I don’t remember taking this picture at all, but I rather like it!
Kodak UltraMax 400 with 50mm lens on Agfa Ambi Silette.
Photography by Naomi Drew
I don’t remember taking this picture at all, but I rather like it!
Kodak UltraMax 400 with 50mm lens on Agfa Ambi Silette.
This is the other half, taken with UltraMax 400 and the Nikon F3HP and scanned on the Pakon 135. A bit of retouch in LR, but overall, there is little difference. The skin tones were important, because he has a rather ruddy complexion (not as bad as mine), and sometimes toning it down removes a lot of other qualities in an image. Above is the “retouched” and below is the untouched.
Initially, I was not especially thrilled with this film, and I hate to say it is most likely because of the packaging is yellow and blue, not colors I like together too much. Agfa Vista 200 has a decidedly more appealing more cheery packaging for me – love the red!
However, now that I have been using it a lot, I am actually rather pleased with it. I can push it in post, I can leave it be, I can mess up the exposures. It’s not too expensive. Neither the UltraMax nor the Vista have the colors of Ektar 100, but when you are using a new-to-you camera, a good length of inexpensive, reliable film for test purposes is necessary.
I admit, I love bright, impressionistic colors and strong contrast. Subtlety is not a strong suit in my preference range, but here, the delicacy of tonality and shading and contrast works to catch that magical time of day when the color fades away . . .
Nearby our house is a small local university. Every summer there is a Shakespeare festival – this summer marks the 21st anniversary. Last night we saw Julius Caesar, using a revision of this stage which was for their other production, Love’s Labours Lost. In the U.S., at least in California, Julius Caeser is required reading in 9th or 10th grade. I read it, and, oh, how I hated it. Not until I started seeing Shakespeare live did I have any appreciation for his works – I would love to see Kit Marlowe’s Faustus some day! But I digress . . .
My first roll through the now-repaired Olympus Trip 35, with Kodak UltraMax 400. So nice to have this little camera back!
My husband and I clambered up the hill full bore to catch this, and the rush was worthwhile. It was one of those last minute, hurry up, let’s do it! type of thing . . .