Zipper City Photography

Pond Builders

2012-02-09T22:50:00.000-05:00

Next to the pond on the farm were some woods that have been turning to a swamp due to multiple floods. We needed more material to complete our levees and John wanted a bigger pond - two birds with one stone and all that and you get this....

Above is the log/dirt ramp we built to get the track-hoe out into the future-pond.

Big John taking down a tree.

John and Dave counting rings.

Johnny in the track-hoe out on the ramp and digging.

John and Johnny making plans this frosty morning.

Estate Sale Treasures

2012-02-08T23:12:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend I scored two Polaroid SX-70 cameras - a OneStep and a Pronto! - for only five bucks apiece. The OneStep is a fixed focus camera - the Pronto! is zone focus. They were both lower end consumer Polaroids that used the SX-70 integral film. These remind me that I need to get to work updating my camera page - I probably have over 20 cameras to add!

Secret Ponds

2012-02-07T22:13:00.003-05:00

Today during a lull at work I went for a shortish hike on a deer trail behind one of our fields. I came across a series of ponds that I had been told about. They were man made - originally test pits by a gravel mining company that filled up with spring water. The Szalay's tried to buy this land years ago to farm but the owners leased it to the Wilson's instead(who tore it up and left it worthless) - now its part of the National Park. Ever been to Indigo Lake? It is a former gravel mine dug by the Wilson's also(they even borrowed the irrigation pump from the Szalay's to get their equipment out before it filled up with water).

The water in the above pond really looked like that - no Photoshop trickery.

More Winter Farm Work

2012-02-06T22:32:00.000-05:00

The weather has been so perfect lately that we're really trying to hammer out some work at the farm. I simply haven't had the time to photograph too much else - so I make the most of it and bring my camera to work. "There can be art in anything," a wise man once told me.*

*R.Z.

"Where Furnace Run Meets the Cuyahoga" I love it here, my summer home.

Dave - in a drainage ditch/trench on the river.

Magic Hour lighting on the Cuyahoga River.

Super Sunday @ Work

2012-02-05T22:56:00.000-05:00

Ice in the morning sun.

The saws and me(in the morning sun).

The 4 inch trash pump - I shot this at 1/8000 of a second.

"Harold's Across the Creek" Field

Ice and Oil

Wallhaven @ Night

2012-02-03T22:00:00.000-05:00

Some long exposures in Five Points. I used make-shift-tripods(curbs) for these so they aren't perfect. I just hadn't done this in a long time so its kinda fun. I want to find a cool spot to do some real good ones...

one more...

Uno Game

2012-02-02T20:41:00.001-05:00

I took this long-exposure shot at the Matinee and then promptly forgot about it. Its kinda cool so its here now....

Today at the Farm

2012-02-01T23:16:00.000-05:00

It was too muddy to get much done in the fields today but the weather was so beautiful we knew we had to take advantage of it. I had my camera on me all day and photographed some of our various projects.

Towpath Hike

2012-01-31T22:46:00.016-05:00

Today I went for a long hike from the Farm to Deep Lock. I kinda wanted to check out some of the fields that the Szalay's used to farm(meadow below) and I also was looking for old foundations of buildings that used to be around. I like to document some of the history of the Cuayhoga Valley from the 40s-70s because the park does not. They tend to go from the Canal Era to the WPA straight to present time. If I live to be an old man much of the history of more modern farming in the valley will be overgrown and lost. I take many photos that I don't even post(because they aren't that great artistically) but I want to have them for their documentary value.

This is from a foundation to a small house that the Szalays' use to lease to a lady named Mrs. Hunt - the field behind here is still known as 'the Hunt Field'.

Polaroid 990s - Around the House

2012-01-30T23:15:00.002-05:00

I just shot the rest of my first pack of 990 film in my Spectra AF 2. Now that I have tested it out I'd like to come up with a project or theme for the other 5 packs I have left. Suggestions welcome.

Flash Snow Storm

2012-01-29T23:00:00.004-05:00

It was an above normal temp., sunny afternoon in late January, I went for a walk, I took the above photo ...and I came inside to start editing it. I looked out my window and observed a near-white-out. I walk out my door fifteen minutes later and the sun is peaking through the clouds but everything is covered in snow. I took the below photos.

True story.

Tri-X 400

2012-01-28T14:57:00.001-05:00

Here it is - my first roll of home-developed film - Tri-X 400 shot with my Minolta X-700 and developed in Kodak HC-110. I scanned them with my CanoScan 9000f.

Not to bad for a first attempt, eh?

Some more...

The only real problem I had was with my scanner - it won't "find" my real high key, low contrast shots. I'm currently researching what to do about it....

Negative Attention

2012-01-27T20:18:00.002-05:00

I did it. I developed my own film...

Above you see my hands in my new changing bag which is used to take the film out of its canister, spool it on the reel and place it in the developing tank. I had planned on making a room light-tight for this process but it turned out to be too much of a pain. The changing bag was only 20 bucks anyways - and was probably a better bet for total darkness.

When I was researching how long to develop my Kodak Tri-X 400 for(in Kodak HC-110) I found all kinds of different information - but pretty much everyone said Kodak's numbers were too short. I ended using "dilution b" at 68 degrees for 6 minutes with 5 second agitation every 30 seconds. These numbers can get real nerdy, real different and hotly debated so I went with what seemed like averages...

