Megan: Victorian Trenchcoat

Following our first photoshoot together that combined Steampunk corsetry in an old textile mill, Megan and I incorporated some of our foggy graveyard photoshoot idea that never materialized into a similarly moody morning photoshoot, exploring the same textile mill’s grounds in a Victorian trenchcoat.  Although there wasn’t fog like we’d aimed for, the crumbling and overgrown stone walls paired with Megan’s ivy earrings and black lace heels brought mystical vibes to the overcast grounds, with the din of water coursing through generation equipment in the mill’s spillway immediately behind our wall drew us even further out of the 21st century in our secluded corner originating in the industrial revolution.

Having now shot with Megan twice, I can only think of a handful of people I’ve shot with who have run through poses so effortlessly; it’s a blessing in that everything we shoot looks incredible, and a curse in that EVERYTHING we shoot looks incredible (so it’s difficult to narrow down in post): a struggle Megan and I gleefully lamented going through the photos following both our shoots together.

If you don’t already, you can follow Megan’s spooky and spectacular photography of storms, cemeteries, and astrophotography on Instagram.

Like all proper creatives with pent-up artistic energy, Megan and I continue to have shared, evolving ides for photoshoots, and hopefully the next time we see each other the stars will align to bring another passion project or two together.

Until next time,

The Queen of Halloween & The Duke of Spook bid you well in 2022!

Behind the Scenes

Because of the lighting setup on our fist shoot, I didn’t even attempt any Polaroid captures, but since this photoshoot was captured simply with the same run-and-gun fill-flash technique Polaroids traditionally lean on, it was seamless freezing a few moments in time on the classic instant format; all it required was pausing for each moment for the very mechanical image capturing process to work its analog magic.

This is only the second selfie I’ve taken with a Polaroid. Polaroid selfies are both easy because the camera is so light and the shutter release is in an easy spot, but more difficult because of the tighter framing and inherent time-delayed unknowns of film photography, even on an “instant” film - modern Polaroid chemistry takes 10min to display an image, and over 20min to fully develop. It’s a format I didn’t get the chance to play with until just as the Pandemic began, but I’ve fallen in love with its beautiful imperfection and mandatory physicality.

2017 Virginia Gold Cup

This was my first time attending the Virginia Gold Cup despite years of being invited to it.  Unfortunately it rained all day; reportedly 2017 had the most dreadful weather for the event in recent years - usually it's sunny and comfortable.  The rain and mud didn't change how anyone dressed though; everyone in attendance still dressed dapper as ever... we were all just covered in mud doing it.  Women in their dresses and heels had mud splattered all the way up to their thighs.  Men bore the same stains, but instead needed extra Shout to launder their trousers later.  I'm pretty sure my brown shoes are ruined.

At the end of the event while walking to the car to leave, some guy came up and pushed me into a huge puddle of mud, and the splash of mud from my shoes splattered several of the girls he was with; the group then proceeded to curse and threaten me for it, despite the guy being the instigator.  The Virginia Gold Cup was two months ago as of writing this, and there is still mud on my camera from this incident.  That wasn't the only unsavory behavior spotted at the Gold Cup; immediately upon arriving, we witnessed two guys get in a fistfight and quickly get arrested.

Needless to say, I did not enjoy my first experience at the Virginia Gold Cup.  It was pretty miserable; the only redeeming part was the pictures I got out of it, which I am presenting here in black and white because I think they are more powerful and accurately portray the conditions that way.  Besides, I love black and white, but don't present most of my work in this format, so it's a nice departure.

Warrenton Adventures - Glassblowing and Wineries

Sharing some recent personal work with you!  Two weeks ago I was in Warrenton for a little bit and got to see Tom Veirs working in his glassblowing studio after lunch.  I'm also bringing you something a little different; today's entire post contains a lot of black and white - a medium I love, but almost never publish in.

