Print: Clown Doggy

Today was a gross, disgusting, snowy day in Chicago.  I decided to make a few prints from some neglected old negatives I had sitting around my darkroom. This print was created from a negative I made a little over a year ago, while exploring an abandoned home in Kildeer, Illinois. This little doggy plush was sitting in the middle of the house's filthy garage floor. I used my Pentax LX with a 50mm f/1.4 lens, and Ilford Delta 400 film. The physical print is 10"x7".

Print: Chair Desk

I recently created this print a couple weeks ago from a negative I made over the summer. I found this chair desk inside a half-collapsed barn in northern Illinois. I used my panoramic Widelux F7 in order to emphasize the grand scale of the barn that houses the chair. The harsh lighting was difficult to deal with when it came time to make the darkroom print; a lot of dodging and burning was necessary in order to bring out details in both the highlights on the ground and the shadows in the rafters. However, had the lighting been soft, I don't think the photo would be as interesting as it is. I love how the afternoon sun creates a spotlight on the desk, contrasted by the deep shadows of the first floor of the barn.

After owning and using the camera for nearly a year, my Widelux F7 continues to amaze me. :)

The physical print is 9.5"x4".

Thanks for looking!

Print: Dream Kitchen

Here's a print I made a week or so ago of a kitchen inside an abandoned home in northern Illinois. Just look at all that counter space, and the cabinets! SO much convenient storage. There's even a TV so you can get yourself a snack while not missing a beat of your favorite show. I used my Widelux F7 to capture a dramatic panoramic view of this dream kitchen. I used Ilford Delta 400 film. The physical gelatin silver print is 5"x12".

Spotlight: Leitz Minolta CL

First released in 1973, the Leitz Minolta CL is the smallest (and one of the cheapest) M-Mount camera you can buy. The CL is often dismissed because it's not an "M" model, and because it was made by Minolta. While the build quality certainly doesn't stand up to the likes of an M3, the CL is still a great little camera for someone looking to get into the Leica M system on a budget.

Unlike "M" cameras, the shutter-speed dial is on the front of the body

The CL has a great viewfinder, which displays much more information than most Leicas. For instance, all the selectable speeds (1/2 to 1/1000th, plus B) are shown at the top of the finder, with a needle that points to the current selected speed. There is also an internal light meter (the second leica rangefinder ever to have one), with a match-needle readout on the right side of the finder. The CL's rangefinder patch is not as clear or contrasty as other M cameras, but is still waaaaaay nicer than most other cameras in the price range.

Waaaaay easier to load film on the CL

Ergonomics are good, despite the camera's tiny size (4.75"x1.25"x1.25"). All the controls are placed pretty much exactly where you'd want them. Film loading is way easier than on M cameras, as the entire back conveniently slides off. You don't have to awkwardly push the film in through the bottom of the camera with the CL!


I took my CL with me for a short road trip, and used it to capture an abandoned mini-golf course I found. I used a Minolta Rokkor-QF 40mm f/2 Lens, and Ilford Delta 400 film. Here are some of my photos:

Thanks for looking!

Print: Widelux Self-Portrait

Here's a self-portrait I made while exploring an abandoned house over the summer. I'm sitting in the living room. It was a terribly hot day, and the breeze from the windows was refreshing! I used my Widelux F7 and Ilford Delta 400 film. The physical print is 6"x9.5". The print shows the full frame, and is not cropped!