The Supplies

My negatives are currently drying in the bathroom(the most dust free room in the house) and I plan to cut them and scan them soon. It will probably take getting a few rolls under my belt and some online critiques before I can really tell how I'm doing. There are so many variables - from the in camera exposure to the developing time, temps, agitation etc... for now I'm just extremely thrilled to see images show up at all!

Dead Flowers/Self Portrait

2012-01-26T20:27:00.001-05:00

I love those happy accidents I mentioned a few days ago....

Tonight I messing around with my camera, flash, and new lens in my office when I accidentally switched the camera mode. I was trying to take the above photo, cross-lighted with my flash off-camera, but the flipped mode made a 10 second exposure - it kinda looked cool. I ended up experimenting with different shutter speeds(the photo is 8 seconds) and the shake from hand holding my camera made for a unique effect. It works well for these flowers....

Up close and personal...

The Film Vault

2012-01-25T20:11:00.002-05:00

I've been shooting film again for about a year now. I've really enjoyed fixing and using my old cameras and seeing the differing qualities exhibited by a variety of film. Starting this weekend(I'm waiting on a part from B&H) I look forward to stepping it up a notch and developing my own negatives for the first time in years. Down the road I want to start making my own prints - I just need to finish up work on my basement darkroom.
I'll of course document all the progress right here and on flickr......

Couple of Drinks, High ISO

2012-01-24T23:59:00.000-05:00

I went out and had a couple of drinks with some friends tonight but I didn't have my flash so I shot some real high ISO photos @ 6400. They are definitely noisy - but still better than an iphone...

It is amazing how well my new lens(Canon 17-55mm f/2.8) can focus in the dark - it really brings out the AF of the 7D.

Old Deere's

2012-01-23T21:19:00.001-05:00

Today I drove down to our(Szalay's Farm's) John Deere dealer, Cope's Farm Equipment, to drop of some parts to be worked on. I had never been there before so the used tractor lot instantly drew my eye. It was raining, and I was technically working, so I snapped 2 shots - one of each of the most interesting tractors to me.

Above is the John Deere 4020 - it was a game-changing tractor for its power and the most popular tractor of its day. It was cool to see one in person - they were made from 1964-72.

Below is a John Deere 2750 which was interesting to me because it was the first John Deere the Szalay's bought after switching from Oliver's. John Szalay said it is one of his favorite tractors ever....

Hiking Snowy Hawkins

2012-01-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

Icy Morning

2012-01-20T23:27:00.001-05:00

I stopped off on my way to work to try and capture the morning sun shinning through the icy trees and weeds. It was quite cold - I shot a bit of film too but my Minolta X-700 didn't seem happy about it....

Mama Don't Take My Tri-X Away!

2012-01-19T22:00:00.003-05:00

Many words have already been typed across the photographic-blogosphere about Kodak filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today - my favorite blog, The Online Photographer, did a good job of covering the story.

At work this morning we were talking about how old you have to be to even know the phrase "ah, that's a Kodak moment". Also a nerdy conversation went something like this:

"I hope you are stocking up on Tri-X"

"I ordered ten more rolls this morning"

"Tri-X is the best film ever - impossible to mess that stuff up"

"What about T-Max?"

"F@*K T-Max! I need that grain!"

etc.

I hope Kodak finds a way to re-emerge a leaner and more profitable company...and they keep making my beloved Tri-X 400.

Magic Hour, Magic Shapes

2012-01-18T22:48:00.005-05:00

Today when I was leaving work there was some beautiful 'magic hour' lighting just beginning. I find that the magic hour lasts little longer in Winter due to the fact that the sun never climbs that high in the sky during the day. My plan was to capture some of the pretty light but instead I ended up capturing some pretty shapes - which of course work best in black and white.

Yes - I am on a serious digital black and white tear lately - maybe its the roll of Tri-X in my Minolta X-700(waiting to be shot) calling to me....

I took these at Hale Farm.

Spring Dreams

2012-01-17T22:47:00.000-05:00

Today's unseasonably warm weather lead me into my back yard for the first time in a while - and had me missing it. 'Is it Spring Yet?' is the title of the above photo - not that this Winter has been so bad...but still...

my new lens's f/2.8 aperture at work...

I call this 'One-Eyeing it' - - -

Wine and Eyes

2012-01-16T22:54:00.001-05:00

After diner tonight my girlfriend and I were enjoying a bottle of red wine and a fire. When I got up I noticed the way the glasses an bottles were sitting on the coffee table in front of the fire - it seemed to make for an extremely strong composition and I had to grab my camera. I took a few shots of the glasses and bottle meticulously arranging them for the perfect photo. The shot above was a 4 second exposure - the side lighting comes from the television.

After a few of those I had Laura move into the shot - I took the picture with the lens wide open(f/2.8) to have the bottle in focus and Laura blurred. I thought her eyes on the camera were perfect and her outfit ads a bit of irony.

I couldn't decide which shot I liked better so I posted them both.

