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jandavid.me

Tea, Tech and Time Travel … and photography
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12 months of film

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    12 Months of Film – October

    In October I shot a roll of Kodak Gold with my Leica M6 and the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.4.

    I tried to capture the few days of golden autumn light – with mixed results. Most images were taken in Nidda Park in Frankfurt; the cat was photographed in a small village in the Odenwald.

    My favourite shot is the panorama in front of the Alte Oper. Two women at the centre, filming themselves for a virtual audience – while the people around them become, at least partially, their real one. Others simply pass by, minding their own business. Everything seems arranged, and the stage is the concert hall itself.

    People are gathered in front of a large, ornate building with arched entrances and classical architecture.A cat with a spotted coat is sitting inside a window display next to a model lighthouse.A winding path curves through a grassy park with trees displaying autumn foliage.A serene path is lined with tall trees shedding autumn leaves, creating a picturesque scene.A serene park scene with bare trees, a path, and a few benches on a sunny day in autumn.A tree with golden autumn leaves stands beside a walking path under a clear blue sky.A serene autumn landscape features a grassy field bordered by trees with golden and brown foliage.
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    12 Months of Film – September

    A wooden covered bridge with graffiti on its interior leads into a wooded area.

    September is a lean month. I only have one image to show for it. I did shoot an entire roll of Adox CHS 100 II, but very few frames turned out usable. Most of the negatives were completely clear. Who’s to blame? Leica, of all things.

    I had bought my Leica M6 a few months earlier through the Leica Classic online shop. A 1991 model in excellent condition, freshly serviced by Leica themselves, with a two-year warranty. When I decided to get an M6, I deliberately chose Leica as the seller rather than some random dealer or an eBay listing. Buying a Leica is a significant investment as it is – I wanted to make sure I’d get the best possible product with the best possible service.

    Ironically, after just a few weeks, the shutter release started acting up. A Leica M6, freshly serviced by Leica (!), with a mechanical issue. I was annoyed, sure. But this was exactly the scenario I had prepared for by buying a camera with warranty.

    Since Wetzlar isn’t too far away, I spontaneously drove to Leica’s headquarters to have a technician take a look. It also made for a good excuse to visit the Leitz Park and the Ernst Leitz Museum on the campus.

    They helped me fairly quickly. Someone at the service counter took the camera to the technicians and returned a few minutes later, problem solved. Apparently, during the last service, the shutter button hadn’t been seated correctly in the body. I was glad to have my camera back so soon. But back home, I discovered that bulb mode no longer worked. Pressing the shutter in bulb mode would make the curtain open and close almost instantly, instead of staying open as long as the button was held. Gritting my teeth, I planned another trip to Wetzlar for the following week.

    Still wanting to keep up with my photo challenge and thinking nothing of it, I loaded a roll of Adox CHS 100 II and continued shooting as planned.

    A week later, I was back at the Leitz Park. The weather was perfect, and I shot what were probably some lovely frames of the buildings on the campus. Same counter. Same employee. He recognized me immediately and couldn’t believe I was back. I explained the problem, which he could reproduce right away. He said a technician would need to look at it – about 45 minutes. My girlfriend had come along, so we passed the time at the café on site with our complimentary drink vouchers.

    45 minutes later, the camera was handed back to me. Fixed – for real this time. They apologized for making me come back twice, then explained what had gone wrong. I don’t remember the exact details, and the explanation was a bit too technical for me to fully grasp. But in short: during the previous repair, a technician had accidentally knocked a part without noticing, which disabled bulb mode. They had now fixed it and also recalibrated all the shutter speeds to make sure everything was running correctly. That gave me pause for a moment – but I didn’t think much of it.

    Then, some time later, when I finally developed the roll I had shot between the two repairs, it became painfully clear why they had recalibrated the speeds. It wasn’t just bulb mode that had been broken – all the shutter speeds had been thrown off as well. The entire roll was basically blank. Except for two or three frames, there was nothing. The image above is pure luck – shutter speed and aperture just happened to align.

