ahoy
LightNews LightNews
banner
ahoysailors.bsky.social
ahoy
@ahoysailors.bsky.social
1.1K followers 2.5K following 48 posts
This is where I get into the details about my photography and development process. I shoot #35mm film and develop, print, and scan at home.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
ahoysailors.bsky.social
ahoy @ahoysailors.bsky.social · Dec 20
#camera Voigtlander Bessa T.
#lens Zeiss 35mm f2.8 lens.
#film Ilford Kentmere 400 pushed to 1600.

#darkroom Developed in Eco Pro LegacyPro 1:1 at 20°C for 18 minutes.
A black and white photo of an arcade game in a dimly lit room.
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Leitz Minolta CL
#lens Voigtländer 40mm ƒ/1.4 Nokton Classic
#film Lucky SHD 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+25 at 20°C for 7 ½ minutes
A woman's boots hang out of the driver's side window of a gold leaf covered car. In the background a banner hanging from a balcony reads "Scrap Yard."
September 11, 2025 at 1:51 PM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Leitz Minolta CL
#lens Voigtländer 40mm ƒ/1.4 Nokton Classic
#film Lucky SHD 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+25 at 20°C for 7 ¼ minutes.
The lyrics to the opening song played by Cousins at Sappyfest 20 sit on the stage at the feet of the lead singer and guitarist. Cables are intertwined on the black floor while smoke from the fog machine can be seen wafting in the background.
September 6, 2025 at 2:27 AM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Voigtländer Bessa T
#lens Zeiss 35mm ƒ/2.8 C Biogon ZM
#film Lucky SHD 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+25 at 20°C for 7 ¼ minutes

#notes Shot with a yellow filter
An old and rusty metal buoy sits in the tall grass near a beach.
August 11, 2025 at 12:44 PM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Voigtländer Bessa T
#lens Zeiss 35mm ƒ/2.8 C Biogon ZM
#film Lucky SHD 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+25 at 20°C for 7 ¼ minutes

#notes Shot with a yellow filter
Finally found some time and motivation to develop some summer film. I shoot more colour in the warmer months so I find I tend to slow down in my black and white processing. I noticed a fine layer of dust on my Paterson tank. Still shooting mostly Lucky SHD 400 as it has been fun to experiment with. If you under expose your negatives are basically unusable. However, properly exposed or slight over exposed images can look great. Especially if you find some nice highlights. In this photo I was testing out the use of a yellow filter on this film. It definitely had more of an impact than I expected. My Bessa-T's light meter may have pointed me in the wrong direction a few times. I likely should have shot the roll at 200 ISO to compensate. You're looking at an image of a bathroom and laundry facility in Grand Narrows, Cape Breton. It was my first time in there and I had a lot of fun exploring the area with my family. I especially liked the setup they had at the Wheelhouse Cafe where you could get a beer and iced cream next to the beach.
August 7, 2025 at 1:52 AM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Leica CL
#lens Voigtländer 15mm ƒ/4.5 Super Wide Heliar Asph II
#film Ilford HP5 Plus 400

#darkroom Developed in Eco Pro 1:1 at 21°C for 11 minutes.