Photo Books

2012-01-15T22:50:00.002-05:00

I read lots of photography stuff - multiple magazines and multiple blogs. Recently though I decided to let a couple of the subscriptions expire and have paired down my blog reading to a few that are indispensable. For years I have been amassing a decent collection of photography books from estate sales, flea markets, thrift stores and friends - I finally started to realize that I have this great library/resource that is just serving as decorations like so many of my vintage cameras. So one of my New Year's Resolutions is to start to actually read them - how novel!

I've started of with a series I have called "Masters of Contemporary Photography" and I'm already into to the third book - its really great stuff. Since I've also been fixing up some of my film cameras and relearning darkroom techniques these books serve as more than just a great history lesson....

The second book I read in the series was about Elliot Erwitt - this photo was inspired by some of his famous photos from his personal life...

Corrected Follies in Bad Light

2012-01-14T14:33:00.002-05:00

Square Records has to be about the worst place to shoot a musician I can imagine. It is an all white room with beige ceilings and florescent lighting - not to mention half of the "stage" is obscured by a wall. You're meter will be wrong, your bounce flash will have and ugly cast and you can forget trying to shoot it with the natural light. The challenge this night was compounded by the fact that when Steve and Gabe play they are usually hunched over a table. I decided to shoot the whole thing with the idea of Photoshop-trickery in mind. Gabe and Steve both play catchy/poppy music but with loops and strange electronical noises so I figured some different post processing would fit them better than "straight photography" anyways....

"Steve X 2"

Midnight in Akron

2012-01-13T11:44:00.000-05:00

The beginning of the storm...

I didn't even make it to work today - the roads into the valley were too scary.

I took this on my way home - I drove an extended route to avoid hills...

Ring Flash Portrait

2012-01-12T14:55:00.001-05:00

Last night I went over to Kyle's house to hang out and shoot some photos. I had just bought a new camera lens(more on that tomorrow) and he had just bought a Photojojo Ring Flash. We used the ring flash on my 580exII flash and then added two flashes 45 degrees behind Kyle on each side for a little bit-o-highlight. In Photoshop I tried something new - I used the high-pass filter for some sharpening and effect - not my usual style but I thought it worked really well with this lighting set-up.

Strobist as all get-out, eh?

One Kyle took of me with the same set-up...

Morning Face

2012-01-11T21:01:00.000-05:00

When I woke up this morning I saw a golden shaft of light shining on the wall - it was coming in through the small bathroom window. I had to capture it - I call this 'work' "East Light Portrait".

Bulldozing

2012-01-10T23:51:00.000-05:00

Today I shot some photos at work from the Case 1150G Bulldozer. I had to bump up the ISO to 640 - higher than I would normally prefer on a sunny day - to get a fast shutter speed because of all the bouncing and vibrations. It was about an hour before sunset, so even though we were really trying to get stuff done, I had to take advantage of the great light. These were all shot with my super-wide angle lens so the perspective is quite distorted...

The Rules

2012-01-08T23:09:00.003-05:00

My love for photography began in my High School photography class - shooting my parent's Minolta XG1 and Kodak Tri-X. One day our class took a field trip to Brandywine Falls to learn about shutter speed(blurring water/freezing water). I took a couple friends on a crazy hike down the side of the valley to get some different perspectives than the rest of the class - it was a fairly dangerous hike and we almost missed the bus back to school. Unfortunately, I exposed the whole roll of film while developing it(didn't have the tank lid on right).

Overall I learned a ton from that class - and you should really know the rules of photography(even though like any set of rules they are meant to be broken).

Laura and I were at Brandywine Falls the other day and I was telling her the above story. When we got home and I starting looking through my photos I really liked this one - it follows two important rules I learned in that class - 'rule of thirds' and 'leading lines'....thanks Mr. Pierson!

Buttonbush Trail

2012-01-07T17:43:00.000-05:00

Today on the way back from an estate sale in Aurora we stopped for a hike at Liberty Park - neither Laura nor I had ever been there before. We hiked the 1.6 mile Button Brush Trail which follows an old oil well access road. Most of the trail was wet and muddy which made the small bridges(above) kinda humorous. While it was a peaceful and secluded-feeling trail I assume it would be a much prettier hike in the Summer or Fall....

Polaroid Spectra AF Test

2012-01-06T00:06:00.000-05:00

A while back my roommate bought a strange looking Polaroid camera from the thrift store and left it with me when he moved out. I never thought about it much as it seemed to be some specialized medical type thing. The other day I pulled it out of the basement to give it a closer inspection. Turns out it is a Canfield camera made to show the damage of UV rays on skin - I'll post more about this camera later - the important thing is that the case had 6 packs of 990 Polaroid film which works in Spectra Cameras. I have two Spectra cameras so today I decided to see if it still worked(it expired in May of 2007) in my Spectra AF. Above are my first four shots - the color is a little off but the images are pretty decent. It was pretty exciting because my last attempt to shoot expired Polaroids failed(that was 600 film and much older).

More Polaroids soon...

The Long Walk

2012-01-05T22:39:00.000-05:00

I kinda cheated - I didn't take any new photos today...this one is from yesterday.

Anyways, when I bring a photo into Photoshop from Camera Raw the first thing I do is add a 'levels' layer and then hit 'auto' - to see "what they would do" (as I always think to myself). Most of the time I'm not happy with the results but it gives me a starting point, or I use a toned down version of the adjustment. On this particular photo it gave everything a reddish cast that had a film like quality about the color. I thought it looked really cool for the trees and sky but not on the snow - so I painted it in to half the picture.

