Mission: 36 Posted On 5th August 2021 To Magazine & Stories
Cabin Fever
Tired of COVID 'cabin fever' I needed to get out shooting so I concocted a mission to shoot a total of 36 acceptable shots in a 2 day time frame. Day one would be 12 6x6's and the second would be 35mm for 24 shots... fingers crossed.
I decided to shoot b&w film. This would not have been my choice a few years ago but the plethora of digital imagery has turned me off to the point where I'm re appreciating the disciplined 'analogue' mind set. I just flat out love and respect the wonderful tactical aspects of film and the physical aspects of wet processing. With digital you can't touch the pixels, heck you can't even see 'em, there's nothing to hold on to until there's an ink jet print. Silver lives forever, well sort of...you know what I mean.
Day one - Medium format
Day one. Sunday February 14th armed with my rather ancient Mamiya C2 loaded with HP5 Plus accompanied by my 80, 105, 250mm lenses and my Lunasix Pro, I was ready. As an aside I happen to prefer the crisp snick of a between the lens shutter vs. the clumpty clop of the Hasselblads.
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- Beryl, is my my mother in-law, with the 105 f3.5, window light at 1/30 f5.6
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- Fence at the Governor General’s property, 105 3.5 lens, 1/125 – f5.6
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- Fashion Boutique store front at night, 105 3.5 4 seconds at f5.6
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- Zoe with bounced 300ws flash, 80 2.8 at f11 with Cokin #87 Pastel 2 filter
It was a great day beginning at 10am shooting the portraits of my mother in-law Beryl and Zoe my granddaughter at 10am followed by the location shots all. This was a wrap by 4pm. Daylight this time of year in Canada is limited to about 4pm, ergo the shot of the dress shop window at 5pm was in total darkness. In total my odometer recorded a mere 26kms of travel. Murphy's law did not
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- Storefront display of unclothed mannequins. Negative image shot the 80mm lens
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- Arched gate to estate with 80 2.8 1/125 f11
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- Water Purification display artifact, 80 2.8 lens 1/60 f16
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- Bridge circa 1902 with 105 3.5 , 1/500 f8
All images were processed in ID-11 diluted 1+2 for 17 minutes with 5 second agitation every minute or so. Using distilled water with 2 tiny drops of wetting agent
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- Tomato plant roots on light table…sorry I forgot exposure data, macro 55 2.8
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- ‘Pears’. Studio composition with 300 watt CFL light 105 3.5.
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- Studio vignette or original photo on easel, 105mm ½ sec. f8 (CFL lighting)
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- Winter landscape, 250 f6.3 at 1/250 f11
Day two
Day two was the following Sunday the 21st. Up early into my small studio for 5:30am to shoot the tabletops and the selfie. I used two 45w 5200k CFL bulbs with a white reflector, nothing elaborate as I strive to keep things simple and not have the lighting dominate my compositions. My plan for the studio shots was to wrap up by 8:30 so I could head out for what would be a memorable day.
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- Selfie with 18 f4, 1/2 at f8
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- Styrofoam toy skulls with CFL lighting. 2 seconds f11 with macro 55
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- 5. Strip of 35 negatives on light table with magnifier. 1/60 at f8 with macro 55
My Domke bag was loaded with my venerable 1965 Nikon 'F' along the legendary 105 f2.5, an 85 f1.8 made famous in the '60's movie 'Blow-Up', the macro 55 f2.8, a Hong Kong black market 35 f1.4 and last but not least my go to 24 f2 along with several rolls of HP5. I put the bag out early into the cold. trunk of my car... more about this later.
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- Ottawa City street with painted graphic on bldg. 105 f2.5, 1/1000 at f 5.6
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- Rural snow covered farm in Quebec. 55 macro f2.8 at 1/500 at f8-f11
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- Old home due for demolition with 35 f1.4, 1/60 at f22
The coldest capital in the world
Winter in Ottawa is both beautiful and challenging with snow storms, chilling temperatures and up gale force winds making snow monster drifts like you wouldn't believe. Did you know Ottawa is the coldest capital city in the world?
From my home it's a leisurely 10 minute drive to Parliament Hill where I made the shot of Queen Victoria's statue. I absolutely love this delicate shadow less light (notan). The weather held nicely until about 2pm when the storm hit just before I did the photo of the rural snow covered railway bridge.
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- Broom, with 105 f2.5 lens, 1/125 at f8
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- Child’s doll on seamless background, 1/15 at f5.6 with 85 f1.8
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- Studio shot of flowers made with 105 f2.5, ½ second at f11
White knuckle time
Driving is now very dicey. When you can no longer see the center line nor the road shoulders it officially becomes white knuckle time especially on unfamiliar roads with swerves and curves typical of these remote county roads. Good news and bad news, the deep snow drifts have filled the ditches and provided a soft cushion, the bad is I find myself in down hill diminishing radius left turn with black ice under the 20cm of fresh snow and ergo an excursion into a deep snow drift. Good news, it's feather soft snow and with 4 premium snow tires it hopefully assures my escape... a special thanks to the photo god's as there were no hidden fence posts.
