Film | MiKS Media Photography

We all need a break

by Mac Sokulski | Sep 29, 2017 | Film, People, Urban

Sometimes we all need a break. Since I started shooting exclusively with film cameras at the start of this year, I was focusing on what I usually do, landscape and nature. I found that limitations of film and old cameras, self developing and scanning, forced me to look at the world differently. Every image requires more thought, more “seeing”, as my friend Olaf Sztaba would say. So it I was very grateful when another good friend Mark Reierson setup a meeting to photograph people in Calgary.

Early day, fairly long drive, made short by audio books, and a bit a screw-up with models and make up artists, made for a very interesting day. Whole day was spent wandering the streets of Calgary, and just making photographs. Slow and deliberate. Trying hard to create something interesting, to visualize something interesting.

I find that using film made me realize how important each frame, each photograph is. Everything becomes more focused, more deliberate. It’s quite refreshing. Hope you enjoy these images.

Fading Light: The Film Adventures

by Mac Sokulski | Sep 8, 2017 | Film, Landscape, Nature

As the film adventure progresses, I find myself more accepting and creating images that I would usually not create. I’m talking about the fact that film has a set speed. I cannot increase the ISO because the conditions require me to. I’m dependent on the film that is inside the camera. I’ve learned that having ISO 100 film in the camera is great for normal daylight photography, but during sunset, or right after the light fades rather quickly, and the ISO 100 is not sensitive enough, and it definitely requires a tripod, or very steady hands. As some of these images show, I had neither.

This is the time where mind goes into an experimentation mode. What makes this a little more challenging is the fact that on a film camera you cannot preview images, and see if your experiment worked. You just have to trust your instincts. I was hoping that, the images I experimented with would work, and they did. After developing the film (that process is getting easier and more of routine with every roll), I was very happy to discover that the images came out the way I intended.

Shooting with film on old cameras, has it set of challenges. I think that overcoming those challenges, makes you a stronger, better photographer. You have a different set of decisions to be had before leaving. You have a different set of questions to ask yourself, while on location. A set of challenges that cannot be solved with your camera. For now the Big Film Adventure continues. Enjoy!

Taste of Edmonton 2017 the Film Story

by Mac Sokulski | Jul 25, 2017 | Film, People, Urban

As Kasia was saying in the previous post about Taste of Edmonton and street photography. We both not street photographers at all. Even though Kasia, still thinks I’m better at it, I would like to disagree with that statement. Real street photographers like Antonio Rosario from Switch 2 Manual, or Olaf Sztaba , are definitely someone to emulate, but me and Kasia are just opportunistic photographers.

We had a chance to attend the annual Taste of Edmonton. Its a gathering of restaurants where you can purchase bite size dishes. As always it’s always full of people, so one would think a perfect time to practice street photography, which is a foreign to me as the surface of the moon. Still having excellent photos of Antonio, and Olaf, and my good friend Mark in mind, I loaded the little Minolta Autocord with some film and went in search of images. Since most of street photography I have seen is in black and white, I thought I would be presumptuous, and add a little color to it.

The whole experience left me nervous, and afraid. Good thing the little medium format, twin reflex camera, from the late 50’s was an ice breaker. People would, if not stare openly, actually ask about it. This resulted in conversations, but not a lot of images, unfortunately. Still I tried my best to emulate, and “see” like all my friends mentioned above, would. Well I tried, and here are some results from that little outing.

The color film was Kodak Portra 160, and the black and white is the Kodak Tri-X 400.

Enjoy!

Chasing Bison with an old Russian

by Mac Sokulski | Jul 18, 2017 | Art, Film, Landscape, Nature

It’s funny, how I almost cured myself of digital GAS, and how quickly I fell for the analogue GAS. It’s really easy to forget about actual photography, when scouring eBay for old cameras. The amount of old film cameras is just staggering. The prices are decent for the most part, although so old cameras fall into the “collectible” or “famous” category, which drives their prices through the roof. I try to keep to the cheap side. This also has it’s pitfalls, specially when it comes to lenses. I learned the hard way, that Vivitar lenses, although some can be had for real cheap, in great condition, are usually absolute shit. Having an Olympus and Minolta systems, it’s best to stay within the manufactures lenses. They maybe a bit more expensive, but they are worth it. This brings me to a absolute star. The Kiev 6C. After it came back from repairs to correct the film spacing issue (which I mentioned before in another post.) I took it out for more fun. This time I paired the medium format with a 35mm Olympus.

