Tech info
After using my simple paper route camera and then several large and clunky
Graflex-style cameras, I was introduced to smaller 35mm SLR cameras while in
the Army. Most of the photos on this site were shot using 35mm cameras, with
the exception of a few shot with a 2-1/4 x 2-1/4” twin-lens reflex camera or a 4x5” viewcamera. Most often, I used Kodak Tri-X film but also from time to time used
Plus-X or Kodak 2475 very-high-speed film.
I experimented with various film developers in the many darkrooms I used over
the years, most often using variants of D-76, and also D-23, mixing them from
scratch. I also experimented with using commercially-prepared developers such
as HC-110 and Acufine.
For this Web site, 35mm negatives were scanned with a Minolta DiMAGE Scan Elite
5400 and improved with Photoshop. Larger negatives were digitized by shooting
them with a DSLR.
Currently I shoot with a Canon DSLR and a Samsung Galaxy S4 cameraphone.
The Viet Nam film was shot with a Bell and Howell 16mm camera designed for
family use. The non-synched sound was taken with a simple tape recorder. Most
of the sound was recorded about the same time the footage was shot and other
sound was post-recorded to fill gaps.
bil paul