Toffee Factory
Type 517 Cinema Film
Kodak Retina 1a

#ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

New Blog Post
This week I talk about shooting my June roll of Type 517 Cinema Film with my Kodak Retina 1a for the Frugal Film Project

https://jimgravesphoto.blogspot.com/2025/06/frugal-film-project-2025-june.html

#ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

The #FrugalFilmProject, May 2025: WTF?

I’ve been a bit tardy with posting my May entry for the Frugal Film Project. The weather in our region was unpredictable for the best part of the month, and the forecast was unsettled. But the last week of May the rain stopped, the skies cleared, and we had a few days of really nice weather.

https://flic.kr/p/2r93rbo

This also coincided with a need for a trip to Coimbra, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take the Golden Wonder (a.k.a the Welta Penti II, half-frame camera) along with me. I loaded the Penti II with a fresh canister of Harman Phoenix, and we took it through the back streets of the old town of Coimbra, and also down the main street. At the end of the trip I still had a few frames left, so a few days later I took the Golden Wonder on a trip around Costa Nova and Vagueira. 

https://flic.kr/p/2r8WPbb

As usual, to measure the exposure I used the Camera Meter app and rated the film at ISO 160. I dropped the film off at the lab a few days later, and within a couple of hours the images dropped into my inbox. I opened them for a first look. WTF? What. The. Actual. F? The subjects came out great, I’ll say that for the Golden Wonder, what you point it at, the cameras sees perfectly, but the light leaks? I do love my light leaks, I always think that they give character to the images, but in this case it was a bit much.

https://flic.kr/p/2r8WPae

I originally thought that the lab might have scanned the roll with the wrong colour profile, and asked them about it. In reply the lab sent a snap of the film with the comment that it was ‘burned’, and looking at the film I was amazed that they got anything from it at all! Further along the roll the images looked like the film had light leaks, but the first few frames were almost solarised. 

https://flic.kr/p/2r92hYB

For those not aware, solarisation is where the exposed film is exposed to light so that certain tones are reversed. It is also referred to as the Sabbatier Effect (although this is a slightly different phenomenon). Often the edges of objects on film show the most pronounced effect, and this can clearly be seen on some of the early images from Coimbra. The later images, near the tail end of the film, show more normal looking light leaks. 

https://flic.kr/p/2r93YGb

I was a little frustrated with the results, it’s not often that we go to Coimbra, but on reflection I really like how some of these came out. I’m sure I’ll never be able to produce this effect again, of course. I’ve posted the whole roll in an album on my Flickr, light leaks and all, if you want to see the rest of the images.

https://flic.kr/p/2r93YF9

If you are on Mastodon, you can now follow this blog directly. Just go to Mastodon and follow the ‘Snapshot’ WordPress account at @keithdevereux.wordpress.com. All new posts will be automatically updated to your timeline.

#Agfa #AgfaRapid #FrugalFilmProject #HalfFrame #HarmanPhoenix #Penti2 #Rapid #RapidFilm #Welta

The #FrugalFilmProject, May 2025: WTF?

I been a bit tardy with posting my May entry for the Frugal Film Project. The weather in our region was unpredictable for the best part of the month, and the forecast was unsettled. But the last week of May the rain stopped, the skies cleared, and we had a few days of really nice weather. This also coincided with a need for a trip to Coimbra, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take the Golden Wonder (a.k.a the Welta…

https://keithdevereux.wordpress.com/2025/06/12/the-frugalfilmproject-may-2025-wtf/

Cone
Type 517 Cine Film
Kodak Retina 1a

#ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

Post Box
Type 517 Cine Film
Kodak Retina 1a
#ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

Summer House
Type 517 Cine Film
Kodak Retina 1a

#ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

Full foliage
Type 517 cine film
Kodak Retina 1a
#ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

Frugal Film Project

I wanted to do this back in January but it was cold out there and I forgot.

The Frugal Film Project is an internet challenge to buy a cheap camera and shoot a roll of cheap(ish) film through it every month for a year. The rule used to be that you had to grab the camera for under $50 but that was before prices ballooned during the pandemic so now it’s $75.

I bought my little Soviet TLR camera, a Lomo Lubitel 166 Universal, for about $40 so it qualifies. You’re supposed to use budget film but I don’t think such a thing actually exists anymore. Even cheap film is grossly expensive. I am going to play this game with the Lubitel and Kodak Gold 200 film. I started it on Memorial Day at Riverside Park in Methuen, a couple of weeks ago, so month number one is May 2025. I’ve already shot a roll in June too, in Harvard Square, but I won’t get that developed for a couple of weeks.

The camera only shoots 12 pics to a roll and (magically, for me) all 12 on the May roll came out okay. Here they are……..

