My first exhibition is coming up!

It has been very quiet on my website lately. Sorry for that. But I have some great news: at the end of January I have my first exhibition!

A few months ago I was asked by Chuck Baker to participate in a group exhibition with him and two other Dutch photographers. I have never had a bucket list, but if I would, this would be one of the items on that list. I said yes, and we started planning.

Chuck had already booked the venue, Kerkje van Persingen, and we met up to check it out. It is a beautiful former church on the outskirts of Nijmegen. 

Next up was selecting the photographs I wanted to show. Over the years I have taken quite a number of pics, and I sorted through them to get to a first selection. Then, both my husband and I made a selection of those and we compared to see which images were overlapping. Luckily, there were several overlaps, and those made it to the final selection. We ended up selecting 14 images.

I scanned several of those photos again, and inspected all of them closely to see if there were any signs of dust or other "dirt" on the scans. Then I sent them to the printer, and ordered frames and mats. Currently I'm in the process of framing the photos, and I must say that seeing them in big print was a bit overwhelming (in a good way!).

I look forward to the exhibition, and I hope I will see some of you there!

Instax and Menorcan stories

I posted a new blogpost to 52 rolls, about some Instax shots I took at home. You can check it out here.

Close up of crocheted scarf (Lomo'Instant Wide and Fuji Instax Wide film)

On Exposure I also posted a story with some photos of my holiday to Menorca in September 2016.

Boats at Menorca (Olympus OM-1n and Agfa Precisa CT film)

New Years resolutions

So, I haven't been very active on my website lately (make that 2016...). That's because I was having a creative block, which kept me from photographing pretty much the whole of 2016. Because I do enjoy photography, and since I want to pick it up again, I am going to do another 52 double exposures project. That means that I will be making a double exposure with my Holga 120CFN each week. The first 12 weeks will be shot on Fomapan 100 iso film (but it was sold as Lomography Earl Grey), and I can tell you already that week 1 and 2 are done.

This is one of the double exposures I shot for the 2015 double exposure project. Holga 120N and Kodak T-Max 100.

Also, I'm going to try and expand it to another 52 rolls project. I did one in 2014, and almost finished it. It was fun for most of the time, and I hope it will inspire me to find the time and photograph more often. Can't promise I will shoot and post every week, but at least I can try, right? The last two weeks I have been out shooting, and today I wrote the first blog post for that project. Hope I can keep it up....

Here's one from week 1 of 52 rolls: my sneakers. (Nikon EM and Kodak Tri-X)

Those are my New Years resolutions for 2017. Wish me luck!

52 Doubles: roll 3, 4 and 5

It has been a while since I blogged here, and since I've shared results from my 52 rolls project. That project was finished in 2015. The rolls were already developed, but I was too busy to share. 

Anyway, here are the results of rolls 3, 4 and 5!

Roll 3: Holga 120N and Kodak E100G, crossprocessed

Roll 4: Holga 120N and Kodak T-Max 100

Roll 5: Holga 120N and Lomography Redscale 100 iso

It was a lot of fun doing this project. Might do something similar for 2017....

Nature challenge Days 2 - 5

I have already fallen behind with the Nature Challenge Marie has given me.... Anyway, here are days 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Foxglove (Holga 120GN with close up lens and CN400 film)

Branches (Lubitel 2 and Lomography redscale film. Double exposure.

Bastei, Germany (Minolta Dynax 505i and Kentmere 400)

Silvery (Minolta Dynax 3xi and Rollei Retro 100)

I will try to do the rest of the challenge as planned.

Nature challenge Day 1

My Facebook friend Marie from Shimmering Grains has challenged me to post a nature photo every day for seven days. For day 1 I have chosen this robin that I photographed in the Amersfoort Zoo. He was not impressed by my zoom lens and he posed for this shot.

Taken with a Sony A55 digital camera.

I'm supposed to challenge another photographer, but I choose not to do so.

52 Doubles: roll 2

Roll 2 from my 52 Doubles project has been shot some time ago. I forgot to blog about it.... Anyway, here are the results from the second roll. Again, I used the Holga 120N, loaded with a roll of Fuji Provia 100 this time.

Like on the first roll, I'm not fond of all the images. I'm happy there are some really nice ones in this bunch though.

