Today’s piece comes from Sikandar Rana. Sikandar shares a place that is close to his heart and how he has interacted with that place through creating images, both snapshots of daily life and deliberate, time-consuming photo creation. As Sikandar takes us on his move from London to Guildford, we understand his appreciation for simplicity both in the city in which he resides as well as the simplicity in his Olympus XA2.
Reader Excerpts allow those who read Now Developing to become part of the collective by sharing a written piece alongside their images on a topic of their choice. If you have any ideas for a piece and would like to have it featured here, feel free to contact me!
Guildford on an Olympus XA2, Written by Sikandar Rana (Instagram, Website)
The town of Guildford, in Surrey holds a very special place in my heart, in that it was the first time that I ventured outside my London home to live away from it for a significant period of time. This time spent living away from home was due to the commencement of my degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Surrey. The jump from bustling London to a relatively quiet, serene town was quite a shock, but wore off after the first few months.
I stayed in Guildford for four 9 month periods, one for each year of my course, with the remaining three months of each year being spent back in London. Despite my initial fears, there seemed to be no shortage of things to both see and do around campus and the local area, from attractions such as Guildford Castle to the multitude of events organised by the friends I’ve come to know throughout my degree.
In addition to the places in and around campus that I deemed worthy to document, a few images in my collection also capture the first time that I had lived in rented private sector accommodation. This was the case during my fourth year, having lived in university accommodation during the three years prior.
I’ve been practising photography on and off for about 5 years now, but it wasn’t until the last two years of my degree that I began taking film photography seriously. What began as an attempt to document the antics of those friends of mine who I wouldn’t have seen as frequently once I’d completed my degree blossomed into so much more during those final two years of university.
Like many other advocates of film photography, I came for the visually pleasing output of most film stocks, and stayed for the way shooting film slows one down and makes their photography more deliberate.
I brought the Olympus XA2 that all of these images were taken on in my final year of university, with most of my prior photography being done using digital cameras. I wanted a small, compact way to shoot film day-to-day without sacrificing quality and the signature “look” that film is known for. I also have a Pentax ME Super, but that is usually used when I go out with the intention to take photos, and is much better suited to the slower, more deliberate types of photos that I shoot when I go out with this purpose in mind. Both cameras were bought from eBay, and have served me very well, being as reliable as can be.
I started shooting colour film initially, having being drawn to the pleasing examples of different film stocks posted all over the Internet. Due to the low cost of Fujifilm Superia 200 and Kodak Colorplus 200, those were the two main film stocks that this series of photos were taken on. I bought the rolls of film used for the series from a combination of Boots and London Camera Exchange outlets found in Guildford’s town centre.
London Camera Exchange in particular turned out to be a treasure trove of film and photographic equipment, and I’ll definitely be stopping by to pick up a few rolls next time I find myself in the area. The rolls of film were developed and scanned at the same Boots outlet that some of the rolls were bought from. Thank you ever so much for reading my insight of Guildford through the lens of my XA2, and happy shooting!
Part of the Process is a series of posts that puts the spotlight on film photographers and DIY film developers. These features provide unique experiences and perspectives on shooting and developing film while also showcasing diverse talent and film photographers around the globe. If you are interested in being featured, feel free to contact me!
What other websites or blogs do you keep up with to feed your photographic interests?
Petapixel, Lomography, ishootfilm, and Matt Day on Youtube.
What attracted you to film photography? How did you get started/introduced to shooting film? How soon after did you start developing?
I never really was interested in photography, I was more into music during my youth. Sometimes, my best friend took his camera to our rehearsals and he shot some pictures of us. What I really liked about that, was that two months later he showed us the shots. I was used to that when I was a kid because of my parents, but seeing this years later fascinated me.
A few months later, I contacted another friend who was into photography, to give me a quick lesson about exposure and all that. He gave me his Pentax and I took some shots. After that it took me almost a year until I purchased my first own 35mm camera. It was a Yashica MG1 that I found at the flea market. I still had some troubles shooting because the exposure was fixed to around 1/60s and I didn’t like rangefinders at the time.
Another two or three months later, an old friend contacted me. His grandfather died and they found his old photo gear in the attic. It was a Canon AE-1 with a 50mm, a 28mm and a 80-200mm. I immediately bought it and I’ve never regretted that decision. I started shooting more and more, mostly landscapes.
