Three Thousand

This blogpost marks a milestone...  3000 posts.  My first post was way back on July 29th 2010.  Here we are almost 14-1/2 years later, and I'm posting number 3000.  I never dreamed that I would still be doing this...!  Its nice to get comments from friends, family and sometimes even strangers, that they've seen something on my blog.  Its a great way for me to keep everyone up to date on all the crazy stuff I keep myself occupied with.  Thanks to everyone that keeps coming around to read my mindless nonsense.

Service Station

This is the last scan, for a while, that is from the recent batch of Kodak Tri-X Pan 320,processed in PMK, and from the second trip to Saskatchewan.  This now unused service station was in a small town in Southern Saskatchewan, in the Rural Municipality of Mankota No. 45.  I shot this with my Ebony view camera and a long 250mm lens.  A #8 yellow filter added some contrast and created separation in the sky.  I noticed that there were a number of Art Deco style buildings scattered throughout the parts of Southern Saskatchewan that Margarit and I explored.  This one was taken on September 18th at about 3:30 in the afternoon.

Railway and Main

This one is from the first trip to Saskatchewan, last June.  Chris and I were scouting around looking for locations for the Beer Parlour Project.  This hotel was not operating, but it appeared that someone was living upstairs.  There was a restaurant and bar in the annex on the right, but it was closed at the time of our visit.

This is a 4"x5" sheet of Ilford FP4.  I processed it on my Jobo in Perceptol Developer 1:1.  I rated the film at 100 iso and took this shot on June 17th 2024, at about 7:45 in the evening.  I used my Ebony view camera and a wide 110mm lens.

Pram

Here is another image from the September trip to Saskatchewan.  We found this old pram in an abandoned house and just had to photograph it.  This is yet another sheet of Kodak Tri-X Pan 320 developed on my Jobo CPP3 Processor.  I ran this batch a couple of weeks ago, and I'm still posting scans from it.  The 4" x 5" sheet film was rated at 320 iso and given Normal Development in PMK Developer.  There were quite a number of great images from this trip, and in that batch.

I shot this one on September 19th at around 5:00PM  I used my Ebony view camera and a Fujinon 125mm lens.  This abandoned house was in a ghost town in the Rural Municipality of Coulee No. 136.

Swings

Another view of the same school that I posted a couple of days back.  This is the one that is privately owned, and was undergoing some sort of restoration.....

This shot is from the recently processed batch of Kodak Tri-X Pan 320 4" x 5", in PMK Developer.  I shot this on September 19th, just after noon.  I used my Ebony view camera and a longish 210mm lens.  This longer focal length yielded a little compression and as a result the background school looks larger in comparison to the foreground swings.

Potty Chair

Back in September, when Margarit and I were exploring down in southern Saskatchewan, we came across this old potty training chair, sitting overgrown in an abandoned farm yard.  I just had to attempt to photograph it, though I'm not sure I couldn't have done a little better.

This one is part of the batch of Kodak Tri-X Pan 320 4" x 5" that I recently processed in PMK Developer.  I shot this on September 21st at about 2:30 in afternoon.  I used my Ebony view camera and a Fujinon 125mm lens.  A #8 Yellow filter lightened the value of the grass, and provided some separation in the sky.

Roadside Store

This is another negative from the recently processed batch of Kodak Tri-X Pan 320, that was given Normal Development in PMK.  This shot was taken near the end of our trip to Saskatchewan last fall, on September 21st, just after 11:00AM.  It was a rather cool and blustery day, as I recall.

I have no idea what sort of business once operated out of this old building, in this dying town.  There was no signage, or nothing left laying around to provide any clues.  Most likely a store of some kind.  This is located in the Rural Municipality of Wood River No. 74, in south central Saskatchewan.  I shot this with my Ebony view camera and a wide 90mm lens.  I added a #8 yellow filter in the hope that it would pump up the contrast just a little.

Cottonwood Trail

This is the Black and White version of a color shot that I posted a few days back.  This one was taken during the recent Fall Photo trip by Monochrome Guild members Fred, Court, Steve and myself.  This one was taken on Ilford FP4+ 4" x 5" sheet film, and given Normal development in Perceptol 1:1.  The film was rated at 100iso, and I developed it with my new Jobo CPP3 Processor.

This shot was taken in Dinosaur Provincial Park, on the walking trail down near the Red Deer River.  I shot this with my Ebony view camera and a wide 90mm lens.  A #8 Yellow filter deepened the value of the sky and made the clouds stand out.  It also lightened the value of the fall foliage.

Beaver Lumber

This is another sheet of Kodak Tri-X Pan 320 sheet film, developed in PMK Developer.  I ran a batch of 4" x 5" film on my Jobo Processor, back on Remembrance Day.  This shot was taken while Margarit and I were out exploring in Saskatchewan.  I shot this with my Ebony view camera on September 16th, at about 3:45 in the afternoon.  A wide 90mm lens allowed the sweeping view that included the moody sky.  I used a #25 Red Filter to increase contrast and create some separation in the sky.  This old store is privately owned, and sits in a small town in the Rural Municipality of Reno No. 51, in southwestern Saskatchewan.

Facade

This old school in the Rural Municipality of Auvergne No. 76, in southern Saskatchewan, is over a century old.  It is now privately owned, and in the process of being restored.  I believe the owners are intending to turn it into a residence, though the project seems to have stalled in recent years.

