Tag: film photography inspiration

Why the Olympus Pen EE-S Is the Best Budget Film Camera for Beginners

Posted on Posted in Art, Camera reviews, Film Photography, France, Nantes Photography, Street Photography, Travel photographyTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 10 Comments

Why the Olympus Pen EE-S Is the Best Budget Film Camera for Beginners (Even in 2025)

Pentax 17 fever is sweeping the film photography world, and I’ll admit, I was tempted. Half-frame cameras, with their promise of double the shots per roll, sound pretty amazing. But with a price tag of 500€, the Pentax 17 isn’t exactly within my budget. That’s when I rediscovered a little gem tucked away in my camera collection: the Olympus Pen EE S.

This Japanese-made half-frame beauty hails from the 1960s, the same era as the beloved Olympus Trip 35. Like its sibling, the Pen EE S features zone focusing and a selenium cell meter for fuss-free shooting. The lens is an F2.8 22.5mm Zuiko lens. The ISO settings go up to 200 ASA, unlike the Olympus Trip which goes up to 400 ASA. So, despite everything else, it needs light. The half-frame format means you get a whopping 48 exposures on a standard 24-exposure roll. That’s double the shots for your buck, folks!

Now, the idea of twice as many photos for the same developing cost is pretty appealing. But does the Olympus Pen EE S deliver the goods in practice? Stay tuned as I put this vintage camera through its paces and share my findings. Could this be the perfect half-frame hero for those of us who can’t quite swing a Pentax 17? Let’s find out!

Well, for starters, it felt very much like using the Olympus Trip 35. It’s very slightly smaller and weighs next to nothing. The shutter button is almost identical as well. Instead of having four zones for focusing, you have three, but it’s fine, and when you turn the dial, you feel a click as you enter a new zone. You point, and then press. Simple!

Let’s talk about this half-frame shooting experience. When talking about the Pentax 17, “they” talk about how the images are great for sharing on social media. A little like using your phone… This is the mindset that I had when putting in my Kodak Gold 200 to capture those famous Kodak moments in Nantes.

I found it a challenge to get used to the half-frame. “They” say that you have to take your photos as diptychs and remember that the two photos in your full frames are related, not just simple images. The idea is that when the two half frames are put together, you create a story and a suite of ideas, instead of two separate photos. I tried, and the results will show you if I succeeded. I felt that “they” were pulling my leg!

I’ll be honest with you. The idea behind the outing was to test the camera, see how I felt using it, and have a look at the results. It took me out of my comfort zone, which is something rare in photography for me. I was thinking about taking it to the UK with me to record the trip. It takes up next to no space in a camera bag and would allow me to shoot some film while back home. The idea of getting twice as many shots by using just half the frame is attractive. I’m just getting used to the reduced coverage that you get with just using half the frame.

For this outing, I decided to head out towards the Cathedral, and takes some shots of the Voyage à Nantes.

I found myself thinking differently about framing my shots and using my phone as a mental template. As for the resolution of my images, they will be half as much as using my full frame, but were I to print my photos, then I would definitely see a difference. But if they’re just for sharing on social media, then the resolution will be perfectly satisfactory.

The million-dollar question is, will I take it on my trip, and will I use it? Yes, I will. Will it be my main camera? Possibly not. Will it be more like using a new toy? Possibly, even if the toy in question is a vintage 1966 toy…

Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll put some images taken on the X100F, my more modern toy, and let you see how they compare. You’ll see the diptychs and see how the different shooting styles change the outlook and how they change the framing.

These are the X100F photos with editing in Snapseed…

And these are the half frame images from the Pen EE S… with the editing done in Photoshop using the neural filters to get rid of the scratches on the film.

So what do you think? Worth taking?

The Opening of the Film Archives – Carnac, 26/06/2016

Posted on Posted in Black and White Photography, Film Photography, France, History, Landscape Photography, The Film Archives, Travel photographyTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 17 Comments

The photos in this article, from the famous film archive, were taken eight years ago almost to the day, during a weekend visiting my mother-in-law near Carnac, and near where my father-in-law lives. They’re divorced, and as usual, I stayed with her, not him. The photos feature my brother-in-law, who bears a striking resemblance to a beefy Dominic Farrugia, and my niece – not my favourite, but likeable enough (and those who claim not to have favourites are just liars!).

I shot these with my Canon AE1, a camera that saw a lot of action back then. Loaded with Ilford HP5 Plus and developed in Rodinal, they turned out a bit grainier than I expected, even for HP5 at box speed. I blame my overly enthusiastic agitation during development – I’ve always been a bit of a stirrer! Even back then, I had this habit of sneaking off to “do some photography,” a habit that hasn’t changed much, it seems.

