Strolling trough Paris with the Rolleiflex – Kodak Portra 160

Analog, street, Uncategorized

For the first time I had color film with me for the Rolleiflex. One of the first times I shot Kodak Portra 160 too. I had limited myself to black and white because this is easily self-developed at home but not this time. (although I took a bunch of BW film with me too 😉 You have seen those images here)

Disclaimer, these images have been shot in 2019, you’ll notice why.

I think color has an added value in a lot of these images, and as a photographer it is also fun looking for images that benefit from color. I think I look differently when having the mind set to ‘color film’ than to ‘black and white film’. In this aspect I found this an interesting exercise.

The images were lab developed, scanned using my ‘DSLR setup’ (see movie link above) and imported into Adobe Lightroom using the Negative Lab Pro plugin. This software alone is worth an in depth study. I think the images get a sort of vintage feel due to the colors of this particular film. Enjoy!

Strolling trough Paris with the Rolleiflex – B&W

Analog, location, street

some images from last summer.

all taken with the Rolleiflex 3.5 TLR on Ilford film (FP4 and HP5plus)

• too hot for Uber •

• Split interests •

• Follow the guide •

• The Hoop •

• Are we lost? •

• A goodbye moment •

• The gang •

• Tagging on command •

Soon I will post some images of Paris in colour, taken on Kodak Portra 160, a première in my film-photography career! Stay tuned.

Thanks for watching,

Ludwig

Strolling trough Paris with the Rolleiflex part III – talking about film photography (again)

Analog, street, Uncategorized

no I haven’t been to Paris recently, so these images are, well, from a while ago (late 2017), I have published a single image from this trip already, but here is a more complete set. All taken with the Rolleiflex 3.5 TLR, in dark and difficult light this time (interior, winter, …)

What is it that convinces me to shoot film from time to time? I talked about this before, but here’s one other reason, I started thinking about it listening to an vlog about Photokina, and how this is all about gear and how the big brands have missed the revolution on the mirrorless camera’s and now need extra marketing efforts (and lies) to get to pace with the competition etcetera, etcetera. … (Michael Zelbel from goodlightmag)

when shooting analog it makes me feel that I am not running into this treadmill of commercial marketing ‘have to sell’ rush that the mainstream photography world has become since it became a mass-product. Look at the average photography magazine on the book store shelf. Half of the pages will be about new gear that has reached the market, how the latest gear has reached new levels of ‘better’ since the last best camera. How it will improve your photography, become an extension of your eye, and even bring you the ultimate shooting experience. blah blah blah, I have been in marketing for a while myself … The other half will be divided in ‘how to’s’ on the use of the latest software updates to make that perfect camera shot even better, or how to use the latest lighting gear to enhance your vision and creativity. Duh. … If you are lucky, there is a small section in the magazine that will cover large exhibitions, and maybe some portfolio’s from photographers (a couple of pages from the 100+ total number of pages)

I am sure that the Rolleiflex came with its own sauce of marketing blahblah at the time it was launched, but that’s a long time ago and I’m not bothered with it. Even now, new film camera’s are still made, but have you ever seen an add for one? They don’t really push, they wait till you go looking for them and then you’ll find them.

I shoot this antique Rolleiflex camera, with black and white 120 film that exists for ages now, and no accessories. When I use it, I simply can not feel the need to rush to get my images on the web (FB, Insta, … ) because that is literally impossible, with the film needing to be developed. I don’t get stressed on having to recharge batteries, because it has no batteries. I do not have to decide which lens or focal length to use, because it comes with a fixed focal lens that is not removable. I even don’t have to decide to shoot horizontal or vertical, because the image format is square. I can allow myself to just observe my environment, look at what people do, try to capture moments, details, … that come to my attention. If I miss a shot because my gear isn’t up to date, well I missed it, maybe I will be lucky next time. …

long live simplicity (maybe I’m getting old 😉 )

The pictures, with a little word, so you can find out where I’ve been strolling.