Polaroid Week

This year I participated in Polaroid Week for the first time. From April 20 to April 25 I shot and uploaded two instant photos each day to Instagram and Twitter. There is also a Flickr pool where you can upload your photos to, but lately I haven't been into Flickr that much.

Here are my photos for the April Polaroid Week:

Fafi and Koralie (Polaroid One Step 600 and Impossible Project colour film)

Ferris wheel (Polaroid One Step 600 and Impossible Project colour film)

The Pier (Polaroid SX-70 and Impossible Project colour film)

The beach (Polaroid SX-70 and Impossible Project colour film)

Ray loves Day (Polaroid SX-70 and Impossible Project colour film)

I + S = love (Polaroid SX-70 and Impossible Project colour film)

Under the boardwalk (Polaroid SX-70 and Impossible Project colour film)

Tire tracks (Polaroid SX-70 and Impossible Project colour film)

Maple (Polaroid SX-70 and Impossible Project colour film)

Bleeding hearts (Polaroid SX-70 and Impossible Project colour film)

I had lots of fun participating in Polaroid Week. There were many really beautiful photos submitted. A little bird told me that there will be another Polaroid Week in October this year, and I look forward to participating again!

52 Doubles: roll 1

Last year I did a 52 rolls project. Due to some personal stuff I decided not to continue this. However, I thought that 52 double exposures should be doable in 2015. To do so, I bought a Holga 120N. I already had a Holga 120GN and it's one of my favourite cameras. Since I wanted to add another Holga to my collection, a dedicated one for the project seemed like a good idea. I loaded the Holga with Lomography CN100 and shot a double exposure every week.

Here are the results of roll 1:

As you can see, not all of the doubles were a big success. But there are some on this roll that I really like.

Doubles and film swaps

I have been making double exposures and taking part in film swaps for a while now. It's fun to do them, and usually the results are very surprising. Sometimes in a good way, and sometimes a complete failure.... In this blogpost I'll try to explain how to do doubles.

When doing a double exposure you expose the same bit of film twice. When doing a film swap, one person shoots a roll of film, rewinds it, and someone else will shoot it again. Either way, you'll end up with two pictures stacked on top of each other. The success rate depends on a couple of factors. 

Double exposure (LC-A+ and Tungsten 64 film). I first shot the text, and then the street.

Film swap with Brendan a.k.a. Awareofthevoid (Fuji Superia 200). I shot the street art as the first layer. Brendan then shot the second layer at a cemetery.

Underexposure

When doing doubles or a film swap, underexpose both layers. Otherwise you'll end up with an overexposed shot or film. I usually shoot 200 iso film at 400 iso, 100 iso film at 200, etc. On most cameras this is easy to do. Just set the iso manually and you'll be fine. If you do a film swap, inform your swap partner about the underexposure. Not everyone knows this.

Base layer

For the base layer I try to come up with interesting things. In my opinion there are some subjects that work really great as a base layer: text, neon lights, graffiti, structures and patterns such as bricks, tiles and pebbles and heavy contrasts (black and white objects, silhouettes or trees in the woods). Try to avoid too many light or large white objects in your base layer. Anything white will stay white in the second layer. Unless..... you want to play with this.

Double exposure (Holga 120GN and Kodak E100VS). My first layer was the statue with a very light background. My second layer was a shot of love locks on a bridge. It creates a silhouette with a pattern filling. You can see that the locks from the second layer do not show in the almost white sky from the first layer.

Second layer

If I shoot the second layer, I look for bright coloured objects such as flowers and traffic signs. Portraits also work.

Film swap with Stephan a.k.a. Mephisto19 (Lomography Lomochrome 100). Stephan shot his layer at a photography fair, taking a portrait of a friend of his. I shot my layer in a park.

Redscale

Doubles or film swaps work great in combination with redscale fim. Redscale film is difficult to overexpose, and when doing doubles you don't need to underexpose both layers. It is possible to make your own redscale film. My friend Brendan has written a great tutorial about it. I have done several film swaps where one person shoots the normal side of the film (at box speed), turns the film around to make a redscale out of it, and the next person then shoots the redscale side of it. It is often referred to as a "redscale flip".

Film swap with Brendan a.k.a. Awareofthevoid. I shot my layer in a zoo, at box speed on the normal side of the film. Brendan redscaled the film and shot a portrait on the redscale side.

