Tag Archives: Brooklyn Bridge
9/11 Tribute in Lights on Color Slide Film
Last week I posted a 9/11 Tribute in Lights photograph taken on Fuji Neopan Acros 100 black and white film. Here are two shots from the same evening, one taken with the Olympus using Fuji Provia 100 slide film, and one taken with the Toyo 4×5 also using Fuji Provia 100 film.
The 35mm picture was a shorter exposure (only 60 seconds).
New York City 9/11 Tribute in Lights, Lower Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridge, 35mm Fuji Provia Slide Film
This was the same exposure ( 120 seconds) as the Neopan Acros 100 black and white film.
New York City 9/11 Tribute in Lights, Lower Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridge, 4×5 Fuji Provia Film
I much prefer the black and white image. In fact, I just had this black and white version scanned (605MB file!) to make prints.
NYC Tribute in Lights, Brooklyn Bridge, and Lower Manhattan, Fuji Neopan Acros 100 for Prints
9/11 Tribute in Lights Long Exposure on Fuji Neopan Acros 100 4×5 Film
I hadn’t planned on taking any pictures of the 9/11 Tribute in Light this year, but it was gorgeous last night and I did have my 4×5 film holders loaded. It’s always interesting to see how many people are crowded along the East River to get a view of the tribute lights come on at dusk. This year I got there at 6:45 and there were hundreds of people waiting. All of my normal shooting spots were already lousy with tripods, so I walked around looking for a nice vantage point, finally settling in by Jane’s Carousel. It’s a moving experience looking at those lights surrounded by the buildings of Lower Manhattan. This year it felt good to see World Trade Center One at its full height (minus the spire) just north of the Tribute in Lights.
I shot a few sheets of Fuji Neopan Acros 100 and a handful of Fuji Provia 100 transparencies while I was there, as well a dozen or so frames with the Olympus OM-1. I haven’t taken my color film to the lab yet, but I did wake up early this morning to develop the B&W shots.
This one is my favorite, because of the looping helicopter light trails in the sky.
9/11 Tribute in Light Long Exposure on Fuji Neopan Acros 100 4×5 Film Developed in Ilford DD-X
You can view a very large version of this in my Flickr Photostream.
This shot was a 2 minute exposure at f22 and developed in Ilford DD-X (1+4 dilution) at 20C for 11 minutes. There’s very little documentation for Fuji Neopan Acros 100 in sheet format, especially with DD-X so I’ve had to experiment a bit with times. From a recommendation on APUG, I initially tried it at 1+9 dilution and 22C for 9 minutes. The negatives were a little thin, so I did some very unscientific comparisons of 120 and sheet film times on the Massive Dev chart. I think for now, I’ll stick with this diltuon and time for Fuji Acros in 4×5 format.
I’ll upload some color pics in a few days.
Film Testing: Brooklyn Bridge Long Exposure with Kodak Portra 400 4×5 Sheet Film
Here are two of the four sheets of Kodak Portra 400 that I shot recently on my Toyo 45AII large format camera. I had received a box of Portra 400 for Christmas and was curious how it would handle long exposures. I normally like B&W for these types of shots, especially the foolproof Fuji Neopan Acros 100, but as I said curiosity got the best of me. I was also a little annoyed that the Kodak data sheet for 45 Portra read: “No filter correction or exposure compensation is required for PORTRA 400 Film for exposures from 1⁄10,000 second to 1 second. For critical applications with longer exposure times, make tests under your conditions.”
Super helpful, Kodak. Thanks! So you didn’t test the film for anything longer than 1 second? You would rather let the consumer make their own tests (which I agree to some extent makes sense)? It is discouraging that a box of 10 sheets of Kodak Portra 400 costs about $30 and each sheet is $3-6 to develop depending on which lab you use. Mine is only $3, so my testing consisted of loading two film holders with four sheets of film and blowing $24 in fifteen minutes.
Yes, I’m being a little hard on Kodak. However, Fuji and Ilford do a fantastic job of documenting the change needed in exposure (due to reciprocity failure) for times longer than 1 second. Kodak should do better.
Anyway, I shot four sheets from my usual test location (in Dumbo underneath the Manhattan Bridge looking at the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan) for long exposures and didn’t see a bit of difference. The first shot was 8 seconds for f22, but I gave it 15 seconds as a starting point.
The second one was taken right after the first and I gave it 30 seconds. I couldn’t tell a difference between the two.
I repositioned my tripod slightly for the second film holder and repeated the meter reading. As it was getting darker, the reading called for 15 seconds. I exposed one sheet for 45 seconds and the other for 90 seconds just to see if it would matter. It didn’t, both negatives were pretty much the same.
Here’s the 45 second exposure at f22.