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- 17. Abandoned railway bridge during snow storm. 35 f1,4, 1/250 at f8-f11
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- Tree trunk’s texture with 85 f1.8, exposure was 1/125 at f22
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- Snow man with 55 macro 1/250 at f 5.6
Warm up
Chilled to the bone I stopped in for a much needed hot coffee at one of my favorite cafe's and photographed Ronnie the owner who always has a chatty moment for me. Then, as prearranged I photographed my friend Rob with his 5x4 Super Cambo and his partner Danni with her much loved Bronica. They're both excellent semi-pro shooters. My last planned shot was of my friend Roger at his favorite pub, then home at 6:45 in total darkness and more than a tad tired, but very happy with this adventure!
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- Ronnie local cafe owner, 35 f1.4, 1/15 at f3.5
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- Danni, photographer and sometimes model. 85 f1.8, 1/60 at f2
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- My friend Rob with his 5×4 Super Cambo, 105 2.5, 1/60 at f2.8
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- Roger, hair salon owner with the 85 1.8, 1/30 at f2.8
Weather tolerance
You might be wondering about the weather tolerance for my rather ancient 'F' and the manual focus lenses in heavy blowing snow with the thermometer hovering around -12. First, these cameras and lenses were made to last a life time. This 1965 F has never skipped a beat other than replacing the light seals and not a single tiny issue with my legacy manual focus lenses.
Print drying made on Ilford Multi-Grade Satin paper
When it's bitterly cold the camera gear has to stay cold, never ever let it get warm! If you do condensation to form on it and when you take it back out into the cold... it'll freeze solid and it's game over and it's the same for your film... keep it cool. Snow falling on metal or glass which is at ambient temp snow will not melt, just shake it off. The tolerances of the older film cameras are such they can tolerate stuff which might even challenge a Nikon D5 and how about all the auto focus motors and gears in freezing weather with a wind chill of -35... Canadian winters eh.
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- 8. Wagon wheel in snow drift with macro 55, 1/500 at f8-f11
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- Light table abstract of negs. with magnifier. Macro 55, 1/8 at f16
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- Ottawa City street with painted graphic on bldg. 105 f2.5, 1/1000 at f 5.6
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- 13. Mother with baby’s in snow carriage during snow storm. 35 f1.4, 1/250 at f8
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- 10. Winter on Mountain rd. of historic cover bridge. 24 f2, 1/250 at f11, yellow filter
I truly enjoyed this challenge and plan to do something similar in mid May. I'm thinking of pin-hole or maybe 4x5 paper negative landscapes or even portraits?
Picturesque snow scene in Quebec. 24 f2 shot at 1/500 f8.
Images ©Crombie McNeill
About The Author
Crombie McNeill
Crombie McNeill, Photographer
Crombie McNeill may tell you he has retired, but gifted with the soul of a true artist, he is continuously seeking the perfect image. His career has transcended the boundaries of conventional photography and now with Karsh and Stieglitz looking over his shoulder, he is embracing the photo imaging techniques of the future. Not one to leave behind the uniqueness of b&w film with the quiet nostalgia of his wet darkroom. He’s discovered a special blending of traditional film with advanced digital techniques to produce truly unique images with a presentation biased to minimalism.
“The art photography for me,” says Crombie “is the blending of the ‘critical moment’ with the timeless essence of the painters canvas.”
Crombie McNeill’s career began in the mid 60’s as a staff news photographer but he soon turned freelance and embarked on a 30-year journey living out of a suit case. This Odyssey lead him from the North Pole to high fashion magazine shoots to Olympic Games; it lead from the depths of the Barrier Reefs to the heights with the Snow Birds, interwoven with civil war in Africa, Royalty, presidents and paupers world wide, not to mention frozen toes at the North Pole.
Crombie was engaged as an instructor at Loyalist, Heritage, Algonquin, Mohawk, and Sheridan Colleges, as well as a stint with the Nikon School of Photography.
The National Archives anticipates that Crombie McNeill will be credited as one of Canada’s most significant photographers in recognition of his longevity and the diversity of photographic assignments. His publication credits include National Geographic, Chatelaine, Maclean’s, Time, Newsweek, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, even Life Magazine and many others.
Crombie is now happily retired, in that he no longer accepts editorial assignments. He lives in Aylmer, with his wife Sue. “This retirement” he admits, “allows me to continue the search for the image, and to determine the ideal technique by which it is to be captured, presented and preserved for posterity,”
Crombie often returns to the peaceful amber glow of the wet darkroom as a respite from his extensive digital lab.