Tag: medium format

  • Power Tower No. 4

    Power Tower No. 4

    The final image of this mini-series … here we’re looking straight up the gut of the tower. I really struggled with loading this role of Kodak onto the development reel in the darkroom. You can plainly see in the middle of the frame where I bent the emulsion. I later learnt how to avoid this…

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  • Power Tower No. 3

    Power Tower No. 3

    I love the complexities of something so ubiquitous that we take it for granted. Again, you can see all kinds of scratches and imperfections on the emulsion. Nevertheless, I like the imperfections and the grain. Eaves, Chris (Sept. 29, 2018). Power Tower No. 3 [Photograph]. Addison, Illinois. Shot on self-developed Kodak TMX100 taken with a Bronica SQ-A…

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  • Power Tower No. 2

    Power Tower No. 2

    Here’s a look at the arms of the power tower. Eaves, Chris (Sept. 29, 2018). Power Tower No. 2 [Photograph]. Addison, Illinois. Shot on self-developed Kodak TMX100 taken with a Bronica SQ-A at 80mm.  

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  • Power Tower No. 1

    Power Tower No. 1

    Back into medium format photos, and the first of 4 industrial shots over in Addison, Illinois. Here we see a plane on approach to O’Hare. You can see where I scratched the emulsion in the lower-right corner. Eaves, Chris (Sept. 29, 2018). Power Tower No. 1 [Photograph]. Addison, Illinois. Shot on self-developed Kodak TMX100 taken with a…

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  • Atop Starved Rock

    Atop Starved Rock

    After a trip to the wonderful Lodge at Starved Rock State Park, we take our obligatory hike up the infamous hill, look out at the Illinois River, and ponder life in the era of canoes and trappers. Eaves, Chris (Sept. 22, 2018). Atop Starved Rock [Photograph]. Starved Rock State Park, Illinois. Shot on a Bronica…

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  • Fox Fishing

    Fox Fishing

    It was cold and windy, yet these two fishermen seemed to be having a good time fishing at the McHenry Dam. Eaves, Chris (Oct. 20, 2018). Fox Fishing [Photograph]. McHenry, Illinois. Shot on self-developed Kodak TX400 taken with a Bronica SQ-A at 80mm.    

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  • Pond-ering

    Pond-ering

    A spider web catching rays from the early-morning sun. Eaves, Chris (Oct. 13, 2018). Pond-ering [Photograph]. Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Shot on Kodak TMX100 pushed 1 stop and taken with a Bronica SQ-A at 80mm.  

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  • Milkweed

    Milkweed

    Shooting with film is all about choices. There’s an incremental cost with film that digital simply doesn’t have. And with medium format, that shutter press is a commitment to development and scanning. It forces one to slow down and think through the details. On the same roll of film with office towers, I also have…

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  • Union Sky

    Union Sky

    By lunchtime, the fog had lifted and big, puffy, low-level clouds drifted through downtown. Here’s a look at the columns outside Union Station. Eaves, Chris (Oct. 15, 2018). Union Sky [Photograph]. Chicago, Illinois. Shot on a Bronica SQ-A at 80mm on Kodak TMX100 pushed 1 stop

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  • Downtown Valley

    Downtown Valley

    I walk past this mini-street on my morning commute. The low clouds on this day completely obscured Sears/Willis Tower, which normally provides a third level of buildings in the frame. Eaves, Chris (Oct. 15, 2018). Downtown Valley [Photograph]. Chicago, Illinois. Shot on a Bronica SQ-A at 80mm on Kodak TMX100 pushed 1 stop

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  • Ogilvie Station

    Ogilvie Station

    As I mentioned at the first of the year, I jumped into analog film development last year, and I enjoyed the experience—up until the part of digitizing the negatives for use in our modern world. Here is one of my favorite shots, taken during my morning commute. One of the pleasures of analog is the…

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  • Fox Crossing

    Fox Crossing

    At first glance, you probably are thinking that this doesn’t qualify for my “small bridge” series. But take another look, as we have nested bridges over the Fox River. Above us is I-90 in Elgin, Illinois. They rebuilt this entire structure recently, and I love that the State of Illinois nested a pedestrian and bike…

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  • Fox Double Bridge

    Fox Double Bridge

    One of the things I love about medium format photography is the focus falloff. The out-of-focus areas just evaporate into focus. Here we see a photo of Northwest Highway crossing the Fox River in Fox River Grove, Illinois. The river was at its banks most of the summer, and that’s what we see here. Eaves,…

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  • Heading South

    Heading South

    I totally missed the boat, as they say, on this one. I would have loved to have gotten a shot of them approaching with bridges raised. This scene unfolded back in October as I was returning from lunch in the South Loop. The raised bridges allowed a small flotilla of sailboats to make their way south along the…

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  • A Troll’s Life

    A Troll’s Life

    Another view of the 113-year-old bridge in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The first time I attempted to photograph the bridge, I made a horrible mess of the development cycle. I didn’t wind the reel properly, and I lost most of the frames. The 46-foot span creates some interesting compositions as traffic flows past. Here’s one with…

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  • Lion Bridge

    Lion Bridge

    Today I kick off a 6-part “small bridge” series with a shot of the Lion Bridge in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Built in 1906, this reinforced concrete bridge cost $3,000 to build (About $83,000 in 2017 dollars). It was paid for by Hanover Township and Cook County. The bridge is now used for pedestrians and cyclists…

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  • Summer Daydreams

    Summer Daydreams

    Today is part 3 of 10 in my Montreal series. Coming from Chicago with its lake, Montreal does well with the fast-flowing river at its doorstep. Here’s the typical idyllic scene of Quebec in all its mid-Summer glory. The first two photos in this series were both analog shots, and I have a rather nice…

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  • Old Montreal

    Old Montreal

    Today is part 2 of 10 in my Montreal series. We walked or took the Metro everywhere, and it was quite liberating to be free of a car and all that driving entails. Old Montreal was busy in that good sort of way. Eaves, Chris (Sept. 1, 2018). Old Montreal [Photograph]. Montreal, Canada. Shot on…

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  • Picking Peppers

    Picking Peppers

    Welcome to my Montreal series! Today is part 1 of 10, including a mini-Metro series in the middle of it. I hope you enjoy! Today we start with a trip to the Jean Talon Market. It was a grey day, but perfect for wandering around on foot. The market is a visual delight and a…

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  • Maintenance Crew

    Maintenance Crew

    This gentleman told me a bit about the Haeger plant, and we chatted for a few minutes and about how the plant couldn’t compete with cheap, overseas labor. Most striking was his comment, “I’m glad I’m old. I won’t be around to deal with what the younger generations have to.” In the end, he was…

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