107 cubic inches, this one has been published before on my blog. Waiting for service at the Harley-Davidson shop in Boulevard Beaumarchais.

the queue for the Irving Penn exhibit that ran in the Grand Palais in Paris

part of the exhibit on Irving Penn

preparing for a kite flight on the Esplanade des Invalides

taking a break from cooking – the chef at Café de Mars – Rue du gros Caillou

plagiarism at Fondation Louis Vuitton

smooth curves architecture by Frank Ghery (Fondation Louis Vuitton)

people enjoying the audio-installation at Fondation Louis Vuitton

Me taking a self portrait at Fondation Louis Vuitton

time to prune the plants maybe? – artisan fleuriste at Rue Vieille-du-Temple

cheers, hope you come back here soon.

If you want to see more images taking with the Rolleiflex in Paris, look here

If you want to re-read a previous article about shooting on film, this is the place: shooting film

cheers,

Ludwig

107 Cubic Inches

Analog, Personal Pictures, street

well yeah, next to beauties of the human race, I also tend to have a certain adoration for mechanical beauties. …

Early november I was strolling the Paris Boulevard Beaumarchais, to look for camera shops, both secondhand an new, to see if I could find some information on view camera’s and to look out if there was something else that interested me, when I came across the Harley dealership situated in this same boulevard. I’m not especially fond of this particular brand of motorbikes, but the boulevard seems to have almost as much motorcycle dealerships as it has camera stores. I happen to like both equally 🙂 . I am however quite charmed about the beautiful finish of the Milwaukee brand, with the chrome, the air cooling fins, the valve push rods and so on. This is mechanics and beauty, and it expresses both power and lifestyle.

I just snapped a small detail of just a random bike parked outside, probably a customer’s bike, before or after servicing. It is in that understanding not polished and it has some weather marks on the chrome, let’s say it’s alive.

I took this picture with my Rolleiflex TLR, probably older than the history of the ‘low rider’ Harley Davidson model. Square frame image format, which I like the best. Image shot on Kodak T-Max 400 film, developed in Ilfotec 29 developer.

For the noobs, 107 cubic inches is the cylinder displacement volume of this particular engine, or 1753 cc, in other words, this is a big engine for a motorbike. It has plenty of torque, and as we now from H-D, “more than enough” horsepower.

thank you for watching and reading, come again soon, I have other images from Paris that I would like to show you.

Ludwig

Strolling trough Paris part II – shooting with the Rolleiflex

Analog, street

this is from a while ago.

Visiting Paris is something I love a lot. I have been there many times now, and I feel no real urge anymore in visiting particular places or monuments, and I enjoy more and more just being there, and observing people, looking at things happening, or seeing things being just things.

Documenting with the old Rolleiflex helps me being a more attentive observer. Trying to shoot whatever presents itself is a challenge, but is also fun and maybe a bit contradictory, a very relaxing thing to me. It is a mixture of being an observer, and in a certain way being part of the city life.

Next to this, it is also a way to get socially engaged in a certain way. I get many conversations when shooting with this old camera, from people interested in what camera it is, how it works, if it is still able to find film etcetera etcetera. I try to go unnoticed, but that is difficult sometimes, and I don’t mind.

All shot on Rolleiflex 3.5 and Kodak TMax 400/100 film.

thank you for passing by.

Ludwig

Strolling trough Paris with the Rolleiflex – Part I

Analog, Personal Pictures, street

we love Paris,

this means, Nathalie and I often go to Paris, and the more we go, the less we prepare our visit. We started using the ‘Vélo’lib’ bycicle’s (the city’s own public bycicle’s), an ideal means of transportation if you are not too scared to move along the traffic. (which can be ‘busy’ at moments)

this allows us to travel criss-cross, without limitations of public transports, and with the advantage of staying above surface (unless metro, which also has good service in Paris, but tucks you away underground).

I decided not to take a digital camera with me, and only look for opportunities with the twin lens Rolleiflex I have. It makes you less visible as a photographer, because you have a completely different body attitude (bent over looking from top into your camera) so people don’t notice you as much as they would when photographing with a reflex camera.

a first series of images I thought worth looking at:

– (try to) follow the bride –

– Georgio Moroder is coming to town, but the letter spacing needs some fine tuning –

– Fondation Louis Vuitton –

– a book worth reading –

Rolleiflex 3.5 TLR with Ilford Delta 100 Pro film.

thank you for watching, see you soon for some more images

ludwig

Paris strolling

Personal Pictures, street

I had the chance to finish these summer holidays with a 4 day leisure weekend in Paris, together with my wife.

