If anyone is interested in an amazing deal on medium format gear, email me and I'll put you in touch my friend Rod Hunter who is selling his entire Pentax 645 system, for 1,000.00. It's had less than 50 rolls run through it. He'll also throw in 10 rolls of film just for good measure.

645N body auto focus
45mm f2.8
75mm f2.8
125mm LF f4
135mm macro f4
120 back
220 back
Dedicated CE Pentax flash for the 645N
Hard case that will hold everything but one lens.

A Shout out

Thank you to Leah McCormick for my "I Shoot Film Buttons" I'm loving the reactions I'm getting, ranging from disbelief to joyful smiles. You need to check out her work and listen to her interview with Scott Sheppard on Inside Analog Photography.
Leah is not only an amazing photographer but also has such a wonderful attitude to life and in her business, so refreshing in a world were many wedding photographers are taking themselves way to seriously.

color!!!

I had almost forgotten about using consumer neg film to get a fabulous cross processed look. apparently consumer films are made much more contrasty than their professional counterparts. So, I shot a few rolls at these sessions using Fuji Superia 400 xtra, over exposed by 2 stops. The film can be purchased at most leading drugstores.

KISS

For some reason when I shoot digitally I feel I must do something to the image in addition to the things I have to do. Film, another story, these were shot with the Mamiya 645 AFD, 80mm lens, natural north light, Kodak Portra 160 NC, overexposed by one stop and that's it....

keep it simple

This one is for Scott Sheppard from Inside Analog Photo. Shot in open shade, Deardorff, 4x5 Ektachrome.

keep it simple

This was shot using only the natural light in my daylight studio, I wanted to keep everything as neutral and simple as possible allowing the viewer to concentrate on Whitney's beauty.

keep it real

I love shooting portraits with the view camera, one is forced to think and consider what you want to say about your sitter and what your sitter is saying about themselves, the very deliberate and total lack of spontaneity will produce a very compelling portrait.

Deardorff 8X10 view camera, Ilford FP4 film, contact print

be you

So many photographers are consumed with their branding and being unique etc. Here is a profound quote from Beth "Be content with your individuality, no one can copy that"
The Brand Called You.

Nikon F3, 105mm, 2.5 lens, Tri-X, Ilford multigrade, bleach bath after development.

Get in Close

I love getting in close for my beauty shots and portraits.


Nikon F3, 105, 2.5, Tri-X, Ilford Multigrade FB + bleach bath

I love shooting medium format, especially for my more studied portraits, all the wonderful things I love about film are magnified with the larger negative.

The picture above was shot with my Rolleiflex twin lens camera, this camera, apart from having the legendary, Ziess Plannar 2.8 lens is very smooth and easy to operate, just like a rangefinder there is no mirror so it can be hand held at quite slow shutter speeds and is virtually silent in operation. Other great TLR alternatives to the Rolleiflex are Mamyia c220 and c330 and the Yashica's.
The Rolleiflex's can be a little pricey but the other can be had for a song.

Sold all your film cameras, never owned a film camera? Check out KEH in Atlanta, they are 100%. Their rating system is extremely conservative and a fraction of the original cost, I recently bought a bargain graded Mamiya camera and lens that looked and operated like brand new.

This shot was taken with my awesome Deardorff 4x5 field camera with Nikkor lenses, which I traded several years ago, oh well. Film was 4X5 Ilford FP4, and printed on Agfa Portriga paper.

keep playing...

Nikon F3, 105mm lens, Tri-x

Experiment with different types and makes of film, each film has it's own unique qualities, contrast, grain structure and color palette etc.

play

Nikon F100, 80-200 lens, Tri-x

When shooting advertising / editorial jobs I always get what the client wants and what they're expecting me to deliver. I then play, pushing the envelope a little, invariably the client chooses those shots.
Try the same thing at your next wedding or portrait session.

slow down

Rolleiflex, TLR lit by my van's headlights, Old Salem

Shooting film forces you to slow down and think about your shot, thoughtfully composing, seeing your light and nailing exposure.

Get free

I think it's so important to set aside at least one day a month to shoot for your self.
Set your self freeeeeee!!! Pick a pet project and just have fun, don't be afraid to make a mistake, rediscover the photographer you really are or used to be in the days before 85% of your time as a photographer was spent in front of the computer.
Shoot something that turns you on, gets you going...

If you don't own a film camera a great place to start is KEH, you can get amazing deals on 35mm and medium format cameras, their quality ratings are very conservative, I just bought a Mamiya 645 1000s which is flawless for a fraction of it's original price. If your a Canon shooter then the 1n or the 1v are great buys and for Nikon you can pick up the amazing F5 or F100 for a song.

This year I'm getting my film from Freestyle and using Richard Photo Lab in Los Angeles for processsing and high-res scans whom by all accounts are the best film lab in the country and most of the best film wedding / portrait photographers in the country use them.

This next series was shot with my new favorite camera, Mamiya 645 with the awesome 85mm 1.9 lens, the depth of field is unbelievably shallow, almost a medium format Noctilux.

Here is a series I shot with my lovely and (sold) Deardorff 4x5, shot on Polaroid type 55 film (alas no more) contact printed. I think it was Ilford FB Multigrade

Nikon F100, 85mm 1.4 lens, Kodak Portra BW, scanned

Olympus OM1, 135mm lens, Tri-x, printed on Oriental Seagul