Honestly, it’s weird talking about the last vacation I took during a now defunct relationship, so I’m not really going to. I’ve batched the photos chronologically, and thrown in a hodgepodge of content, including a brief (but limited) review of Tri-X.
Anyway, to keep the content coming on here, and the lights on, buy a zine in the shop. I’m about to get hit with my yearly registry/hosting fees, so every penny counts right now. I’ve even knocked my “AVPR” Travelogue down to $6 shipped so that it’s easy for anyone to support the website. Thank you for your continued understanding and support.
I only used a Minolta XD-11, Rokkor 50mm MC-PG f/1.4 for everything here. The first half of the trip was Orwo N74+, the back half is Tri-x 400. Everything was processed in Xtol 1:1 and pushed to 1600. I’m sure the 24mm would’ve been fun for architecture and a handful of landscapes, but I’m starting to cement myself in the camp of “travel photography only needs one lens -- choose your fighter carefully.” I’m definitely starting to fiend for a Minolta CLE + a 40mm for that last touch of wideness (I mean I guess 20% more coverage is a little more than a touch). That being said, it’s not like the XD-11 is particularly cumbersome setup, either.
New York is cool. I liked it much more than I like LA. I’ve lived in LA for five, almost six years. It fucking blows here. I mean, there’s a lot to be said for it, but like, the fact that I’ve got a backburner project called “bury me in LL Bean” that starts with a dimwitted haiku about wanting to be sent home and scattered on the atlantic post death is probably indicative of something.
I dunno, I hate the heat, and the lack of pine trees are really getting to me these days.
But, regardless, part of the trip, my now ex, was there working so I ended up crashing on my friend Jake’s couch for a couple nights, catching up with him and another buddy for college (Tyler of @Tylersshittyfineart -- I wish he’d do more with that profile, it’s pretty sharp/funny), and meeting up with and instagram friend at an event she was running -- Shout out Lauren Roche/The People’s Crit -- Honestly really great account, I couldn’t recommend following more. Good community. Lauren also does (posts/makes) great work under her own account.
Day two, I followed Jake to work, then ended up stocking up on the aforementioned Tri-x at the actual B+H store (honestly not a fan, as far as brick and mortars go, Freestyle is the superior store). I met up with Tyler over in Brooklyn. We got Mezcal and mexican food, which was solid, but after having lived in LA for the last few years, was a bit ironic. The mexican food in LA has definitely ruined me for life on mexican food anywhere else. Except y’know mexico. Or San Diego. Probably Arizona and New Mexico, too. I guess I really just mean anywhere that isn’t the southwest, or y’know the native country where the cuisine is from. Regardless, it’d been a minute since we’d met up, so it was good to catch up.
Anyway. Orwo is cool. I like that I can effectively brick it to 1600, and it seems relatively stable, or like medium high contrast (you can read more of my thoughts/see results here). But setting it right next to Tri-x like I did for this trip (not intentional) it’s interesting to see the push-curve,etc.
All that being said, Tri-x shot at 800, pushed to 1600 doesn’t work out quite like I wanted it too. It’s not bad, but even in xtol, which is a pretty balanced developer, it picked up a pretty crazy amount of contrast. Some of the photos I do really like (ie the ones I’m publicly displaying here), and I think it’s actually a cleaner film with a sharper grain than Orwo N74+, but the contrast on it is pretty nuts. I’ve subsequently been told that the the film actually plays better when you’re not doing the stupid “shoot at x, develop to y” game and some of my results from my 12 year old high-school photo shots developed in Sprint seem to agree. Take that also with the caveat that it was bright out about half the time I was shooting the Tri-x, and bright diffused sunlight, while it can look cool, can be pretty miserable to shoot in/against.
Anyway. It’s back to the drawing board on “what 400 speed BNW film stock should I shoot with exclusively?” I’m running tests on Ilford HP5+ right now, and given it’s pricing mass availability, and notoriously neutral curve, I have a feeling it’s most likely going to be the big winner. I’m only 3 rolls deep, so give me a minute before I make any kind of big proclamation about it.
After all was said and done at the end of the weekend I got on the bus to the netherworld Maine, for both my day job and to do a project I’ve long sat on.
So that’s my E-zine of New York. Buy a real zine and keep the lights on if you’ve enjoyed this. I’m traveling right now, but all the orders will go out on the Fourth of October.