Warrenton Glassblowing at Veirs Studio Glass and Gallery

Tom will be retiring in end of May, so go visit his studio to buy some of his work before he says farewell!  He also had a visitor in the shop who studied glassblowing at VCU, and was practicing some of his skills.  It's a neat process that I'd only seen in limited amounts at the Maryland Renaissance Fair; here they showed me how to make some basics, like a shot glass and spiral patterns in wine glass stems.

Pearmund Cellars Winery

Afterwards was a visit to nearby Pearmund Cellars.  I'm not using this blog to post wine reviews, but I did to a full tasting and took tasting notes in my wine journal, which marks the first time I've wine journaled a Virginia vineyard.

Executive Order Travel Ban Protest - IAD, January 30th, 2017

Following President Trump’s executive order implementing a travel ban on seven countries, protests initiated at international airports across the United States where individuals affected by the rapidly enacted ban were detained. The Trump administration justified the executive order as part of the “extreme vetting” of immigrants promised during his campaign, while those opposed to the ban question the constitutionality, motives, and execution of the ban. Virginia Senator Tim Kaine (D) was on-site denouncing President Trump’s travel ban in a press conference.

I captured these photographs while on-site for an unrelated meeting.  During the several hours I spent watching the protest and presser, there were no Trump supporters visibly present; reportedly only one had been there in the morning, and only a handful over the weekend, and some cases MWAA police had to move in to ensure the supporters' safety as tempers of the crowd were exacerbated.  During my time on-site, I witnessed only one individual lose their temper; a lawyer, who eventually calmed down when others spoke to them and explained they had already taken the necessary actions.

I am presenting these images and my account for the importance of photojournalism and documentation.  Captions below each image briefly explain what is being seen in each image.

Do not use these photographs or videos without express permission of J. David Buerk.

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine (D) arrives at Washington Dulles International Airport and speaks with legal counsels volunteering on-site.

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine (D) addresses media to discus legal action the Commonwealth of Virginia is taking in opposition to the travel ban.

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine (D) addresses media to discus legal action the Commonwealth of Virginia is taking in opposition to the travel ban.

A Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police officer directs passengers' traffic as they exit the International Arrivals Building after clearing customs.  Protestors fill both sides of the exit pathway which is normally surrounded with people awaiting the arrival of their friends and family.

A protestor gives a white rose to an arriving international passenger.  White roses are traditionally known to represent purity, innocence, sympathy, and spirituality.

Internationally arriving passengers exit the International Arrivals Building to a sea of cheering protestors welcoming their arrival after clearing customs.

A young protestor offers Loudoun County and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority police officers donuts and water and thanks them for keeping the demonstration safe.

A young protestor offers volunteer lawyers donuts and water and thanks them for donating their time.

Protestors of various backgrounds were present to display multicultural unity in opposition to the travel ban.

NBC News4 Reporter Julie Carey preparing for a live hit.

Some protestors' signs were artwork without words.

Protestors fill both sides of the International Arrivals Building exit pathway which is normally surrounded with people awaiting the arrival of their friends and family.  Greetings and welcomes were given to each individual arriving passenger, with cheers each time the IAB doors opened.

Protestors fill both sides of the International Arrivals Building exit pathway which is normally surrounded with people awaiting the arrival of their friends and family.  Greetings and welcomes were given to each individual arriving passenger, with cheers each time the IAB doors opened.

Some protestors brought their children along to teach them about political activism firsthand.

NBC News4 reporter Kristin Wright preparing for a live hit.

ABC 7 / NewsChannel 8 reporter Ryan Hughes live on the air.

FOX 5 reporter Ronica Cleary preparing for a live hit.

A woman waves an American flag as arriving international passengers are greeted by the crowd of protestors.

A woman shows a peace sign while holding a sign; "ALL are WELCOME here."

"Love Trumps Hate" is a play on words that has been used as a rallying cry and hashtag in opposition to President Trump since almost the beginning of his presidential campaign in 2016.

Hashtags are used on protestors' signs to aid in spreading their message and promoting online unity.

