Where I've been and what I've been up to...

[Xia_Ke]

Wow, it's been a VERY long time. First off, I feel like I owe everyone an apology. It was never my intention to disappear on you all. Life just got crazy. Between school, work, and life I actually ended up going a few months last year without touching my camera once. My heart just wasn't in it. Before I knew it so much time had past that, to be honest, I just felt funny about coming back. I just want to say thank you to those who kept checking in with me, particularly Greg and Ali. You two are the best and I am truly grateful for your friendship.

For those that are interested, school has been going well. Just finished my first year with a 3.96 GPA I really didn't end up really shooting anything until the end of last August. As much as I LOVED my 4x5, with everything going I just did not have the time to dedicate to it. The process of shooting with it, which I loved so much, was its downfall in the end I guess. I ended up picking up a Nikon F3HP and a 50mm f/1.2 Ai-S the end of last Summer and that's what I've been shooting with since. I've been trying my best to make time for photography over the last 6 months or so. It is an escape that I have missed and have come to realize I need for my sanity...LOL I can make no guarantees on my future here is. Life is crazy, but I will try my best to check in periodically. So in closing, here's a little of what I have been up to photography wise...

These are some shots of my girlfriend that I have been dating since last August. We had a fun little portrait session. These were shot with the Nikon using Arista Premium 100 developed in Rodinal 1+25. Printed on Fotokemika Varycon VC FB Matte paper with Ethol LPD 1+6 and toned using Kentmere Rapid Selenium Toner 1+!9.







Here's a couple shots of a hiking trip I took with my mom and sister for my 30th birthday last October. Shot with the Nikon and Velvia RVP100. (You'll have to excuse the focus on the first one. While it may not look like it, the light levels were pretty low with the overcast skies. Shooting wide open at f/1.2 doesn't leave much room for error DOF wise )





To finish up, here are the last couple shots I took with my 4x5 before selling. These were from the same hiking trip. Shot with a Nagaoka 4x5 with Ilford FP4+ film developed in Rodinal 1+25. Printed on Fotokemika Emaks G3 paper in Ethol LPD 1+6 and toned with Kentmere Rapid Selenium Toner 1+19. These are just contact prints though. Wish I had room for a 4x5 enlarger so I could get these the way I want them. Dodging/burning a 4x5 print is a b****...LOL

[Axle]

Very nice, congrats on the GPA and the F3HP, I use the F3 myself as the 35mm camera I carry around the most with me (when I'm not shooting with my Yashica-12).

And Welcome Back.

[Greg McCary]

I briefly tried school before I fell. I can see how it would eat into your time. Congrats on the high GPA too. But mostly on the new girl. You guys have fun together, life is short.

[Frog]

Glad to see you around again.
Its not just the film guys that missed you!

[Xia_Ke]

Thanks guys

Axle, the F3 is what I considered to be my "dream" 35mm. Just feels so great in hand and everything is laid out perfectly. Just picked up a SB-16a and a 28-85mm Ai-S for it as well. Figure it's about time I learn some flash photography. Will need to pick Ali's brain on that.

Greg, was great to reconnect with you on Facebook. I'm glad things are working out so well with Nora. Keep me posted on how that new lens is ::thumbsup::

Missed you too Frog. LOVE the new SP avatar!

[drg]

Hey stranger!

Glad to see you back.

So you now have one of the greatest tanks Nikon ever produced. I always like my F2 a little better though the viewfinder in F3 seemed to make better use of the highpoint offset as I recall. Makes shooting with glasses a bunch easier.

New girlfriends always make for lots of photo ops! Don't give up the LF forever, we need someone here who still cranks out some of the larger work once in a while. I sure relate as I don't even have 'big film' in stock anymore.

[w.slayman]

Some very nice shots, I know what you mean about 4 X 5 being a "B....", many years ago I inherited a Speed Graphic 4 X 5 and for about 6 months used it exclusively, lots of work, 645 roll film and 35mm for me now! :lol:

[Alison]

Yay! Great to see you posting again!
I really really love the tones and layers in that last shot Aaron! Just beautiful!

