expired Ferrania travelling south

Łódź is a city located right in the middle of Poland, just a two hour train ride from our capital, Warsaw. Another dental conference was held there, and I found it super exciting to visit it again. The look of the town is somehow disturbing. There are abandoned houses right in the middle of it. Abandoned, falling apart, frankly speaking - gross, dark and depressing. It still makes me wonder why those are kept. Some have apparently been torn down, leaving big walls of their neighbours bashfully exposed. Some of these are now covered with street art, which Łódź is pretty famous for. As little time as we had, walking in rain, we explored some places to get a general feeling of this city. 

Ferrania Solaris 400, expired, was my film choice for that trip. It is very hard to get a Ferrania film nowadays. I got mine - to gain some experience, before it disappears from the market completely. If you want to try it yourself, you still have a chance. Just contact Katie for it! :) That roll was expired in 2008, making me 7 years late :) Sure you can see lots of grain, and I can only blame it on being expired, since I truly hope it's not my camera's freshly gained feature. Come on, it has just been fixed and it was so hard to live without it during that time! I'm positive we can all appreciate the colors though! Time of restocking came again, and after publishing this post I will finally order some new rolls to work on. What is your experience with expired film? I have got bugs and lots of grain so far. Wondering what's to come! x

Also, moving day is coming and I couldn't be more excited! It's time to start from scratch, find myself new space and four walls to call home in this city. Ahhh yes. I sort of have a home in your eyes, but one wise thing was written at some point - you cannot make homes out of human beings, so I will actually need a real bed, floor and everything that comes with it. Soon enough you will see for yourselves, I promise!

Inquiries on film photography.

Winter view outside, shot with Canon AE-1 Program on automatic, with 50mm 1.8 lens and Fuji Superia X-tra 400.

Just a few days ago I received a very kind email from Norkor of Voyageur Africaine, asking about some crucial details of my film photography basics nowadays. I thought it was an excellent idea for a new post, as there might be other people wondering the same things about me. Norkor was sweet enough to let me even quote her questions, so here we go! She recently bought a Canon AE-! Program, which is a camera I am using currently :) Thank you so much, dear, for giving me some inspiration for a new post.

Canon AE-1 Program is a semi-automatic camera, it posseses a commonly loved setting, automatic mode, which sets the exposure and aperture automatically based on the lighting conditions and speed of your film. I have to say it was one of the factors which made me buy it. Of course you have all the manual settings present at the same time, so it doesn't steal any analogue magic.

"Do you adjust the exposure and shutter speed every time to shoot or is it always stuck on Automatic?"

Always, for me, means for the last 3 rolls, because this is how much I have shot with Canon. And yes, I cannot get enough of the automatic mode. It let me explore certain depths that were never present in my photographs. It's amazing to photograph indoors since I started using this camera. And for some more time, I do not intend to change that.

"Also, when you get your film scanned, do you give the people scanning it specific instructions? I got a roll of film scanned and it was basically horrible. It was hella grainy and just not well done."

I have of course noticed some slight differences when developing film at different photo labs, but I never got results that made me switch to any other. Pricing is the factor that makes me go and search for something else. It was your first roll, so it might be a little on you this time. I really don't know if they can make your film look very grainy, from my experience it has always been about certain film types. For example, films with iso of 800 always give me enough grain to cause me headache, and this is why I started to avoid that type of film, because it is just not my esthetics. Give yourself time, or if you want, face the manager of the photo lab about it. But first start with trying new films, those with less grain. I have had some pretty discouraging experiences with 800 iso myself! Click.

"What sorta of film is your favorite? I know you use a lot bunch of them from the labels on your blog, but I want to get your opinion."

My favourites would be Fuji Superia 200, which is perfect for almost anything and it's my regular choice, which I always find myself coming back to. So I think you should just stock yourself with lots of that type of film! There is also a special place in my heart for Agfa Vista both 200 and 400. And of course a bunch of 400 films, like Fuji X-tra 400, Fuji Pro 400H & Kodak BW 400 CN if you want an adventure in black & white. 

And look, Katie is currently selling expired Ferrania Solaris 400! Ferrania Solaris is a film, which production has been stopped, but is something very exciting to use! To be honest, I have one of Katie's Ferranias now in my Canon! :)

"Where do you get your lenses from? Online? I seriously need a 50mm or 35mm lens like yesterday!"

Yes, I always buy online. 50mm prime lens is a must have, seriously! One that I use for my Canon is a 1.8 one, and I sort of miss being able to photograph up close so much, but I still find it pretty cool! Next I think I will be purchasing something wider at about 35mm, or I will go in the opposite direction, since I never owned a proper portrait lens, so perhaps 135mm? We will see. My advice, find a 50mm lens asap! Try Etsy, maybe? Etsy sellers are always so nice!!

Do you have any other questions about my film photography? Go ahead and ask below!

cooking, baking, photographing

With the post-Christmas syndrome crawling up my spine, in late 2014 and thanks to Canon AE-1 Program (mostly the way it captures light and shadow) - I think I became more into the kitchen/food photography. Or more like atmosphere of eating and preparing. So I think it's safe to say that during the following year this is one of a variety of topics that I would like to focus on. Film photography is not something modern photography books talk about. The rules are simple, and looks like no one wants to explore it further. There is bunch of stuff on food photography in digital, photoshop editing skills etc. Finally, there are magazines like Kinfolk, to produce high quality food related articles. Sadly, Kinfolk is something I possibly will always think my budget is not suitable for. Is any of you a subscriber of the magazine? I'm often on the edge of buying it, to be honest. So let's say I'm on a hunt right now, I will surely let you know when I find some useful books or cheaper Kinfolk alternatives. And since my Canon is back from the repair (yes, I already managed to kill something in it, but fortunately someone managed to fix it for me) I am ready to start a new chapter in my analogue journey.

I never owned a cookbook, but now my sis does. Nowadays, when you can easily use the internet, are cookbooks still needed? My sister got one from her amazing husband for Christmas this year and she is very very excited to own it. She immediately bought ingredients she had never heard of before, ready to master techniques she had had no clue about. Is it what cook books are about? Changing your life completely? Throwing your basic favourite dishes away and settling for exotic cuisine? Oh my. Her new cooking book, "written" by some Polish model, was one of the items she wanted to have photographed in her new apartment, so I did. I always want to photograph beautiful things. I won't probably be around to photograph what she makes out of it, but this one I can't help.

2015, hello.

Have a great 2015 everyone! May your life be filled with love, joy, excitement and lots of cocoa and mashmallows. We could talk all about New Year's resolutions, but I want you to tell me one thing that made you feel alive in 2014, go! :)

Wszystkiego najlepszego w nowym roku! Niech Wasze życia będą wypełnione miłością, radością, ekscytacją i dużo kakao z piankami! Moglibyśmy dużo rozmawiać o noworocznych postanowieniach, ale zamiast tego, chciałabym, żebyście napisali mi jedną rzecz, która w 2014 sprawiła, że poczuliście, że tak naprawdę żyjecie, do dzieła! :)