So I’ve been testing out this batch of old, expired GAF Aerial 70mm film for a while. The goal in using this film is to try and get some ethereal, textured imagery that can create an emotional response in what would otherwise be a drab, boring photograph.
Now I have plenty of GAF Aerial film, but in terms of the stuff that has known delaminations and decay, I only have maybe two full rolls available. So the first batch will be used for an experiment, and the second will be used for my big planned photo project next week.
Last Sunday, in the late afternoon, I drove over to Hoffman’s Playland in Latham. The goal – photograph the Hoffman’s Playland sign with this GAF Aerial film. I would use different exposure times and f-stops, and I should be able to squeeze 15 images out of my AGFA Clipper Special f/6.3 camera.
Oh, and did I mention that I was shooting on Father’s Day, which allowed fathers to ride the rides for free that day? So there were plenty of families at the park that day. But I wasn’t photographing families that day. I just wanted to capture the sign with this deteriorating film.
Technically, the ISO on this film – if it were fresh – would be 80. I shot it as if it were 50. F-stop adjusted from f/22 to f/16, exposures from 1:100 to 1:50. I locked the camera onto a tripod and shot until I ran out of film. In other words, I’m using a mixture of my photo skills and the unknown quality of the film. If I under-expose the product, I get more delamination in the final picture. If I over-expose, I’ll get a sharper picture, but no delaminations.
So the best of the shots – counting exposure and delamination – was this one.
Okay. This looks like the kind of amusement park that Pennywise would be scared to visit.
I later discovered that the light leak at the top of this picture was caused by the metal 616 spool; somehow, one of the rims bent, causing a light leak. I’ll call that a happy accident for now… and I’m crossing myself in benediction, thankful that the damaged spool wasn’t part of one of my photos from the Rolleiflex or the Kodak Medalist. Hee.
But I was also able to acquire a triple-image three-shot, where you can see the delamination and deterioration of the film. That would explain this image.
Okay. I’ve got a good balance of exposure on this film. So to speak.
This means that my experiments have been successful.
So now, with one more strip of GAF Aerial film, I can do something very special.
And, if all goes well, my “most excellent” plan will take place next week.
Mind you, this won’t be the only type of film I use on this project next week.
But it’s definitely going to be one of the films that I do use.
Chuck The Writer 