Oh Photoshop, when you're right - you right....

Bridge Reflections

2012-01-04T23:45:00.002-05:00

I've taken quit a few photographs of the Everett Road Covered Bridge - but whenever I'm in the area with my camera its hard to resist adding a few more. Today I was hiking and came upon it and had an idea for a new perspective - its reflection. I really liked the way it made it look like an impressionist painting. I flipped this image upside-down in Photoshop. There wasn't too much contrast in the original shot so I really brought out the blacks in Camera Raw and added a fair bit of saturation.

Cold Fingers

2012-01-03T20:05:00.000-05:00

This morning when I got to work I snapped a few photos it snowing pretty heavily. I've always believed in the saying, "if its gonna be cold, it might as well be snowing" - especially photographically.

When I take photos in the cold I always seem to take my gloves off to adjust something on my camera or gear - before I know it I'm shooting away, totally consumed by trying to get a good shot, when I realize my fingers are so cold they are burning. Every year, every snow, without fail - freezing fingers. Maybe writing this post will remind me me to put my damn gloves back on!

Use Your Imagination

2012-01-02T22:37:00.000-05:00

Randomness - after eight straight hours of college football....

2011 Year In Review

2012-01-01T19:03:00.000-05:00

Its that time of year again(well, a little late actually) - time for the Zipper City Photo Year in Review. The fourth annual installment follows the same template as the last two years - my favorite, best, or most representative 2 photos from each month of the year. Check out the Review here!.

I forgot to include film shots in the review so a mini-film Year in Review is below!

Rust and Weeds

2011-12-31T22:07:00.001-05:00

During a break at work Dave and I decided to go for a walk - I had wanted to see if one of the old tractors from Szalay's was still rotting away nearby. It was still there and in better condition than I would have imagined - those old Oliver's were built to last. I hadn't been back there in 7 years and expected it to be just a 'pile of tractor'. Unfortunately its on private property so we had to be a little sneaky and quick...its a shame this classic tractor is dying this long, slow death.

Dave crossing Furnace Run.

More Furnace Run.

The Red Barn from the other side of the tracks.

Levee Building

2011-12-30T15:00:00.003-05:00

I had a busy last-week-of-the-year so I didn't get to shoot or post as much as I would have liked. However, I did get my camera out at work a few times...these are photos of the levee we are building in Billy's Field.

All these photos were taken with the kit lens that came with my Canon 7D - the EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS. Being a cheaper, kit lens it has many weaknesses(such as a lack of sharpness and its prone to color fringing) but there is a certain quality I like about this lens - especially at the long end as in the above photos.

Analog Beer

2011-12-28T08:51:00.000-05:00

With my Canon 7D I can take a photo, do a few tweaks in Photoshop, and then upload it to Mpix.com and have some beautiful, colorful, high resolution prints in a few days. So why am I relearning how to develop Tri-X 35mm film and make prints in the dark room? I guess the answer is that it is a craft - something made by my own two hands.

Laura and I are attempting to homebrew our first batch of beer, an IPA, and I feel there is a pretty good analogy here. Yes, we can go buy a multitude of great IPA's at the store - but there will be something about drinking there beer we made ourselves. I'll let you know how it all turns out.....

Christmas Morning

2011-12-26T14:21:00.021-05:00

On Christmas morning I took photos using my wide-angle lens and flash bounced off the ceiling and then I switched to my 50mm and natural light...but that is irrelevant - its all about family!!

The Presents!

Laura double-fisting!

Tanner, Ryen, Dad

Zane

Todd

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T01:59:00.002-05:00

'Twas the Night.....

2011-12-24T23:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-22T22:29:00.000-05:00

I hadn't taken or posted any Christmas-like photos yet this year....so here ya go!

Above is an "Ornament Self-Portrait" and below is my "Holiday Bokeh".

I guess I should start my Christmas shopping now that these photos are out of the way....

Shallow Depth

2011-12-21T23:16:00.002-05:00

....the water and the lens...

I have a "thing" for taking photos with a real shallow dept-of-field where the foreground has a sliver of focus and what would seem to be the main subject is blurred. The photo above is a perfect example as is the barn/house in the photo from yesterday's post. I took a few decent shots today at work while keeping my eye on a three inch pump - we were draining a a piece of woods that has been wet since the July flood.

more of today's photos

Muranyi's

2011-12-20T15:13:00.003-05:00

Today on my way into to work it was snowing and as I passed the Muranyi's House I decided I had to turn around and snap a few photos. The house was converted from an old barn by the Muranyi's and then later leased by the park to a lady who ran it as the Crooked River Herb Farm.

I was in a hurry and didn't have a tripod so I had to bump up the ISO a bit and hold the camera as steady as I could. I wasn't thrilled with the quality of my photos when I got home and saw them on the screen, but since I liked some of the compositions I decided to use a few Photoshop effects as a bit of a cover. On the one above(of the sheds) I desaturated and sharpened a considerable bit. In the bottom one I (obviously) went black & white and used a "lens blur" effect on the house. There were a few other contrast tweaks and the like and I came away with a few photographs worth posting....