HQME

Redscale film is also very good for making HQME, or High Quantity Multiple Exposures. That means exposing the frame several times. When I do them, I usually expose a frame 15 to 20 times, moving my camera around a little bit.

HQME of the Astronomical clock in Prague (Holga 120GN and Lomography Redscale XR50-200). I made about 20 exposures of the clock on one frame.

Other tips and tricks

Also important: don't underexpose too much. This might result in one of the layers not showing at all. That also goes for shooting in low contrast areas or areas that are too dark. Try to keep your camera horizontal. I have made this error several times in the past. If you use both horizontal and vertical shots during a film swap, the results are usually very messy. If you want to try and line up the film for a film swap, you can use a marker to mark the first frame. That way the next shooter knows how to line up the film. Warning: this does not work for redscale flips, as the entire film gets flipped around.

If you are interested in doing a film swap with me send me an email. I'm always interested! You can also join the Facebook group I've created.

Photography projects

Since the start of the year, I've been participating in a 52 rolls project, where the goal is to shoot a roll (or sheet) of film a week. The project was set up by Urban Hafner. It is lots of fun, although I don't always find it easy to shoot every week. Uptil now I've only missed one week. It is great to see what the other participants are doing.

Another project I did a while ago was the Traveling Yashica project by Hamish Gill. He sent a Yashica T5D across the globe, and every participant has to shoot a roll of film within a week of receiving it. I must say I really enjoyed using the camera, but I would never buy one myself. The results and updates of the project can be found here.

Then there's the Around the world in 72 frames project that John Weeds set up. He has sent a camera, loaded with film, around the world, and every participant will shoot four frames. When all frames are exposed, the roll of film is rewound and shot again. This will end in a series of doubles from all over the world. I'm looking forward to receiving the camera and shoot my part!

At the first of July I'll be starting the Next Best Thing Pinhole project, set up by Herschel Pollard. Every three months the participants will make two pinhole shots focused on landscape and culture in their country. I've been thinking for months about locations and situations to shoot. I'm also looking forward to seeing the results from all over the world. 

And last but not least, there's the Great Transatlantic Pinholga Filmswap project that Moni Smith launched yesterday. She will send her Holga 120PC across the world, along with a roll of film she has already shot. The next participant will shoot the roll of film that is already in the camera and have it developed. After that they will shoot a new roll of film, rewind it and put it back into the camera, so the next pinholer can shoot it. 

Apart from that, I still have some filmswap rolls lying around that I have to shoot as well. If you are interested in joining one of these projects, get in touch with the organizers. Interested in doing a filmswap with me? Get in touch! :)

Cyanotypes

A while ago I wrote a blogpost about learning how to print during my analogue photography course. During that same course, I also learned how to make cyanotypes. Cyanotype is an old way of printing photos, using a mixture of two chemicals that will react to UV light.

If you are interested in this technique, I can recommend a tutorial I found online. It describes the process very accurate. I bought the chemicals online, and mixed them at home. In an arts and crafts shop I bought watercolour paper, and put the emulsion I made on it. I made negatives by inverting black and white images in Photoshop, and printing them onto transparent sheets.

At a thrift shop near my work I found a very cheap but working face tanning UV light. I made a work station at home, by putting the tanning device upside down on two crates, with space underneath to put the prepared paper and negative. I placed the negative on the paper, and put a glass plate on it, before turning on the UV light. The exposure time was guesstimated. The emulsion, which is a bright yellowish green at first, turns to greyish green when exposed to UV light. After exposing it, I rinsed the print in water until the yellow emulsion was gone. 

I enjoyed making them. It is possible to tone them with things like tea, baking powder and peroxide, and I'll experiment with that in the future.

Printing

A few weeks ago I joined an analogue photography course at the Rotterdam SKVR. I had taken courses there before, but all in digital photography. When I read about the Analoog Atelier (analogue workshop), I knew immediately I wanted to go. They offered lots of analogue techniques, such as cyanotypes, printing, developing film, but it's also possible to build your own camera. Because I already knew how to develop, I decided I wanted to learn how to print in the dark room. And that's what I've been doing for the last weeks. 

