The fog and dim light seemed like a good day to use Kosmo Foto Agent Shadow.
A thick fog enveloped the area the morning after my bicycle ride in Van Horne Park. The outdoor temperature looked warmer, but I knew it was cold outside. After a quick breakfast, I grabbed the Minolta XD-11, still loaded with Kosmo Foto Agent Shadow and headed to downtown Princeton. It was a chilly and quiet morning in Princeton. I had always been an early riser and loved the peace that came with the first light of dawn. As usual, I started my "fog walk" on Palmer Square.
As I walked south on Palmer Square West, I felt incredibly grateful for the opportunity to take in the morning's eerie beauty before it fully woke up. The sun was starting to rise, but the light was still dim, hidden behind the thick fog covering the streets.
The early morning fog had blanketed the mostly-empty streets of Palmer Square West, creating a spooky atmosphere. The usual hustle and bustle of this outdoor mall were replaced by a quiet stillness that was almost tangible. The air was heavy with moisture, and the only sounds that could be heard were the soft, muted footsteps of the few early risers brave enough to venture out in the dense fog.
The street lamps in Palmer Square cast a dim glow, their light barely visible through the mist. The fog had turned the familiar buildings into spooky apparitions. The branches of the trees lining the street were shrouded in mist. The quiet and stillness of the morning were both eerie and serene. It was as if the world had stopped, and everything was waiting for the sun to burn away the fog and bring the town back to life.
As a lone figure walked down Palmer Square West, the mist seemed to part for a moment.
I stopped and closed my eyes, taking deep breaths and letting the morning's peace wash over me. I didn't want to leave, but I knew I had to. The air was chilly. I continued my walk, heading toward Nassau Street.
I tried out a 36-exposure roll of a new 35mm film stock, but I made a silly mistake when using it.
If a new film stock comes to the market, I'm one of those people who want to be among the first to try it out. CatLABS X FILM 320 Pro 35mm black and white film is a new 35mm film with a high sensitivity rating of ISO 320, making it ideal for use in low-light conditions and for capturing fast-moving subjects. The film also has a fine-grain structure, which results in superior sharpness and clarity in images.
CatLABS X FILM 320 Pro has a wide exposure latitude, which means it can be used in various lighting conditions and still produce high-quality results. The film also produces many tonal values, providing great creative control over the final image. It can be processed using standard black-and-white film developing techniques.
I loaded the CatLABS X FILM 320 Pro cartridge into my XD-11, attached my Minolta MD Rokkor-X 45mm f/2 lens, and went to the Montgomery Farmers' Market to test the film.
It was a sunny but cold day at the Montgomery Friends Farmers' Market. Despite the chilly temperature, the bright sun made for a beautiful day at the market. The vendors were bundled up in warm clothes. The cold weather didn't discourage shoppers from coming and enjoying the market. The market was bustling as shoppers browsed the various stalls, picking out fresh produce and handmade goods (alpaca wool socks and hats).
The monthly brewer's hour at Flounder Brewing on Sunday morning is a unique experience for beer enthusiasts to sample new brews and brewer re-interpretations of existing taproom offerings. Bhavna and I are regulars, and the hour is an excellent opportunity to catch up with other patrons. Attendees can meet the brewmaster and learn about the brewing process. The brewmaster, Doug, leads a tasting of a few of the brewery's beers, including some limited edition and seasonal brews. The atmosphere at the brewery during the brewer's hour is relaxed and casual, almost like hanging out with good friends at home. I exposed the remaining frames in the low light space of the brewer tap room.
Exposing to a brightly lit scene can be challenging. When the setting is too bright, it can cause the image to become overexposed, resulting in washed-out colours and a lack of detail. On the other hand, underexposing the image can result in dark and muddy tones. To properly expose for a bright scene, it's essential to understand the camera's metering system and use manual controls to adjust the exposure. One technique that can be used is to take a reading of the brightest part of the scene and then adjust the aperture and shutter speed accordingly. This will help to retain the detail and colour in the brighter areas of the image while avoiding overexposure.
When the negatives were returned from Boutique Film Lab, I scanned the frames in the Epson Perfection V600 and immediately noticed that they appeared too dark. When I was at the Farmers' Market, the outdoor sun was very bright, and I exposed the brighter parts of the scene and didn't compensate accordingly, causing most of my frames to be underexposed. I did my best to correct this in Adobe Lightroom. Below are the best frames from the set of negatives.
Name
CatLABS X Film 320 Pro BW Negative
Price
US$6.99
Type
Panchromatic Black and White (negative)
Native ISO
320
Format
35mm
Features
Fine Grain, Unique InfraRed capability, Wide Exposure Latitude and Tonal Range
Lab
Boutique Film Lab
Scanner
Epson Perfection V600
Software
VueScan 9
Update: I have included a few shots before and after Adobe Lightroom edits to show how much I underexposed each frame.
Kosmo Foto Agent Shadow 400 is a 35mm black and white film with an ISO rating of 400. It is a high-speed, versatile film used in various lighting conditions, from bright sun to low light. The film is manufactured by the UK-based company Kosmo Foto. It produces sharp, detailed images with good tonal range and minimal grain. It is suitable for indoor and outdoor photography. It can be used for various subjects, including portraits, street, and landscape photography. The film is also reported to have a wide exposure latitude and good shadow detail. Some users claim it produces the same or better results than Ilford HP5 Plus and Kodak Tri-X.
The 13 frames below were captured with Kosmot Foto Agent Shadow 35mm film at ISO 400 using a Pentax P3n camera and SMC Pentax-A 50mm F2 lens. But I have a secret. All of the images were edited in Adobe Lightroom. I know that some photographers believe (yes, this is about religion) that manipulating a photograph in any way is "cheating" and implies a lack of skill. I call bullshit on this way of thinking.
The fact is that cameras do not see the same way that human beings see. The camera and lens and recording medium (film or digital) cannot capture any subject or scene in the same way the human optical system (a combination of our eyes and brains) witnesses the world. Our brains and eyes have evolved over millions of years to create a perception of the visual world that is uniquely human. Insects, birds, reptiles, and other mammals receive visual data and process and interpret it differently than we do.
Each film stock or camera sensor will process light and shadow differently. The digital processor in a Fuji X-Trans digital camera will not capture and process the light the same way as the sensor in a Nikon Z digital camera. Choosing which film stock to use is a form of processing. A scene captured with Fuji Velvia will not appear the same when captured with Kodak Ektachrome E100. Digital scanners introduce even more processing when a film is developed and scanned. Why is it that when a photographer crops, straightens, colour corrects or darkens parts of an image (a.k.a dodge and burn), it is suddenly not considered "true to life", not real photography?
For a while, I have let this way of thinking infect my mind and ruin my experiences with 35mm film photography. With digital photography, I had let go of it. But this virus re-infected my mind over the last few years of reading various film photography blogs. I won't do this anymore.
When I see 35mm film grain that I do not like, I will remove it using my digital tools. I have inner ear balance issues. My photographs tend to tilt to the left. I will use horizontal correction when I need it. If I need to adjust the shadows and the highlights to make the photograph look better, I will do it. I am 55, and I have had four eye surgeries. My vision is not the best. There are dead spots in my vision and some colours each eye perceives colours differently. I will use whatever digital tools I need to create the world as I see it.
I started making photographs to make me happy and to capture my perspective. If I continue to be a hostage to others' perspectives and opinions on photography, I will not be happy.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to using ALL the cookies. However, this website has no interest in selling your information. It does not explicitly use social media cookies from Facebook, Google, Twitter, Threads, Instagram etc. Read More
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.