Snapshot

I rarely have my iPhone on my person. I know. I’m odd. It’s a great phone but I’ve never felt comfortable walking around with it in my pants or jacket pocket or carrying it in hand. In my pocket, the iPhone feels like a heavy hard piece of toast. And if I carry it around in my hand…well, that’s just damn inconvenient.

Because of my reluctance to carry a digital device, I’ve missed some great photo opportunities. This was not the case in mid-December of last year when I visited Upstate New York and stayed at The Lake Placid Lodge. After checking into my room, iPhone in hand, I stood shivering in the below zero air on the balcony. The sun was placing its last kisses on Whiteface Mountain and reflecting nicely on the lake. I got off a few shots before the light changed. This was the best of the bunch.

Rosie's First Swim

We took Rosie, our 9-month old Golden Retriever, for a swim lesson in Santa Rosa a few weeks ago. Everything in the world is new to Rosie and she had some hesitation venturing into the big swimming pool at the dog training center.

I took my Nikon F4 loaded with some Kodak Portra 400 film. This was the first time I had ever shot this film at the box speed. I normally rate Portra 400 at 200 ISO to get more saturated colors, but I think it performed pretty well here. I also wanted to make sure that the F4’s DX reader was still functioning as designed. I love this camera and hope its 33 year old electronics keep humming along.

The F4 was Nikon’s first professional body with matrix metering. I think that the bright sunny California afternoon, Rosie’s white fur and the water provided quite a workout for the F4’s meter.

I used my AF-D Nikkor 35-70 f/3.3 - 4.5 zoom lens. Making photographs of these dogs has me thinking that I need a more robust zoom…perhaps 80-200.

Boutique Photo Lab developed my film and did the scans. They scanned the entire negative up to but not including the sprocket holes. I think it gives these shots an interesting look.

The Nikon FE

If you enjoy shooting classic film cameras and have not tried one of Nikon’s advanced amateur SLRs from the 1970s and early 80s, you should. They are all well built, small, lightweight, dependable and easily and affordably serviced. The line-up includes the Nikon FM, FM2, FM2n and very expensive FM3a, the FA and the FE and FE2.

The FM, FM2 and FM2n are manual exposure cameras. The shutters are mechanical. The battery only powers the TTL meter. They are super dependable. Back in the day, many professional photographers carried one of these cameras as a back up to their pro bodies.

The FM3a was one of the last Nikon film cameras and an evolution of the FM2n. Improvements included an electro-mechanically controlled shutter and aperture-priority automation. Whenever I check the prices on these cameras, it takes my breath away.

The FA was Nikon’s techno marvel from 1983. It offers manual, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and program modes. It was the first Nikon with matrix metering, which is still used today.

The Nikon FE offers manual and aperture-priority shooting modes. Its successor, the FE2, increased the top shutter speed from 1/1000th of a second to a blistering 1/4000th.

I own the FM2n and really enjoy its simplicity. I also have the FE2 and shoot it more than any other camera I own. For no reason other than curiosity, I have always wanted to try the FE and when a nice serviced copy came up for sale on eBay, I jumped.

After spending so much time shooting my FE2, the FE felt like an old friend. Build quality was like the other Nikon F cameras, sure and confidence inspiring. I think that the meter display in the FE and FE2 are the best of any SLR…simple analog display on the left side of a big, beautiful viewfinder. In fact, if Nikon used the FE/FE2 display in the F3, it would be the perfect camera for me!

My first roll of film in the FE was Kodak’s Pro Image 100. I made some photographs around town and in my backyard. It was still Covid time. I used the camera’s automatic mode.

Back home, a shot in the kitchen of my pizza before popping it into the oven.

And a photograph of Kimmie, who agreed to pose for the FE.

I knew I would love this camera. It feels great in the hand and is light enough to carry around all day. Nikon’s classic center-weighted metering makes it pretty hard to screw up exposure. The 50mm f/1.8 AI-s lens I had mounted was Nikon’s kit lens at the time and you can buy an FE and this lens today for between $100 and $125 if you shop around. The FE2 is newer and more popular. That makes it more expensive. If you don’t need 1/4000th of a second, the FE will do you fine.

