Night Shooting With The Argus C3

On the weekend of May 16-18, I was in Findlay Ohio for the Film Photography Project's Walking Workshop II.  Mike Raso, Leslie Lazenby, and the rest of the the FPP crew were on hand to welcome nearly 80 participants in the FPPWWII event.  I'll write more on that another time, but I should point out that it was a great weekend.
On the first night, Tim Wrobel (another A3C3 member) and his friend Susan and I met downtown to do some night photography.  My camera of choice that night was my Argus C3 with a 35mm f/4.5 Sandmar lens.  I loaded it with an expired roll of Ektachrome 160T.  Tungsten film is perfect for night shoots in urban areas, and my plan was to also have it developed in C-41 for some cross-processed funkiness.  Truth is, the Tungsten films xpro really well, and at night the colors are off anyways.    I used a cable release, set the shutter on B, and carried the camera around on my Manfrotto tripod.  I guesstimated the exposures, which ranged from 10-25 seconds. Overall, I was pleased with the results.  The beauty of using the Argus is that it is so simple to use for long exposures.  Second, as you can see in the photo of the camera, I have an accessory viewfinder for framing.  Almost everything was shot at infinity at f/8 to f/16.
This was the first time I had used this particular C3 with the 35mm lens, and while there is some flare in some of the photos, it worked well and I think that I will try it again with some Ektachrome 64T, which I seem to have a lot of sitting in the film fridge.

If you have put off shooting night scenes with film, give it a try.  You don't need to use Tungsten E-6 film, as any color C-41 film will also do fine.  Bracket your shots, and err on the side of overexposure.  Use a tripod and remote release, and any camera with a B setting will do.  Set your aperture to f/16, focus on infinity and have fun.  You can use a meter, but it's going to be tricky at night.  However, here is a good reference source for exposures.

The 2014 FPP Findlay Walking Workshop

Last year, I went to Findlay, OH for the Film Photography Project's Walking Workshop.  This year, the FPP WWII is going to be even better, with more attendees, more events, and hopefully, better weather!
There will be a few folks from the Ann Arbor Crappy Camera Club in attendance, too.  The FPP WWII is a great opportunity to get together with other film-shooters, and it doesn't matter if you are a complete novice coming from the digital world, a long-time film shooter, or one of those hybrid types that will use any sort of camera depending on the situation.  Findlay (called America's Flag City) is situated in NW Central Ohio, and while not a large city, it offers a lot of photographic opportunities within walking distance of downtown.  Additionally, the University of Findlay and other nearby colleges have photographic programs which have made the area a local hotbed of film-based photography.  While the FPP head honchos are from New Jersey, it seems appropriate the the FPP WW is taking place in Findlay, where  60 people with film cameras will stand out much more than the urban East Coast.

I keep wondering what cameras I'll take to such events, and it seems that i always pack more than I use.  This time, I am bringing my Mamiya C330, a couple of Nikon bodies and lenses, and a couple of toy cameras...and a Polaroid or two.  That should do it. Oh, and a Nikon 1 digital for snapshots.

Some folks probably wonder what they will get out of a meetup such as this.  Undoubtedly, the best thing is meeting other folks sharing similar interests, and it is a pretty darn nice group of people at the FPP.  I always learn something new, and I may not come away with a lot of great images, but that's not the point.  It's a social and educational event that may well get your creative juices flowing again.

 and now for a chuckle.