The old days of film.

Leica M2, 35mm Asph Summicron, Kodak Gold 100.

Every now and then I have to remind myself just how awful film was. This time the reminder was prompted by a complaint from a friend who grumbled about how long it was taking him to scan old film images for his digital catalog. I suggested he leverage his time and farm out the awful task.

But the scanning topic reminded me that my now decade old Epson 2450 flat bed scanner was badly in need of cleaning. The glass plate on this excellent machine has managed to accrue lots of dirt on the inside, so in a fit of guilt I dismantled the device and gave it a thorough cleaning. While a flat bed, it nevertheless served well in the days of film, especially when I needed really high quality scans of 6×6, 6×7 and 4″x5″ film originals. (I used a Nikon 4000 scanner for 35mm). Coupled with the excellent VueScan app it allows for very high quality scans using relatively inexpensive scanners, and can be tailored right down to the type of film used. In my case, I decided to do a scan for old times’ sake from a 35mm negative and dialled in Kodak Gold 100-6. The Epson has backlighting making high quality scans of translucent originals easy.

The scan of a single 35mm slide took some 10 minutes at the archival, 64-bit setting (imagine how long a 4″ x 5″ original which is some 14 times the area takes!), delivering a 55MB file.

Then it was into Lightroom and Photoshop for the usual scratch removal and so on meaning that, start to finish, it took me a good 15 minutes to produce the image above. In that time I could have processed a dozen images from any digital camera with superior results and with no need for dust retouching.

So next time you get that urge for a film Leica or Hasselblad or Linhof plate camera, fughedaboutit. Unless your time is worth nothing, that is. Or the gear’s destination is the china cabinet where it belongs.

At least my scanner is clean now. I mostly use it to archive my son’s homework.

Pumpkin time!

iPhone 5.

On Burlingame Avenue.

D700, 85mm.

Atget in the SF Bay area.

Burlingame Avenue, CA. D700, 85mm.

The annual dog parade.

As my candidate’s election manager, I have been authorized to disclose a few details to get voters involved. A brief bio of my man:

• Has never waged war, never will.
• Has never killed anyone, never will.
• Makes all he knows feel younger and better.
• Does not know the evil of discrimination. Treats all men equally.
• Genuinely loves children, not a photo op thing.
• Refuses to fly and would immediately sell Air Force One and Two.
• Has dashing good looks despite his short stature.
• Adulates physical fitness and is pledged to restoring it to all Americans.
• Thinks health care is a universal right not a privilege.
• A native of North Carolina he understands both the North and the South.
• Eschews guns and bibles. His religion is love and the outdoors.
• Does not cheat on his taxes.

Yes, dear readers, the candidate is none other than Bert The Border Terrier and you can write him in, come November, under his registered name of ‘Bert T. Border’. He already has my vote.

The Candidate caught in a relaxed moment.

Bert got to hanging out with some of his mates today at the annual Burlingame Dog Parade and his manager was there to document the goings on. I am pleased to present Bert’s cabinet. The Alpacas will handle South American affairs and the guinea pigs will oversee EU finances.

Eh? How did these Peruvian Alpacas get in there?

And guinea pigs? Please ….

Congressional leaders. Always in agreement..

Obligatory sausage dog. The new German ambassador.

Escapee. The former Treasury Secretary.

Two beauties. The Press Spokesman.

The wild bunch. CIA and FBI chiefs.

Dog chateau. These guys lost.

The comedian. Vice President.

A 47 Percenter, but not abandoned.

Alaskan Husky. Foreign Secretary. He uses the glasses in Alaska to make sure he can see Russia.

Small, undaunted. Represents the little people.

Party animals. White House social staff.

Bert T Border’s pick for Chinese Ambassador. Speaks fluent Mandarin and Cantonese.

Rich man’s quality, poor man’s prices. Agriculture secretary.

Two more beauties. A calming influence in the Supreme Court.

Nuts. Our next Treasury Secretary.

Legs. Defense Secretary. Knows when to run.

Oh yeah! Social secretary.

A slice of Americana. The judges. Angry white guys. A small and shrinking minority.

So the above is our campaign commercial. I have checked the Constitution and can confirm there’s no prohibition on dogs running for elected office, at least not the four legged kind. Get the spelling right, please, when writing in the candidate. Vote for Bert T Border come November and bring sanity back to the world.

All snapped on the Nikon D700 with the 85/1.8 AFD, a lens which looks and feels like crap but delivers the goods. A couple of snaps on the 16-35mm Nikon VR G for the wide stuff. Same attributes as the 85mm.