The Best Camera...

2011-12-19T22:48:00.001-05:00

...is the one you have with you - as the old adage goes...

Unfortunately the one on my cellphone is really, really awful. I often contemplate buying a nice compact camera to have with me when I can't carry one of my DSLRs - but I've never been able to justify the cost as that money could go to a new lens or other equipment ...and I don't plan on upgrading to a smart phone with a nicer camera anytime soon. Maybe its time to explore the used compact camera market....

Oh yeah - the photos. These are of some Winter field work we are doing at Szalay's Farm. We're building new levees and raising the old ones to prevent the kind of flooding catastrophes we had last year(and early last decade). In these photos we're cutting down trees where the new levees will be and then placing them along the river in weak spots to reinforce the earthen dikes.

Akron Art Museum Wedding

2011-12-17T23:32:00.000-05:00

Tonight I shot a wedding reception at the Akron Art Museum - it was a little tricky but I got some really good stuff....tons of editing ahead of me in the next few days....

Buy Now!

2011-12-15T21:14:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to sell this "classic" Toyota Camry - I think this shot may be a bit artsy for the Craigslist Ad though....I mean, you should read some of the other ones on there. Anywho - hows abouts a grand, g?

Analog Time

2011-12-15T15:20:00.002-05:00

I've been shooting film again for about a year now and have been getting my negatives developed at a lab and then scanning them with my Canoscan 9000f. Last Spring I acquired a bunch of darkroom gear and since then I've been wanting to relearn the art of developing my own film. Yesterday I received the chemicals I need to develop my black and white negatives from B&H. I also bought four rolls of the classic Kodak film Tri-X 400(its what I used in high school and was the photojournalist choice for decades). I have a a bunch of different rolls of B&W film but I figured I should use the same kind until I start to get the results I want. I've just loaded one of the rolls into my Minolta X-700 and I'll begin posting about the process when I finish the roll...

I Can Drive My Car

2011-12-13T15:39:00.001-05:00

There is really no reason for this post or photo - just messing with the old wide-angle...

Fireplace

2011-12-11T21:01:00.000-05:00

I love fires. This is a 30 second exposure of my fireplace.

Into the Sun

2011-12-10T20:30:00.000-05:00

Near the "magic hours", at sunset or sunrise, experienced photographers usual turn away from the sun to capture the golden colors and the great contrast from the low light. Amateurs are trying to capture the actual sunset while landscape photographers are trying to explain to them to turn around and capture a scene in the best light. Its really good advice - but I still enjoy shooting directly into the sun from time to time.....

I loved these long shadows I found at Hardesty Park earlier.

First Snow

2011-12-09T16:58:00.002-05:00

Last night we got the first significant snow of the year - a few photos from Szalay's Farm this morning.

I read a lot of cool photography blogs so I decided that I'll share one or two cool posts a day.
Today's Link:
Jose Gayton On Lens

Treaty Line at Sunset

2011-12-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

Earlier I decided to get out of the house and go for a hike. I really just wanted to get a little bit of exercise but as usual I had to have a camera with me(actually I had two). Like always I couldn't just enjoy a walk - I knew I'd be seriously uncomfortable if I didn't make at least a couple decent images....its a curse. Anyways - I messed around with my 35mm camera and a macro lens for a bit then spent the rest of the hike trying to capture some interesting light with my Canon 7D.

I also took a few shots with converting them to black and white in mind - I've recently read multiple articles on making compelling black and white from digital images. I turned this one black and white with the HSL screen in Adobe Camera Raw. I still haven't been completely satisfied with any of my B&W conversions - I plan on downloading the trial of Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro 2...I've only heard good things about it.

Infamy

2011-12-07T22:40:00.000-05:00

I shot and uploaded this photo of my 48 star American Flag in honor of The Greatest Generation on the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Fuji Color Superia 1600

2011-12-05T21:10:00.011-05:00

I started a roll of Fuji Superia ISO 1600 last Spring before the farm season. I finally finished it and got it developed at Akron Commercial Color Lab today. I shot the roll with my Minolta X-570 and a Rokkor 58mm f/1.4. I love the look I got from this lens - its totally different from the Rokkor 55mm f/1.7 I shot my last roll with. There were a few frames that failed but I'm not sure why - I did have to fix this camera up a bit - but also the film was from a garage sale and was probably pretty old(you can tell the colors are off).

I've said it before - if you want that old, filmy 'Hipstamatic' look - all you really have to do is shoot old film!

Black and White

2011-12-04T22:52:00.001-05:00

My shutter clicks today were for a family member and will be part of a Christmas present so I can't share those - but I did turn the camera on myself for one shot.(the Christmas gift photos were pretty cool so I'll share them after the gift has been given.)

Earlier I was reading a article in Digital Photo Professional Magazine about doing black and white conversion in Photoshop - so I decided to do this shot in black an white. I used the HSL screen in Camera RAW(same thing as in Lightroom) and then did a few final tweaks in PS. I added tons of the Unsharp mask too. I add far more sharpening to my B&W's than I do to color photos - which I guess makes sense becase sharpening is all about contrast - as is black and white.....

Tests

2011-12-03T15:12:00.005-05:00

Today I shot some senior photos for my friend/co-worker Anthony. As usual Laura was my stand-in for some test shots....

