Heading Downtown

"Heading Downtown" (December 2011, Chicago Loop)
Expired Kodak Tri-X 400, Canon A-1, 50mm f/1.8

Since I have had a little unexpected time on my hands of late, I have taken the opportunity to start developing my own black and white film. I had been keeping a bag of exposed 35mm and 120 rolls to experiment with and have gotten about half-way through the bag. I must say that doing my own developing has been a very rewarding experience. There is just something almost mystical about pulling the developed negatives out of the tank. Turns out to be a lot easier and cheaper than I had thought, (and quite a bit faster and easier than sending out, as well). This probably means you will be seeing a lot more black and white as the blog goes forward.

Sometimes The Imperfection Makes The Image

"The Flyover" (Canon 40D, ISO 400, 17-40mm f/4L)

Definitely Not Harry Potter

The Magicians by Lev Grossman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well written and unique take on the "school for young magicians" idea. I immediately got the sequel to read, so that must say something. But the main characters are often very difficult to like - self-indulgent, selfish, over-privileged and entitled. A big thread through the book is how hard - so very, very hard - it is to actually get everything that you want. (Maybe so, but I would be willing to try it out and report back.)

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"2 x 56" (Fuji 100B, Polaroid Land 250)

What You May Find While Walking Your Dog

"Hidden Path" (Fuji 100B, Polaroid Land 250)
This is a neat little path behind some an older housing complex, which runs next to a part of the Chicago River. Oddly, the path is blocked off where it goes under the overpass you can see off in the distance in the upper third. Nice little path, that I never see anyone on.

"What Remains" (Fuji 100B, Polaroid Land 250)
One week ago, this was an old, brick Chicago 3-flat.