV in the center of the frame. All B&W film was developed by the Darkroom Lab and all C-41 …