So I recently started a jazz/fusion group called The Sonora Project. At the end of our last practice before Christmas we had the bright idea of throwing together a Christmas song and sharing it with you all :-) We picked a tune, ran it down a couple time, stole some Christmas decorations from my wife, threw up a few cameras and just went for it! We had a lot of laughs making this video and hope you enjoy. Merry Christmas everyone!!!
Testing out some Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Black & White Film
Although I've been a photographer for quite some time, shooting film is still a fairly new endeavor for me. There are so many variables that go into shooting film, especially your choice of which type of film to use. Testing film is an expensive process, but my method so far has been to find shots from other photographers that I like and to test out the same film that they used. This way I at least know that what I'm trying to go for is physically possible. Below is my first roll of black and white film ever. That's right. Ever. I made a lot of mistakes on this roll, but I also learned a lot. Everything is shot with Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Black & White film on my Canon EOS-1n. I hope you all enjoy!
Worldfest 2016 in Louisville, KY
In early September I grabbed my three boys and my camera and headed out to Worldfest in Louisville, Ky. It was such an incredible time filled with so many beautiful people. I thoroughly embarrassed my kids by asking strangers from all over the world if I could take their pictures. Below are some shots from that day. Everything was shot on Kodak Portra 400 film with my Canon EOS-1n camera. All rights reserved.
Why I'm Shooting 35mm Film
Well it's official. I'm over the moon for shooting film. I recently picked up a Minolta X-700 from an old friend and can't be happier with the results. In an age where it's common place to shoot hundreds of pictures at a time, it's absolutely refreshing to have a limited amount of exposures, and to be challenged with how I approach every single one of them. Don't get me wrong, I have two DSLR cameras as well, love them, and plan to continue using them. However, there is something magical about the entire process of shooting film, not to mention results.
First... The color!!! Right off the bat I started to notice a depth of color that I hadn't seen in my digital photography before. It's subtle, yet makes all the difference. As a matter of fact, when I think about my editing process for my digital pictures, I'm often trying to get skin tones, shadows and highlights to look the way they naturally come across with film. Hence the popular hashtag #filmnotfilters. The dynamic range of film appears to be much great than digital. I found that highlights aren't blown out and shadows aren't crushed. Film appears to handle my pics with a beautiful sunny sky and shadowed subjects without losing the details of either. Finding the right exposure and knowing when to push or pull the film is still a tough task, but I enjoy the challenge.
Second...I don't waste a single moment. I'm intentional with every shot, knowing full well that it's one less shot that I can take. No more firing off countless shots and hoping for gems. I take careful note of as much as possible now. Details become more important. I started paying more attention to positioning again, where shadows fall on the face, how close my subjects are to the background, how the light is drawing your attention. These are the kind of details that I have to be more intentional with now. It's made me a better photographer without a doubt.
Third... Patience. In an age when everything is all about instant gratification, it's nice to take a step back and learn to wait. I've always thought that photographers are supposed to enjoy the little things, the little moments. We are charged with capturing them right? So as we pack up our rolls of film and send them off to get developed and scanned, we can focus on enjoying the moments that we've been blessed with, not just the ones we're supposed to capture.
Below are some test shots from my "new" old camera. This is just the beginning for me. I plan on testing as many types of film as I can, as well as methods for pushing and pulling the film in development. I hope you enjoy.
Shot with:
Minolta X-700
Manual Focus
50mm 1.7 Lens
Fuji 400 Film
Live from TNT Studios with Ryan Marsh
I recently hit the studio with the Ryan Marsh band. We produced a series of live videos from our time there and had such a great time doing so. I hope you all enjoy the results. There are few things greater than making some sweet soul music.
To get connected with the band, check out our website or visit us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!