....mussin' around.

ISO 6400

2011-12-02T15:29:00.000-05:00

It truly is amazing the quality you can get out of the tiny pixels on my Canon 7D at ISO 6400. Yes - this isn't what you could do with a Nikon DX3 and it wouldn't make the world's prettiest large print - but for a snap shot without the hassle of a flash its good.
I can only imagine what the digital SLRs of the next few years will be capable of.

Frosty Morning

2011-12-01T15:00:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to get back to my original concept with this blog - shooting, editing and posting at least one photo per day. I took this photo of the frosty weeds this morning when I got to work.

Christmas Tree

2011-11-28T14:06:00.001-05:00

During yesterdays Brown's Game we decided to finally throw out the pumpkins and put up the Christmas decorations. From Fall to Winter here at the Zipper City World HQ!

In the above photo I used some vignetting and a gradient map to add a bit of an old, filmy look to the photo.

Market Square

2011-11-25T23:00:00.001-05:00

My Cousin Jeff has been coming from Florida to Akron for the Thanksgiving Weekend for years now - and the last few years our tradition has included a Friday trip to Market Square in Cleveland. We do some shopping at The West Side Market and then grab a few beers at the Great Lakes Brewery. This year we also ate and had a drink at the newish Market Garden Brewery - which I would recommend highly. The beautiful weather helped make it a great trip - afternoon drinking is always fun - and you can be sure Jeff stocked up on Christmas Ale(not yet sold in Florida).

The West Side Market

Great Lakes Brewery and The Market Garden Brewery and Distillery

Thanksgiving Walk

2011-11-24T22:00:00.006-05:00

Working off some turkey.

playing dominoes on Thanksgiving

Tanner and Ryen

This is my brother's son holding my sister's son.
I love Thanksgiving - its all about family!

A Win is a Win

2011-11-21T10:15:00.000-05:00

What a terribly called game...

McCoy on the move!

Boo!

Towpath Trash

2011-11-19T20:49:00.002-05:00

Its not as common an occurrence as it used to be - but every so often you can still wander of the Towpath Trail a bit and find lots of junk. You know the stuff - hundreds of tires, glass bottles, and remnants of various old buildings. Today was one of those days - and I found a sweet Ameri-cola bottle from the 1960s........

yup.

Old San Juan

2011-11-17T21:48:00.001-05:00

We spent our last day in Puerto Rico wandering around Old San Juan - the 16th century, Spanish Colonial city. Most of Old San Juan is still walled and it is book-ended by two historic forts. We walked through the blue cobblestone streets and came upon Fort San Felipe del Morro(above). Laura commented that we could have spent a whole day just there. We then followed the old city walls along the ocean to Fort San Cristóbal.

Old San Juan from Fort San Felipe del Morro.

Many of the buildings are original and anything new has been built in the Spanish colonial style - they now mostly house restaurants and shops on their lower levels. Old San Juan is definitely touristy - but in the best way possible. It was definitely worth taking a one day break from the beach to check out the sights of Old San Juan. If I ever find myself back in Puerto Rico it would warrant a second visit to check out all that I didn't have time to see....

More photos in my Puerto Rico Set on flickr.

Beach Babe and Vacation Photos

2011-11-16T21:05:00.000-05:00

The beautiful Laura on the beach in Rincon, Puerto Rico.

Our Inn

"Foot Prints"
see them all here.

I'm Back, Again

2011-11-15T11:07:00.014-05:00

Room With A View VII Rincon, PR

After a long farm season and a week to relax from it all in Rincon, Puerto Rico I'm back to blogging. Starting today I'll have a new post and photo everyday - I'm also gonna add a few photos with back-dated posts from the farm season.

Look for my posts about the "analogue experience" as I continue to fix up and shoot my vintage camera collection as well as finish up my darkroom!

Old and New

2011-11-04T11:47:00.006-04:00

Today I drove around the 1949 Oliver Row Crop 77 before we put it away for the Winter. I pulled it next to the John Deere 7830 to take a few comparison photos. I spend a lot of time in the John Deere over the Summer and although it was fun to drive around the antique Oliver I'll take the AC and CD player(not to mention power) of the Deere any day.

Last Load 2011

2011-10-28T12:11:00.003-04:00

Today we picked the last load of sweet corn for the season. This is by far the latest 'last load' we've done since I've worked at Szalay's. Every year, for as long as anyone can, they've been taking "last load" photos - its always a great sense of accomplishment to look back on all the hard work that got us to this point.

Left: 'The Field Crew' Right: 'Dave, Double Fisting'

Johnny dumping the last load.

Johnny and Dave sorting the sweet corn

Whiskey Island and Old Coast Guard Station

2011-08-18T13:22:00.001-04:00

I've read about Cleveland's Whiskey Island and the development of Wendy's Park many times and finally decided to go and see what it was all about. Laura and I parked near the Whiskey Island Marina and watched some of the boating activity, then walked along the Lake Erie coast to Wendy Park, and finally to the old Cleveland Coast Guard Station. The views from Whiskey Island of downtown Cleveland are really cool and worth the trip itself.

The old Coast Guard Station(built in 1940 and abandoned in 1976) is photographic gold - a beautiful building and location that will hopefully be put to use for something eventually.