Vice President Mike Pence's December 8th, 2015 tweet, "Calls to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. are offensive and unconstitutional" printed on a protestor's sign; the widely circulated tweet is seen as directly contradictory to the Trump administration's travel ban rolled out just over a year later.

Internationally arriving passengers exit the International Arrivals Building to a sea of cheering protestors welcoming their arrival after clearing customs.

Many of the protestors present also took part in the Women's March on Washington on January 21st, 2017; the day after President Trump's inauguration.  Some of these protestors brought their signs from that protest to use at this one; this sign is an original artwork.

Many of the protestors present also took part in the Women's March on Washington on January 21st, 2017; the day after President Trump's inauguration.  Some of these protestors brought their signs from that protest to use at this one; this sign is an original artwork.

Volunteer lawyers and translators held signs to readily identify themselves to passengers and family who need legal counsel.

Even some arriving international travelers had signs in protest easily in view as they exited the International Arrivals Building upon clearing customs.

Reunions upon clearing customs are often emotional regardless of residency, citizenship, and immigration status.

A man holds a sign in (language confirmation pending) outside the International Arrivals Building.

(Translation pending.)

Water, food, and other supplies donated to sustain the protestors, lawyers, translators, and legal observers.

A Black Lives Matter protestor and attorney speaks with an ACLU legal observer while holding ACLU legal advice pamphlets.

A woman holds a sign that simply reads, "Don't be Mean."

Protestors who came together hold signs which complement one another's messages.

Volunteer lawyers stand close to the International Arrival Building's exit with clearly legible signs reading, "FREE LEGAL HELP."  When news of the travel ban broke on Saturday, lawyers and translators converged upon airports to donate their time and efforts in investigating and protecting against civil liberty violations.

Four women hold signs next to the International Arrival Building's exit; one woman's sign had flashing lights, reading, "Actions Speak Louder Than Words."

Excerpt from Emma Lazarus' "The New Colossus;" a sonnet written in 1883 to fundraise the Statue of Liberty's pedestal.  The poem became a permanent part of the Statue of Liberty when it was mounted to the statue's pedestal on a bronze engraving in 1903.

One of several lawyers tables set up around the International Arrivals Building to aid travelers and their families in need of legal assistance.  When news of the travel ban broke on Saturday, lawyers and translators converged upon airports to donate their time and efforts in investigating and protecting against civil liberty violations.

Leftover and abandoned signs collected and stored behind the Lawyers for Good Government's table, available for anyone to choose from and use to protest.

An American Civil Liberties Union legal observer in a blue high-visibility vest.  When news of the travel ban broke on Saturday, lawyers, translators, and legal observers converged upon airports to donate their time and efforts in investigating and protecting against civil liberty violations.  The ACLU was quick to file a lawsuit in opposition to the executive order, resulting in an emergency stay granted by Brooklyn Federal Judge Ann Donnelly late Saturday night, which allowed travelers caught in the ban's rapid rollout to be released from detention.

A group of volunteer lawyers working in the baggage claim area of Washington Dulles International Airport.  When news of the travel ban broke on Saturday, lawyers, translators, and legal observers converged upon airports to donate their time and efforts in investigating and protecting against civil liberty violations.

A short video of footage I collected while on site Monday afternoon.

And finally, if you're curious, see the ABC 7 live newscast I can be seen working in the background in.

Film Haul: Old Film, New Scans

So I have a confession to make: I'm a really bad film shooter.  Specifically, I'm horrible at getting film processed in a reasonable timeframe, since I stopped developing my own film after completing darkroom classes in 2009.  I miss film. I miss the darkroom.  I miss film canisters, test strips, and silver grain.  Maybe those days are over.