At first I had some trouble figuring out what I was doing. Dirk and Rens, the teachers, are of great help. The developing of the prints wasn't the issue. I had that figured out in no time. I did have some difficulty in finding the right exposure time, choosing a filter, etc. The second time I printed, I decided to take notes. And that helped me a great deal. I really enjoy printing. The good thing is, that people who take courses at SKVR can also use the dark room at other times. For me, it's a great way to print without having to buy all the equipment. Although a dark room in the house would be pretty awesome....

Here are some of the prints I have made:

Oh yeah; this is what happens when someone turns on the light when you're developing a print...

Dishwasher film

Today I made a fresh batch of dishwasher film. When I posted something about it on Twitter and Facebook, some people asked me what it is, and how it's made. I decided to write a blog about it, to answer these questions and show some examples.

What is dishwasher film?

Dishwasher film is unexposed film that has completed a cycle in the dishwasher. Why would anyone want to do that, you might ask. Well, because it can cause colour shifts, spots and other damage to the film. And that can give some rather surprising results.

How does it work?

It is quite simple, basically. You will need a roll of colour film (or more), a dishwasher and dishwashing liquid or tablets, a blowdryer, a room that is lightproof and running water. 

Put the film in the dishwasher and let it complete a cycle. I usually just put it in with the dishes. After that, take the film out of the canister (in the dark) and rinse it in water (also in the dark). Then take the blowdryer and dry the film. I usually start at the canister, and roll the film back in the canister bit by bit. During the drying, I feel carefully if the film is drying, before I roll it back. When the film is wet, it's really curly. That can make it difficult to dry it at first, and drying the film takes time. Remember to not roll it back into the canister completely. I usually leave the rolls out of the plastic canisters for a bit, to make sure they have dried completely. And then you're ready to shoot!

You can skip the rinsing part if you like, but the detergent will cause a contamination of the photo chemicals when developing it. Because I don't want problems with my lab, I rinse. You can also try to dry the film by leaving it into the canister, but wet film is sticky, and it might stick together. Also, wet (or damp) film might cause problems in your camera. If the film won't advance in your camera, it probably was still wet, and it has stuck together. I've had that once, and I threw the roll away.

And this is what it looks like: the first part of the emulsion is completely gone. Don't worry, the rest is still there. When I make dishwasher film, I use cheap and sometimes expired colour film. I'm tempted to try it on a roll of slide film too, just to see what happens. Maybe next time I'll throw in a roll of Agfa Precisa CT.

Here are some examples of dishwasher film I shot:

Nikon EM and Fuji Superia 200

LC-A+ and DM Paradies 200

Minolta Dynax 505 and Kodak Gold 200

Minolta Dynax 505 and DM Paradies 400

As you can see, different films have different damages. The Kodak hardly had any effect at all; the Superia had spots and the DM Paradies turned purple. Also, different brands of dishwashing liquid or tablets can create different effects.

Good luck creating your own dishwasher film!

Testing my Dirkoma

Yesterday I took my newest pinhole camera on a test walk. I recently bought a Dirkoma S Multi and I was anxious to try it out. The Dirkoma (or Dirk, as I call him) takes 120 film, and it can be set to four different frame formats (6x4,5, 6x6, 6x9 and 6x12). I decided to set it to 6x9 and loaded some Ilford Delta 100 to it. 

And then I made a mistake.... Dirk has two frame counters: one for 6x4,5 and 6x9 and one for 6x6 and 6x12. I figured I should use every other frame for 6x9 and because the counter window was in the middle I advanced the film until I saw a 2 in the window. So, I went out and shot a few pics, advancing two frames every time. Until, after the fourth shot, I was out of film....

At home I immediately developed the film. Turns out, for 6x9 I could have started at frame 1 and I could have shot every frame. Lesson learned! And the good thing: Dirk didn't disappoint. The four shots I did make look fine. One is posted in the pinhole section of the website. I guess it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship. :)

Worldwide Pinhole Day 2014

Together with Alex from Pinholista I'm organising a meet up in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Worldwide Pinhole Day (April 27th, 2014). What can you expect? We will take you on a pinhole photo walk, and show you a bit of Amsterdam. Interested? If you want to join us, you can sign up here. It's free! Looking for travel tips to Amsterdam? Check out the blogpost I wrote for Pinhole Obscura.

Hope to see you there!