The bottom line is that Kodak Portra 400 handles long exposures nicely. I got great results between 15 seconds and 90 seconds. Some of that was obviously due to the rapidly changing light conditions, but as its been well documented, this film is VERY versatile and forgiving. I wouldn’t hesitate to use Kodak Portra 400 for exposures between 1 second and 90 seconds. Next time I would probably just give the shot double the time that the meter reading calls for. Please note, this was in no way a scientific method. I didn’t keep notes, but I recall the exposure times and which film holders were which times. For critical paid use, I guess I would do as Kodak suggests and “make tests under your conditions.”
Long Exposures on a Rainy Night: Brooklyn Bridge Edition
Last night I took my Hasselblad and Toyo 45AII to the Brooklyn Bridge. It was cold and rainy, but my new camera bag made it much easier to carry all that gear.
Medium ALICE Pack
I remember using an ALICE (All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment) pack back in my military days and thought it just might make a good bag to carry my gear in. It’s actually perfect (and super cheap!). I put two lenses in two of the three outside pockets. The other pocket held my focusing loupe, light meter, and flash light. Inside my Toyo 45AII, five film holders, and my Hasselblad 501cm fit perfectly. Now I just need to find a better way to carry my tripod.
The bridge still had a good amount of pedestrian and bike traffic, but the rain held off most of the usual crowd. Using the 4×5 camera on the bridge was interesting. I had a lot of onlookers and people asking questions. I let a German family look through the ground glass and they got a kick out of that.
I developed the film last night in Kodak Xtol Developer 1+1 solution. I haven’t noticed much of a difference between undiluted Xtol solution and a 1+1 solution, so I’ve switched to using the 1+1 to make my developer soltion last twice as long.
Long Exposure of Flowing Traffic on Brooklyn Bridge, Fuji Neopan Acros 100
Long Exposure of Brooklyn Bridge Tower, Fuji Neopan Acros 100
There was a woman walking very slowly with an umbrella, so she did show up as a ghostly image on this exposure. I kind of like it.
Long Exposure of Brooklyn Bridge Tower in Mist, Fuji Neopan Acros 100
Same shot, but without the woman with the umbrella.
Long Exposure of Traffic Flowing on Water Street from the Brooklyn Bridge, Fuji Neopan Acros 100
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Kate and I finally visited the new Brooklyn Bridge Park right across the river from us. I took the Nikon and the Leica. These are from the Nikon D90 with a Sigma 30mm f1.4 lens.
Kate on Bench with Brooklyn Bridge as backdrop, Brooklyn, NYC
Brooklyn Bridge Park with Lower Manhattan in the background
The National Building, Brooklyn Bridge Park
The Watchtower Building, Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn Banks in Color
Shot with cheap Fuji Superia 400 film right before the B&W roll last week.
Brooklyn Banks, Lower Manhattan, On North Bank
Brooklyn Banks, Lower Manhattan, Arches on South Wall
Brooklyn Banks, Lower Manhattan, Arch Sign
Brooklyn Banks, Lower Manhattan, South Wall Ramp/Rail
Brooklyn Banks, Lower Manhattan, Close Up of Rail
Brooklyn Banks, Lower Manhattan, Central Grinding Rail
Brooklyn Banks, Lower Manhattan, Central Box
Brooklyn Banks, Lower Manhattan, North Stairs
Brooklyn Banks, Lower Manhattan, South Wall Detail
First Roll of Film Developed and Scanned
I’m mostly happy with this first roll and happy with the camera and lens. I need more experience with the camera and home developing obviously, but this is a good start. I picked up a film scanner as well, so I don’t have to send the negatives out for scanning. Here are a handful of shots.
On the corner of Wall and Water Streets, Financial District, NYC
Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges from South Street Seaport, NYC
Fire Lane, South Street Seaport, NYC
Toys in Window, South Street Seaport, NYC
Sleeping, South Street Seaport, NYC
Playing around with focus and achieving a nicely blurred grain.
LOVE the grain that you get with film.
Brooklyn Bridge
I’ve been obsessed with the Brooklyn Bridge for years.
I’ve read a few histories about the difficulties and lost lives during construction, admired pictures of it from afar, got married to Kate in its shadow almost five years ago, but nothing prepared me for having it as a neighbor.
I park our car (anyone wanna buy a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid?) just past the bridge and have to move the car for street sweepers twice a week. We ride the bus under it daily. But I never get tired of looking up at it… I love the way it stretches over to the more modest Brooklyn skyline. I love running over the bridge into Brooklyn and returning back facing the towering buildings of Lower Manhattan as a backdrop.
One early morning during a NYC vacation years ago and before Kate was a runner, I ran over and back the bridge by myself. To a kid from the Midwest the bridge and the view of Manhattan was almost overwhelming. It humbled me deeply. This spring when Kate and I ran over it for the first time together, I told her on the way to the Brooklyn side, “Don’t look back until we turn around.” I wanted her to be surprised and awed by that view like I was years before.
Now that view and this bridge is a part of my daily life. It doesn’t humble me anymore. It reminds me of greatness. It inspires me everyday. 