I've shot film for fun ever since learning how to develop and print; not often, but often enough.  I've always enjoyed the variance of color shifts by film, but haven't had access to a darkroom in years, so I've had to pay for processing.  This is in addition to having an all-digital workflow for paid shoots.  Knowing that big-box and drugstores don't bother to regularly calibrate their machines, often using expired chemicals to stretch their overhead, and set scanners to AUTO, for several years I let Penn Camera handle my film processing expecting quality and consistency.  I'm not sure if Penn was guilty of the same injustice many consumer labs are guilty of, but the scan quality always lacked (I don't order physical prints).  Given my dissatisfaction with Penn, I tried Dwayne's Photo (recently famous for being the last film lab in the World to process now-discontinued Kodachrome).  They were an improvement, but colors still never seemed quite right, and contrast was still so high that shadows were still sometimes blown out.  I think this was a problem with the scans more than the processing - in looking at my negatives from Dwayne's, I expect I could have them rescanned more carefully with much better results.

Something has always been missing... until now.

I've been searching for a highly reputable film lab for years now - not terribly hard, but I've been looking and reading other photographers' experiences.

Every person I found who had tried Richard Photo Lab was in LOVE with them... and now I'm writing my praises too!  Their pricing is almost double what other labs charge, but there is a reason; the quality is unparalleled.  After a bit of comparison, I chose to have my film scanned on their Fujifilm Frontier scanner, as I consistently found its color and tonality reproduction to be smoother.  And with two fresh rolls out of my new (old) medium format camera, I had more than enough reason to send in the rolls of film I've let pile up waiting to ship to RPL (this is why I'm a bad film shooter).

Ilford Delta 400 (35mm)

Let's start with the oldest - I had a roll of Ilford Delta 400 I think Gwyn gave me back in film class in 2009 - I got around to shooting it in 2014's big March snowstorm (I usually don't shoot B&W films).  Hiking along the Potomac, Jake and I kinda came across this trail by accident and decided to see where it led after reading the trailhead map.  I'm not even sure what trail this was.

I apparently killed off the roll shooting these two photos at Dulles while waiting for the sun to set so I could photograph the Main Terminal lit up in pink for breast cancer awareness.

I should note that while I chose Fujifilm's Frontier scanner because of my preference of its color reproduction, black and white films are only scanned on the Noritsu.  This isn't a bad thing; RPL's Noritsu scans are slightly higher resolution, and there is less demand, so turnaround time is faster (unless you are like me and your order encompassed both scanners).

Overall, my order of 3 Frontier rolls and 1 Noritsu roll took 12 days from arrival to scan delivery (I sound like I'm ordering sushi - seriously, you sushi places need to start making "Fuji Rolls" that look like film canisters - I'll love you forever and ever).

Kodak Portra 400 (35mm)

Same day, same story, different film.  Portra 400 is my go-to film.  I like its smooth, creamy highlights, and subtle green hues in the shadows.  This roll was sitting in my camera for several months; an incomplete roll that I started in the Fall, and finished in the snow.  Let's start with those snow pictures.

I often push Portra 400 +1 or +2 stops, but I have a hunch I had this roll set up to experiment with pulling the film a stop or two, and didn't realize it when I sent the roll in.  The scans from this roll were incredibly color grainy, with loss of shadow detail, so I can only assume this was the scanner compensating for overexposed / underdeveloped negatives... poor negatives which I'm sure were my fault.  I think the roll was to be pulled, but it sat on my desk for a year waiting to be sent in with no notes written on it - I think I was supposed to give development instructions to pull this roll, but didn't know when I sent it in.  I'll know for sure when I have the physical negatives back to check out.

Either way, here are those photos.

In the case of this Portra 400 roll, I applied a lot of color noise removal - I have not applied ANY luminance noise removal to ANY of the film photos in this entire post.  Given the amount of noise in this set of scans, the color noise now appears as luminance grain.

I must also note that I have not applied any color edits to any of the film scans on any section of this post. The only edits I have applied are basic contrast adjustments to bring tonalities to absolute white and absolute black (as you would in a darkroom).  The thing that makes RPL's scans so great (when you haven't left out key development instructions like I did on this roll... oops!) is not a thing... it's a WHO!  Every single roll of scanned film is done by hand, individually, by a person.  There are no presets.  There are is no "automatic" setting.  You get a real, live, film professional with years of experience who inspects your images and scans, and changes the scan settings to bring out the best of your film, as well as match any stylistic preferences you have given.