I have edited my collection of film cameras down to less than a dozen and the FE will stay. I like this camera and I didn’t pay that much for it. I’m comfortable carrying it along on a dusty hike. If it dies, repair is inexpensive. The Nikons from this era are marvelous cameras. You can’t go wrong with any of them.

Back to the beach

With my new job and then Covid, It had been a long, long while since I had visited my beloved Sonoma County beaches with a camera. I finally got to the coast this past weekend with my Nikon F100 and some TMAX 100. It was windy and chilly, but felt great to have the sand under my feet again. Now that California is opening up, I will make a plan to visit more often.

I am sending two rolls off to Boutique Film Lab for processing and scanning. While I wait, I thought I would share some snaps I’ve made over the year of the sand and the water. The beach is ever changing. No two days are ever the same.

Unfriendly Facebook

I’ve been noticing that Facebook is getting less friendly and more contentious. And I’m not talking about pages devoted to politics, the environment or the economy. I’m seeing it on, of all places, analog film photography and classic film cameras buy/swap/sell pages.

Recently, a newbie analog photographer posted a question on a film camera page. This person had just shot her first roll of film in a Nikon FE and couldn’t figure out how to release the film so she could wind it back into the cartridge. While many of the people commenting directed her to the little button on the bottom of the camera, several people went off on her about being too lazy to read the owners manual before using the camera. One person commented that perhaps people with limited technical skills shouldn’t be messing around with old film cameras.

I personally think it is wonderful that young people are discovering film photography. The more people shoot film, the longer companies like Ilford and Kodak will keep making it. We should be helpful and encourage people just getting into this hobby. Not shame them for asking a question. I’m sure we’ve all asked a dumb question or two in our lives. I know that I have.

Over on the buy/swap/sell pages, it is very common for people to make cruel comments about the prices that people ask for their gear. I have experienced this myself. A film camera is worth whatever price the buyer is willing to pay. If the price is too high for you, just move on. What purpose is served by making the seller defend his or her price? Over the years, I have found lots of great bargains when shopping for gear. And many times, I have paid way more than I should have just because I wanted a camera or it was in particularly good condition. And I never sell my cameras for cheap because I have spent time finding really good examples and in most cases, I’ve invested in having them properly cleaned and serviced. So far this year, I have had to delete two camera listings on Facebook just because the comments became so vitriolic.

It wasn’t always this way. At least on the photography pages. I’m not sure why either. Seems there is a lot of anger and frustration in this country right now and it’s spilling over into places that are supposed to be easy and fun.

I can’t change the world, but I am going to make a personal effort to be friendly, helpful and thoughtful whenever I comment on social media. Maybe it will rub off. Just a little.

My FE2 is Back!

My beloved Nikon FE2 is back from service. It works like brand new!

Jim Holman at International Camera Technicians is my go-to guy for Nikon. But wait! There’s more! Jim also works on Hasselblad, Rolleiflex, Pentax K1000, Leica and others. He is also a master at CLA-ing Nikon and other brand lenses.

Jim’s full time job is vintage camera repair. He does great work, his rates are very fair and he’s prompt.

I love supporting people who service our old film cameras. They aren’t making any more of these, so we need dedicated technicians to keep the ones we have operating smoothly.

If yours is in need of service, please reach out to Jim. Tell him the Fogdog Blog sent you!

Inspiration

As I was curating the images from my last roll of expired Kodak Plus-X, I almost threw this one in the trash. It was just a random shot of the late afternoon sun playing off the wall and window blinds in my dining room.

The more time I spent looking at this image, the more I liked the interesting angles. The sun and the shadows. And it does a pretty good job demonstrating the wide tonal range of Plus-X.

Inspiration comes when we least expect it. I think I am going to do a series exploring light and shadow. Simple images of everyday things. I am glad I did not throw this one in the trash.

