Black and White

An also ran shot for The Sunday Challenge group - this week's theme was "shallow depth of field." Another of the old headstones in Ebenezer Cemetery. Camera: Minolta SRT-101 Lens: Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm F/1.2 lens Film: Fuji Film Neopan 100 Acros 35mm black and white Aperture: F/1.2 Shutter Speed: 1/500 sec. Date: April 5th, 2014, 6.01 p.m. Location: Norris City, Illinois, U.S.A. Developing chemicals at 68 degrees: Developer: Ilford ID-11 - 10 minutes Stop Bath: Ilford Ilfostop - 1 minute Rinse: Water - 1 minute Fixer: Ilford Hypam - 7 minutes Rinse: Water - 5 minutes Minolta SRT101 Acros 01ef

One Rokkor Around The World project. Tresslar's Department Store used to be the place to go. They had a pharmacy, a lunch counter and two floors of everything you could possibly ever need. Now, it's bricked up façade sits forlornly waiting for a new owner. Camera: Minolta XD11 Lens: Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm, f/1.7 Filter: Hoya HMC 55mm Skylight (1B) Film: Fuji Neopan Acros 100 black and white 35mm film Shooting program:Aperture priority Aperture: F/16 Shutter speed: 1/15 sec. Date: July 4th, 2010, 8:36 a.m. Location: Carmi, Illinois, U.S.A. Developing info (chemicals at 75 degrees): Kodak D-76 developer: 6 mins. Ilford Ilfostop stop bath: 1 min. Kodak fixer: 10 mins. Kodak Photo-Flo 200: 1 min. Final water rinse: 1 min.

An old Ford work truck. Camera: Sears TLS (Mk II, made in 1967) Lens: Auto Sears 50mm F/1.7, M42 screw mount Film: Kodak BW400CN black and white 35mm Shooting program: Manual (no battery) Shutter speed: 1/60 sec. Aperture: F/16 Date: October 3rd, 2012, 5.26 p.m. Place: Enfield, Illinois, U.S.A. Sears TLS01 18ef

One of the many scenic overlooks that Garden Of The Gods offers. The gnarled, old tree kind of makes it look like Yosemite or somewhere like that to me. Converted to black and white from color original. Camera: Minolta XD11 Lens: Minolta MD Rokkor-X 50mm, f/1.7 Filter: Hoya HMC 55mm Skylight (1B) Film: Kodak Gold 200 color 35mm film (converted to black and white) Shooting program: "O" (manual) Aperture: F/8 Shutter speed: 1/100 sec. Date: July 9th, 2010, 3:03 p.m. Location: Garden of the Gods, Shawnee National Forest, Illinois, U.S.A.

A picture of my new (to me) Kodak Duaflex II, taken with my Sears TLS, Mk II Camera: Sears TLS (Mk II, made in 1967) Lens: Auto Sears 50mm F/1.7, M42 screw mount Film: Kodak BW400CN black and white 35mm Shooting program: Manual (no battery) Shutter speed: 1/1000 sec. Aperture: F/1.7 Date: October 3rd, 2012, 3.55 p.m. Place: Norris City, Illinois, U.S.A. Sears TLS01 15df

This is a Kodak Brownie Holiday Flash, with the contacts to attach a flash unit. I have another Holiday, but it doesn't accept the flash unit. Taken with my Pentax MV. Camera: Asahi Pentax MV Lens: SMC Pentax-M 50mm, f/2 Filter: Asahi Pentax L39 UV filter SMC Film: Kodak Tri-X 400 ISO black and white 35mm film Exposure program: Bulb "B" Aperture: F/22 Exposure length: 15 secs. Date: February 12th, 2011, 1.44 a.m. Location: Norris City, Illinois, U.S.A. Developing specifics (chemicals at 72 degrees): D-76: 5 1/2 mins. (1:1) Ilford Ilfostop stop bath: 1 min. Kodak fixer: 7 mins. Water rinse: 1 min.

This was my old girlfriend Susan, from around 1980, when we went to the local park and I got some portraits of her.

A picture from the first roll of film I ever ran through the Kodak Brownie Holiday 127 camera I inherited from my Grandmother Wright. This gazebo sits across from the Carmi Illinois Library in a small park. During the summer months, they hold concerts in it. It was my intention to go here and photograph a bronze statue that stands in front of the gazebo, but an automobile accident just a day or two before had destroyed the statue. So, I settled for the gazebo by itself. Clouds were starting to roll in and less than 20 minutes later, a powerful thunderstorm hit. Camera: Kodak Brownie Holiday (made in January 1953) Film: Efke R 100 127 black and white film Aperture: F/11 (approximate) Shutter speed: 1/25 sec. (approximate) Date: August 10th, 2009 Location: Carmi, Illinois, U.S.A. Developing process, chemicals were at 68 degrees: Kodak D-76 developer: 9 mins. Ilford Ilfostop stop bath: 90 secs. Kodak fixer: 7 mins. Kodak Photo-Flo 200: 1 min.

Another shot from the first roll of 127 I ever used. It was exposed in a Kodak Brownie Holiday camera that was passed down to me from my Grandmother Wright. I'm glad to have finally gotten to use it and "keep it in the family," so to speak. Looking at the images, it appears that in the center of the frame is a "sweet spot" of focus and toward the edges, the images gets blurrier. As long as your subject is relatively centered, it shouldn't be a problem. Camera: Kodak Brownie Holiday (made in January 1953) Film: Efke R 100 127 black and white film Aperture: F/11 (approximate) Shutter speed: 1/25 sec. (approximate) Date: September 19th, 2009 Location: Fairfield, Illinois, U.S.A. Developing process, chemicals were at 68 degrees: Kodak D-76 developer: 9 mins. Ilford Ilfostop stop bath: 90 secs. Kodak fixer: 7 mins. Kodak Photo-Flo 200: 1 min.