Richard Photo Lab offers what are known as Color PACs, or Personal Account Consultations, which allows their customers to help put a color profile together for film technicians to match stylistically.  The interesting part about a Color PAC is that it isn't a saved color profile with settings plugged into the scanner; it is a tangible set of notes and photographic examples for techs to review and make individual decisions in order to match new rolls to a given Color PAC.  If you don't have a Color PAC with RPL, you can opt to use another photographer's which is existing on file.

For more information on Color PACs and how Richard Photo Lab processes behind the scenes, Johnny Patience has a great article on his blog after he interviewed Richard and his crew.  I did not use a Color PAC for my photos, particularly since this is my first time trying Richard Photo Lab out.  I wanted to see what the lab is capable of without any influence - I'm blown away, particularly by the 120 Portra 400 later in this post.

Here is a snap of the Darling Starling I shot during the same storm.  You'll notice that I posted my digital photos of the Starling and this hike along the Potomac in this earlier blog post.  This photo required a large amount of adjustment for the whites and blacks, as it was the flattest photo I got back, with almost no shadow detail.  A fair recovery, nonetheless.

And here is the reason I think I had this 400 ISO roll was set for 200 or even 100 ISO: the very first shot on the roll was shot in broad daylight, using my 90mm tilt-shift lens wide open.  I like to shoot primes as wide open as applicable, even in daylight, so I probably chose to drop my effective ISO to shoot wide open in daylight... then forgot I'd done it.

Still pretty though.

Mamiya Super 23 Press Camera

I suppose now I should introduce my newest camera acquisition.

A few years ago, when I wrote my Lubitel 2 to EOS conversion post, I gave my high school geometry teacher a shoutout for the math skills I learned in his class which helped with that project.  He followed my photography before that, but since then he's followed me even closer.  Recently he and I met up to reunite and catch up from the last decade (iPhone 5 selfie).

At the same time, he told me about his Father who had passed away.  His Dad had a good collection of high end photo equipment, and rather than see it collect dust, his family wanted to see it given to a good home where it would surely get some love.

So that's how I came to have my first professional (albeit 47 years old) medium format camera.  I still have my Holga, which is also medium format... but it truly is a toy in comparison.  Toys are fun though!

Here it is; a very used but very good condition Mamiya Super 23 Press camera, with Mamiya-Sekor 100mm f/2.8 Seikosha-S and Mamiya-Sekor 250mm f/5 Seikosha-S lenses (apparently the two rarest, most desirable lenses for this short-lived camera system thanks to their Seiko produced leaf shutters), 6x9 and 6x7 film backs, ground glass view back, and a few other small accessories.  Here's a digital photo of the film camera.

And here I am shooting it for the first time (thanks to David Tsui for the photo; another digital photo).

You'll notice that it's a very odd rangefinder.  The shutter button is a left-hand trigger on a detachable pistol grip.  As with many medium format cameras, film is exposed via a leaf shutter built into the lens.  The shutter may be triggered on the lens itself, or the pistol grip's remote wire can be screwed into the lens to activate the trigger.  Film backs and ground glass backs may be hot-swapped by pulling or reinstalling the dark slide.  There are two coldshoes, and flash sync is built into the lens with two modes for different types of flashes (not front vs rear curtain as often confused).  Tilt and shift adjustments are built into the camera body; the film back is actually on a bellows with four lockable posts.  Macro rings were sold as an accessory, but you can cheat a little and fully extend the bellows to get a shorter minimum focal distance without macro rings (and without rangefinding - you'll have to focus using ground glass to do this).  There is no meter; you must use an external meter - I used a free app on my iPhone, amazingly with spot-on accuracy!