Margarit and I were visiting on September 19th of this past year and it was a very windy day when I took this photograph at around 1:00 in the afternoon.  I shot this image on Kodak Tri-X Pan film rated at 320 iso and processed normally in PMK Developer.  I used my Ebony view camera and a wide Rodenstock 90mm Lens.  A #25 Red Filter deepened the sky, and lightened the brick.  The shutter speed of 1/8 second did not stop the motion in the grass that was being buffeted around by the gusting winds.  This was intentional.

BP 13.1 - Sandy and Doug

This one is also from the recent batch of Kodak Tri-X Pan 320 developed in PMK.  This is Sandy and Doug, the owners of the Limerick Hotel, in Limerick, Saskatchewan.  They were the most gracious of hosts and warmly welcomed the Beer Parlour Project to their establishment.

I first visited with my colleague Chris in June of this past year.  This was outing number BP 13.0.  I seem to have been jinxed by unlucky number 13, as I messed up all of the shots that I took of Sandy and Doug on that outing.  Some of the other shots that I took during that outing, of the hotel and other patrons turned out OK.  But all four portraits of the owners, didn't work.  I think partly I messed up the focus, and perhaps I didn't tighten down the standards on my view camera.  Its almost as if the camera moved a little when I inserted the film holder, and things were a little out of focus.  Of maybe I just didn't pay enough attention to focusing the camera in low light.  It could also have been a little movement on the part of subjects, due to the long exposure.

In September, when Margarit and I were touring southern Saskatchewan, I returned for outing number BP 13.1.  At  that time Margarit and I enjoyed a wonderful steak dinner in the tavern, and I attempted to re-shoot the portrait.  I exposed six sheets of film, and f*cked up five of them.  I have no explanation, but it was a series of errors... shutter left open, exposure set wrong, mostly just getting flustered and not paying attention.  Number thirteen really seems to be throwing me for a loop.  One of the six turned out a little better.  Not perfect, but acceptable.....  here it is....

The Limerick Hotel was once known as the Delaney.  Rumour has it that back in the day there was a brothel upstairs on the third floor.  Doug took Chris and I for a tour of the hotel during our first visit in June.  The first and second floors are currently used but the third floor has been shut down and abandoned.  In the background of the portrait, somewhat out of focus, you can see the old Delaney Hotel sign.  It's hard to read here, but the room prices are listed.  Apparently the price of the room escalated depending upon the qualifications of the hostess.

Cloverly Avenue

Here is another scan from the recently processed batch of 4" x 5" sheet film.  This was Kodak Tri-X Pan 320, rated at 320 iso, and developed normally in PMK.  This is a shot from the fall trip to Saskatchewan.  I shot this on September 16th at about 11:00 in the morning, while Margarit and I were exploring southwestern Saskatchewan.  This old service shop is in the Rural Municipality No. 79 Arlington.  I shot this with my Ebony view camera and a 125mm lens.  A #25 Red Filter deepened the sky, nicely separating the clouds.  It also pumped up the contrast somewhat.

Art Deco

This fascinating abandoned building is located in a small town in south central Saskatchewan, in the Rural Municipality of Mankota #45.  I peeked in through a back window, and it looks as those it was last used as some sort of wood working shop.  I assume that it was probably a store of some kind originally, as it is located right on Main Street.

This is a scan of a 4" x 5" sheet film negative.  This was Kodak Tri-X Pan 320, rated at 320 iso and given Normal development in PMK Developer.  I shot this image on September 18th at about 4:30 in the afternoon, when Margarit and I were touring around southern Saskatchewan.  I used my Ebony view camera and a Fujinon 125mm lens.  A #8 yellow filter deepened the value of the sky a little, and picked up the contrast slightly.

Making Lasagna

About once a year I set aside an entire afternoon and make a big batch of lasagna.  This year that day was yesterday... November 12th.  I went to the grocery store the day prior and bought about 225 dollars worth of ingredients.  This was going to be enough to make five large pans, and one extra large pan of lasagna.  

I bought four boxes of lasagna noodles, two big bags of spinach leaves, eight cans of various types of tomato, tomato paste and tomato sauce, six pounds of ground beef, and about fifteen pounds of cheese... mozzarella, swiss, cheddar, cottage and parmesan.

I made a huge pot of meat sauce and set it aside.  Then I boiled all the lasagna noodles in batches.  I set about assembling the five pans.  I figure they must weigh about five pounds each, and certainly can feed a family, hopefully with a few leftovers for the next day.  They are certainly more substantial and taste better than any pre-made frozen lasagna you can buy in the grocery store.  But they cost a lot more too, so I guess you get what you pay for....! 

I froze the five large pans that can be seen in the snapshot below, and we'll use these over the coming months.  The sixth one was even bigger, and we baked that one for dinner.  The girls had been pestering me to do this for some time, so I finally got around to it.

Hoodoos

This is another 4" x 5" color negative, from the recent batch of film that I just processed...  This one was also take at Dinosaur Provincial Park, on the Hoodoo Trail.  Court, Steve, Fred and I were out for the annual Monochrome Guild Fall trip.  

I shot this sheet of Kodak Ektar 100 on October 17th just after noon.  The light at this time in the fall in our northern latitude, is just gorgeous all day long.  I used my Ebony view camera and a Fujinon 125mm lens.  Once again I used the Blue/Yellow color polarizing filter to enhance and saturate the colors.  I never really get tired of this look though some find it kind of excessive.