But I was still learning, I shot a few rolls who were completely underexposed. I wanted it too fast — so I started to teach myself more about exposures and ISO. After that, I was in a buying rush, everything I saw on flea markets had to be mine. I got into developing at home, because my local development spot charged me about 24€/roll, which was really expensive because I was shooting a lot more by this time.
I started with a Adonal black and white starter set. The next evening, I developed my first roll. The pictures were bad, but the feeling while pulling the film out of the spool was unmatched. Seeing that I nailed it was a great feeling. Half a year after that I started with C41-color development.
What do you like to shoot on a regular basis?
I mostly shoot portraits at the moment. To me, portraits are the best way to capture feelings.
What formats, cameras, and films do you shoot? What do you like about the formats, cameras, films you prefer?
I’m shooting a few 35mm cameras: Canon A1 & AE1 and a Rollei 35s. I use my 35mm for action shots like concerts and skateboarding. They allow to jump in and take the shot because they are a bit more handy. They are more of a snapshot camera to me, if needed.
For medium format, I am using a Yashica Mat 124. I’ve been forcing myself to shoot only with my Yashica Mat 124 this past summer, to learn more about the camera and to slow down a bit more. I’m using this camera mostly for portraits and landscapes. It allows me to think about what I am about to shoot.
I am also shooting Polaroids using a Polaroid EE66. My polaroid camera is just for fun. It is mostly used on evenings combined with drinking with friends.
I’m still looking for my favorite film, but I am currently shooting Kodak Portra series, Ilford HP5, Ilford Delta 400, and Fuji-100.
What types of film do you develop?
C41 and black and white.
Tell us about your first experiences in developing your own film. How did you muster the courage to give it a shot? What resources did you use?
I remember my first roll quite well. It was a 120 roll of Ilford FP+. It was actually kind of a risk. I never did the spooling with a medium format film and I wanted to try this the first time in complete darkness. It took me half an hour until I got the film into the spool and at the end, I wasn’t even sure if it was right. During this half hour I thought “What the fuck? Why am I even doing this? This is nuts! You won’t succeed!”. When I turned the light on, I proved myself correct because I mistook the backing paper for the negative. Beginner fail.
I did some research on the internet and everyone was saying something different. I read many blogs, watched many youtube videos. To be honest, I did not expect any results. So many ways, and so many different times to develop film. I just didn’t know where to start. But when I opened the tank and I saw something, I realized that I did it. I developed my first roll of film!
What is your development process like now?
At first, I’m shooting some rolls until I have enough film in my fridge. After that I start developing. When everything is dry, I start scanning. Mostly with a good beer, because it takes forever. After scanning I’m archiving the rolls.
What’s your processes regarding scanning, enlarging, and/or printing your work?
I scan all film myself with a Canon 9000F Mark II. Not the best scanner in the game, but it’s alright. I’ve bought an enlarger on eBay, did some prints but I didn’t find the time yet to really get into it.
Sometimes I’m developing with friends. These evenings are special to me. We’re both creating something this evening. Drinking a beer during and talk about life. This is something unique that I really enjoy about my process.
What equipment are you using to develop your film and why?
I’m using the paterson beginner set with Paterson 35mm and medium format tank with Adonal black and white chemicals. I’m using the Tetenal C41 for color. I did not choose a special brand, the monetary offer just was simply attractive to me.
Are you content with where you are now with your shooting and developing? Do you have any future plans or ambitions?
I’m still looking for my way in this world. I’m currently trying to improve my development process. I’m also trying to shoot more with models/people I don’t know. That’s something I’m afraid of but I’m ready to try something new. I always learn by doing, so that’s something I have to do.
Have you completed any notable projects or in the process of creating something from the film you have shot and developed?
I just started my first project called a summer on 6×6. The concept is very simple. I shoot my Yashica Mat124 all summer and develop them come Autumn. Maybe I’ll do some prints, or maybe even a book. We’ll see. I have some other projects planned for the coming years.
What advice can you give to others who are interested in shooting and developing film but are apprehensive about getting started?
Try it and don’t be afraid of failing! Failing is normal but you’ll learn from it! You will love it. Take notes, get into you own rhythm, never stop learning, watch youtube videos, try different techniques … Don’t let anyone stress you. Shooting is my way of relaxing. It allows me to slow down in this stressful world 🙂
Part of the Process is a series of posts that puts the spotlight on film photographers and DIY film developers. These features provide unique experiences and perspectives on shooting and developing film while also showcasing diverse talent and film photographers around the globe. If you are interested in being featured, feel free to contact me!
