by Darlene Almeda | Jun 7, 2024 | SCENES & STORIES
The golden hour cast a warm, amber glow over the Custard Castle, its neon signs flickering to life as dusk approached. The Ice Cream Cone, Italian Ice, Soft Pretzels, and the inviting “Open” sign shimmered with a nostalgic allure, beckoning travelers on the Black Horse Pike to stop and savor a moment of sweet simplicity. Nestled twenty miles from the bustling Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore, the Custard Castle had stood proudly since 1972, a steadfast beacon of delightful treats and cherished memories.
by Darlene Almeda | May 6, 2024 | FILM TOPICS, IT'S ABOUT GEAR
This article reviews two rolls of 120 film shot in succession in A12 and A24 film magazines with a Hasselblad 501CM camera equipped with a CF 135/5.6 lens and a Hasselblad Vario Tube. I’ll guide you through the process of loading 120 film into the A24 magazine, which was engineered for 220 film exclusively. Additionally, I’ll provide a contact sheet displaying the entire roll of negatives from both magazines for film spacing review. Then, we will focus on each roll’s first, middle, and last frames, assessing film flatness and sharpness.
by Darlene Almeda | May 3, 2024 | ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM TOPICS, IT'S ABOUT GEAR, POST-PROCESSING
In this article, I share my approach to crafting images with a 4×5 field camera with interchangeable pinholes attached to a dedicated lens board. I’ll explain my rationale for choosing this method over a basic 4×5 box pinhole camera, outlining its pros and cons. Additionally, we’ll explore the offerings from two pinhole makers who provide different design approaches to interchangeable pinholes. I’ll also detail my process for metering the correct exposure, complete with a downloadable 4×5 Pinhole F/Stop & Exposure Factor Chart. Finally, I’ll discuss my preferred film choice and the reasons behind it. Let’s get started.
by Darlene Almeda | Apr 29, 2024 | IT'S ABOUT GEAR
Creating sharp and captivating images with a pinhole camera begins with understanding the importance of pinhole size. A pinhole camera, a marvel of simplicity, uses a tiny hole instead of a lens to project images onto film or a sensor.
by Darlene Almeda | Apr 12, 2024 | BEHIND THE LENS, BUSINESS OF PHOTOGRAPHY, IT'S ABOUT GEAR, SCENES & STORIES
In the summer of ’85, when my photography business was finding its footing, fate intervened in the form of a chance encounter at KEH Camera Brokers. Back in those days, if you lived in the Atlanta area, you could walk into KEH and go through their bins. My heart yearned for a Hasselblad, a symbol of professionalism and artistic excellence, but my wallet whispered tales of financial strain. A commotion at the counter caught my attention as I stood amidst the array of lenses and bodies. A man, his frustration palpable, lamented the meager offer the buyer proposed for his beloved Hasselblad kit. With lenses spread before him like treasures on display, he turned to me, a stranger, and posed an unexpected proposition.
