Death Has Its Day

 

Pen-FT - Roll 2

 The Day of the Dead events got underway during the weekend with a line of pickups in the Plaza Vieja decked out with ofrendas.  I had the Pen-FT loaded this time with Kentmere 100.  That gave me finer grain images than the 400-speed film of the previous roll, though in this instance I think I prefer the deeper tonal range and the enhanced depth of field provided by the faster film.  Too early to make any judgements about those issues, but I think it will be interesting to try some C-41 in both b&w and color.

The obligatory final picture of my cat was made with the F. Zuiko lens wide open at f1.8.

Parade Gloss

I carried along my Olympus XA to the Marigold Parade loaded with Kodak Gold 200.  The rangefinder image is lacking in contrast, so this was not the best choice for shooting in a very fluid environment.  Still, the camera always turns in nice images and I was happy enough with the results.

Kodak Tri-X

I have to confess that one of the main reasons I like to attend the yearly Day of the Dead Marigold Parade in Albuquerque's South Valley is the excuse it gives me to shoot some Kodak Tri-X.  It seems a film ideally suited to this sort of event. I'm always surprised by the fine grain of this fast film which looks good even in big enlargements.  Tri-X responds well to HC110 development, with good contrast and wide latitude which captures detail in shadows and highlights.  It is also pretty economical; the 24-exposure cartridges are just $4.49, and for a dollar more you get 36 at B&H.  I shot two rolls of Tri-X this year in a Pentax ME Super with the SMC Pentax-A f:2.8/135mm.

Parade's End

I had no better results processing Rerapan in Rodinal than I did with HC-110.  Also, the film jammed in the camera near the end of the roll; I had to cut it out in the dark bag and broke the plastic spool in the process.  Given the price-per-roll, that is likely the end of my experimentation with this product.   Still, I tend to like about anything I get out of the Foth Derby.  The camera seems to provide me a portal to a time and experience that would otherwise remain just out of reach.

the color

The auto-exposure, auto-focusing and the wide-angle lens of the Olympus Infinity Stylus make it a good tool for photographing events like the Marigold Parade.  I got less than optimal performance from it because I was rushing around shooting rather indiscriminately as the parade got underway.  I was also surprised when I processed the roll to find a couple of unfocused shots and one that was very under-exposed.  I've been shooting the little Olympus for years, and I think the battery is likely in need of replacement.

Marigolds

Albuquerque's South Valley celebrates the Day of the Dead each year with the Marigold Parade.  This year's celebration took place on the weekend before the national elections.

The last shot is from my Zorki 2C with the Jupiter 12 35mm.  The rest are made with the Pentax Spotmatic and the Mamiya 135mm.