What other websites or blogs do you keep up with to feed your photographic interests?
The Phoblographer, PetaPixel, Film Photographers group on Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest.
What attracted you to film photography? How did you get started/introduced to shooting film? How soon after did you start developing?
Originally, my dad was into photography so as a child it seemed like there were always negatives and prints laying around, and there was always a camera somewhere. I didn’t really get too much into shooting myself until my early 20’s. After a while, film processing was starting to get a bit expensive, so I invested in a good scanner and decided to do it myself with black and white film (at the time, it was the cheapest and easiest thing to do).
What do you like to shoot on a regular basis?
Landscapes, flowers, street, and urban scenes, and also very unusual objects. To find beauty in the mundane is part of what makes photography such a blast of a hobby for me, personally.
What formats, cameras, and films do you shoot? What do you like about the formats, cameras, films you prefer?
I shoot a good mix of both 35mm film and digital. For 35mm, I have a Canon EOS Rebel 2000 that I have used since 1999 for both color and black and white. Not long ago, I inherited a Pentax Spotmatic with assorted lenses (50mm, 100mm, 28mm) purchased by my father while serving in the Marines in Japan in the early 60’s along with a newer Pentax MV with the standard prime 50mm SMC lens. For its historic value I have tried not to use the Spotmatic too much, but I got an adapter ring to use the M42 lenses with the newer K mount, so I am letting the MV be the workhorse camera between the two.
For film there is nothing like the faithful Canon. Although, as of late, I have really enjoyed the Pentax MV. So in terms of preference, it’s a toss up. Manual focusing has proven much more difficult than one might think, but the focusing screen helps a great deal.
Canon Rebel 2000 with 28-55mm // TMax 400
What types of film do you develop?
Traditionally I have always developed Kodak TMax or Ilford films in liquid Kodak TMax developer concentrate, although as of late they charge so much extra shipping for liquids that I have switched to D-76 powder. Man, have I ever been missing out. D-76 is way better in my opinion, but to each their own. I have done that for many years.
Last night, for the first time ever, I developed a roll of C-41 using the most common Unicolor kit sold on several sites. The results were by no means perfect (a second blix may be in order) but still very encouraging and promising, and there is nothing like the feeling of pulling film off your reel and seeing color images. It was an experience that encourages me to try it again and keep going with it. As I told my wife – “that was the best 15 minutes of my photographic life.”
Tell us about your first experiences in developing your own film. How did you muster the courage to give it a shot? What resources did you use?
The first developing experience ever with any kind of film goes all the way back to 1999 when I did my first roll of black and white. There was so much I wanted to try and do and I wanted to be able to shoot my photos, bring them home and work with them without the hassle of making a trip to a lab to get them developed and part with perfectly good cash.
I had practiced loading the reel several times and that helped, though I got in the changing bag and I used a bottle opener to get the film can opened up and I must have fumbled around for an hour to just get it threaded. Lesson learned – cut the film tongue off, it’s much easier to load after that! I got my tank loaded and poured in clear developer mixed from Kodak TMax liquid (at the time I found powder to be very daunting). A few minutes later, I found myself pouring out amber-colored fluid and I was excited — the development must have worked. I went on and rinsed and fixed. The moment of truth came and I pulled the negative off the reel enough to look – and there was an image there! I had done it, and the development had worked flawlessly. I had but to rinse, dry and scan. That was all it took to get me hooked. Digital is nice and very convenient, but there’s still something very enjoyable about the physical aspect of film and chemistry. There’s something nice about having a tangible result of your efforts that can’t be had with digital.
The first experience with color film was actually very recent. For the longest time, I never thought color (C-41 or E-6) was very economical or practical to do at home due to chemistry cost and very short shelf life. More recently, I’ve seen on sites and blogs where people are doing C-41 at home and it actually doesn’t cost very much at all with a very decent shelf life.