    It’s frustrating, and for a while I felt like I’d been had. You pay a lot of money for a premium product with warranty and good service, and you end up disappointed on every level. It could have been worse, though. What if I hadn’t noticed the bulb mode issue and taken the camera on vacation? On my last trip, I shot maybe five rolls with some really great images. They would all have been blank.

    Looking back, I think I was just unlucky. The Leica staff seemed genuinely surprised by my case – this apparently doesn’t happen often. Given Leica’s reputation, I can’t imagine it does.

    In the end, I got lucky. If I had bought the camera somewhere without proper service, I would have been stuck paying for expensive repairs at Leica or another workshop.

    I’m over it now. I’m happy with my camera – it hasn’t given me any trouble since and works flawlessly. As you’ll see in the upcoming posts, I got some nice shots with it for the rest of the year.

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    12 months of film – August

    In August I shot two rolls of film: one Kodak Portra 800 and one Kodak Ultramax 400. Both were shot on the M6—the roll of Portra with the Canon 35mm f/2.8 LTM, the roll of Ultramax with my then-new Voigtländer 35mm f/1.4 Nokton VM II (MC). Both were developed by my local lab and scanned at home with my Fujifilm X-E4, then converted in NLP.

    The images were taken in Frankfurt at the Opernplatz, in our allotment garden, in Niddapark, and in the Odenwald region.

    A lively square features a central fountain with people relaxing and children playing, surrounded by historic buildings and a bright blue sky.A garden setting with vibrant red roses and a wooden planter filled with soil.A three-story building with distinct gabled roofs stands at a street corner, surrounded by parked cars and a clear blue sky.A serene river reflects the surrounding trees and a sky filled with scattered clouds.A serene landscape with a river reflecting surrounding trees and a clear sky, with two people walking on the path in the distance.Tall, golden-yellow plants with feathery blossoms are illuminated by sunlight amidst a backdrop of lush green foliage.A serene park scene features a small bridge over a calm stream, surrounded by trees and grassy areas where people relax on benches.A serene landscape features a sunny field with tall grass and a large tree partially blocking the sun.A wooden hunting blind stands in the middle of a grassy field surrounded by a scenic rural landscape with trees and hills in the background.A paved path runs through a rural landscape with fields, trees, and a horse grazing under a clear blue sky.
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    12 months of film – July

    July was a two-roll month: one HP5 and one Kodak Ultra Max, both shot at box speed. The color negative went to my local lab as usual, while I developed the HP5 myself in HC110. I scanned both rolls at home.

    All images were shot with my Leica M6 and the Canon 35mm f/2.8 LTM lens. The avid reader might suspect—and the faithful podcast listener already knows—that the Leica is a new camera in my arsenal. More on that later, perhaps.

    Locations: Nidda Park Frankfurt, my allotment garden, and the surrounding garden colony.

    A cluttered backyard scene shows an open wooden shed surrounded by plants, chairs, and various garden items.A small wooden shed surrounded by overgrown grass and trees is captured in black and white.A bird perches on a decorative flower-shaped birdbath in a garden.A heart-shaped wreath and a perforated metallic object are attached to a wooden wall surrounded by climbing plants.A pathway leads through a garden with a decorative white trellis archway surrounded by lush greenery and trees.Two birds stand on a stone wall with graffiti in a grassy area near a tree and a road.A bird is perched on a large stone block near a grassy area, with trees and a path in the background.A pathway winds through a peaceful, grassy field under a sky with scattered clouds.A wooden shed surrounded by trees and shadows with gardening tools leaning against it.A serene garden scene is illuminated by soft sunlight, featuring lush greenery, a large tree, and garden tools scattered around.A small, rustic cabin is surrounded by overgrown greenery and a wooden fence in a lush natural setting.A serene sky displays wispy pink clouds and a small moon above silhouetted treetops.
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    12 months of film – June

    In May, I didn’t complete a full roll of film. While I did take a few shots, none were quite worth sharing. The images I’m sharing here were actually taken in June.