The Nikon F4: To keep or not to keep

I wrote at the beginning of this year that I was going to take stock of my camera collection and begin the process of selling the equipment that I do not use often enough. With film photography becoming more popular, these great cameras should be used for their intended purpose and not sit on a shelf or in a plastic storage container. And I have accumulated far too many cameras to use consistently. My goal was to edit my collection down to only those cameras that I really enjoy shooting and find loving homes for the others.

I also hoped to at least recoup my original investment plus any hard costs for servicing them. A real bonus would be to actually make a dollar or two. I am happy to report that I have broken even on every camera I have sold and made a profit on about 80% of them. A few have been gifts to close friends. Those don’t count.

The process of elimination has been fairly straightforward; grab a camera and think about the last time I shot with it. What did I like? What didn’t I like? I went through my archives of images and re-read some of the thing I had written here. I also considered where I am right now in my photographic journey and my life in general. In most cases, the decision to sell was pretty easy. There were a few that tugged at my heart strings as I packed them up to go off to their new homes, but it was nice thinking that someone new would get to experience, love and enjoy a well cared for old camera.

For a few, like the Nikon F4 I am writing about today, the decision was more difficult. I needed to load up some film and take a photo walk.

I’ve had my F4 for many years. I bought it from its original owner. He took good care of it and so have I. I also have a few period correct Nikkor AF-D lenses for it—a 50mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.8 and a 35-70 zoom. I fed the F4 some Kodak Pro Image 100 film, mounted the 50/1.8 and took a walk. These are some of the more interesting images I made that day.

When I returned home, my end of roll mirror selfie.

Shooting my F4 again reminded me of all the things I love about this camera and a few things I don’t. Like how heavy the F4 is and how slowly it auto focuses. Yes, the F4 is a heavy beast of a camera, but it’s also so well designed and balanced that it just feels really nice to shoot despite its weight. (I use my F4 with the MB-20 battery grip which is the smallest and lightest configuration. I also have the larger MB-21 grip.) And yes, Nikon’s first professional auto focus camera does hunt and peck a bit when trying to find its focus. But I am not shooting NASCAR races, so I don’t mind it.

What I do love about the F4 is that it will mount and meter with most any Nikon lens ever made. It has one of the best viewfinders of any camera I’ve ever shot. It uses AA batteries, not some hard to find type. And it has dials and levers for everything. No multi-function switches or confusing menus like the later F5 or F6. Nikon knew that they had a tough act to follow after the F3, so they made the F4 perfectly transitional while being revolutionary as well. The F4 set the stage for every Nikon SLR that followed.

I am keeping my F4 for all of these reasons and for one that is purely sentimental. Back in the early 1990s, when was I just getting seriously back into film photography, I wandered into a photo store in Tempe, Arizona. They had a brand new F4 in the case and I asked to try it out. It seemed a technological wonder at the time and was so very cool. It was also wildly expensive and far out of my reach. I never dreamed I would ever own one.

My F4 is thirty plus years old. It’s no longer cutting edge. It’s quaint. And it’s loads of fun to shoot. With any electronic camera of this era, I know that one day I will turn it on and it won’t wake up. And no one works on the F4 these days. Until then, the F4 is a keeper.

My Bad Roll of CineStill 800T

I had good luck shooting a few rolls of CineStill 800T a few years ago. For the uninitiated, CineStill is Kodak’s Vision 3 motion picture film that is put through a special process to remove the Remjet layer, making it compatible with C-41 processing. This layer is unique to motion picture film and if you tried to process Vision 3 in C-41 without removing the Remjet, this layer would contaminate the chemistry and foul the process.

My roll of CineStill had been in my Nikon F100 for a long time! And honestly, I cannot even remember when I bought it. I started this roll Christmas 2019 and finished it a few weeks ago. Boutique Film Lab does my processing and when I got the scans back, I had a note from Ryan Tolbert, the lab’s founder and master processor…

“It looks like the roll of Cinestill 800 is affected by a known quality control issue that they had on some batches. The film was not dried properly after the Remjet removal so there are water marks throughout the roll. Cinestill has since fixed this issue.”