Creating images with film is both frustrating, and freeing. Knowing that there is a limited number of frames available in the camera, I have to be absolutely sure that the image I want to capture is THE image I want to capture. Gone are the days of snapping willy nilly just because something looked somewhat interesting. Now it’s all focus focus focus, wait wait wait, and decide not the press the shutter.

I find it really hard to switch my mindset of digital photography, to film. Not only I cannot preview the images, I have to make sure I know which film I’m using so I can adjust the way it’s being exposed. Each film has it’s own characteristics, which I have to take into account while creating an image. We take that for granted in the digital world. We forget that there is no AutoISO, that if exposure is not right, we can quickly adjust and shoot again. We all worry about digital noise…. let me tell you, go shoot Agfa Vista 400, and I promise, you will not care about digital noise anymore.

Yes, this film adventure is frustrating at times. Full of dust and pet hairs which appear out of nowhere when scanning images. Fingerprints, bent film stock, development temperatures, and at times like these I really want to dump everything and go back to my favorite little Fuji camera. Is it making me a better photographer? I honestly don’t know. I think it’s making me a more careful photographer.

Here are some images from the Bison trip to Elk Island one glorious evening. Enjoy!

Looking for spring with Kodak Ektar

by Mac Sokulski | Apr 10, 2017 | Film, Landscape

My decision to shoot everything with old film cameras this year, still makes my wife shake her head. I’ve been asked by friends, why do I want to create images strictly on film. The interesting thing is, I don’t know. Is it because I’m tired of perfect images coming out of digital cameras? Or maybe it’s the need to slow down, learn patience and enjoy the whole manual process of creating an image. Or maybe, like Kasia said one day, I’m in my midlife crisis. She could be onto something there…. since I can’t afford a sports car.

What ever the reason may be, I’m really enjoying my self. I’m liking the fact that I have to work with the camera to create a decent image. I enjoy testing different film stock, and learning the process of working with each. Seeing the results, and accepting the fact the old lenses on the Olympus system are not the best, not the sharpest, and the each film stock has grain, lots and lots of grain. Learning to accept the color variations between film stock, and the fact that it sometimes takes me more than a week to finish off the roll of film, even though I know there are some killer images hidden inside.

These images were taken about a week ago, when we were chasing early spring storms. I was testing a roll of Kodak Ektar 100. After getting the images from the developer, I fell in love with Ektar. The rendition of color is absolutely stunning. Just have a look yourself.

Alberta Country on Celuloid

by Mac Sokulski | Mar 17, 2017 | Film, Landscape

Starting my year project of shooting only film is slowly taking shape. I’m starting to collect different film stock, to see how each behaves, and finally settle on one that I like the most. So far I used Fuji Superia 400, Agfa Vista 400 and little bit of Kodak Potra, Ektar, and Gold. Right now I’m shooting with Fuji and Agfa, just because they are easiest to obtain. One thing I can tell that these have a very similar look, and work very similarly. They both like to be a little over exposed to produce good effects. If they are a little underexposed they have a tendency of showing big fat grain, that makes the images almost unusable.

Buying film in Canada can be an adventure in frustration. Amazon has some, but usually from 3rd party sellers with absolutely outrageous prices. Almost no one locally carries any color film stock. Getting it from US, is dealing with unfavourable exchange rate, and insane shipping prices. This is for 135mm film, don’t let me start on the 120mm film, and large format is even crazier.

On this little trip into Alberta countryside, I had my Agfa Vista 400. This is the time I figured out that this film doesn’t like to be under exposed, but that was after the roll was finished and developed. Good this I remembered to take notes during shooting. Talk about slow down. Strangely I quite like it. It makes me focus more on the objects I’m photographing, and then writing down all the settings for said picture, teaches patience. I have become what I’ve been making fun for years on the Shutter Time podcast… a masochist.

Now the next step in the evolution is to learn to develop color film at home…