Fondren and the Contax G2

I grew up and went to school in the Fondren area of Jackson, Mississippi. There are numerous landmarks in this area that are quickly recognized by anyone from northeast Jackson. The image above of Brent’s Drugs is not much different than how I remember it from my teenage years. The residential part of Fondren is full of beautiful old oak trees that shade the streets creating a perfect environment for an evening walk. Sure, Fondren has seen some changes in recent years, but it still holds on to its heritage and charm. The new restaurants and shops have not taken anything away but added to the experience of visiting this area.

These images are just a continuation of photographs taken with my Contax G2 camera and Fuji Pro 400H film. This has been my walk around camera lately and I really enjoy the images it produces. If you’re visiting Jackson in the near future, I recommend stopping by the Fondren area. There are a number of good restaurants and coffee shops you can visit. The only downside may be finding a place to park. The popularity of the area has created some parking issues at times. But, it is probably best appreciated by taking a leisurely walk around the area anyway.

I would recommend grabbing a hamburger at Brent’s Drugs or Roosters for lunch. Some afternoon coffee at Sneaky Beans, Cups or take the short trip up North State Street to Native Coffee. Then visit Walkers Drive-In for some fine dining that evening. These are just a few of the many nice places to eat and drink in the area. I hope you enjoyed this brief visit to my old stomping grounds. I plan to share more images of this area in future posts along with some additional recommendations. I hope to see you there soon.

Mary Swayze (Senior Portrait)

It was so nice to be able to pick up a camera and go back to work as a photographer. After weeks of being on lockdown, outdoor photography sessions could once again take place. Mary Swayze was the first high school senior that I photographed after the stay at home orders were lifted for the state of Mississippi. While there was and still is a need for social distancing, we made a small step in the right direction. We spent the day making our way around downtown Jackson and enjoying some beautiful weather. Mary Swayze was a pleasure to work with and quite comfortable in front of the camera. I was able to focus on photography as she required little direction.

We also had the good fortune to run into one of her closest friends later that day. Her friend was having photographs taken by another photographer. It was nice to see the two of them enjoy this moment of their senior year together. Things were starting to look a little more like a normal senior year for these young girls. Their senior year has been one for the books. As for me, I am back in business and looking forward to many more days like this one.

The colors of slide film

Transparency or slide film

Some of you remember the slide projectors of days past. Families would gather around the projector and watch vacation pictures projected on a screen. Countless memories were captured on Kodachrome film until it was discontinued in 2009. Many of Steve McCurry’s images from National Geographic were shot on Kodachrome. Paul Simon even wrote a song about it - “Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away”. The lyrics went like this:

Kodachrome
You give us those nice bright colors
You give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah!
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So Mama, don't take my Kodachrome away

A few slide films are still available today. Kodak Ektachrome, Fuji Provia and Fuji Velvia to name a few. Fuji Velvia is still a favorite with some nature photographers. I captured the image below of a stream in the Smokey Mountains on Fuji Velvia.

Fuji Velvia

Kodak recently released a new version of Ektachrome film. The image at the beginning of this post and the photograph below of the Mayflower Cafe were both captured on Kodak Ektachrome.

Kodak Ektachrome

If you own a film camera and have never used slide film consider giving it a try. I must warn you that slide film is not very forgiving when it comes to exposure. However, when exposed correctly these films can offer some beautiful results.

The look of film - Part 2

Color film photography in portraits

Backlit images - This is one of my favorite attributes of color film photography. In digital photography it is usually necessary to use strobes to expose backlit subjects properly. This is because it is very easy to blow out highlights with a digital camera. In other words, detail in the brighter areas of the image will be lost. Film however retains details in the highlights quite well.

The images above were captured on Fuji Pro 400H film. This film is considered a 400 speed film. In other words, it is rated at 400 ISO. For the images above, I intentionally overexposed the film and rated it at 200 ISO. This brings out detail in the shadows while retaining the highlights due to the films latitude.

I also like the fact that anyone having their portrait taken in this situation does not have to wait on the photographer to set up lighting. It can be a much more pleasant experience.

Skin tones - One of the most important things to get right in portrait photography is skin tones. The images above were shot on Fuji Pro 400H film rated at 200 ISO. It has been my experience that portrait images captured with this method require very little if any touching up. Skin looks beautiful straight out of the camera. What do you think? Please feel free to comment.

I want to share a couple of other things I have discovered doing portraits with a film camera. First, it helps me be more engaged with my subject. I spend more time getting to know the person I am photographing and not looking at a screen on the back of my camera. Second, it slows me down and forces me to consider each shot more carefully. I have found that this increases the number of quality images in a shoot considerably.

I hope you enjoyed this series on the look of film. While film is more expensive and often more difficult, It is the method I prefer for most of my photography.

Focus on what you love

Occasionally, I have the opportunity to work on a project with my two sons Matt and Josh. The recent Red Bluff cycling event was one of those occasions that we were able to work and spend some time together. Matt and Josh operate Hinkle Productions among many other things.

Matt is a firefighter, teacher, pilot, videographer, business owner and a long list of other things. He keeps a very busy schedule juggling all the things in his life. Josh is a technical director, director, graphic designer, website builder, videographer, and his list keeps going as well. I think you get the point. They both have busy lives and anytime I have the chance to be with them is a real pleasure.

I usually keep family images separate from my business photographs, but this week I needed to make an exception. The challenges that the world is facing right now are difficult, to say the least. Many of us have concerns about how long it might take to return to normal life. I must admit that my anxiety level has been quite high in the past few days. Then, I found that reflecting on the things that I love about my life helped me to escape my anxious thoughts. My faith, my family and my friends will get me through anything this world can throw at me. If your struggling with the current situation, try focusing your thoughts and maybe your camera on what you love about your life. It might just help and It certainly can’t hurt!

Mayflower Cafe

The Mayflower Cafe opened its doors in 1935. It is the oldest operating restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi. Mayflower Cafe is a downtown landmark and often featured in the works of area artists. We have a print of the Mayflower created by local artist Mark Millet hanging in our home.  The restaurant was featured in the movies Ghost of Mississippi and The Help. Their salad dressing was called the nation’s number one condiment by Maxim magazine. It was also featured on Food Networks “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.”

This year Mississippi had to deal with some major flooding because of all the rain. In an attempt to turn a negative into a positive, I decided to use the rain and create an image of a Jackson landmark. Sometimes we just have to embrace whatever comes our way.