Needless to say, most of what I got back was a mess.

Film photography is a journey and not every leg is successful. Here are the few shots I salvaged. First, from 2019…

And from 2021…

Expired Plus-X in the Failing Nikon FE2

I adore Kodak’s discontinued Plus-X 125 black and white film. It was the film I cut my teeth on when I first started dabbling in photography in the early 1970s. Pleasant, creamy, dreamy images. Forgiving in exposure and home processing. I bought up a bunch of this film from the final lots and I use it sparingly.

One day, mid-pandemic, I decided to load a roll into my Nikon FE2, mask up and walk the nearly deserted streets of downtown Napa looking for interesting angles and shadows. I didn’t shoot a whole lot during the months of lock down and was really looking forward to a nice photo walk with one of my favorite cameras.

I got my first hint of trouble three or four shots into the roll when the mirror locked up on the Nikon. I was shooting in aperture priority mode and I knew from past experience that when the mirror locks up on the FE or FE2, shifting into one of the camera’s manual shutter speeds will free up the mirror. And that’s all it took. The mirror popped free after shuttling back and forth between automatic and manual modes.

The mirror gremlin didn't hide for a long. A few more shots into the roll and the mirror locked up again. This time, no amount of fiddling with the shutter speeds would free up the mirror. I was really disappointed. It had been too long since I had been out with one of my cameras. And here I was half way through a roll of my prized Plus-X and a very dependable camera poops out on me.

The FE2 is already on its way to Jim Holman at ICT Camera Repair. Jim specializes in cameras like the FE2, FM, FE and FA. He does fine work and his prices are reasonable. I guess I shouldn’t complain. My FE2 has served me well and was due for some spa time.

2021

Back in October, I wrote that I was taking a break from my blog and, for the most part, from photography for awhile. I also wrote that I was auditing my film camera collection and selling off the cameras I do not use often enough.

I’ve been successful at reducing the size of my collection and I feel really good that every camera I have sold has gone to a new and loving home. That makes me happy.

As I was going through my cameras, I discovered that several had partially shot rolls of film in them. Just like taking a well loved car out for one last spin before you sell it, I did the same with my cameras…one last goodbye. It will be interesting to see what is on the beginning of these rolls.

Over these past months, I have also come to some conclusions about which cameras I really love, will keep and shoot moving forward. I have to say, the cameras left standing surprised me. More to share on that soon. Right now, gotta send some film off to the lab!

Time Travel: November 2017

From just a normal, quiet late November day. Long before this thing we’re in.

11/28/2017. Nikon F4, Kodak Portra 400.

Taking a break for a while...

This year has exhausted me. Totally and absolutely. There’s scant little left in the tank.

In addition to what I know we are all dealing with…a global pandemic that seems to be getting worse rather than better, a country divided like I have never seen in my life, a black hole where leadership used to be…I am personally overwhelmed with navigating the tricky waters of retail marketing in…well, whatever the “new normal” is going to be.

And for weeks now, I have not had the energy or the inspiration to pick up a camera. And even less to write about them. I wish it wasn’t so, but it is.

I am selling off a large number of of my film cameras. All of them have been loved and well cared for and most have been serviced just like new. If you page back through the posts on this blog and see something you might want, send me a message. These cameras are like my family and I would love them all to go to good homes.

Once all this settles. I will be back with something hopefully that you will enjoy.

ColorPlus in the OM-1n

I keep a supply of Kodak’s ColorPlus film on hand most all of the time. It is inexpensive, widely available, delivers dependable results and with an ISO rating of 200, it’s versatile.

ColorPlus, like Pro Image 100, is another one of those mystery Kodak films. Even though the box says ColorPlus 200, the film canisters say Kodacolor 200. I think Kodak originally intended this film to be sold in markets outside the US, but I am not sure. When I first started buying it a few years ago, it was difficult to source. Now, it is available from many online sellers. My most recent supply came from B&H Photo at $4.99 per roll.

