*Again, the Temple*
Leica M6 + Ferrania P30
Tin Hau Temple is an endless source of inspiration for me. In the late afternoon on sunny days it’s just fantastic. Here I particularly like the incense smoke highlighted against the darkness of the entrance.
*Urban Shack*
Leica M6 + Ferrania P30
There’s an industrial zone in Kennedy Town that stores barrels and bamboo poles in massive quantities, and it’s an area I like to go to for a wander. When I last strolled around there I noticed this little shack that I quite liked against the backdrop of the scrapers.
*Triangular Colonnade*
Leica M6 + Ferrania P30
There’s a ugly brick building just outside the Star Ferry pier that is surrounded by these half covered colonnades. When the light hits in the right way though, it’s a fantastic alignment with super high contrast. I’m not the first one to shoot this and I won’t be the last but I really like this spot.
*Hard Shadows*
Leica M6 + Ferrania P30
Knowing P30 was supposed to be a contrasty film, I looked for high contrast scene, and these signs in front of the Tin Hau Temple, harshly lit by the afternoon sun fit the bill nicely. I really like the end result, not only the sharpness of the sign and shadows, but the was the grey wall behind resolves with a little nice grain.
*Kennedy Town*
Leica M6 + Ferrania P30
I’ve been in a mood to try new things these last few months, and that includes film stocks I never tried before. I read a bit about the trials and tribulations of Ferrania in their attempt to revive film stocks from the 60s and 70s in Italy and when Camera Film Photo announced they had a limited quantity of Ferrania P30 available, I purchased two rolls. P30 is a high contrast 80 ISO black and white stock and I must say I like the results a lot. This week I’ll be sharing my best P30 shots.
*Peel St. Shrine*
Fuji GW690iii + Cinestill 50D
At the top of the lower portion of Peel St. just below Staunton Rd. there’s a little shrine that I’ve always found beautiful. I took advantage of a decent afternoon light and a tripod to shoot this photo. I took a couple of shots, one at f/4 and one at f/11. As an illustration that my 135 reflexes are still strong I assumed f/11 would be end to end sharp, but as you can see it wasn’t. I do like the slight blur on the foreground though, it makes the wisps of incense more of a central fixture.
*Fighting Mold*
Fuji GW690iii + Cinestill 50D
Somewhere in the mid-levels, my friend Matthew showed me a small area of narrow stairwells and streets where the sun does not his in the late afternoon, sadly. Still, there were a few rays of golden light here and there although not on this mural. Matthew believes there used to be a martial arts school there, but there no longer is and the mural is slowly getting eaten by mold. I think that makes it look all the cooler…
*Eating Flowers*
Fuji GW690iii + Kodak Portra 400
There a number of interesting murals in the narrow streets of Central, but I’d never seen this one before I went on my first walk with the new 6×9 camera. When I spotted these two girls, I knew I had my shot. It’s the only street shot I did, and then only because I had time to measure my exposure before shooting. I’m really super slow with the GW so far.
*Temple Guards*
Fuji GW690iii + Cinestill 50D
I’ve taken many photos of Tin Hau Temple in the years that we’ve lived just around the corner. There’s a certain charm about it at dusk, when the lanterns are lit and the doors are closed. I thought it would be a good trial of the new camera with Cinestill 50D which gives subdued, pastel colors. What I hadn’t anticipated is that the (fixed) focal length of the 690 wouldn’t let me take the whole scene in. All that’s left is the doors, which still look very cool (I find) but obviously I’ll have to revisit that shot with a different camera.
*Olympic Stairs*
Fuji GW690iii + Kodak Portra 400
A few weeks ago I became aware that the Fuji GW690iii camera was both highly rated and comparatively affordable. When looking at entering Medium Format, that is not a given (to say the least). I had a pending birthday present from my wife, so I went out and got this beast of a camera. It shoots huge 6x9cm negatives. I proceeded to walk around Hong Kong and give the camera a trial run. This is the Olympic Stairs in Causeway Bay, where each step marks where an Olympiad happened. It’s a place I really like, close to where we first lived in Hong Kong. I love the amount of detail as well as the subtle drop off in depth of field.
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