Print: Socks n' Sandals

I made this print this evening from a negative I made during my trip to Quebec City a little over a year ago. This older dude was rocking one of the biggest fashion faux pas in history, and I had to capture it. I used my Pentax LX with a 50mm lens, on Ilford Delta 400 film. The physical print is 7"x10".

Spotlight: Nikon S3

Nikon blew everyone's minds in 1959 when they released the Nikon F single-lens-reflex camera system, which simultaneously shifted the market away from Germany to Japan, as well as killed off the rangefinder as the professional's choice in camera, in favor of the SLR.

However, before the F, there was the Nikon S line of professional rangefinders, designed as slightly cheaper alternatives to the exorbitantly priced German Leicas of the time. It's sad that these cameras are mostly forgotten, as they are beautiful, extremely well-made photographic instruments.  The Nikon S3 is one of these rangefinders, released in 1958, only a year before the revolutionary F.

The similarities between the S3 and the F are bountiful, as the cameras share roughly 40% of their parts. The F is essentially an S3 with a prism plopped on top of it. This lack of prism, combined with the smaller lenses of the S system, make the S3 a much more compact package than the somewhat bulky F.  It's easier to walk around with, and is less obtrusive when making photos (especially with the lack of the F's mirror-slap).

Okay. Enough comparing this little beauty to the F.

Build quality is top-notch. The all-metal construction feels extremely rugged; all the knobs, buttons, and levers are a joy to adjust. Shutter speeds range from 1 second to 1/1000th of a second, plus bulb and time exposure modes. The viewfinder shows frame-lines for 35mm, 50mm, 105mm lenses. With my glasses on, the 50mm frame-line takes up the entire finder (I can't even see the 35mm lines unless I take my specs off). The rangefinder patch is large, contrasty, and easy to focus with. Focus is achieved by either twisting the lens barrel, or by turning a small dial that's on top of the camera next to the frame counter. The former method is definitely the way to go, as it takes about 6 full turns of the little dial for me to go from infinity to the closest focusing distance (3 feet). Focus locks at infinity.

I took my S3 out with me this past weekend to downtown Evanston, IL. Here are some photos I made with it while hanging out with my wife, and our friend, Nicole. I used a 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor Lens, and Kentmere 400 film.

While I still prefer my Nikon F (and SLR's in general), I still had a great time experimenting with the S3. It's a beautiful, well-crafted camera any rangefinder fan will love. Thanks for looking!

Prints: Turtle Riders

Here are some prints I recently made of a couple spring riders I found around northern Illinois. They're both turtles, but in two completely different styles! The one on the bottom is a traditional spring rider, while the one on the top is part of a strange see-saw, merry-go-round hybrid. Both turtle riders were shot with my Mamiya C330 and an 80mm lens, on Kodak T-Max 400 film. The physical gelatin silver prints are both 10"x10".

Print: Throne Room

On the way home from attending last year's Indy 500 with my dad, we spotted an abandoned convenience store along the side of the two-lane highway we were traveling on. I went in by myself and found the store to be mostly empty, aside from a few display shelves and some beer cans. The roof covering what was once the bathroom was gone, with the hazy afternoon sky faintly illuminating two lonely toilets. I used my Widelux F7 and Ilford Delta 400 film to capture the scene. I just recently made a 9"x4" print from the negative.

Print: Party Van

I found this van sitting in the woods behind an abandoned factory in northern Illinois. There was a fire pit next to it, as well as countless cans of cheap beer. I'm positive that loads of underage drinking took place here. I used my Nikon F2 with an extra-wide 20mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens, and Ilford Delta 400 film. The physical darkroom print is 7x10 inches.

Print: Filth

Since the weather has continued to be miserable, I spent today making darkroom prints from some of my older, previously unused negatives. I made this print from a negative I made while exploring an abandoned house in Kildeer, Illinois. These peeling linoleum tiles lined the stairs leading to the second floor of the home.

The house this photo was taken in has since been leveled in order to expand a neighboring golf course. For shame.

I used my Pentax LX with a 50mm f/1.4 lens and Ilford HP5 film. The physical print is 7x10 inches.

Print: Honeymoon Suite

(click here for uncensored)

I recently made this print from a negative I took of my wife while on our honeymoon over a year ago in Quebec City. I believe this was right after we arrived at our hotel; she was getting ready to shower before we headed out for dinner.

 I used my Pentax LX with a 50mm f/1.4 lens, and Ilford Delta 400 film. The physical darkroom print is 7x10 inches.