It was a a perfect day and a stroll on the beach was an awesome break from the 90 hour work weeks on the farm.

Tears and Roses

2011-06-27T21:45:00.000-04:00

Every year this little rose plant on the side of my house bears this one beautiful bloom. When I cut it and put it on my desk it makes the whole room smell sweet.

I used to take it inside for my Grandma who had a hard time getting outside to see it....

Franklin/Tionesta

2011-06-22T22:39:00.000-04:00

After day two of canoeing(see below post) Laura and I decided to get a room - or as it turned out rooms. We found a place in the tiny town of Tionesta, Pa - about a ten minute drive from where we canoed. It was only 69 bucks for what was basically a whole apartment - including a front porch swing.

After checking out in the morning we made our way to the small town of Franklin, PA with its beautiful Main Street(below). Its truly amazing to see a town like this with all the storefronts full and plenty of bustle. We got lunch and did some antiqueing....

Canoeing the Allegheny Part I

2011-06-20T20:52:00.003-04:00

I can't imagine anything in life that can be more relaxing than floating down a river beer in hand - and that is exactly how I spent Saturday and Sunday. Laura, Kyle, Kristi and I(below) drove to the Allegheny National Forest and rented canoes from Indian Waters for a 27 mile trip. They drove us up to the Kinzua Dam where we hit the water, canoed, and then made camp on an island.

The dilemma on these trips is always about what to do for a camera. Two days of drinking on a river can obviously be a photographer's worst nightmare. In years past I had always brought a cheap, film point and shoot. This year I knew I needed more fire-power to be happy - so I brought my Canon Rebel XT in a freezer bag and then put it in a holster camera bag - just enough protection so that it could be snagged out of the river before any damage(hopefully)but still at the ready enough to capture a moment.

I think the next time I go I might find a water tight tupperware-style container and bring my Canon 7D.

Docked for a break.

Flea market purchased percolater at the campsite Sunday morning. My first truly succesful camping-coffee.

Campsite

Some of the sights...

Back in the Saddle

2011-06-13T09:36:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was my first time on the tractor this year. I was driving the John Deere 6320 down Bolanz Road to dump the produce scraps in a field. We've been composting more of the waste the last few years instead of putting biodegradable foodstuffs in the dumpster.

Maybe eventually we could even get our customers to recycle - its amazing how people at a farm surronded by national park refuse to take the simple step of putting cans and bottles in one place and trash in another. Dummies.

Farmville 2011

2011-06-10T11:42:00.004-04:00

Well, its that time of the year again - back to the farm. I'm going to do my best to continue putting up some posts here - probably mostly about the farm - and many will be with my terrible cellphone camera(like these two). The image quality may not be great but I'll keep the subject and compositions interesting. See ya in the Valley!

Solo Cook-Out

2011-06-05T12:49:00.000-04:00

My baby is out-of-town all weekend and I've been working lotsa hours - so this morning I had to get out and enjoy a bit of this weather....with some wieners!

Back to Tracks

2011-06-03T11:18:00.000-04:00

I go to this spot all the time - the train tacks between Hawkins and Market Streets. Its right there in my neighborhood, the closest little piece of nature without a drive, and I have many, many photos to show for it. This morning I shot my latest batch.

More to come - I'm sure.

loner

all together

into the sun - i seem to take lots of these

Practical Photography

2011-06-02T07:58:00.000-04:00

Ever work on drum brakes? Take a picture - it will last longer, really. Its the best way to remember where all those cursed springs go. I found it funny that I was looking at the back of my camera judging the "quality" of my shot - I had to stop and remind myself why I was taking the photo....

BK Deconstruction

2011-05-31T15:28:00.000-04:00

They are currently tearing down the Burger King in my neighborhood to make room for an Advanced Auto Parts store (almost directly across from the Auto Zone I work part-time at). I walked over to take a few shots and say a last goodbye to an old friend.

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T15:20:00.002-04:00

Memorial Day seemed like a good day to hang a flag pole on my parents barn. Well, the day before Memorial Day that is - Auto Zone hates our fallen heroes so I had to work today....

My Dad and Bro did most of the work while I snapped a few photos(as always).

B-Day Bike

2011-05-26T23:50:00.000-04:00

Can you remember anything better than getting a new bike for your birthday?

Ryen and her new bike last weekend.

Its Black, Its White(part II)

2011-05-25T00:12:00.000-04:00

So now I'm thoroughly annoyed with how dirty these negatives are. Shooting film is supposed to cut out Photoshopping - not increase it. But I've spent hours removing water droplets and dust. A friend recommended a different lab for me to try out - my next roll is heading there - I'll have a full review soon.

This is also why I look forward to having my own dark room completed - I can deal with my own mistakes - but not other peoples.....

Laura

Implements

my next roll of film is Kodak Gold 1600 - a total departure - can't wait to see what "develops" lolz ; ) go die.

Its Black, Its White(part I)

2011-05-24T23:57:00.001-04:00

I just got a roll of Ilford XP2 Super 400 developed at Akron Commercial Color Lab and scanned in to my computer today. I shot the whole roll with my Minolta X-700 and MC Rokkor f/1.7 55mm lens attached. I was happy with the results of what I shot but found the development to be lacking - the whole strip of negatives was covered with water spots. I used Photoshop to do some cleaning of the images but I will have to clean the actual negatives to make prints with the enlarger(which hopefully I'll be able to do soon).