    I used the Canon P with the Canon 35mm f/2.8 LTM lens and shot on Kodak Tri-X film. I developed the film myself using HC-110 and scanned the negatives with my Fujifilm X-E4.

    A shadow of a person taking a photo is cast on the grass near a wheelbarrow, hose, and watering can.Two people ascend a stairway from a dimly lit indoor area to an outdoor urban environment, with geometric architecture and a high-contrast, black and white aesthetic.A black and white photograph shows a residential building with arched openings, surrounded by trees, and a sign advising cyclists to dismount.
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    12 months of film – April

    In April, I took a lot of photos for my personal film challenge. I managed to shoot almost five rolls of film. This was partly thanks to the good weather, feeling motivated, and having a week off from work.

    The photos were taken with my:

    • Canon P, using the Canon 35mm f2.8 LTM and the 50mm Jupiter 8
    • Canon MC with its 35mm lens

    I used the following film stocks:

    • HP5, pulled to ISO 200 and developed in HC110
    • Kodak Gold
    • Kodak Ultramax
    • Kodak Portra 160

    All the films were scanned at home using my Fujifilm X-E4 and a Minolta 50mm Macro lens. The color films were developed by my local lab.

    A forest scene depicts tall, leafless trees casting long shadows on the forest floor.A traditional Chinese-style building is surrounded by trees and greenery.A serene garden scene features a pond, lush greenery, and a distant traditional-style pavilion.A person is partially submerged in a pond surrounded by rocks and lush greenery.A vibrant park scene features people walking along a path surrounded by lush greenery and a blooming pink tree under a clear blue sky.A large, solitary tree stands in the middle of a sunlit, grassy field under a clear blue sky.A vibrant garden scene features a prominent orange flower surrounded by various pink and white blooms.Potted pink hydrangeas are arranged in a sunlit indoor space next to wooden furniture.A serene garden features tall trees, a wooden pathway, and a glimpse of a building in the background.A small domed building with large windows is nestled among lush trees and greenery.A peaceful garden scene features a small gazebo surrounded by lush greenery, trees, and a winding gravel path.A scenic garden path winds through lush greenery with trees and shrubs, leading to a small structure in the background under a clear blue sky.A stone pathway leads uphill through a lush garden filled with blooming pink and white flowers under a clear blue sky.A person sits on a bench by a riverside, with trees and a boat in the background.A tall, modern skyscraper with a cylindrical section is set against a clear blue sky, with a more traditional building in the foreground.A modern cityscape features a tall glass building surrounded by construction sites, street barriers, and a red bike lane.A person in a blue dress is sitting on a ledge in a bustling urban plaza with people walking by and modern buildings in the background.A car is parked on a street beside a large tree covered in pink blossoms in front of a house.
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    12 months of film – March

    In March I barely shot one roll of film. I’m not sure why, but that’s how it is. On top of that, I wasn’t really feeling inspired, so the shots I got are, let’s say, mediocre. But that’s part of the challenge.

    I shot these frames with the Canon MC on Kodak Gold. The film was developed by my local lab and then scanned by me using my Fuji X-E4 with the Minolta 50 mm Macro lens. Post-processing was done in Lightroom with Negative Lab Pro.

    Here are some of the images I ended up with:

    Trees cast long shadows on a grassy lawn, with a stone wall and dense trees in the background.A tree-lined tram track stretches into the distance, flanked by platforms and surrounded by urban buildings on a sunny day.A city street scene features a historic building with blooming cherry blossom trees and a few people on the sidewalk near a crosswalk.A city street lined with trees and buildings leads to a tall skyscraper in the background.A street scene shows a poster on a cylindrical surface featuring a smiling person next to a tree and parked cars with blooming cherry blossoms in the background.A serene landscape features a calm river reflecting trees, including one with white blossoms, under a partly cloudy sky.
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    12 months of film - February

    In my pursuit of shooting more film regularly in 2025, I shot two rolls of film in February. Both rolls were captured using my Minolta X-700 with the 35mm f/1.8 lens.

