I love medium format, but medium format cameras and travel are not generally a good combination. The cameras and lenses are large and heavy. About a year ago, I determined that I was giving up on taking my Mamiya 645 Pro TL on long trips. The system is modular and breaks down nicely, but each lens adds about a pound of weight. I took it with me to San Francisco, limiting myself only to the 80mm lens, but for trips to the Caribbean where small planes and weight limitations are common, it has to be left behind. The good thing is that I have a compact alternative for shooting medium format…
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I have been a member of the North American Travel Journalists Association since 2016, and am honored to be recognized again this year, this time for an image featured on Film Road Trip. This image was taken at Buffalo Trace Distillery in April of 2018, shot on the Mamiya 645 Pro TL with the Mamiya 80mm f/1.9 lens on Fuji Pro 400H film. Many thanks to the judges and please take some time to admire the work of all those receiving awards and recognition on the NATJA website. For more images from our trip to the distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, click here, and for images from the spring…
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Film lovers have been pretty excited with the re-release of Kodak’s Ektachrome, and have been anxiously awaiting their shipments to give it a try. I placed an order as soon as the FIND lab started taking orders and received five rolls in the first shipment. The day job delayed shooting a bit, but work took me to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and I finished my roll of Ektar which was in the camera and then shot a roll of Ektachrome. Here are the results. Let me preface this by saying that there is no science or technical expertise in this comparison. I am not in any way an expert in comparing cameras,…
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I am oftentimes asked why I shoot film. In 2007, I went from a film SLR, a Canon Elan 7n, to a digital SLR, the Canon 40D. I held out for quite a while. I was comfortable shooting film, but at that time, it looked as if film was in its last days, and it was either go digital or go home. So I made the switch. I loved the instant feedback of digital. Digital told me right away when I pooched a shot, and gave me a chance to try again. I was able to experiment with digital where I had not felt comfortable experimenting with film. When you…
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A few years back, I returned to film photography, and now shoot both digital and film while traveling. With a lot of hits and misses, I’ve come to find that several film stocks have emerged as my favorites, reliable from trip to trip, and perfect for the way I shoot. Although I will continue to experiment, these film stocks have proven their worth and will be in my bag on every trip, or as long as the manufacturers continue to produce them! Kodak Portra 400 Portra 400 is clearly my favorite of all film stocks. I used to shoot Portra NC and VC back in my pre-digital days, but the…
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Over the years, I have posted “What’s in My Bag?” about various trips. On the last two trips, I have traveled with both digital and film cameras, and I wanted to do a separate post on traveling for hybrid shooters. As you might expect, it’s easier to travel with digital. Memory cards are small, and you don’t have to worry about the effect of x-ray machines at security checkpoints. I also feel more comfortable experimenting with digital. You can try new techniques, and the only loss is your time. However, I find that there are times when I prefer film over digital, and it’s worth the extra effort. There are…
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Lately, I’ve been back to shooting film, shooting both digital and film cameras on our recent trips to Anguilla, Antigua, and Barbuda. Along for the journey were several film cameras, including the Canon EOS 1v. The 1v was Canon’s last professional 35mm SLR camera, with a magnesium alloy body and weather sealing throughout. At 10 frames per second, it was a favorite of sports shooters for years. It is a solidly built camera, and fits perfectly in my hand like the later DSLRs that Canon produced. I have the HS version, which includes a detachable power booster, however given the bulk, I leave that behind. The beauty of traveling with…
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Since returning to film photography a few years ago, I make a point of taking at least one film camera on each trip. Part of the reason is that I love the look of film. I also love playing with my old cameras and trying different techniques. Traveling to Nevis, I packed two film cameras, the Canon 1v, which uses all the same lenses as my DSLR, and the Mamiya 645 Pro TL with the 80mm f/1.9 and the 45mm f/2.8 lenses. I decided to try some slide film, so I packed a few rolls of Fuji Velvia 100 RVP, along with my trusted stocks, Kodak Ektar 100, Fuji 400H,…
