Fuji FP-3000 B45 - Graflex Crown Graphic - Hillary

Last week I shared two different posts (here & here) of different instant photos that I shot with Hillary. The first was some of the new Impossible Color Film for SX70 and the second some expired Polaroid Type 57 large format film. Today I have my last instant photo from this session to share, one of my favorite films that I will miss greatly when I run out - Fuji FP-3000 B45. Enjoy. 

Fuji FP-3000B45 Negative & Positive - Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 - Emily Wallace

This past weekend while shooting with Emily I attempted to take a couple of large format Polaroids using my Crown Graphic and some of the Fuji FP-3000B 45 I had loaded into my Polaroid back. Well... I pretty much failed on all accounts when it came to getting a decent exposure. I used up the remaining three sheets of film that were in the pack to no avail. 

There was one photo, though, that I didn't hate. It was overexposed for sure, but I think it was also the culprit of a pesky light leak from not securing my Polaroid back properly. Still, the photo was interesting and so I decided to scan it. Here's what it looked like:

Then, while it was scanning, I noticed that the paper negative (the GOOP) actually had more information in the blown out lower right hand side of the photo. There was a little more detail. Some dynamic range held on. Again, I thought this was interesting and figured maybe I could just scan the negative and invert it. I've done it before with good result, so I thought I'd give it a go. Here's what the negative looked like when I scanned it, flipped it and inverted it:

Well, the negative didn't really work out for me either. When I started to adjust the levels of the image it became apparent that while I had more information for my blown out areas, the details in the face were much better in the positive that I had already scanned. I continued to play around with both, but wasn't really happy with the results of either. 

And that's when I decided to experiment a little to see if there's anything I could do to save this image (don't judge me, this film and all other large format instant films are out of production - you do what you can). What I came up with is something of a pseudo HDR using the positive and negative together. A couple different layers of each, some different levels adjustment layers and some creative masking later I ended up with the image you see at the top of the page (or again below):

Is it everyone's cup of tea? I'd expect not. Is it perfect? I wouldn't want it to be. Either way, from nearly nothing I was able to salvage an image that is very close to a standard paper negative scan that's been inverted with a few tweaks to the levels and contrast. I thought it was interesting, and I like the feel of the final image.

Maybe this will be helpful to someone else as well. Enjoy, and feel free to leave your own thoughts on this process in the comments below.

Fuji FP-3000B45 - Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 - Portraits With Ciarra

As I promised yesterday, here are the other two large format images that I shot with Ciarra this past weekend. Makeup for these shots, like the previous image, was done by Jason Kelly. The camera used was a Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 press camera Fuji FP3000B45 instant film. Full view is recommended on these guys.

If you'd like to see more of my work with Ciarra (this look and others) keep an eye out over on the Coalesce52 blog for my Week 6 images - A roll of Kodak Tri-x that I shot throughout this shoot with Ciarra. Those images should be posted sometime in the next day or two.

Fuji FP-3000B45 - Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 - Fashion With Ciarra

As I mentioned yesterday, I recently had the opportunity to shoot with a model that I've not yet had the chance to work with. Ciarra, a model local to Cleveland, has quite an impressive portfolio of images. If that's not enough, she was also kind enough to bring along an amazing makeup artist to work with us as well - Jason Kelly. 

Today's image is one of three that I shot using my Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 Press camera with Fuji FP3000B45 film. I do plan to post the other two images (from a different look we shot) in the near future, but, I liked the look and feel of this image so much that I thought it deserved to stand alone.

Keep your eye out for more images from this and other recent shoots including a couple rolls of film that I'll be receiving back this afternoon.

Enjoy.

Fuji FP-3000B45 - Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 - Tiffany

This past weekend was filled with photography and film. Saturday I shot with a new model in the studio and wrapped up my roll of film for Week 6 of the Coalesce 52 project. Then, Sunday afternoon, I shot two rolls of film with artist/illustrator Branden Vondrak in his home studio (which just so happened to wrap up my Week 7 for the Roll-A-Week project). And finally, in between those shoots, I took these photos with my lovely girlfriend at home. I'll be sharing all kind of images from those other shoots as well, but, seeing as how this is the first times Tiffany has ever let me sit her down and take a formal photo of her I thought I'd post these first.

Both of these images are from one of my final four remaining packs of the large format instant film Fuji produced - Fuji FP3000B45 - and both were taken with my Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 press camera. I recently decided that instead of clutching on to this film and holding on to it forever that I should get it out of the fridge and put it to good use while it's still in it's prime. When I end up with photo's like this it makes me think that I made a pretty good decision. 

Enjoy.

Fuji FP-3000B45 - Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 - Orange Lillies

Recently, I was fortunate enough to be presented with the opportunity to purchase two boxes of expired Polaroid Type 57  4x5 sheet film for my Graflex Crown Graphic. Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck with the film thus far.


