Below the Firmament and the Heavens

What is meant by that?  Basically, the "firmament" is the sky with its weather, and the "heavens" is the space above the earth - or "outer space."  Thus, this latest photography book about Floyd County is beneath the sky and space, but the old biblical "Firmament and Heavens" sure sounds more prosaic.  Given the number of churches in Floyd County, the title is definitely appropriate.

Brethren Church, July 2024. Nikon F3, Ilford HP-5

This latest issue of Monochrome Mania is the result of my collaboration with Russell Young, a long-time photographer, teacher, and polymath who resides in Floyd County, Virginia.  I first met Russ in person in 2024, after having seen an online presence in 2023 of the Appalachian Center of Photography, located in Floyd.  After our first meeting, we both felt like we should have known each other for years.  Russ has been all over the world, held many different jobs, has taught photography, and is an expert in a multitude of subjects.  He received a PhD from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland late in life (2008), with his thesis title being on The Soft-Focus Lens and Anglo-American Pictorialism. His photography often includes the use of soft-focus lenses, and because of that I would call a lot of his work "Neopictorialism."  Russ has lived on his 75-acre farm in Floyd for about 15 years.  

Holga Panoramic 35, July 2024

I've visited Russ several times per year to go out and photograph along the back roads of Floyd County, which has more gravel roads than any other county in Virginia.  The rolling foothills of the Appalachians in Floyd County have been wonderful places to explore with abandoned farms and derelict buildings set in a lovely bucolic landscape.  Another turn on a different road, and you might see a million-dollar home or a horse farm owned by wealthy "outsiders."    Beef cattle and timber are the major agricultural endeavors in the area.  

Russ owns many different cameras.  You never know which one will be on the dash.

Riding around the back roads with Russ has been a great experience - we have become good friends, and being able to stay in the guest cottage at his farm has been a great convenience.  No streetlights, just the wonderful night sky and the sounds of nature. Last year, I thought that we should collaborate on a book of photos from Floyd County, and thankfully, Russ agreed.  He already had a large repertoire of Floyd photos taken in the previous 15 years, and unlike me, was able to photograph in the winter months, and of course, whenever he pleased.  I felt like an interloper, but to me, these were all new sights, and as is often the case, I was inspired by what I saw.  My last photo trip there was in March of this year, and I felt that there was finally enough material to finish the book.

Overalls are the camo that Russ uses to blend in with the locals.

Choosing my images for the book was a lengthy process of "yes" or "no" or "maybe" as I went through my scans from my negatives.  It would have been easy to make this an even larger body of work. However, picking images from the photographs by Russ was much easier.  His luscious images are much different from mine.

So, here we have it: Below the Firmament and the Heavens - An Exploration of Floyd County, Virginia, by Mark O'Brien and Russ Young.  It's 72 pages of black and white photographs of scenes in Floyd Co., Virginia.  The first half of the book are photos from Russ, and the second half are photos by me.  It's the 16th issue of Monochrome Mania, and it's no longer a "zine." but a book.   Because of its size, it's going to cost more than the typical 36-page zine.  I'm pricing it at $17.50, which is fairly inexpensive as photography books go.

May, 2025. Minolta XG-M, Eastman 5222.

It's perfect-bound, 8.5 x 11 inches, in landscape format.  I believe that you will be entranced by the photographs contained within the covers.  You can purchase it from my Etsy store while supplies last. 

Some sample pages:

As I write this, Russ is moving from his farm to a house in Roanoke, Virginia.  It too, has a guest cottage, and I look forward to some new photo adventures with my friend.

Argus. Fine American Cameras by Kelley, Norwood, Reitsma, and Sterritt

I first became aware of Argus cameras back around 2000.  I believe that I purchased an Argus 75 at a thrift shop in Cheboygan, MI around that time.  I was living in Ann Arbor, the home of Argus, and in a short time, I had acquired a C-3 and perhaps an Argus A.  The most amazing thing at the time was finding out that Ann Arbor had a museum devoted solely to Argus cameras, the Argus Museum.  It’s still there, but is now part of the Washtenaw Historical Society’s domain, and no longer the private collection of Joe O'Neal.  Over the years that I lived in Ann Arbor, the Argus Museum became the gathering place for Argus collectors, as well as an exhibit space for film-based photography.  Cheryl Chidester, the curator, was largely responsible for the growth of the Argus Museum and its activities.  

