One Roll Review - Orwo Wolfen NC500

I recently shot a roll of this new release (2022) from Orwo, and while it’s certainly not a complete test of this film, I thought that I’d share my results from it. Orwo NC500 is a C-41 color film rated at ISO 400. There is no orange mask that one usually associates with C-41 films, so I have to assume that this film was originally designed for cine use. There is no remjet layer.

According to Orwo, "At the core of our new color film lies a unique chemical formula based on the wonderful and legendary Agfa stock last used in the Oscar-winning film ‘Out of Africa.’ Famous for their greens, desaturated shadows, and enhanced grains, these are all aspects that we are embracing for our new addition. With WOLFEN NC500, we are not trying to imitate current stocks available on the market, we are creating an alternative, something with different characteristics and a different palette." In other words, don’t expect results that you might get from a typical C-41 color film. Think more along the lines of using something like a Lomography film such as their Metropolis C-41 film. 

It makes sense to put something out on the market that’s a color C-41 film, but not the same as every other film, and the NC500 is truly that. It’s got a unique palette that emphasizes the greens, and as I found with my photographs was perfectly suited for woodland images. Since I wasn’t testing this on more colorful subjects, such as strolling along all the street art in the Asheville River Arts District, I can’t comment on how it renders that type of scene. However, given that I shot it while in South Carolina in early May, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. Not wanting to bias the results in any way, I had the film developed at my local film lab, Ball Photo, in Asheville.

A few examples, all shot with my Nikon F3HP, and 28mm and 35mm Nikkors...

As you can see, it’s a different film than something like Fuji Superia. Tones are muted, the shadows quite nice, and the images I got from it are quite lovely. To me, the only reason that I might not use this more often is the price. At $16/roll, it's pricey. I don’t shoot a lot of color anyways, but it’s good to have a film that stands out as different from the rest. Scanning the film was easy on my Epson V700, and the film lies relatively flat. I usually do my post-processing in Corel Paintshop Pro, and I did very little with these images. 

Some people might really appreciate the “retro” look of this film, and it does have sort of a faded snapshot look to it. My view is that once you know a film’s characteristics, you can tailor your choice of shots to that film’s strengths, and in doing so, you can create images that match your expectations. However, you need to try these unique films for yourself, so that you become familiar with them. It’s an interesting film, for sure, that does not fall into the super-saturated category that many have come to expect.

Trees -- Part 2. Cheap art for your wall!

Back in September, I posted about my photography of trees, and this year, I produced my usual annual calendar, with the same subject.  Trees 2020 features 12 monochrome images of trees from various places, on 8.5 x 11" heavy card stock, and is spiral bound.  If you'd like support an artist in his work, this is one way -- buy a copy of my calendar. $15 (USA only), includes shipping to you, and you can frame any one of those images when you are done using the calendar.  I accept Paypal  and of course, checks.  I have a limited number available, so please message me (mfobrien AT gmail.com)  to make sure you can purchase one.

I know, people have phones now and don't use wall calendars, but it's an inexpensive way to hang some art that changes every month. They also make good gifts.  Remember, photographs are tangible things.  They belong on a wall!

Thank you, and have a great holiday season, however you celebrate this time of year!

Trees...

I have always  been fascinated with trees -- their form, the shadows that result from them, and the fantastic moods that they can create, along with whatever weather is impacting them. Of course, as we now head towards autumn later this month -- the autumnal equinox, many trees are starting to exhibit that change towards the fall colors that we so love to see.   I grew up in the Adirondacks of New York, and even as a child, I loved the big sugar maples along our driveway blazing forth with brilliant oranges and reds.  In the northeast, fall was a glorious time of year with crisp mornings and slightly warm afternoons, until heavy frosts took their toll and the leaves dropped like snowflakes.  When my wife and I moved to Michigan in 1981, fall color was a bit of a disappointment in the lower part of the state, as the predominant oak-hickory forest was more subtle in its colors.  One really needs to travel north in Michigan to see the wonderful climax of color that's found in aspen-birch-maple forests.  Now, we are living in the mountains of Western North Carolina, and this will be our first fall and winter in the South.  I know that we will get some good color here in late October, and I look forward to shooting it and traveling around the nearby Appalachians.

"A woodland in full color is awesome as a forest fire, in magnitude at least, but a single tree is like a dancing tongue of flame to warm the heart." -- Hal Borland

However, trees are more than just color. Think of the myriad of forms and the different times of the year that a deciduous tree can look so different, and the arrangement of branches makes a species identifiable in the field.  When I was a forestry student, we had to identify at least 75 species of trees and shrubs by their leaves, fruit, buds, bark, etc., and of course also know their Latin names.  That course was a lot of fun, and also quite challenging.  I have never regretted any of those hands-on field classes in botany and zoology. All have been a part of my world since, and while I may not always know what a plant or an insect is, I know how to find out.   My point is, that you have two eyes, yet many people don't know how to look.  As a photographer, you should be seeing more than just the forest -- you also need to pick out the trees.  Seeing and understanding what you are seeing makes for a better image.  Deciphering the scene before you press the shutter button can result in a more  meaningful image.  I'm not saying I do that all the time, but when I do, I know that I am more in control of the final result on film or the sensor.

Sometimes, the shapes of the trees just resonate with me, and it's just using my intuition and imagination that propels me through the creative process.  I immerse myself in the little world of that place and time, and sometimes, I come away with some great images.  But it's not all about the image -- being in the woods -- in the moment -- with nature, is a refreshing connection with the earth.  I always felt some connection, and it's taken me years to appreciate just how essential that connection is to well-being and to creativity.

"To really feel a forest canopy one must use different senses, and often the most useful one is the sense of imagination." -- Joan Maloof 

Lately, I have been more captivated with trees and their shapes, and here in North Carolina, the trees in the mountains can exhibit some fantastic shapes.  I hope to get a portfolio together in the next year or two and see where that obsession goes.

"I often lay on that bench looking up into the tree, past the trunk and up into the branches. It was particularly fine at night with the stars above the tree." -- Georgia O'Keeffe

Here is a small selection of my images that showcase trees.  I hope that you enjoy them.

In a Fog

In the literal sense.  The past two days have been wonderful for shooting in a dense fog.  While it is late January, it feels like March, as the temperatures have been mild for this time of year. The fog yesterday lingered until the sun burned it off around noon, but today's hung around quite a bit longer.

One of the fun things about shooting in these conditions is the soft light, and the muted details. Forms become important, rather than the details, and such weather just screams for b&w, or at least it does for me. With the backgrounds obscured by white, it becomes a dreamland where you really can't quite pin down where an image was taken.

I shot mostly film yesterday with my Nikon FG and 50mm  and 36-72mm E lenses.   I took along my Fuji X100S digi, and therefore have some lovely b&w scenes to share right away. Today, I was running errands, and stopped along the Huron River, again with the X100S. The scenes I was seeing reminded me of some Japanese woodblock prints.  With such a serene, soft landscape, one can lose those negative thoughts and live in the moment.  It was a needed break offered to us by nature.