I took the plunge and decided to try it on a roll of Fuji Superia ISO 200 film – a WalMart standard and a film that I have had good luck with in the past with pictures. I expected it to smell much worse, but actually there was very little odor left over. It was different working with hot liquids rather than room temperature liquids but it actually was not that much more difficult. My results were by no means perfect – a bit of a brown tinge on some frames and a slightly darker than normal orange mask make me think that a second blix may be in order. But still, the results were not bad at all and I yielded a few good looking positive images. Very promising results and good enough to encourage me to try again and keep going with this. There’s lots of fun and creativity yet to be tapped into with C-41 processing.
What is your development process like now?
1) In the case of film, shoot a roll of the stock of choice in the camera body of choice.
2) If using my Pentax MV, I rewind the film just until I can hear the tongue break away from the spool. Then opening the camera, I have an exposed film leader, so it’s easy to get my reel started in the light and then put it in the bag to get it loaded the rest of the way. In the case of Canon, I shoot it until there’s 1 frame left, then open it up for that same reason. Granted, that’s not the most efficient use of film because a couple of frames do get lost, but that’s a lot easier than doing it all in darkness. Aside from that with sites like ultra fine online there’s no excuse to pay high prices for film and chemistry.
3) After the negatives are dry, I scan in 16-bit TIFF format so I am left with the rough equivalent of a digital camera RAW file and then import it into GIMP, at which time I invert my negative, adjust exposure, fix up the color, desaturate for black and white images, and then export to a JPEG to be sent off to either my Pinterest page or the film photographers Facebook page.
What’s your processes regarding scanning, enlarging, and/or printing your work?
I primarily scan. I have a Pacific Imaging PrimeFilm 1800u scanner that I bought in 1999 that I still use and it still performs quite well. Astoundingly, it’s still available on Amazon. I can scan negatives as transparent images, the reason being that the software along with the scanner is quite old and it’s better to just scan it as is, than use newer software (in my case the latest GIMP version) to invert, color correct (or desaturate), and beautify.
What equipment are you using to develop your film and why?
I have a standard issue changing bag, Patterson universal development tank, D-76 developer and hardening fixer in the case of black and white. I use the Unicolor C-41 kit in the case of color. Additionally, I have some pyrex measuring cups, a graduated cylinder, and a bathroom where it all takes place.
Are you content with where you are now with your shooting and developing? Do you have any future plans or ambitions?
As mentioned, I just began my journey into color development and I really want to keep going with that. I also do not want to give up black and white film and I don’t want to replace film with digital by any means. I think both formats have their own value. I don’t really have business plans. And as far as publishing goes, I would just like my Pinterest board to be seen by anybody who wants to look at it.
What advice can you give to others who are interested in shooting and developing film but are apprehensive about getting started?
In this day and age it’s never been easier or cheaper to get into film photography. Film SLR cameras can be had amazingly cheap (in some cases free if you have older family members that embrace technology and happen to like you). Film, chemistry and development gear are also quite inexpensive and quite fulfilling as well. If you’re apprehensive, there’s really no reason to be!
Today’s feature comes from Daniel Rodriguez. Daniel tells a story from his perspective of a Mexican-American that most likely echoes true to many first-generation citizens. His work as well as his written story make you understand what many people in America go through on a daily basis: floating in the in-between of identifying and understanding their cultural roots while also attempting to solidify their identity as an American citizen. Daniel brings us on his (and his family’s) journey back to Mexico to document the town in which his father emigrated from to find his place in two different countries.
Reader Excerpts allow those who read Now Developing to become part of the collective by sharing a written piece alongside their images on a topic of their choice. If you have any ideas for a piece and would like to have it featured here, feel free to contact me!
Foreign Observer, shot and written by Daniel Rodriguez (Website, Instagram)
Foreign Observer is a photo series that took me three years to complete and is centered on how I was able to reconnect with my cultural roots through photography. When my dad immigrated to the USA over thirty years ago the only sentence he could confidently deliver in English was “One Jumbo Jack and a Strawberry Shake, please.” A few years passed and he became fluent in English, met my mom, got married and, had 3 kids.
My mom was born here in the states, but was a child of immigrant parents and understood the hardships of life in Mexico. My parents wanted my siblings and I to have that same understanding as well as the knowledge of where we came from. Once my dad became a legal citizen in the 90’s, we would take trips down to Mexico as a family every other year. The trips consisted of lots of handshakes with family we had never met, fireworks, and a temporary suspension of my parents’ anti-junk food rules. These trips felt more like a vacation to me than an opportunity to connect with my culture but that all changed once I became a teenager.