My interest in Argus cameras blossomed, and along with my daughter Jorie, we accumulated a pretty good collection of Argus cameras and paraphernalia.  I don’t even want to venture how many Argus models we owned, but it was quite a few.  At that time, the prices for old Argus cameras was stunningly low. It was during those early 2000s that we ran into some really dedicated Argus collectors and photo historians, and we eventually attended an Argus Collectors Group meeting in 2005, meeting even more people that were interested in Argus. 

My only claim to having achieved something in Argus collecting, was when I purchased an old Argoflex TLR and a few other cameras from Allan Bulgrin in Dearborn, MI in 2004.  That Argoflex II was unique, and as the ill-fated Argoflex II was destined to the scrap heap, the few remaining Argoflex II models that survived - 6, are highly sought by collectors.  The Argoflex II that I once owned (I sold it to Joe Horvat in 2011) has slanted script lettering, and it’s believed that it may have come from Harley Earl’s (the designer) studios.  

My second great Argus find was an all-black Argus C-4 that arrived in a box of unwanted cameras.  That one took my breath away as I pulled it out of the box!  I also sold that one to Joe Horvat in 2011. My Argus collecting days are long over, and now I only own one C-3 and a C-4 that I occasionally use.  Everything Argus that I had previously collected has been sold off or given away.  

The reason that I’m writing this is to pay tribute to a book that was published in 2023, that I had finally purchased this year.  Argus. Fine American Cameras, by Bob Kelley, Ron Norwood, Mike Reitsma and Phil Sterritt (ISBN #979-8-218-29489-2), is I believe, the final word on Argus cameras and the company that made them.  This 480-page tome contains all the knowledge regarding Argus cameras, and is a truly amazing piece of work.  I’ve met all of the authors in my previous term as an Argus collector, and they have coalesced all their knowledge into a very readable and useful publication.  Incredibly well-illustrated in color with a wealth of useful information, Argus, Fine American Cameras certainly deserves broader recognition not only as a resource on Argus cameras, but also as a history of American manufacturing and business practices.   

The original price for the book was $124.99, which I have heard barely covered the printing cost. Obviously a labor of love by Kelley, Norwood, Reitsma, and Sterritt, this is more than just a collector’s book.  It’s a fascinating look at American industry and how post-WWII fortunes were made and lost.  You also get to see every model of Argus that was manufactured, as well as ones that never made it to production.  Not just the cameras, but the entire Argus ecosystem is inside this book.  Projectors, light-meters, darkroom supplies, enlargers, and accessories.  Pick a chapter and read it, and you’ll become amazed at just how much is packed into this book.

You can purchase Argus. Fine  American Cameras at a steeply discounted price of $49.95  directly from their website. You can email directly at argusbook@argusinfo.net

A Pentax P3 SLR

Over the past year, I’ve rekindled my love for Pentax K-mount cameras and other brands that use the K-mount, introduced by Pentax in 1975.  I’ve been working on a book about the M42-mount Spotmatics and other brands, so I suppose it’s a natural evolution to delve into the K-mount universe.  My first K-mount camera was a Pentax MG, back in 1982 or ’83.  I used that camera until 2000.  In the past year, I’ve acquired a Pentax KX and some other K-mount non-Pentax film bodies.  Earlier this year, I found a pretty nice example of the Pentax K2.  The K2, KX, and KM were the first wave of K-mount bodies in 1975.  They are all quite different from one another, as it seems Pentax was testing to see what consumers were willing to buy.  The K1000 and subsequent "M" models started appearing on the market in 1976.  Forward to 1985, when camera automation had become widespread, and camera-body autofocus was just starting among SLRs with the Minolta Maxxum 7000.  That’s the year that Pentax introduced the P3 in the US-market (P30 elsewhere in the world).  

The P3 SLR certainly was not breaking new ground, but it was a return to a more traditional manual-style body, incorporating a manual shutter speed dial and auto setting on the top deck of the camera.  The camera uses manual focus. The body incorporated a lot of ABS plastic, but retained a sleek classic appearance.  I think the P3 is a very nice-looking SLR, but there are a few caveats about the camera’s operation.

