Because of my dog, I spend a lot of time walking around my neighborhood, which has become a useful creative exercise as I try to find new things to photograph or new ways to photograph them. Here are the most recent shots from these daily expeditions, which were all lightly edited in Lightroom.
Camera: Leica M Typ 240. Assorted lenses.
In an effort to improve my portrait photography and use as much film as I can, I’ve been setting up my large format camera on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall and either asking people if they’d like photos, or waiting for people to approach me to talk about the camera and then get a photo taken. The latter happens more often than you’d think. A large format camera is an unusual looking object, and people want to talk about it.
Anyway. These are my first set of shots, taken over the course of last fall. Let me know what you think.
Camera: Intrepid 4x5 | Lens: Nikkor-W 210mm f/5.6 | Film: Kodak Tri-X 320.
My younger brother, helpfully posing for me as I play around with portraiture.
Camera: Intrepid 4x5 | Lens: Nikkor-W 210mm f/5.6 | Film: Kodak Tri-X 320.
Built in 1916, the structure was originally Peoples National Bank and has housed Virginia National Bank, Sovran Bank and NationsBank before Bank of America became the latest occupant, according to Margaret O’Bryant at the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society.
Camera: Intrepid 4x5 | Lens: Fujinon-W 125mm f/5.6 | Film: Kodak Tri-X 320.
The Silk Mills Building is classified under the National Register of Historic Places Collection through the National Park Service for its history as the oldest surviving factory building in the City and for its architecture. Built in 1895, this two-story brick, light and airy building served as a silk mill owned by D. G. Dery, Inc., a company which owned and operated more than thirty factories throughout the east coast. This particular factory closed in 1922.
Camera: Intrepid 4x5 | Lens: Fujinon-W 125mm f/5.6 | Film: Kodak Tri-X 320.
To take this, I went to the top of the Water Street parking garage. The photo was taken at sunset, and I did minimal editing after scanning the film. This is likely the first of many such photos, my attempts to capture Charlottesville from a somewhat different vantage point. I’ll probably take additional photos from this vantage point, given the opportunities provided by the Farmer’s Market, which is held in that parking lot, and the view from the various sides of the garage.
Camera: Intrepid 4x5 | Lens: Nikkor-W 210mm f/5.6 | Film: Kodak Portra 160.
From Wikipedia:
Cove Presbyterian Church, also known as Cove Meeting House and Rich Cove, is a historic Presbyterian church located at Covesville, Albemarle County, Virginia. It was built in 1809 and a is a one-story, rectangular one-room, brick building. The building was rebuilt and renovated in 1880 after it was destroyed by a tornado
Camera: Intrepid 4x5 | Lens: Nikkor-W 210mm f/5.6 | Film: Kodak Portra 160.
An old utility building gone fallow in Richmond.
Camera: Intrepid 4x5 | Lens: Fujinon-W 125mm f/5.6 | Film: Kodak Portra 160.
I have no interest in owning or restoring a classic car, but I’m fascinated by the cars themselves. Charlottesville recently hosted a classic car show and I took a few photos to document the event and give some real use to my (new to me) Intrepid view camera and Fuji 125mm lens. None of these are particularly interesting or artistic, but as I look at them, they are inspiration for the next time I photograph cars, when I will try to get a little interesting or artistic.
Kodak Tri-X 320
Kodak Tri-X 320
Kodak Portra 160
Kodak Portra 160
Kodak Portra 160
Kodak Portra 160
I'm constantly traveling in and out of Union Station in D.C., which means I'm constantly taking photos of Union Station. My last visit I was trying out a new lens—the Voigtlander Ultron 28mm f/2.0—and ended up shooting most of a roll of film—Kodak Ultramax 400—while making my way back to Charlottesville. I got it developed by the local camera shop in town, and scanned the negatives at home. The images themselves aren't terribly strong, but I like the how the lens renders color, and I'm a fan of the somewhat-wider-than-normal perspective.
I'm moving away from medium format film—something I may write about in the future—and I've picked up two new lenses for my Leica as I move to shoot more 35mm (and large format). This is the first, I'll write about the second soon enough.
The entrance to Union Station.
One of the unused entrances to the station.
Inside the station.
I only shot most of the roll at Union Station. A few were taken near the White House, where I could see how the lens performed close up and at somewhat of a distance.
These people were arguing about the Constitution.
Lafayette!
I finished the roll in Charlottesville, with a few photos of a graffiti-ed tunnel near downtown. This also gave me a chance to see how it performed up-close.
Based on a few context clues, I think this was all spray-painted by local students.
An apt statement these days.
There's a little fall-off in the corners of the frame, but otherwise it is very sharp.