Last night I tested two more sheets of the 3000 ISO rated instant film, and, thus far each has come out black. I'm unsure if it's a film problem, camera problem or a problem with my polaroid back. I've even tested with a longer exposure on my last shot to see if it would have any effect but it didn't appear to. The chemicals seem to be coming out of their pods, but no image is developing. I have yet to break into the second box of film to see if I have any better luck. If anyone out there has any thoughts, I'd be happy to hear them.


That being said, after spending the time setting up a shot to test with, I thought it would be a waste to walk away frustrated. So, I shot two sheets of Ilford Delta 400 and then fired off the last shot of Fuji FP-3000B45 that I still had loaded in my other polaroid back. Happily, I ended up with this beautiful shot of these Orange Lilies that valiantly sacrificed their lives to come inside for a photo-op. 


One other small detail of note - you might notice that this is my first image with the Crown Graphic in the portrait arrangement. Finally, after a few months of frustration and stupidity, I have realized that I do in fact have another location on the Crown Graphic body to attach my tripod plate, which, allows me to shoot vertically. In my defense though, the little guy was hiding under the leather handle that I have never used. Needless to say, that strap has been removed for the time being...

Fuji FP-3000B45 - Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 - Little Kids with a Big Camera

This past weekend was spent mostly in Youngstown, Ohio and Erie, PA visiting with families. My brother and his wife were up with their three kids, and, there was a birthday party to attend up in Erie later in the weekend. I figured since I was going to be seeing so many of the kids in one weekend and had 7 or 8 shots of Fuji FP-3000B45 left in my polaroid back that it would be a good opportunity to take a portrait of each of them. 

These were all taken with my Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5 in open shade at about f/11 with an exposure of 1/100th of a second. Shooting kids with this type of camera is definitely a bit difficult since their patience is limited, but, it was still pretty fun. 


Little did these kids know, they were getting their photo taken with what is currently the last stock of 4x5 instant film in the US. Fuji has decided to discontinue not only this 3000B45 (which actually happened months ago) but also their FP-100C45 (which is already out of stock everywhere in the US). Hopefully this will not be the end of large format instant film and we will see the Impossible Project come to the rescue again in the near future.

The photos if order of appearance are Vivian (Tiffany's Goddaughter), Tommy (my nephew), Taylor (my niece and Goddaughter), and below... Jade (the dog). There is another niece, Samantha, who I didn't attempt to photograph with my 4x5. I did get a few shots using my Canon FTb and some Rollei Retro 100, but those will have to wait until I finish up the roll and get it developed. 

As a final note... I did end up buying 4 packs of the final stock of Fuji FP-3000B45 yesterday while I still could. I'm a little disappointed to find out about the color so late - the price has already sky rocketed on Ebay. But, at the very least, I now have 40 shots of this beautiful film left. I'll probably have to savor it and make it last until someone else steps in to save this format of instant photography. I guess on the bright side, this is going to force me to start getting my sheet film developed...

Impossible Project PX 680 Gold Frame & Fuji FP-3000B45 - Tyler

My sister and her family were in town for a visit this weekend and to help celebrate my getting old. This little guy is Tyler - my nephew. He is only still enough to take photos of when he is dead asleep (especially when you are trying to shoot with a big 4x5), so, while he was knocked out on Sunday I grabbed these two shots of him. Above, Fuji FP-3000B45 in a Crown Graphic, and below, Impossible Project's PX 680 Gold Frame in an SX70 sonar.

This is only my fourth photo out of my first pack of this Gold Frame film, but each one has looked pretty good so far. The colors and contrast of this film are pretty awesome. The development time seems to go on for quite a while though... this particular photo probably took about a half hour to look like this when left alone on a table at around 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Still... I think this film is worth the wait.

Fuji FP-3000B45 - Crown Graphic 4x5 - Huntington Reservation

Yesterday was one of those 60-something days in the middle of March. That, of course, led to a long drive and some time taking photos in a few different spots along the lake. I had my Crown Graphic with me, but, in a moment of brilliance, had only brought a pack of Fuji FP-3000B45. 3000 speed film on a bright sunny day with a camera that will only shoot at 1/400 of a second just doesn't add up. So, since this was one of the few times I only had one extra camera with me, I ended up shooting with that - a 35mm Canon Ftb loaded up with some 32 iso Rollei ATP. I will get that developed sooner or later.


Since my obsession with my new camera runs pretty deep though (and because I came across this location that I absolutely needed to shoot) I ended up going back out last night near sunset. I found the 3000B45 a lot more difficult to work with than expected, but after a few shots I came up with the photo posted above. This one was taken after sunset, somewhere near 8pm, with a 1 sec exposure. At the time it was dark enough I could barely make anything out on the ground glass and I wasn't sure how this film would handle the longer exposure. To my surprise (and delight) it handled it quite well... probably one of my favorite photos I've taken in a long time.