Ferrania Success

I finally had some success shooting FILM Ferrania P30 Alpha film. To get decent results I ended up over-exposing the images between 1/2 a stop and 2 stops. About one stop of over-exposure yielded the best results. I developed it the same way I had developed the other three rolls I had already shot - 6 minutes in HC-110 dilution b(or twice the time in E). I still plan to develop my last roll of Alpha in FPP 76 which is the Film Photography Project's version of Kodak's D76. I am really thrilled that I finally got a roll of this film that worked out though. 

Hanging with My Quarantine Buddies

....at the studio.

TMax 400 on Bikes

My friend Taylor gave me a big box of film that he had found at an estate sale a little while back. I've posted a few blogs with the color film but with the 'Stay at Home' order I've jumped into some of the black & white film since I can develop it at home. Being a big fan of Tri-X I never had a reason to try out TMax 400 - until I had a free box of it! I shot the roll over three bicycle rides and then developed it in HC-110 dilution b for 6 minutes. This isn't a recommended way to develop TMax but it is what I have and these were mostly snapshots anyways. I was really happy with the results - the age of the film and developer probably led to extra graininess and increased contrast but that is something I don't mind at all for images like this.

Roger Riviere Vids

With the Stay at Home order I've had the time to work on a number of projects. Below is one of those - a new series of videos about my bicycles. I go through the broader history of the bike as well as the personal history of my specific model. 

Below is a video from Easter Sunday in the music video style I've been doing for a number of years.

Bonfire & Distance

On Saturday Erin and I had a bonfire at her house. It felt like I was going to back of the beginning of my career - photos of friends, long exposures of the fire, and some light painting - basically playing around with my camera and just trying things for fun. I know a few people are going to have a problem with this gathering... we kept our distance, no one went in the house, and everything was wiped down. I personally haven't gone in a store, seen my family or gathered with more than a couple people since March 10th. The point to me that is if everyone does their best we flatten the curve. As I ride my bike around I see lots of gathering of teens and people being way to close(and total idiots) in the park. It is frustrating. But I'm not taking it upon myself to lecture people where their line should be. I'm doing a lot and have lost almost all my business but I'm not going to claim to be perfect. I have seen some businesses and individuals just paying lip service to all of this...they will have to answer for themselves when things go wrong and their customers, friends and families end up sick.

Back to the photos...

Third Time Isn't the Charm

I took the opportunity offered to Ferrania Kickstarter supporters to buy five rolls of P30 Alpha at 5 bucks a piece. I have now shot three of the rolls but I've spaced them out and shot them in such unique situation that I didn't realize that I was messing up the development. I did try a different method this time but I would simply say that using Kodak HC-110 is not a good idea with this film. Again, the contrast was through the roof. I used dilution H this time at twelve minutes. As you'll see the few images I posted are way to contrasty. I made a video about it which is at the bottom of the blog. You can also see my other two rolls here and here - though it worth noting that I now know it was my development that was off - not the setting or situations.

New Angles

I was looking for a close spot to film an ending to a video I had been working on and I found it right across the street from The Studio. This is one of those three walled enclosures for dumpsters - but the Ponderosa has been abandoned as long as I can remember so it is clean in there...and it had the shade I needed to film some close-ups of my GoPro. The light was really cool and I decided to take a few photos too. I also got a new perspective on my building.

Big Sky Akron

On Sunday afternoon there was a fantastic, dramatic sky that I figured would be perfect for some contrasty black and white photography. I grabbed my Minolta X-700 with a couple of lenses with red filters then went to get a roll of Tri-X from the fridge - except I was all out of Tri-X. So looking through my black and white film I decided on a roll of Holga 400 I picked up somewhere - after a bit of research I found out it is actually Fomapan 400. I rode my bike to downtown Akron in an absolute wind storm. It was nuts. I was also trying a 28mm f/2.8 Rokkor lens that I was given - I had wanted a wide angle for my Minoltas's for a while so I was really glad to have this.

Quarantine Mustache

There are a lot of "challenges" and social media activities going around right now since many people have extra time on their hands - also as a distraction I believe. Ben tagged me in a #QuarantineMustache challenge and what the heck - it was time for the winter beard to go. Also - I'm not seeing that many people anyways, or so I thought - about ten minutes after shaving I received a text about shooting at the FoodBank today. Oh well! 

I used it as an excuse to set up some lights and try out a lighting technique in the studio.

Two More Color Rolls

So I ran a couple of more rolls of that expired FujiColor Press 400 through my Canon Canonet QL17GIII. I have been carrying the small camera with me on my bike adventures as the situation around us has rapidly changed. I dropped the roles in the film box at Akron Commercial Color Lab on Sunday evening and used my last non-essential trip yesterday to pick them up. I probably won't shoot much C41 color film for a while as I will be following the rules of the "Stay at Home" order we have in Ohio even though the lab is staying open since the do work for the government. I think I will still do analog but just switch back to B&W since I have all the materials I need to develop it here at the studio....

Moon Tower - Vlog and Photos

I grabbed three of my cameras(five including my phone) and rode my bicycle out to the Moon Tower in Kent for a mid-afternoon break from editing and reading cancelation emails. I stopped at Bottles 101 to grab a beer on the way. I ended up making a vlog à la Peter McKinnon or Casey Neistat. I also made some images with my Canonet QL17GIII which I will get developed and posted next week.

Minimal Human Contact

Yes, times are tough - but they are tough for everybody in a variety of different ways. Below is a video I made about it last week - I will be making an updated version later today. Hang in there and stay healthy!

St. Paddy's Meet Corona

St. Paddy's was definitely different this year - this was our social distancing, breakfast picnic. Below is a ride I took last Sunday - the last day the bars were open.

Fujicolor Super G 100

Mixed in with the 60(!) rolls of FujiColor Press 400 I was given by a friend was one roll of Fuji Super G 200. This film was discontinued and replaced by the Superia line in 1998 so this roll is at least that expired. I shot it at ISO 100 to give it an extra stop. I was impressed with how well it turned out. I expected way more grain and color shifts. The only problem was user error - I accidentally popped the film door open at some point and lost a few images.

Bikes, Art & Music (all in a day)

Saturday was a busy one. I woke up early and picked up Ben to head out to Garretsville to ride in a gravel race called the Road Apple Roubaix. The conditions were a bit sloppy as you'll see in the photos and video below. After I got home and showered up I went out to Trust books to get my booked inscribed at Greg's book signing and to check out the opening of the Boiler Room Gallery. I walked from there over to the Akron Music Awards to cover that event. Every activity was a great time but needless to say I had no trouble sleeping that night.

Latte Art Throwdown

Last night Asterisk Coffee Bar hosted a Latte Art Throwdown. Baristas show up to compete in a bracket-style tournament to see who can make the prettiest lattes and win prizes. The spectators sipped on cocktails, beers and coffee drinks while answering trivia questions for prizes.

Studio Fun

I took a couple different studio portraits recently to experiment with a few ideas I had. Above is a cycling photo I had in mind using gels and grid spots and below is a "fake summer" idea I had using a single light and beauty dish. I took a few set-up shots with my Canon 6D to show how I arrived at these looks.

Proof, Beer & Food

Yesterday Erin, Brad, Ben and I went up to Cleveland to see "Proof" at the Cleveland Museum of Art. We left in the morning and made an entire day out of the trip. Brunch, beers, shopping, and more. The exhibition at the museum was fantastic - one of the best shows I've ever seen and probably my favorite photography one ever. More below...