Here are some shots from around the block near my home. I used my Olympus OM-1n and 50/1.4 OM-Labor Zuiko lens.

One of my neighbors masked-up the horse statue in their front yard!

I don’t take selfies because I like to see myself. I use them to remember which camera I used when I shot a roll of film. I do recall this one was shot at 1/30 of a second.

No matter what this film really is, I like it. And at around five bucks a roll, it’s a value too.

Oh well...

I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to get out and shoot and on one of the rare days when I had the time, I should’ve done a better job controlling my variables.

First, my newest film camera is over 20 years old and all of the rest of them are much, much older. So in-the-field failure or a wonky meter is always a possibility. As for film stock, most of what I have in the fridge is fresh and has been properly stored.

So I am not sure what prompted me to grab one of the rolls from my stash of Agfa APX 100 (new emulsion) that got misplaced during my move last year and sat in a box out in the garage for many months. Or why I decided, for the first time in forever, to mount a yellow-Y2 filter to the 50/1.4 Nikkor lens on my F3HP and head out on a blistering, hot early July day…but I did.

The meter in my F3 has never failed me, but maybe it’s time for a calibration. And using a yellow filter on incredible bright sunny day probably wasn’t the best move. Maybe improper storage has partially spoiled my Agfa film. Or maybe processing or scanning was off?

Whatever the reason or reasons, my images from this roll were inconsistent and mostly unsatisfying. In some shots, the highlights were blow out. And I am not sure where all the grain came from. My past images shot with APX 100, albeit the older emulsion, were nearly grain free and silky smooth. I just don’t know.

It was good to get out, camera in hand and mask at the ready. So there’s always that.

Downtown Napa is mix of old and new buildings

The hot day and Covid = nearly empty streets

Shadows on a sweet ride

The little market in Yountville

Napa city building

An old Packard

One of the alleys the tourists don’t see

A palm under the July sun

I might cover this sign up during the pandemic

They are in their social bubble

This alley downtown is usually full of people

I made a number of shots of this building. I liked the shadows.

Covid Photography with Kodak Pro Image 100

I’ve never been quite sure what Kodak’s Pro Image 100 film really is. Some say it’s just repackaged Gold 100 for sale outside the US. Other people say it’s some special emulsion designed to survive hot and humid conditions. I really don’t know, but I do know that I like it. And whenever and wherever I have it loaded into one of my cameras, it has made me happy and satisfied.

Pro Image 100 Pro Pak

I’m still using up a stock of this film I bought from a supplier in Mexico a few years ago. Here are some random snaps made near where I live with my dependable Nikon FM2n and a 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor…just a dream of a lens!

Thanks to Ryan, Bridgette and Hudson at Boutique Film Lab for my processing and scans. You guys rock!

This yellow Corvette is parked a few doors down from me.

The Napa hills…

This old Lincoln sedan with suicide doors is two streets over from me. I think the intent is restoration, but I am not sure.

I try and walk a few miles each night. Halfway along my route is a steep hill ending in a cul-de-sac near the top. It’s my cardio.

I am still trying to find my balance in the midst of this evolving national health debacle. Photography has always and forever centered me, even in the worst of my days. I am leaning hard on it now. Wandering around. Not far from my home. Camera in hand. Trying to find some peace of mind.

A Fortunate Window Shot

When I moved to California in 2010 and accepted a marketing position with a company in the North Bay, I figured that it would be my last job. I liked my employer, enjoyed working with the people in my department and absolutely adored and felt extremely grateful to be living in Bodega Bay on the Sonoma Coast.

The universe had different plans for me and late in 2018, I was offered an amazing opportunity with a company headquartered in the East Bay. Since a 75 mile one-way commute was out of the question, I knew I had to leave the coast and began the search for a new place to live.

