60230005

60230005, originally uploaded by Steve Loos.

I love film. I love old manual cameras.

Technical reasons; film has a much deeper range of dynamic light response than our small digital cameras. Forget the exact tech specs; this black and white image has much more detail in the very light and very dark areas than it would if I took this withy my full or crop frame digital sensors.

Non-Technical reasons; I love shooting black and white, and shooting film absolutely forces me to slow down and think about each shot. I try and see most shots before I take them, but with a digital camere I shoot then chimp (bend over like a monkey and stare at my screen.) With film I stare at the scene, then through the viewfinder. I work hard on manual focus, then move the camera about watching the analog light meter move up and down, gauging the exposure. Exposing for the light areas, I let the shadows fall where they may.

I shoot an old 1970's vintage Pentax K1000 first made in 1976. I have two lense; both Asahi, 50mm f1.4 and 28mm f2.8.

EXIF (ha!) Pentax K1000, Asahi 50mm f1.4, TMAX 100 print film shot at f2.8 and a fast 1/500 shutter to meter for sky +1 stop over mid grey. Sun is camera right.

ps; this is a photo of my father, taken in April 2012. 82 years old and still buiding homes for Habitat for Humanity. You go Dad!