We normally carry our bikes on this kind of city trip, and this time it was no different. We remembered well from 7 years ago that biking trough Paris was ok, except for the weather (last time we did it it rained four consecutive days).

We had better luck this time, with four sunny days, only a bit of rain one evening.

We had no special plans for this holiday, except seeing Paris not the tourist way, but just enjoying what we get to see, and trying different routes than the Champs-Elysees or visiting the Eiffel tower. So we just rode our bikes trough the city, with no particular plan.

We enjoyed the calm of the Père-Lachaise Cimetary and the charming buzz in the Rue Saint-André des Arts, we went to Bois de Boulogne, came back trough La Défense business centre, had some really nice food just down the hill of Sacré-Cœur, enjoyed seeing the ships go trough the Canal Saint-Martin, the small streets of Le Marais and the marketplace on Boulevard Richard Lenoir.

Enjoy the images, I hope you can feel some of the atmosphere in these places shine trough.

For those interested, all images taken with the Sigma 50 mm 1.4 DG, on my Canon 5D mark II.

thank you for watching, come again soon.

Ludwig

Paris Highlights II

Personal Pictures

Last weekend I was in Paris again, for a short break of one and a half day.

I was there with the family, and we strolled around a lot. my kids got to see the Moulin Rouge, place Pigalle, the Sacré Coeur with place du Tertre, we visited an exhibition at the Institut du Monde Arabe, we saw the Panthéon, the Jardin the Luxembourg, visited the Tour Montparnasse and we walked a lot!

I’m not so much into the classical pictures of monuments and all, but couldn’t resist to include some of them. I love the city atmosphere and the typical details you get to see in Paris.

Imagine a gray overcast sky, chilly but not cold, horns tooting everywhere, and the constant chatter of the Parisians.

I hope you get a feeling of being there, at least a little.

All pictures taken with Canon 5D II and Canon 50mm 1.4. All images can be clicked for a bigger version.

Parisians love dogs, apparently. There’s dogs on every quay, in every park.

The institute of the Arabic World held an exhibition on the stories of 1001 nights. This was a listening area, where one could sit down in almost complete darkness and listen to the spoken versions of the stories. Next is the facade of the building, and a metal sculpture.

Nightlife in front of the Sacré Coeur chirch, and then down towards the place Pigalle. Made me think of the movie ‘Midnight in Paris’.

The banks of the Seine, with the Notre Dame, and next the Panthéon, the Jardin de Luxembourg and the magnificent view from the Tour de Montparnasse. No queue, and I believe it to be cheaper than the Eiffel Tower.

The woman felt my presence. She suddenly looked back at me.The ambiance in the restaurants and food almost as good as in Belgium. 😉

Paris Highlights

Personal Pictures

I was in Paris last week, for only one day, but I had some time to make some pictures in the afternoon/morning I was there. Some of the better ones:

A dog is a dog, even on the Champ de mars

running trough wonderful colors

Photographing around the Eiffel tower.

500 on the banks of the Seine.

Entering the darkness of a long winter night.

We Belgians did it again. Strike on the railroads in Belgium, so no train got to Brussels. Luckily I booked from Lille so I got home at the scheduled time.

thank you for reading. Remember, next thursday, I’ll post the third and final part of ‘the mansion shoot’

ludwig desmet

beauty and fine art photography

Paris

Strolling trough Paris with the Rolleiflex – Kodak Portra 160

Strolling trough Paris with the Rolleiflex – B&W

Strolling trough Paris with the Rolleiflex part III – talking about film photography (again)

107 Cubic Inches

Strolling trough Paris part II – shooting with the Rolleiflex

Strolling trough Paris with the Rolleiflex – Part I

Paris strolling

Paris Highlights II

Paris Highlights