For a few weeks, I flirted with the idea of living in San Francisco and taking BART across the Bay. One weekend, I set up some appointments to see apartments near the Embarcadero and took my Nikon F3HP with me. One of the apartments was near the Bay Bridge and offered up a pretty nice view. Photographs taken through glass don’t always turn out and working within the constraints of a window frame can limit composition, but the planets aligned on this one. And the Nikon’s meter nailed exposure on Agfa’s APX 100 film.

After looking at six places, all of which would put major stress on my wallet, I decided that I am more suited for visiting San Francisco rather than living there.

My Nikon Compact SLR Trilogy is Complete

A good experience with a camera will often lead me down the path of trying other cameras in the same family. My wonderful Leica R4s MOD-P was the catalyst to try the R5, R6, R7 and even took me back to the roots of the R series Leica SLRs; the Leicaflex SL2.

I loved my little Olympus OM-2n so much that it started an itch to try the original OM, the OM-1. I wasn’t disappointed. Both of these jewel-like SLRs are competent, fun-to-use cameras that mount an amazing arsenal of Zuiko lenses.

I’ve had two Nikon FM2n cameras. The first one was purchased brand new at Tempe Camera in the mid 1990s. I sold it during my divorce to pay some bill that was past due. I can’t remember what bill it was that required the sale of my Nikon, but the pleasant memories of shooting that manual-everything SLR were fresh enough for me to go looking for another one twenty years later. Bellamy Hunt (aka Japan Camera Hunter) sourced my second FM2n, a minty black body that I’ve used consistently ever since.

The FM2n was one of a series of very popular Nikon bodies that were in production between 1977 and 2001. Those cameras (FM, FM2, FM2n, FE, FE2, FA and FM3a) were aimed at the advanced amateur market. Nikon’s pro bodies during this time were the F2, F3, F4 and F5. During the F2/F3 era, many pros carried the FM or FE as a back up to their pro body cameras.

I love shooting my FM2n and it’s never let me down, but deep down inside I am an aperture-priority guy. When all is said and done, I really like a little bit of automation in my photography and aperture-priority cameras just hit the sweet spot for me. Needless to say, the FM2n got me searching for the FE2 which is essentially the same camera with aperture-priority automation. One of the things I just love about the FE2 is its wonderfully simple analog metering display along the left side of the viewfinder which shows the camera’s selected shutter speed if your are in automatic mode or a match needle read out if you are in manual mode. I have always thought that if the Nikon F3 had the FE2’s metering display, it would be the perfect SLR.

As was the case with Leica and Olympus, I just had to try the Nikon FE. The FE, produced from 1978 to 1983, is the predecessor to the FE2. It offers shutter speeds to 1/1000th of a second (the FE2 goes to 1/4000th). The FE came out around the time that Nikon introduced automatic indexing lenses, so it features a flip down aperture coupling pin allowing the use of non-AI lenses with stop down metering.

I bought my serviced FE from Holman Camera. Jim Holman recently serviced my FE2 and did a fine job, earning my repeat business.

The FE completes my personal compact Nikon SLR trilogy…FM2n/FE/FE2. Looking forward to getting out soon to shoot a test roll.

Footnote: I’ve been shooting a lot less during the pandemic but have just sent off a roll of Agfa APX 100, a roll of Kodak Pro Image 100 and a roll of ColorPlus to Boutique Film Lab. It feels good to get some work flow going again!

Repairing Your Nikon Film Camera

I like to write about good experiences I have with people who help keep our classic film cameras alive. Without good techs, it would be difficult to keep these decades old machines operating reliably.

Earlier this year, I was out shooting with my Nikon FE2 when, mid-roll, the mirror stuck in the up position. I was in aperture priority mode and have had this similar issue happen with other SLRs. When it does, moving the shutter speed dial to one of the manual speeds typically unsticks the mirror. I tried it and…nothing. Mirror stuck. I tried new batteries. Still stuck.

