FilmLab, part 3: exposure, shmexposure

In my first experiences with FilmLab for MacOS, I noted that it tends to absolutely crush shadow areas in some situations. It also likes to blow out highlights, but with much less regularity than it crushes the shadows.

I assumed this was due to my raw exposures and/or the negatives themselves. My historical set up has returned best results at about 1-2 stops overexposed, which compensates somewhat for overexposure (dark negatives) and helps overcome some base fog, without making things hard on my conversion process. I figured these two stops were causing the issue, and that FilmLab was just giving back what I gave it.

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FilmLab, part 2: enter the Wardflex

A month or so ago, my dad reached out to sell me some cameras: an Olympus Infinity 210, a plastic-fantastic panoramic-crop thing, a Minolta Freedom Vista panoramic-crop camera, and a Wardflex twin lens camera.

I didn’t need any more cameras, but at the same time, I can’t resist a decent deal on some cameras I haven’t shot before, so…

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FilmLab, part 1: an hour at Beaver Lake

I last messed around with FilmLab back in 2017 when it was in beta and only on iPhones (and maybe Android, though I seem to recall there were problems with getting it ported to Android). I wasn’t particularly impressed, but I also wasn’t really doing it right and wasn’t convinced that a lowly phone could beat the D7000-based Scan-O-Matic X.

But eventually—I’m not quite sure when—FilmLab came to MacOS and Windows. I initially balked, as it was only available by subscription and I’m not a fan of renting anything smaller than an apartment, especially something completely intangible like software. But Abe Fettig, the developer, listened to complaints, and in August (2020), a single “lifetime purchase” option came available alongside FilmLab 2.0. As one of the kickstarterers of the original iPhone software, I had a discount code, so I bought it with plans to integrate it into the long-delayed update to my scanning rig…

Well… the scanning rig update was a failure (for now), but FilmLab has some possibilities.

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Ellen von Unwerth’s ‘Von’ No. 2: the Cinema Issue

Von is Ellen von Unwerth’s personal fashion “zine,” part Cosmopolitan, without all the ads and self-help stuff, part Egoïst, without, again, the writing or the editor or the other photographers, and it’s all von Unwerth.

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Andrew Molitor – ‘Sonata No. I “Clematis”‘

If you’re unaware of Andrew Molitor or his excellent Photothunk blog, do yourself a favor and go there now (or, slightly preferably, after reading this brief review). Molitor thinks and writes about photography in a sort of refreshing way that reminds me some of A.D. Coleman. And with Sonata No. I “Clematis” he turns that thinking into something in the world.

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Holga Week! (2020 Edition)

The 2020 edition of Holga Week took place October 1-7. I shot two rolls during the week in my Holga 120N: some expired (and I believe water damaged) Portra 400VC, and a some Ilford FP4+. These are my picks from the 24 frames.

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‘Elston Gunn’ Issue #3: “I Believe In You”

I wish I knew how to add subtitles to WordPress posts… I wanted to title this review/screed “Caveat Emptor” or, better, “Participem Emptor” (Participant Beware), but that’s just a bit too up front, perhaps.

Full disclosure: I’m a disgruntled supporter of Five Years, Dee Elegia’s successful 2017 kickstarter for her book of photographs with her muse Faye. She publicized Elston Gunn at some point in 2018 or so on her Twitter, I think, and I bought this issue as I still had some faith in Elegia and hoped the income might get her working on the Five Years book again, but alas. So my frustration at the lack of updates on the Five Years project, much less meaningful progress, may color my thoughts somewhat.

But let’s just see…

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