#notes Converted my broken CL to a pseudo panoramic camera with a 16x7 aspect ratio mask.
A shot from earlier in the year of a run-down part of town that's going through gentrification. Graffiti on an aluminum covered building has been hastily covered up with white paint. Fresh rain has pooled on the sidewalk and debris can be seen along the edges of the road.
July 25, 2025 at 2:58 AM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Rollei 35 B
#lens 40mm ƒ/3.5 Triotar
#film Flic Film Ultra Pan 100 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+50 at 20°C for 9 ½ minutes
Leaves and petals from a rhododendron are sprinkled with water from a fresh rain.
July 8, 2025 at 1:53 AM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Leitz Minolta CL
#lens Voigtländer 40mm ƒ/1.4 Nokton Classic
#film Flic Film Ultra Pan 100 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+50 at 20°C for 9 ½ minutes
A large "MOTEL" sign is viewed from the back displaying the letters backwards. The individual letters are supported by large metal rods.
June 23, 2025 at 12:46 PM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Rollei 35 B
#lens 40mm ƒ/3.5 Triotar
#film Flic Film Ultra Pan 100 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+50 at 20°C for 9 ½ minutes
I'm a big fan of the way this film renders all the midtones. The only downside is the quality control. Lots of shots end up with black dots or random streaks. Especially towards the end. Not sure what their process of re-spooling is like, but I tend to end up with issues like this no matter if I develop it in XTOL or Blazinal. I also have consistently seen that these rolls have about 40 shots instead of 36 which can be too long for the Patterson spools.
June 19, 2025 at 2:30 PM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Leitz Minolta CL
#lens Voigtländer 15mm ƒ/4.5 Super Wide-Heliar II
#film Lucky SHD 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+25 at 20°C for 7 ¼ minutes
Penny, the lead singer of Penny and the Pits, takes a sip between songs at a house show.
June 12, 2025 at 2:58 AM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Voigtlander Bessa T
#lens Zeiss 35mm ƒ/2.8 C Biogon ZM
#film Lucky SHD 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+25 at 20°C for 7 ¼ minutes
A view from under an overpass. Long shadows streak across the patchy grass.
June 10, 2025 at 3:14 PM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera 1934 Leica III (Model F)
#lens Industar-61 55mm ƒ/2.8 L/D
#film Ilford HP5 Plus 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+25 at 20°C for 7 minutes

#notes Second test roll through a recently CLA'd Leica III. More details in the alt text.
A photo of a blooming tree in my local park. The kids and I refer to it as the octopus tree because of its low and thick branches which have hundreds of knobs that resemble suction cups. Some notes about the camera; this is a new-to-me Leica III that I picked up on Facebook Marketplace for $100. It was in terrible condition. It was musty, the shutter was mouldy and would only just fire, and was covered with grime. It came with a surprisingly clear Elmar f3.5 3.5cm lens. The lens unfortunately needs some work and I'll be sending it off for repairs soon. The camera was CLA'd by Paramount Camera Repair in Saskatoon, Canada. They did a great job at bringing it back to life without having to replace the shutter curtain. All the speeds appear to be accurate now with the exception of maybe the last few slowest. The rangefinder is accurate and everything has operated smoothly so far. The camera still could use some cleaning as the grime was really packed into all the nooks. I plan on keeping this in the collection. I might sell the Elmar once it is repaired as the ergonomics of it really don't work for me.
May 27, 2025 at 1:30 PM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Voigtländer Bessa T
#lens Industar-61 55mm ƒ/2.8 L/D
#film Lucky SHD 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+25 at 20°C for 7 minutes
After the abandoned Bloomfield school caught fire this winter, the city got to work and started tearing it down. A large painted letter "F" is exposed to the outside world for the first time as the walls came down. We can only imagine that the developer of this plot was waiting for something as fortunate as a fire to break out. Now all their demolition costs are covered by the taxpayer.
May 24, 2025 at 12:16 AM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Voigtlander Bessa T
#lens Zeiss 35mm ƒ/2.8 C Biogon ZM
#film Lucky SHD 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+25 at 20°C for 7 ¼ minutes
A photo of graffiti under an overpass. The harsh light creates deep shadows. I've very much been enjoying the style of photo that Lucky SHD produces. You get very little detail in the shadows so you need to lean into these high contrast compositions. I've been doing a lot of biking and walking lately and I often find myself looking for these bright highlights knowing that the shadows will be near black. Lots of the shots end up looking like trash as if you get the exposure wrong you can't really salvage the photo. However, when you get it right it's a pretty cool atmosphere. With Lucky film being very inexpensive right now it's worth having some in the fridge waiting to go.
May 16, 2025 at 2:08 PM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Voigtlander Bessa T
#lens Zeiss 35mm ƒ/2.8 C Biogon ZM
#film Lucky SHD 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+25 at 20°C for 7 minutes
A mini truck imported from Japan is parked along a side street. Tied down in the flatbed is an ATV that perfectly fits the dimensions of the truck. Two vehicles built for entirely different purposes; yet they feel like they were meant to be together.
May 6, 2025 at 12:34 PM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Voigtlander Bessa T
#lens Zeiss 35mm ƒ/2.8 C Biogon ZM
#film Lucky SHD 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+25 at 20°C for 7 minutes
Two mannequin heads are illuminated by a nearby lamp through the window of an antique shop.
May 2, 2025 at 4:59 PM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Voigtlander Bessa T
#lens Zeiss 35mm ƒ/2.8 C Biogon ZM
#film Ilford HP5 Plus 400