I had dealt with an unusual amount of discrimination as a child and was often treated differently by American kids for being “too Mexican” while also be teased by Mexican kids for being “too American”. I never felt like I fit in anywhere and somehow felt like a foreigner in each land. I remember being 13 years old and walking around the streets of Calvillo, Aguascalientes with my dad wondering how different my life would be if I would have grown up here instead of California.
Would I have discovered my passion for art? Oh man, and what about my love for music? What does it really mean to be an American or a Mexican? I promised myself I would go back next year with my family and finally get a grip on where I fit in between these two cultures, but… the events of September 11, 2001 had happened and new international travel laws required passports cross the US/Mexico border. It was going to take a lot of part-time summer job hours earn enough for a passport.
Pretty soon after that my attention shifted to learning photography, the San Diego Punk Rock/Hardcore scene and my turbulent teen years which bled in to my awkward twenties. Before I knew it, over 10 years passed without visiting Mexico.
I returned to Mexico in 2014 with my family in hopes of closing the chapter I started in December 2000 and photographing the experience. I knew I was going to bring my trusty Nikon N80 with my 35mm F2 lens and 28mm F2.8 lens but I couldn’t decide on what film stock to bring. After thinking things over, it seemed best to take a street photograph approach for this project and I convinced myself to use Kodak Portra instead Kodak Ektar (which is usually my preferred color film) in order to benefit from the faster film speed. I had never really shot with Portra and I was immediately dissatisfied with the results of that first trip back.
I wanted make up for my error in judgement and I ended up shooting almost 40 rolls of Ektar after my subsequent trips in 2015 and 2016. It took a couple months to hand develop, scan and edit all the images but it was such a relief to see my images with the punchy colors and contrast that Ektar is famous for. These shots are a direct result of me walking around aimlessly for hours on end and interacting with the city. I stick out like a sore thumb when I walk around and take pictures since it’s such in small town. Between the guava orchards, churches and bars, there isn’t much to do there.
My dad rented a car and took my Mom and I on a drive during one of our last days there. I spotted a corn field and asked him to stop so I can snap a few pictures. I hopped a fence and walked in to a cornfield to shoot the bundles of corn stalks piled together like giant yellow pyramids.
When I came back to the car, an old man was speaking to my dad and I instantly got nervous and thought he was mad at me for being on his property. I introduced myself as I approached him and he asked me which news channel I was shooting for as he shook my hand. I explained that I was not a reporter, but just a photographer from the U.S. and that I’m here to capture the city my dad immigrated from. He was surprised that someone had taken so much interest in this little city and he praised God for giving me the opportunity to document it.
He said to me, “Listen, son. I think it’s a beautiful thing you’re here capturing these landscapes and finding the beauty of this land. Never forget that you’re a part of this land and its yours as much as its mine, or your fathers. Your home exists on both sides of that border and you know why? Look over there… That’s my home. It may be small and it may be simple, but it’s also yours. You are welcome to it at any time. Whether its a glass of water or a bed to sleep in, it’s there if you need it.”
If you would like to purchase this project in print, Daniel is selling the work here.
In my (hopefully deceased) search for the perfect 35mm rangefinder, I decided to pick up a Leica M2. While I already had a Zeiss 35mm f/2 ZM, I felt that I could really benefit from a 50mm focal length. After a bit of reading, I came across the “Japanese Summilux”, or the Canon 50mm f1.4 LTM. While the extra half of stop would be nice, I decided to go with its slower sibling, the Canon 50mm f/1.8 LTM at a fraction of the cost.
To put both the lens and my ability to judge exposure without a meter to the test, I took my M2 with 50mm attached and HP5 loaded and left the light meter at home.
I took my camera to an exhibition hockey game between the University of South Florida Men’s hockey club team and the USA National Women’s Hockey team who are currently on a tour to garner excitement and get a bit of practice in before the Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea later this year.
While shooting a hockey game is typically no easy feat with a dSLR due to the tricky lighting, I found that shooting meterless and on black and white film was definitely a bit more rewarding. Not to mention manually focusing a subject at f/4 that was moving at high speeds. All in all, I was very satisfied with the results.
All images were taken on a Leica M2 with a Canon 50mm f1.8 LTM on Ilford HP5.
dylan barnes | blog 