[mtbbrian]

Greg, was great to reconnect with you on Facebook. I'm glad things are working out so well with Nora. Keep me posted on how that new lens is ::thumbsup::

I am on Facebook too! Look me up, both of you.
Hi Aaron!
Glad to see you are around, I have been wondering!
:thumbsup:
Brian

[cameron665]

Good to see you back Aaron.

[Xia_Ke]

Hi drg, how have you been? Saw you've been keeping the film going. How's your challenge coming along? Thanks for all the great posts you've done in my absence! :thumbsup: No worries about the large format. I have no desire to stop shooting it. I'm actually planing to go bigger. When things settle down, I'm going to make the jump to 8x10.

Hi w.s., nice to meet you. I wouldn't say large format is a bitch at all. The reason I sold mine had nothing to do with actually shooting it. The problem is my enlarger only does up to 6x9 negs. I have been looking around at 45 enlargers, but the problem is their size. While I have space the moment, I won't be here forever and looking at apartments in the area, I know I won't have room for a 4x5 enlarger and contact printing the negatives has just gotten old. I don't want to print big, but I like 8x10's. So I'm going to make the jump to 8x10 when funds allow and also want to pick up a 6x9 view camera like a Horseman VH. We'll see what the funds allow for though.

Cameron, it's good to see you keeping film alive :thumbsup: Question, how are you liking the Nettar? Was thinking about picking one up as just a fun little folder to carry around. They're so cheap that its very tempting.

Brian, how have you been? How's the fishing and the Holga shootin going lately? I have broken out the Holga a few times. Here's a couple shots for you...

These two are from the same portrait shooting from above with my girlfriend...




My Mom


A little photo session with my uncle


My aunt


Okay, so that was more than a couple...lol All shot on Ilford HP5+ and souped in Rodinal 1+25

[cameron665]

Hi Aaron, I can recommend the old folders as a great way to carry MF with you. Both the Zeiss Ikon and the Voigtlander Bessa66 are quite portable and hardly take up any space at all. The quality of manufacture is also pretty good as the Bessa is circa 1933 and still works fine. The Zeiss doesn't have a double exposure lock out so you need to get into a routine of winding on to the next frame.

[Old Timer]

Very nice to hear from you. Great to catchup and see some new stuff from you. even with a hectic life sometimes it's good to take a little time out for yourself and do something you really love. Keep shooting and don't be a stranger.

[GB1]

I can relate Aaron. I tried doing photography while in engineering school for years and I think all I did was distract myself in school and, though I kept in the domain and produced some great shots sometimes, disappointed myself with my images more times than not. Sometimes school and other stuff forces your attention (and brain) in another direction.

I think that creative stuff like photography requires one to dedicate a lot of time and attention. I esp feel that way about post processing my digital images: I have to sit there and 'get into' it before I can really make hay. Maybe this is why writers live in cottages to finish their books?

Congrats on the GF and the GPA.

[ComicDom1]

I kinda fell off the face of the earth myself. I think for a while I also lost my desire to shoot. My Hasselblad 201F (the beautiful camera it is) sat unused waiting for me to get motivated again.

Well the Hasselblad was waiting for me, I got busy around the holidays and sold off almost all my Canon Gear including all my Digital Bodies as well as my Eos 3. I still have the 630 and a couple of lenses but I am not sure how long the will be around. I replaced the Canon Gear with a Nikon D700 and some quality Nikon Lenses.

Shortly after the Monsoons in IL finished, I finally took the Hasselblad out. So I did some shooting this week with the 50 2.8 and the 110 2.0. Of course its been so long since I shot I have to order new developer (LOL).

Just to make things more interested I started investigating 4x5 and recently purchased a Cambo SC2 that came with a case and a bunch of accessories. It arrived yesterday and this camera has been completely refurbished. I also picked up a Symmar 180mm 5.6 lens which also becomes a 310 F 12 when the front element or cell is removed. So now I am shooting Digital, Medium format, and Large Format. Large format is new to me so I kinda feel like I am back in school. Anyway, thats where I have been. Oh wait, I did get a trip to Jamaica in there somewhere.

Jason