Practice really does make perfect! Or almost perfect. Close enough.

I shot another roll of Kentmere 100 recently and pushed it to 400. I had tried this before and really liked the contrast and grain. I was mostly shooting to test my Canon AE-1 to make sure it was holiday ready for my trip to Mexico in two weeks. I’ll bring my Sony NEX for digital, but also wanted to bring a film camera and set of lenses. The Canon AE-1, if the test roll turned out, would be great because I have three prime lenses and adapter for my Sony, which would make my camera bag a-hell-uva-lot lighter. The lenses I have for it are a Canon FD 50mm, f/1.8, Canon FD 28mm, f/2.8, and a 135mm FD lens, f/2.8 (This isn’t a Canon brand lens, but I think an Olympus lens with an FD mount.)

I developed the Kentmere 100 pushed to 400 exactly how I did previously; ID-11 1:1 for 17 1/2 minutes. When I pulled the roll out to hand dry, it was one of the first times I really impressed myself…like in my life. (I’m a middle child, so I tend to underestimate myself.) I’ve been developing film for a year and making prints since December, so I think I was subconsciously pushing along, waiting for some sort of moment when all facets of photography came together and created a look that I liked.

The negatives were perfect. The darks, the lights, the midtones; I think my jaw hit the floor when I realized I had developed a roll really well. Then I made the prints. More impressive stuff. (I think once the prints turned out well, I decided it really doesn’t matter how much money you spend on camera supplies, it’s how hard you work and practice to master the skill-set needed to take, develop, and print a great piece, and MAYBE I was headed in the right direction.)

But really, if you haven’t pushed Kentmere 100, give it a go. It looks fantastic.

Here are a few prints:

Darkroom Work Day

Black Dog/White Dog in Wash

Sun Bathing

Tulips

Table Shadow

Table Shadow Grain

Really impressive stuff, whether or not the photos artistically are great, but the technical aspect is on point. I really enjoyed how this project turned out and will also write up a full review of the Canon AE-1 as well as some tips for use. It’s a little bit different, but looking at the prints above, I really enjoyed it.

Happy Shooting!