Converted to black and white from a color image.

A mannequin holding down the fort at John Brown Melons. I purchased a nice cantaloupe that day. Believe it or not, when I purchased the cantaloupe, there were no actual humans working at this stand. There was a box where you put your money in for whatever you bought and it was on the "honor system." It must work there, for this place has been in business for as long as I can remember. Camera: Ansco Cadet II Film: Efke R 100 ASA 127 black and white film Aperture: "Color" (other choice was "B&W") Date: August 30th, 2012, 5.03 p.m. Location: Carmi, Illinois, U.S.A. Developing process, chemicals were at 68 degrees: Ilford ID-11: 8 mins. Water stop bath: 1 min. (Efke suggests this and it worked.) Ilford Hypam fixer: 8 mins. Water rinse: 5 mins. Kodak Photo-Flo 200: 1 min. Efke2 09ef

The gazebo near the Carmi Public Library, featuring the new bronze statue. The first one was destroyed when a car accidentally ran over it. The camera had two different choices for aperture, a color setting and a black and white setting. I chose the color setting for all the shots with the camera because it was the larger of the two apertures. Camera: Ansco Cadet II Film: Efke R 100 ASA 127 black and white film Aperture: "Color" (other choice was "B&W") Date: August 30th, 2012, 5.38 p.m. Location: Carmi, Illinois, U.S.A. Developing process, chemicals were at 68 degrees: Ilford ID-11: 8 mins. Water stop bath: 1 min. (Efke suggests this and it worked.) Ilford Hypam fixer: 8 mins. Water rinse: 5 mins. Kodak Photo-Flo 200: 1 min. Efke2 10cf

This is the Macedonia Baptist Church, located in Sacramento, Illinois. (A little un-incorporated area about 3 miles from Norris City.) I just found out that Efke is going out of business and shutting down operations and I will be saddened to see them go. I really liked their R100 films. It's been a bad year for film. Camera: Spartus Rocket Film: Efke R 100 ASA 127 black and white film Date: October 10th, 2011, 4.42 p.m. Location: Sacramento, Illinois, U.S.A. Developing process, chemicals were at 68 degrees: Ilford ID-11: 8 mins. Water stop bath: 1 min. (Efke suggests this and it worked.) Ilford Hypam fixer: 8 mins. Water rinse: 5 mins. Kodak Photo-Flo 200: 1 min. Efke2 01gf

I've passed by this house for almost 40 years and it wasn't until just before my Dad died that I found out from him that this house was the first place his younger brother, Deon, lived when he got married for the first time in the early 1960's. This is one of the shots taken with my Spartus Rocket, which I acquired in the 1970's. This is the first chance I've had to use it and, in doing so, the film advance knob broke after three frames. I had to finish the roll in another camera. But, at least I finally got to use the camera. Camera: Spartus Rocket Film: Efke R 100 ASA 127 black and white film Date: October 31st, 2011, 3.35 p.m. Location: Between Brownsville and Norris City, Illinois, U.S.A. Developing process, chemicals were at 68 degrees: Ilford ID-11: 8 mins. Water stop bath: 1 min. (Efke suggests this and it worked.) Ilford Hypam fixer: 8 mins. Water rinse: 5 mins. Kodak Photo-Flo 200: 1 min. Efke2 02ff

Taken next door at the back of my neighbor's empty house. (With apologies to Aldous Huxley and The Doors.) View On Black Camera: USC Reflex III Lens: Plastic Film: Kodak Plus-X Pan 125 ISO black and white 620 film (respooled 120 by Kodak) Aperture: Fixed Exposure length: approx. 1/25 sec. Date: February 13th, 2011, 1:38 p.m. Location: Norris City, Illinois, U.S.A. Developing specifics (chemicals at 72 degrees): D-76: 5 mins. Ilford Ilfostop stop bath: 1 min. Kodak fixer: 7 mins. Water Rinse: 5 mins. Kodak Photo-Flo 200: 1 min. USC Reflex III 03df

This is my neighbor, Tim. He is standing in front of his minivan that was involved in an accident a couple days ago due to the sudden snowy conditions that developed. Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the mishap. We've had some screwy weather in the last seven days - two distinctly different snow storms with near-zero temperatures and then today, Sunday, February 13th, we had sunny 60 degree weather. It was so nice that my sister went outside and started working on her tan. Camera: USC Reflex III Lens: Plastic Film: Kodak Plus-X Pan 125 ISO black and white 620 film (respooled 120 by Kodak) Aperture: Fixed Exposure length: approx. 1/25 sec. Date: February 13th, 2011, 1:53 p.m. Location: Norris City, Illinois, U.S.A. Developing specifics (chemicals at 72 degrees): D-76: 5 mins. Ilford Ilfostop stop bath: 1 min. Kodak fixer: 7 mins. Water Rinse: 5 mins. Kodak Photo-Flo 200: 1 min. USC Reflex III 05ef

A tranquil spot overlooking the Norris City reservoir. Taken with my USC Reflex III 620 camera. Camera: USC Reflex III Lens: Plastic Film: Kodak Plus-X Pan 125 ISO black and white 620 film (respooled 120 by Kodak) Aperture: Fixed Exposure length: approx. 1/25 sec. Date: February 13th, 2011, 2:37 p.m. Location: Norris City, Illinois, U.S.A. Developing specifics (chemicals at 72 degrees): D-76: 5 mins. Ilford Ilfostop stop bath: 1 min. Kodak fixer: 7 mins. Water Rinse: 5 mins. Kodak Photo-Flo 200: 1 min. USC Reflex III 09df