    • One roll of Ilford HP5, shot at 800 ISO with a yellow filter. I developed it at home in HC-110 Solution A and scanned it using my Fuji X-E4 and the Minolta MD 50mm macro lens.
    • One roll of Kodak Portra 800, which was developed and scanned by my local lab.

    The images were taken in and around the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, the Bahnhofsviertel area, the city center of Frankfurt, and within the scenic landscapes of the Odenwald region.

    A tall, modern skyscraper with a wavy facade stretches towards a clear blue sky, viewed from a low angle with parts of nearby buildings visible.A group of performers entertain a crowd in an urban area, with one person balancing a stack of cans on their head.A small wooden structure is mounted on a wheeled platform, situated on a grassy hill with a scenic landscape in the background.A winding rural road passes through a grassy landscape with hay bales wrapped in plastic, surrounded by trees and hills in the background.A rainbow flag waves prominently in front of historic buildings in a public square.A small building with a gray garage door is surrounded by trees and fenced, featuring red paint and black, Asian script on the wall.A group of people is gathered outdoors with one person holding a sign that reads COLLEGE HAS US SO OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY & I CAN'T FAX CRATE.A black and white photograph depicts a narrow urban street flanked by tall buildings, with a modern tower centered in the background under a clear sky.Stone balusters are aligned, casting shadows in a black-and-white setting.A black and white photograph features branches with clusters of small flowers in focus against a blurred background.A person leans on a railing overlooking a cityscape with skyscrapers and a river.A black-and-white photograph captures a large, historic stone building with ornate architectural details set against a backdrop of a city street.Three people are walking up a set of stairs in a black and white photograph.A cityscape features modern buildings, bare trees, and people walking along a paved park area with benches.A sleek, spiral staircase is partially enclosed by a curved, black-and-white wall, creating an abstract and modern architectural feature.A spiral staircase captured from above creates a mesmerizing geometric pattern in black and white.A tall, modern building with an angular, geometric facade is shown from a low perspective against a clear sky.A person is observing a large, detailed artwork mounted on a wall in a spacious, modern gallery setting.
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    12 months of film - January

    As I wrote at the beginning of the year I’m shooting at least one roll of film every month throughout 2025. In January, I actually ended up shooting two rolls—here are some of my favorite images from those rolls. All were captured on Ilford HP5+ at ISO 400, using my Minolta X700 with a Minolta MD 35mm f/1.8 lens and a yellow filter. The photos were taken around Frankfurt—either on my street photography walks or during visits to my local park.

    (Developed in HC110 Dilution B at home. Scanned with my Fuji X-E4 and the Minolta MD 50mm macro lens)

    A grand neoclassical building with an ornate facade stands in the background, surrounded by people walking in a plaza with a fountain in the foreground.A fast-moving train crosses a graffiti-covered bridge while a solitary person walks along the side.A city skyline with modern buildings is reflected in a calm river.A collection of industrial buildings with tall chimneys is reflected in a body of water under a clear sky.A group of ducks is resting on a dock by a river, with a city skyline and bridge in the background.Two people sit on a bench overlooking a river with a cityscape in the background.A person is sitting on a bench next to a clock structure on a sidewalk, while several people walk on the adjacent cobblestone path.A black-and-white photo captures a person pointing towards a building with tall windows and statues, partially shadowed by architectural elements.A poster featuring a man with the word ZUVERSICHT is attached to a pole on a city street.A park landscape featuring bare trees and a prominent tower in the background under a clear sky, with a few people walking along a path.