Funny thing is, this wasn’t my first time in Carnac. As a kid, plagued by ear infections, flying was out of the question, so we had many a family holiday in France. One such trip was to Carnac, in the Morbihan region. Who would have thought that over 30 years later, I’d be back here so often?

Now, 30 years ago, you could wander freely around those mysterious Carnac stones. My mother, bless her imaginative soul, convinced me they were people caught dancing on the Sabbath and turned to stone as punishment. Ever since, I’ve had a healthy aversion to Sunday line dancing! Sadly, you can’t get close to the stones anymore – they’re cordoned off, perhaps a warning to those Breton folk dancers not to get too carried away.

Back then, HP5 was my go-to film. I wanted to know it inside out. Visiting the stones was a welcome escape from the lively, shall we say, family gatherings. Don’t get me wrong, I love my in-laws, but their intensity can be a bit much for this introvert. The stones, silently standing there, offered a tranquil contrast.

Years later, I watched a film, “The Fablemans,” about Steven Spielberg. The advice at the end, to keep horizons high or low in your images for more interest, struck a chord. Unbeknownst to me, I was already doing this! When I first started out, I meticulously documented every shot in a notebook – aperture, speed, film, camera, the lot. I kept this up for over a year before finally giving it up. These days, all that info is tucked away in your image file’s metadata, but not with film. There’s a certain freedom in that, wouldn’t you agree?

Reflecting on these old photos from Carnac, I am reminded of the enduring allure of photography and the quiet majesty of ancient stones. Each visit to Carnac, captured through the lens of my Canon AE1 and HP5 film, evokes memories of childhood holidays and solitary moments amidst family gatherings. The evolution from meticulous note-taking to embracing the simplicity of film photography has taught me to approach each shot with intention and mindfulness.

In the digital age, where metadata stores the technical details of our images, there remains a certain freedom in the analog process. It encourages a deeper connection with the art form, requiring us to engage fully in the moment of capture. The stones of Carnac stand as timeless witnesses to history, echoing the evolution of photography itself – ever-present, ever-evolving.

As I continue to explore new landscapes and subjects through my lens, I carry with me the lessons learned amidst the stones of Carnac: to capture not just images, but stories; not just moments, but emotions frozen in time. Photography, in its simplest form, remains a profound journey of discovery and expression, rooted in a rich tradition that continues to inspire.

Film photography, the opening of the archives

Posted on Posted in Alnmouth, Black and White Photography, Film Photography, Northumberland, The Film Archives, United KingdomTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

Good evening Dear Reader. You may have noticed, and then again, you may not have noticed, that I have created a couple of new pages. Instead of adding article categories to my site in the menus, I have created pages with a carousel showing collections of articles in one specific category. This started with Photography Tutorials, which is a collection of, surprise surprise, photography tutorials. Another one for Travel Photography, one for Camera information, and a final one for articles featuring Film Photography. The idea behind this rather brash move on my part, was to help you find what you wanted to read or discover more easily.

This Meisterwerk of a blog is a work in constant evolution, as I think you may have gathered, especially for those of you that have been with me since the beginning. But what does this have to do with Film photography I hear you ask. Well, when creating the film photography page I realised that there are fewer articles than I first thought. This struck me as a little odd, because at one stage I had a little bit of a reputation as a film photographer, and at one stage was purely a film photographer. This was, of course, before the start of this blog lark in 2019. Between 2009 and 2019 I did a huge amount of film photography that I realised I have not shared with you. Even more so since 2016, when I started developing and scanning my negatives at home.

The beginning of the blog also tied in with the X100F and the Canon 6D Mark II coming into my photography, and since lockdown, I have done only small amounts of film photography. Time to reveal more of myself to you. At least if that’s alright… But this isn’t just about me dusting off old memories. By sharing these photos, I hope to spark a conversation, ignite a passion for film, and maybe even inspire you to dig out your old camera and give it a whirl. Who knows what treasures you might find in your own archives?

Moped with a Jameson whiskey box as a baggage holder. Looks very cool
Taken on the Praktica MTL3 probably with the 50mm Pentacon F1.8 lens on HP5 Plus at box speed in the Quartier Bouffay in Nantes.

So bearing all this in mind, I have a proposal for you. Let’s open the vaults and let’s have a look at the “film archive”. This could be in the form of a series of articles complementing the weekly outpouring of anecdotes or advice, as an addition, or it could be the content for the upcoming weeks. I haven’t decided yet. Let me know in the comments which option you prefer, or if you have any other ideas for how you’d like to see the film archive content. There’ll be shots of Nantes, the UK, England, and Scotland and maybe even Spain, and Portugal. There will be colour and black and white photography too. I don’t know yet. I might not have yet taken into account the magnitude of the task ahead. Everything is open.

On the way to Otterburn in Northumberland with the Pentax ME Super using Portra 160. It was another good day out.

But whatever you decide, I hope you come along for the ride. It’ll be worth it!