Framing is achieved by composition aids in the viewfinder, illuminated by sunlight shone in a diffuser panel and directed through a set of mirrors.  A switch offers composition lines for 100mm, 150mm, and 250mm, although a 60mm wide-angle lens is also available.  Rangefinding focus is found in a small, double image circle in the viewfinder center.

Before I shot with the camera, I gave every component a good cleaning, removing the years of dirt and grime that had collected from living in a box.  Using the ground glass back and a film loupe (yup, they are for more than checking out negatives!), I calibrated the rangefinder for both the 100mm and 250mm lenses I have - luckily the problem was a rangefinding misalignment in the camera body, meaning I only had to fix it on the body for all lenses to calibrate, rather than adjust the rangefinder bar individually on each lens.  If I hadn't done this calibration, every photo below would have been out of focus (but would have registered in focus in the viewfinder).

While calibrating the rangefinder, I also noticed that the lenses are somewhat unusual in that they do not allow focus past infinity - this is most common on pre-autofocus lenses, but makes me uncomfortable in the event that a lens comes out of calibration, and no longer has that extra leeway to focus at infinity even if the dial says you're past it.  The advantage to this is that you don't have to worry about going past infinity if your lenses are properly calibrated, as these thankfully are (you just twist the dial until it stops at infinity, and don't even have to pay attention to focus in the viewfinder... assuming you want focus at infinity).

The Mamiya Press mount line of cameras only lasted 11 years, being discontinued in 1971, left in the dust by the 645 system introduced in 1975, which is still one of the most popular medium format systems in production to this very day.

An interesting camera to say the least.

Kodak Portra 400 (120)

This is what Portra SHOULD look like!  Never before have I had my film come back so crisp and vibrant.  Beautiful tones, outstanding range, and very little grain!  Thank you Richard Photo Lab!

I shot my first two rolls on the Mamiya Super 23 with Portra 400 at box speed, with beautiful results!  Unfortunately I missed Autumn's color peak in the Shenandoah Valley this year due to my travel to St. Louis, but I still went with friends on a frigid weekend; there was snow on the mountaintops.  With the way the wind blows and sun shines, one side of the mountain valley still had color, and the other was barren; all the leaves had been removed by Mother Nature.

120 roll film in a 6x9 format only gets you 8 exposures per roll.  I shot two rolls of Portra 400 atop the mountain; my last two frames as the sun had just dipped below the horizon.

As soon as I finished these two test rolls (shot a few days after calibration regardless of subject matter to ensure my calibration was accurate in actual practice), I sent them to Hollywood to get them in RPL's queue.

I want to shoot a portrait session on this camera!  Specifically lifestyle portraits; maybe even in the snow.  I have a roll of Fuji Pro 400H loaded in my 6x9 back, but haven't gotten to shoot it yet - this will be an experiment regardless, since I've never shot 400H.  I do know from seeing others' photos that it's another film I have found the tones interesting, with its daylight balanced blue-greens.  I'm unsure how it will look for portraits, but that's the fun of it.

Digital: Shenandoah Valley

The rest of the photos in this post are digital, shot on a Canon EOS 1D X.

I think it's only fitting that I show the digital photos shot alongside the medium format film.  The final three were shot by Jake (no watermark), but all were edited by me before I had the film scans back.  If I had waited for the scans to come back first, I could have edited the photos to match the scans.

Overall I seem to edit slightly more vibrant than film, but tend to have similar tonality.  I also tend to stretch the dynamic range a bit.  This isn't really news; I like to try and mix the tonality of film with the added benefits of digital when I process my digital photos.

I couldn't be happier with finding Richard Photo Lab and the results they have gotten me with the new Mamiya.  I've already started a roll of Fuji Pro 400H, and can't wait to finish it and a few others before sending them in for the next film haul.

One last thing; I have to leave you anticipating SOMETHING.  So you know my converted Lubitel lens on Canon EOS?  Literally the same day as receiving my digital scans from RPL, I was given a lead on something that will... give my digital photos even more character... stay tuned folks!...