•  It requires DX-coded film cassettes to set the ISO speed. Cassettes without a DX code will be assigned the default ISO of 100. There is no manual ISO control.
• There is no provision for a remote or cable release for the shutter (later models may have a cable release socket near the lens mount).
• Flash-sync is 1/100 sec.
• No exposure compensation dial.

A very clean design as shown here.

Despite the above, this is a camera that can be easily used almost as a point and shoot in Program mode.  The ISO range for the DX coding is 25-1600.  You can use any Pentax K-A lens in Program mode, which sets the aperture and shutter speed.  If you use the camera with a Pentax M or K lens, the camera’s Program mode defaults to Aperture Priority. You can also shoot in Manual mode.

The P3 has a depth-of-field preview lever on the right side of the lens, and a mirror-lockup button on the left. There is a red LED that flashes when you use the self-timer, which is about 12 seconds.  The on-off and self-timer switch are the the top deck on the left side of the camera.  The hot-shoe on the top of the prism housing allows the use of manual and some automated Pentax flash units.  

I really like the look of this camera.

I purchased my example on the big auction site for $28.00 (not including tax and shipping), and it came with a Rikenon 50mm f/2.2 lens.  The camera was sold as “untested” but it looked to be in excellent condition (and it is).  I popped in 2 LR-44 cells and the camera came to life.  You do need batteries to use this camera. It will not work without power.   I attached a SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/2 lens on the body and set out to shoot a roll of Fuji Acros 100. 

I happen to have a physical manual for the P3, but you can find one online at Butkus.org.

Impressions from using the camera

I like the way the camera feels in the hand.  There’s a small grip on the right side that aids in holding the camera.  The metal and plastic film advance sits unobtrusively, but it’s easy to advance the film.  Same for the film rewind - it’s almost flush with the top deck.  It took me some time to get used to the Program mode automatically setting the aperture and shutter speed. I understand that in that mode, the shutter speed goes from 8 seconds to 1/1000 sec.There is also a B setting and 1/100 flash setting. The viewfinder shows about 92% of the field of view.  The split-microprism at the center of the viewfinder is easy to use for focusing.  

As K-mount cameras go, the P3 is a good example of automation without unnecessary features that a lot of people might not use.  For me, the only thing that I really miss is being able to manually set the ISO.  I shoot a lot of hand-rolled film, but it’s not something that the vast number of users would do.  

The P3/30 was quite popular - Pentax sold it from 1985 to 1997, with over 3 million units sold. It was intended for people that wanted an easy-to-use SLR. As a result, there are many for sale online at pretty low prices.  It’s not an ancient camera, so most of them ought to work properly.  

The P3 is one of those cameras that probably don’t get as much love as some earlier K-mount models, such as the very compact ME.  But it does not have the ME’s faults, either.  You can shoot in Program mode or fully manual. The mirror-lockup is a useful feature when you want to make a longer exposure on a tripod and no cable release.   My first reaction to the camera was that it was awfully simple.  However, after shooting with it, I have a much higher regard for it.  Whether you have a P3 or a P30, they’ll work the same, and give you a very solid SLR body that accepts K-mount lenses.  

A few shots from the first roll. All shot near Barnardsville, NC. All on expired Fuji Acros 100.

Ultrafine Liminality Film

A little over a month ago, I saw an announcement from Ultrafine Online about a film stock that they were releasing.  Their Liminality 250 black and white film announcement had all the things that pique my interest. For one, it wasn’t just a rebranding of something from Foma or Orwo, and two, it’s a S.O. Kodak film.  S.O. means “Special Order,” which means the film has some special characteristic that differentiates it from the typical film stocks.  In the case of the Ultrafine film, their description tells a lot:

“Ultrafine Liminality 250 Black and White Film

Kodak Special Order 078 Black and White Film originally utilized in rocket testing technology. A Kodak Special Order (S.O.) film originally designed for instrumentation testing however it yields amazing results when utilized as a 35 mm camera film. Based on the Kodak T-max 400 emulsion with some tweaks in the high contrast range makes for a wonderful film to shoot under a variety of conditions. We have assigned a 250 ISO, given the age of the stock, and the scientific tweaking the film was initially given. The Film is out-dated and has been kept in cold storage and is yielding fantastic results! It is an extremely fine grain black-and-white, having a wide contrast range, and a sturdy Kodak ESTAR (polyester) base, which allows the film to lay flat for handling.”