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560827040/in/album-72177720326546462

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560678084/in/album-72177720326546462/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560498326/in/album-72177720326546462/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560498291/in/album-72177720326546462/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560827010/in/album-72177720326546462/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560732908/in/album-72177720326546462/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560678014/in/album-72177720326546462/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560732918/in/album-72177720326546462/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560732913/in/album-72177720326546462/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560498281/in/album-72177720326546462/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560827055/in/album-72177720326546462/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54560732963/in/album-72177720326546462/

#120Film #filmPhotography #frugalFilmProject #KODAKGOLD200 #lomoLubitel166Universal #mediumFormat #photography

Pond
Type 517 Cine Film
Kodak Retina 1a

#ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #FilmIsNotDead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

Reflection
Type 517 cine film
Kodak Retina 1a

#ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

New Blog Post
This week I talk about my May roll of Type 517 Cine Film sot with my Kodak Retina 1a for the Frugal Film Project 2025. It were hot tha knows!

https://jimgravesphoto.blogspot.com/2025/06/frugal-film-project-2025-may.html

#ilfordphoto #ilfordfp4 #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

Benches
Type 517 Cine Film
Kodak Retina 1a

#ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

The White Bull Pub, Ribchester
Type 517 Cine Film
Kodak Retina 1a

#ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

Duddel Brook at Ribchester
Type 517 Cine Film
Kodak Retina 1a

#ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

Roman remains
Type 517 Cine Film
Kodak Retina 1a

#ilfordfp4 #ilfordfp4 #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

Remains of the Roman Granary at Ribchester
Type 517 Cine Film
Kodak Retina 1a

#ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

St Wilfrid's, Ribchester
Type 517 cine film
Kodak Retina 1a

#ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #frugalfilmproject #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

New Blog Post
This week I talk about a wander around Ribchester with my mate Keith and shooting my April roll of Type 517 Cine Film with my Kodak Retina 1a for the Frugal Film project 2025

https://jimgravesphoto.blogspot.com/2025/04/frugal-film-project-2025-april.html

#frugalfilmproject #ilfordfp4 #ilfordphoto #kodakretina1a #kodakcamera #filmisnotdead #shootfilmbenice #believeinfilm

The #FrugalFilmProject, April 2025: A Morning Out in Aveiro

This month with the Golden Wonder (a.k.a the Welta Penti II, half-frame camera) we had a morning in Aveiro. The actual plan was to test out a new (to me) Horizon 202 panoramic camera, but of course I had to bring along with me the Golden Wonder and a roll of Harman Phoenix. No redscaling this month, just a leisurely walk around the city.

https://flic.kr/p/2qZo6je

I was dropped off near the hospital in Aveiro, which is close to my favourite footbridge, the wonderful metal structure in the Parque Infante Dom Pedro. I sat on a bench near the footbridge and loaded the Golden Wonder with a fresh canister of film. Actually, I was lucky. On the spur of the moment, when selecting the canister of film from my little box I had added an empty canister to the camera bag ‘just in case’. That was a good idea, as when I opened the back of the Penti II it was empty!

https://flic.kr/p/2qZoTQ6

I loaded the fresh canister, and the empty canister, into the Penti II and closed it up. As an aside, the Golden Wonder is really tough to open and close. I’m not sure if the back plate is becoming twisted. I hope that it lasts the year. I took a walk around the bridge and photographed it from various angles, Also in the park is the bandstand that is a regular fixture of my walks around Aveiro and for the first time I went to the water tower to one side of the park.

https://flic.kr/p/2qZn52D

From the Parque I took a walk down to the canals near the centre of Aveiro, and then down to the Yacht Club. From there I walked to the circular footbridge, known in Aveiro as the Ponte do Laço, before heading for the railway station and the journey home. On the way I finished off the film in the Horizon 202, before unloading the camera and dropping the film at the lab. I still had a few frames left in the Golden Wonder, though, so I brought the camera home and used the last few frames in a walk around the nearby village of Águas Boas. 

https://flic.kr/p/2qZo6na

For exposure I used the Camera Meter app and rated the film at ISO 125. I normally rate Harman Phoenix at ISO 160, but this time I used 125 as it is the box speed of Harman Red, which I had loaded into the Horizon 202, and I was feeding a little lazy with the metering. In the event, the exposure was fine. Harman Phoenix kept its high contrast tonality, and some of the images came out really well. I’ve posted the whole roll in an album on my Flickr, light leaks and all, if you want to see the rest of the images.

https://flic.kr/p/2qZorhQ

If you are on Mastodon, you can now follow this blog directly. Just go to Mastodon and follow the ‘Snapshot’ WordPress account at @keithdevereux.wordpress.com. All new posts will be automatically updated to your timeline.

#HarmanPhoenix #Agfa #AgfaRapid #FrugalFilmProject #HalfFrame #Penti2 #Rapid #RapidFilm #Welta