I used Photoshop to crank the contrast up in most of the shots and I did some limited cropping too. More on flickr and I'll post the rest of the roll tomorrow.

Below is an example of a un-cleaned image - you can see how bad the water spotting is. Bummer.

and finally - my favorite...

Return of the Green

2011-05-23T22:30:00.000-04:00

I love the first truly green hike of Spring - the color almost feels over-whelming in the woods this time of year after the bare landscapes of Winter. I snapped this in the North Hawking area of Sand Run Metro Park.

The nice weather of the weekend also allowed for some gardening and yard work to finally be done - this is a new hanging basket over my garage....

Tough Shits @ The Matinee

2011-05-22T12:09:00.002-04:00

Akron loves Philly's 'Tough Shits'. Its always an amazing scene/show when they are in town - last night was no different. They played two sets - the first was their new "record"(which is on cassette tape(which is awesome because my car has a tape player - move over Back to the Future Soundtrack!)), and the second was the sing-along-classics. Awesome night, awesome dudes, you shoulda been there.

View the rest on Flickr.com.

Stringing Along

2011-05-21T22:30:00.000-04:00

These new lights are going to look pretty rad at night.
Thats all for today - off to see the Tough Shits at The Matinee!

Movie Stuff

2011-05-19T13:31:00.000-04:00

I traded another photographer some work-time for some old movie cameras and film that he wanted to get rid of. Its just some cool, classic-looking stuff to put on my shelf.

I like how these reels have "Akron Motion Picture Service" stamped on them.

Couple Classics

2011-05-17T23:05:00.001-04:00

I scored two really cool cameras the last few weeks. Above is an original Polaroid SX-70 from 1972 - probably the most sought after Polaroid camera. I picked it up for 10 bucks at an estate sale! I need to get some Impossible Project film to see if it still works.

This is a Nikon Nikkormat FTn(1967), in my opinion one of the coolest/most iconic looking cameras of all time. It has many interesting features which I'll expand upon when I add it to the Vintage Camera page.

B-Day Fun!

2011-05-16T22:36:00.000-04:00

...at my girfriend's niece's 5th birthday party....

Below is the modern piñata - no more baseball bats - just pull the string...

The Luxuries III

2011-05-15T21:44:00.004-04:00

On Saturday I was at the Matinee for my friend Wes's birthday show. His band, The Luxuries, played along with Hell's Information. I used my bounce-flash technique to capture the action. I shot much of the show at an ISO of 640 to be a little less taxing on my flash and close the aperture a bit to obtain more depth-of-field.

A classic hold-the-camera-out-shot...I love this one.

I like the contrasty black and white I achieved while processing this photo.

Caught Pete in a Strokes-y pose here...

The B-Day boy post-show.

As always - more on Flickr.

Grillin'

2011-05-14T10:56:00.000-04:00

First cookout of the year!

After the Storm

2011-05-13T17:16:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately Blogger was down for a few days and I couldn't put up new posts....
....this photo is a 30 second exposure in my front yard a few nights ago after th storms passed...

Wide-Angle-Weeding

2011-05-11T14:27:00.000-04:00

I'm finally getting around to doing some of my Spring cleaning and chores. I cleaned the garage a few days ago, today I weeded. While weeding I thought of the idea/angle for a photo - I had to take a weeding-break and make the picture....

Crab Apple Study No.1 & 2

2011-05-09T23:23:00.000-04:00

A couple different views of the same, blossoming, crab apple tree branch. That is all for today. Carry on.

Oh yeah - I shot some Ilford XP2 Super B&W 35mm film today also - I'll have that soon....

Oh what the heck - look at this too.

- my front yard, I think today was the most beautiful day of 2011 so far....

Northside Lofts @ Night

2011-05-08T00:08:00.000-04:00

These are a couple of 30 second exposures I shot of the Northside Lofts on my way home from the Downtown Akron Artwalk on Saturday.

Cool, eh?

"Break"

2011-05-07T00:09:00.000-04:00

On Saturday I went to check out some of the art shows associated with the Downtown Akron Artwalk. I spent a good deal of time at the Millworks Gallery viewing Greg and his friend's show 'Break'. It was a fun night full of good art and good people, lotsa people. Akron is happening nerds!

Greg

The ever-enchanting Laura...

More Nikon L35 AF

2011-05-04T23:08:00.001-04:00

So I shot the last roll of expired Fuji Super HQ 200 that I had(which was acquired at an estate sale) and I'm kinda bummed about it. Shooting this film with my old Nikon gave photos and a classic old look - no messing with Photoshop or "apps". "Instant Vintage" - hows about that phrase?

I was even more bummed because my camera stopped taking photos after #20 on a 24 exposure roll...and now I can't get the camera to take up the next roll....

Oh well - enjoy some of my faves....

Twins

2011-05-03T22:54:00.000-04:00

I always carry a camera with me even when I don't plan on taking pictures...because you never know when you girlfriend and a friend will show up to the bar in the same shirt....

Long exposure of the Matinee...