Obviously, I had to try a film that was used for rocket testing!  I ordered three 36-exposure rolls at $10.95 each.  I think that’s a fair price given the oddity of this film.  I loaded a roll into my Minolta XG-M with a 45mm/2.8 Rokkor.  I set the ISO at 250, and shot the roll within a day or so.  

I developed the film in Kodak T-Max RS developer for 9 minutes at 20°C.  I was really pleased to see that the negatives were perfect. I did not see any base fog on the film, nor any indication that this film was “old.”  Differing from the T-Max 400 films that I have shot before, there was no pink anti-halation dye in the wash water or on the processed film.  The tough Estar base makes me wonder if the film was used in launch scenarios where a camera would have a high-frame rate and large film cassettes.  

The film laid flat in the scanner holder, and my scans were at 3200 dpi on the Epson V700 scanner.  The negatives scanned beautifully, with very fine grain and lots of tonality.  This is a lovely film to shoot with.  

Here are some selected frames from the roll:

 

I like the fact that the Liminality film is something unique and also that it delivered exactly what Ultrafine said it would.  The next roll that I shoot with it will likely be developed with another developer, just to see if the results are any different.  I recommend that if you develop it, use whatever developer type and times posted for normal Kodak T-max 400 film at the ISO of 400.  The Kodak T-Max RS developer yielded excellent results for me.

As I noticed that there was no pink anti-halation dye showing up in the wash, you can see that the film does have some halation on reflective objects, as seen in the above image. Not a big problem, but something to be aware of. 

There are some film stocks that have become popular for street photography, such as JCH Street Pan, and ATM Street Candy 400.  I never liked my results with the JCH film, and the ATM Street Candy 400 was okay.  However, I like this Liminality film, and it's certainly worth a shot (or 36 shots), so I recommend buying some while it is available.

Henry David Thoreau and 50 years ago today

 

On PBS - watch it!

A few nights ago, I watched the new short series from Ken Burns on PBS -- Henry David Thoreau.  I learned a lot from that show, and as in all Ken Burns docu-series, it's well researched, edited, and presented.  In today's world where many young (and old) people do not read books, this might be the closest thing to actually reading Walden.  It was no surprise that the people presented in the show saw that much of Thoreau's writing was equally applicable to today's world.  I highly recommend giving it a watch.

After I finished watching, I went downstairs to my library and pulled out my copy of Walden. I was astonished to find that I bought it on April 5, 1976.  That's 50 years ago today.  At the time, I was a 19 year-old in his second semester of freshman year at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY.  I do not know where I purchased the book -- possible at a used bookstore, as it has $3.00 written in pencil.  

How did I manage to keep this book all these years?  Through college, many moves, and I still have it. Obviously it meant more to me than I know.  I know that I read it thoroughly once, because I wrote this at the very end of the book:

For a 19-year-old me, that's a,pretty good statement.  What the hell did I know of the human condition then? Was I just being a pompous college student?   However, it's true.  Thoreau was a philosopher, a naturalist, and while I may disagree with some of his ideas about divinity, I know what he meant.  The fact that I wrote it in the book then, is a message to the future.  In 50 years, we have gone from the Bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence, to a country fraught with many problems, most of which have originated from our own incompetent and largely illegal Trump regime.  1976 was just two years removed from the downfall of Nixon's presidency, with Gerald Ford as president.  Jimmy Carter was elected POTUS that November, and I'll wager that had he won again in 1980, we would be in a better place today.  He would have understood Walden.  

So much has happened in the intervening years, and now we need more Thoreau's words more than ever.  I'm not advocating that we all go live in a cabin in the woods for 2 years,  but there are lessons from Walden that we should take to heart.  Be kind. Appreciate nature. Live simpler. Grow your food if you can. Embrace the uniqueness of our humanity.  Be authentic.

I'm going to go and read Walden again, and maybe it will still resonate within me, like it did a 19-year-old wannabe environmentalist.  I think I'm still that same person inside, but with fifty years more experience.

Dogwood, April 3, 2026. Intrepid 4x5, CatLabs 80 film.