My FE2 was in the queue for a CLA anyway so this was a good nudge to move the Nikon to the front of the line. Occasionally, as is the case with some fully electronic vintage cameras, it makes more sense just to buy another one rather than paying for repair. I decided to check FE2 prices on eBay to get a feel for current prices on this model and was surprised to see them selling for $125 to $250 or more depending upon condition. Cosmetically, mine is at the upper range, so I felt good about investing in a repair. It’s also nice to see that the FE2 is holding its value.

While looking at FE2s for sale, I came across Jim Holman’s eBay store. Jim sells serviced Nikon, Canon, Minolta and Pentax cameras and lenses in his store and also offers repair services. Jim has been a repair technician for over 35 years and for the last 20 years he has specialized in lens and film camera repair. He is also an authorized technician for Nikon, Canon and Sigma. With his solid credentials and excellent eBay customer feedback, I decided to give him a try.

Jim’s process is pretty simple. Just click the $20 “buy it now” evaluation fee. Jim then messages you back and asks what camera you have and what the issues are and gives an estimated repair cost. He then sends you his address to ship the camera to. I packed up my FE2 and included a note with my contact information.

Within a day of receiving my FE2, Jim called to discuss the issues and what he needed to do to my camera. We had a delightful conversation about vintage SLRs and our mutual admiration of the Nikon FE2, FE, FM2 and F3 bodies. Jim clearly loves working on these old machines and helping analog photographers keep their gear operating smoothly.

Jim is located here in California, so this whole process took just a bit over a week. My camera came back clean, shiny and operating smoothly. It’s reassuring to know that the meter is now calibrated and the camera is back to factory specs. Oh…and I know this is really geeky, but I just love the way a camera smells after it has been CLAd. I think it’s the glue used on the new seals or cleaning fluid or a combination of both.

I had a really great repair experience with Holman Camera and highly recommend him. He also has a nice selection of cameras for sale. My F3 is due for CLA in the very near future and I’ll be sending it to Jim.

Venturing Out

You can probably tell, from my lack of posts here, that Covid has really tamped down my picture taking. Many of the places I enjoy visiting with my camera have been closed or have had limited access. And when those places do open up, like the beach, crowds swarm in. While I am healthy with no underlying medical conditions, I am 60. And I’m being careful.

Cabin fever got the best of me this past weekend. I had a roll of Agfa APX 100 in the fridge calling my name, so I loaded up the Nikon F3, fitted a yellow filter to my 50/1.4 Nikkor, masked up and headed to downtown Napa for some Sunday picture making.

While I have driven the downtown streets off and on since the first shelter-in-place order in mid-March, I had not actually parked the car, got out and walked around. Early this year, I would think nothing of wandering the sidewalks with my camera, browsing the stores, even stopping for an iced coffee at Starbucks. Now, I felt a swell of anxiety as I swung my car into a shady spot, grabbed my Nikon and mask and headed out.

Downton Napa in mid-April during the shelter-in-place

Downtown was moderately busy for a July 4th weekend. Most of the shops were open, but limiting the number of visitors inside. Restaurants were doing a brisk outdoor dining business and while the tables were spaced six feet apart at center, patrons were certainly closer to each other than the recommended distance.

I spent most of the afternoon doing what I call the “Covid dance,” adjusting my position relative to people coming towards me on the sidewalk. I never went inside any shops, but I would say mask usage, even in groups of people on the sidewalk, was about 50%. Older folks seemed more inclined to be masked-up.

I had a moment of mini-panic when I got to an intersection and debated about touching the “push to walk” button. How many people had touched this? Should I just turn around and head back? I pushed it with the little finger on my left hand (I am right-handed) and committed to remembering the finger I used so I could sanitize properly when I returned to my car.

I stopped short on the sidewalk when I noticed a group of lively, unmasked people exiting a tasting room. Normally, I wouldn’t think twice about cutting through a group like this. Instead, I detoured down an alley.

I finally decided to hit some quiet side streets and look for some subjects in a safer environment. I made about ten exposures all day.

Perhaps I am being overly cautious. I am sure I will get more comfortable in time. I do need to finish this roll.