The July 2017 edition of the #summerfilmparty comes to a colorful, patriotic, end with a nice roll of FPP RetroChrome 320 (now, after further testing, known as FPP RetroChrome 400).
I went to the parade with an extra roll of slide film in my pocket, intending to feed it to the first camera to go empty. Well, the FE, and 35mm f/2 D, was the recipient, and it did a nice job, overall.
It came out a bit grainy… I really need to re-up my E6 chemicals. I think time has caught up with them, and I did manage to get 10 rolls through this batch, mixed on 8/1/2016. I developed this roll, and the roll from the Sprocket Rocket, on 7/14, so they “lasted” a year… but were really probably done back in November or December.
After my disappointment on Expired Film Day, and further testing during the first #summerfilmparty, I decided to try something with these: after the blix step, instead of going straight to wash, I rinsed and then ran the film through some Ilford Fixer (which probably also needs refreshing, but that’s another story) for 8 minutes. I think it tamed the grain a little bit, but this roll of RetroChrome is a good bit grainier than my first roll. Oh well. I have 4 rolls of slide film in the fridge: another RetroChrome and three rolls of FPP Infrachrome, one of which might get shot for the August edition of the #summerfilmparty, though only Allah knows for sure.
The parade wound down, as all parades do, and Hana and I walked up to Heritage Park, where the City provided some watermelon for everyone, and a country/blues/eh band was starting up. We ate a bit of watermelon and spat seeds on the ground with some fellow residents, and then started back to the car.
Sadly, I was too busy munching watermelon to shoot anything, so here’s a picture of some fellow citizens at the parade.
On the way back, we found the flag-lined sidewalk pictured at the top of the page, and I took what I hoped would be a good picture of my darling, adorable wife. Sadly, between the grain and the dynamic range in the scene, she came out less than clear.
I have to believe that fresh chemicals would led to a cleaner result. Oh well. Let this be a lesson to me: use E6 chemicals quickly and if a roll is important, send it off to one of the small mail order film developers.
I grabbed a hip shot of a mother and son, and took a few random shots on the way back to the car, and that was it for the 4th.
I like his glasses.
And I like the color in this… the grain is too much, though.
And then it was back to work, back to the usual. I grabbed one quick shot out the window at work…
but otherwise didn’t pull the camera out again until late on the last day, when I drug my darling, adorable wife out for a quick walk.
The light was great, and the bit of brown cast typical of the RetroChrome works well at Golden Hour (to be said with the Tina Turner drawl).
And that, as they say, was the end of round two of the #summerfilmparty. Overall, it was good fun, and if you’re a film shooter, have a read through the rules, get connected on Twitter, and get ready for the last #summerfilmparty shoot week, August 7-13.
I’m already looking in my stashes to see what I have that qualifies…
