The Pasing of Bob Crowley the Inventor of New 55 Film

 It has been a long time since I have posted here, and this particular post finds me missing and absent from my beloved photography for far too long. For a time I was very excited about analog photography and the return of peal apart instant film. I am still excited by it but find little time in my crowded life to spend time in that pursuit. Back in the day I had hoped for the success of new product being developed by an inventor named Bob Crowley. It is with Sadness that I announce that this afternoon, as I roamed around the internet, and looked at my long-neglected Blog that I learned that Mr. Crowley had passed away. He was far too young. His invention, New 55 could not overcome the significant hurdles of sufficient funding to gain enough critical mass to make it to efficient production and manufacturing. Up till then it was all a very boutique hands on "craft" process. To make product in quantity and retain quality would require equipment, supplies, and more industrial like processes to get to scale for which large sums of capital were required. However, this effort was not without a herculean effort by Bob and his team including Mr. Sam Hiser. New 55 and New 55 color were brilliant ideas that just were sadly not to be. This evening, I will drink a glass of bourbon to you Mr. Crowley and to the dream of bringing back instant large format film. His obituary is below. Cheers to you Mr. Crowley!!! 

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/passing-of-robert-bob-crowley-inventor-and-founder-of-new55.191825/ 

A Return to Film - A trip toward simplicity. A trip toward the real raw image.

 OK, so I have and often still do shoot digital camera’s and have nothing at all against them, the process, the convenience or the ability to view and share the images digitally. I completely understand the benefits that digital photography provides. The vastly more efficient workflows, the commercial efficiency, the ease of incorporating the images into other materials. Digital simply makes sense. Is it superior? Well that is the wrong question in my mind. It is certainly different. It is in its own way a technical improvement as photography was a technical improvement form human capture of images by sketching or painting. But sketching and painting are what they are. They are human and interactive. They are different. Analog film photography is much the same. It is a medium like sketching, or printmaking, or painting. But so is digital photography. It is a medium. It is a similar medium and yet a different medium. Digital photography is derivative of the algorithms the digital camera makers build into their cameras. Film is derivative of the formulation of the film and the chemistry that is used to develop it, to print it. 

Over the past few months I have been assembling tools, camera equipment, to again dive into film photography. In some ways this is return pilgrimage to where I started with this so many years ago and to a place I have returned to at several times along this life journey. This has been an on and off relationship with film photography that has interested me, drawn me back so many times before and does so again. I have been over the time assembling various 4x5 camera gear and lenses. I have also been looking at cameras that are a bit more transportable. 120 film cameras that fold up and fit into your pocket. The common man folding cameras that shoot 120 film. A Ventura 66 Deluxe, “US Zone, 6x6 format and an Ansco Viking 6x9 format folder. They are simple. Lens, shutter, aperture, bellows, and film advance winding spools. No built in meter, no automation, just photographer, simple camera and film. Then to be processed and printed in a darkroom. Now we would likely scan the negatives to allow it to be shared and viewed online. Another, even simpler camera is a plastic 4x5 camera outfit without a lens but instead a pinhole. The camera obscura. The simplest of cameras. Instead of 4x5 film holders I equipped it with an old Graflex Graphic 22, 120 film holder 6x6 format film holder. So now we are off on another simple journey. Another adventure in film photography. Focused on the images. Not the technology or the convenience. The simplicity. The human interaction with subject, simple device, light and film. Not easy. the real raw image capture system. 

Ansco 6x9 and Ventura Deluxe 66

Ventura 66 and Ansco 6x9 

Chinese Plastic 4x5 Camera with Graflex 22

Chinese 4x5 with Pinhole lens

Chines Pinhole camera with Graflex 22 120 6x6 film back 

Martin Masai Anderson - Very Engaging Photographic Images

This morning during my internet wanderings I came across the work of Martin Masai Anderson. He is a photographer, art director and  designer based in London who has exhibited and published internationally. I found his work quite engaging and would suggest that you go and take a look. I am always on the hunt for engaging work by others. He has a keen eye and has been doing photography for some time. Published in a number of places and well recognized. I can see why when I look at his work. I hope you agree. 

Link to his Personal Work - Martin Anderson

Link to his company - Anderson M

Parting Shot for Tonight - The Chapel

 An image of Graham Chapel on the campus of Washington University.

 

The Chapel 

Comparing color and black and white images

 So this post is about comparing and considering images that were shot digitally in color as black and white images. A look to see how contrast, color and even composition impacts the image and how it engages the viewer. As is always the case these images have had only minimal edits done to them. Nothing more then could have or would have been done in a darkroom using filters or selecting paper or development times. I hope you enjoy. As always, thanks for looking. 

Pink Rose in Black and White

Pink Rose in Color

Birthday Roses Black and White 

Birthday Roses Color 

Pink and Red in Black and White

Pink and Red in Color 

Bridges and Power Station Winter Black and White

Bridges and Power Station Winter Color 

Vault and Lantern Black and White 

Saturday Photo Drive

A Winter Morning with the camera!

This past Saturday I skipped my usual morning bike ride and decided to go for a photo drive. That is when I just go somewhat randomly out into the world with the cameras and shoot what catches my fancy. This time it included some familiar St. Louis haunts south of the Gateway Arch and then in Illinois taking a trip to the tiny burg of Fults Illinois by back road.  

Concrete and Steel

Under the Poplar

Mississippi Driftwood

Bridge

Quite Complex

Cement Plant is Closed

Graffiti

The Arch from the side

Just 4 Fun!

Who needs windows?

Rosey!

Trains & Telephones

Where is the road?

Condensed Milk 

Modern Art 

Layer Upon Layer

Crunden Martin is Closed!

Corbeled Brick and Green

When detail mattered

Bins and Quonset 

In the snow

Out in the field

White Barn

Red Barn 1

Red Barn 2

Hill, Snow and Moon

Wild Side

Settle Down Everyone 

White House In the Snow

Church at 9:00 AM Sharp

Yellow House in the Snow

The Elevator

Rambler American 79

Sheep

Old Bin

Bin and Tank

Bins in Black and White

Ribbed Composition 1