#darkroom Developed in Eco Pro LegacyPro 1:1 at 21°C for 11 minutes
A telephone pole is surrounded by clear bags of garbage at the entrance of an alley in a residential neighbourhood.
April 28, 2025 at 1:16 AM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Leica CL
#lens ???
#film Ilford Delta 100 Professional

#darkroom From the 2023 archives. Developed in Eco Pro LegacyPro 1:1 at 24°C for 7 ¼ minutes
The tile entry to the Turtle Cafe in Elwood, Australia. I think I shot this with a Zeiss 35mm lens, but I didn't take notes and it has been long enough that I clearly forget.
April 22, 2025 at 2:09 AM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Leitz Minolta CL
#lens Voigtländer 40mm ƒ/1.4 Nokton Classic
#film Kentmere 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Eco Pro LegacyPro 1:1 at 20°C for 12 minutes
Tiny polypores cover the trunk of a tree. My kids love looking for these shelf fungi when hiking in the woods. I'm always very happy with how this lens renders subjects around the 1 meter mark.
April 13, 2025 at 12:39 AM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Voigtländer Bessa T
#lens Zeiss 35mm ƒ/2.8 C Biogon ZM
#film Ilford HP5 Plus 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Blazinal 1+25 at 20°C for 8 minutes

#notes This was my first test using Blazinal after my XTOL mishap. I probably won't use it again for 400 ISO film as the grain is a bit intense.
A magnolia tree is covered in a thick layer of wet snow after a surprise April snowstorm.
April 9, 2025 at 8:19 PM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Leitz Minolta CL
#lens Minolta 90mm ƒ/4 M-Rokkor
#film Kentmere 400 #35mm

#darkroom Developed in Eco Pro LegacyPro 1:1 at 20°C for 12 minutes.
My daughters sitting in the grass with their faces covered by their ball caps. After 30 minutes of apple picking last fall they were ready to sit down and enjoy their spoils without being interrupted by their Dad and his camera.
April 9, 2025 at 1:58 AM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Zorki 4
#lens Industar-61 55mm ƒ/2.8 L/D
#film Kentmere 400

#darkroom Developed in Eco Pro LegacyPro 1:1 at 20°C for 12 minutes
My cat, Zeus, with his ears perked up after being disturbed from his nap on the corner of my bed.
April 8, 2025 at 1:02 AM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Rollei 35 B
#lens 40mm ƒ/3.5 Triotar
#film Ilford Delta 100 Professional

#darkroom Developed in Eco Pro LegacyPro 1:1 at 20°C for 11 minutes

#notes @ilfordphoto.com #fridayfavourites & #aprilondp100
A photo of a large retired cannon sitting idle in a battery. York Redoubt was part of a large defensive network which protected the city of Halifax, NS and its harbour entrance.
April 4, 2025 at 4:41 PM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
After 8 years of using XTOL (and clones) I finally experienced “sudden death.” I mixed up a batch of what must have been expired chemistry and nuked two rolls of Lucky SHD 400 #35mm. I initially thought they were completely blank but upon closer inspection there are some visible frames.
A cell phone picture of a nearly blank sleeve of film on a light table.
April 3, 2025 at 10:11 PM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Canon AT-1
#lens Canon 50mm ƒ/1.8 FD S.C.
#film Kentmere 400 #35mm

#darkroom From the 2017 archives. Developed in XTOL 1:1 at an unknown temperature and time.
A night time scene of a man exiting a convenience store during a blizzard. Snow has already piled up along the roads and sidewalks and thick snowflakes can be seen passing in front of the street lights.
March 31, 2025 at 2:34 AM
ahoysailors.bsky.social
#camera Leitz Minolta CL
#lens Minolta 90mm ƒ/4 M-Rokkor
#film Ilford HP5 Plus 400

#darkroom Developed in Eco Pro LegacyPro 1:1 at 21°C for 11 minutes.
A first responder paces in front of the smouldering ruins of the former Bloomfield School. A fire broke out in the early morning on a cold winter night and burned through until the next day. The building was too unstable for fire figters to enter so it was left to burn until it was under control and could be knocked down.
March 25, 2025 at 1:46 AM