Ralph Brandi
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Ralph Brandi
@pixelfed.thereisnocat.com
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Spring Mart

Got off the subway and started walking to our destination, the Autophoto Museum. Saw a few things on our way, including this. Pentaz 17, Kodacolor 200, ECN-2 development.

#BelieveInFilm
A multistory old brick building has a store on the first floor at a corner. The banner for the store says “Spring Mart” with a leaf dotting the I in Spring. To the left of those words, some offerings: Vape, Tobacco, E-Cigarettes. And to the left of that, a sign for the New York Lottery and another sign saying One Stop Convenience Stop. Under the word Mart is the address, 2-something-2 Mott St. And to the right of that, more offerings: Grocery Delie Beverage Beer Free Delivery 212.941.6601. Neon signs for the beers Voodoo Ranger, Fat Tire, and Bud Light appear in the window. A sign on a railing outside says Ji Li Tui-N Spa Massage (212) 966-2519. A sign in the window says Seet Tooth Rodeo Houston Texas October 2025. A car is entering the frame from the lower left, and a man looks anxiously, waiting for it to pass before crossing the street.
November 14, 2025 at 6:04 PM
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Brett and Andy Learn About FM DXing

This is the flip side of the DXpedition shot I posted yesterday where Bill was in focus but Brett and Andy were blurred out. I like that you can see that Bill’s pointing to something on screen, but it’s more […]

[Original post on pixelfed.thereisnocat.com]
Two standing gentlemen look on as a third sitting one shows them something on his computer screen.
November 14, 2025 at 3:50 PM
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Business

A bodega and a restaurant. This is my last shot for #folderweek. I had fun taking my dad’s old Retina Ia out for the first time in 15 years. It was a better camera than I remembered it being. I don’t see the haze I thought I saw back then […]

[Original post on pixelfed.thereisnocat.com]
A small grocery store and a fried chicken restaurant stand next to each other. The grocery on left has an awning that says “Papi’s Food Market LLC Produtos Hispanos • Centroamericanos” with a cornucopia next to it. A sign added to the sign says “We accept EBT”. Below all that is a list of product types: “Juice • Candy • Chocolate • Vegetables • Grocery Tel 848-868-5130”. There is an OPEN sign in the window, and an ad for Newport cigarettes in another window. To its right, Crown Fried Chicken with a sign where each I in “FrIed ChIcken” is replaced with a drumstick. A sign reading “ATM” is in the window above the door. On the door is a backward reading reflection of a street sign that says “Do Not Enter”.
November 14, 2025 at 12:44 PM
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Tortillerias “El Pilar”

Another restaurant in Long Branch. Kodak Retina Ia, Kodak Plus-X (expired 1994, shot at EI 80), Rodinal 1:50.

#BelieveInFilm #folderweek
A multistory brick building has a storefront on the first floor. It is a restaurant. The awning on the building says Tortillerias “El Pilar”, followed by a list of their offerings: Fruits, Vegetables, Tortillas, Beverages, and Bread, followed by their phone number: 732-272-1136. Illustrations of said offerings flank the text on the awning. A sign in the window says “Open”, and below that, a small ghost.
November 13, 2025 at 6:01 PM
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Bill Demonstrates FM DX

From left-to-right, Brett, Bill, Andy. Smartflex 3445, Smartnon 178mm f/2.5 lens, Ilford HP5+ pushed two stops to EI 1600, Rodinal 1:50 for 24 minutes.

#BelieveInFilm #FridayFavourites
A man sits in front of a computer, stroking his chin and smiling. Two other men, blurred, look at what the man at the computer is doing.
November 13, 2025 at 3:44 PM
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Subway

More from the 6 line. Pentax 17, Kodacolor 200, ECN-2. I’m amazed at how well the Pentax 17 does in low light.

#BelieveInFilm #halfframe
Three women and a man all look bored sitting on the subway
November 13, 2025 at 12:00 PM
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Brett

Missed focus on this one, and not in a way that makes me laugh like with Chuck. Oh well. Next year. Smartflex 3445, Smartnon 178mm f/2.5 lens, Ilford HP5+ pushed two stops to EI 1600, Rodinal 1:50.

#BelieveInFilm
A man with gray hair and beard and rimless glasses wears a Columbia jacket and looks at the camera.
November 12, 2025 at 6:01 PM
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Emporio

Another restaurant in Long Branch. Kodak Retina Ia, Kodak Plus-X (expired 1994, shot at EI 80), Rodinal 1:50.

#BelieveInFilm #folderweek
A two story building, brick face front on the first floor with windows and a door. A sign hangs from the second floor over the door. A tall section says in vertical lettering “Cafe e Restaurante”. Below it, a short wide section says “Emporio Cafe e Restaurante”, with the E in Emporio styled as a coffee cup. Hanging from that another sign, oval shaped, reads “Delivery 732-272-1646”.
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 PM
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Subway

After leaving Grand Central Terminal and the Dear New York exhibition, we hopped on the 6 train to go to the Lower East Side. Pentax 17, Kodacolor 200, ECN-2 development.

#BelieveInFilm #halfframe
Two men sit in a subway.
November 12, 2025 at 12:10 PM
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Restaurant Buenaventura

The people of Long Branch must like to eat out a lot. They have so many restaurants. Kodak Retina Ia, Kodak Plus-X (expired 1994, shot at EI 80), Rodinal 1:50.

#BelieveInFilm #folderweek
A two story brick building has a restaurant on the first floor. The awning over the restaurant says “Restaurant” with a man in a sombrero and traditional multicolored cloth next to it, with a list of hours superimposed that is largely unreadable. Below the awning, another sign says “Buenaventura”. Two signs in the windows say “Open”.
November 11, 2025 at 6:01 PM
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Don

Don is the brains behind our DXpeditions. He’s the guy who finds the places we go on AirBnB and arranges everything. Thanks, Don. I think this may be my favorite portrait of the bunch. Smartflex 3445, Smartnon 178mm f/2.5 lens, Ilford HP5+ […]

[Original post on pixelfed.thereisnocat.com]
A middle aged man with wire framed glasses, a hunting cap, and earphones in his ears looks off into the distance while leaning his had on his hand.
November 11, 2025 at 3:44 PM
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Exhibition

There were two pieces to the Dear New York exhibition. The photos in the center were by photographers that were commissioned to do work for the project. The photos on the periphery were by student photographers as part of a contest. Both […]

[Original post on pixelfed.thereisnocat.com]
People mill around displays of photographs
November 11, 2025 at 12:09 PM
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La Frontera II

One of the many restaurants in this part of Long Branch. Kodak Retina Ia, Kodak Plus-X (expired 1994, shot at EI 80), Rodinal 1:50.

#BelieveInFilm #folderweek
A corner building has a sign on it that says “La Frontera II The New Mexican Kitchen”. There is an illustration of a guitar to the left and of a man wearing a sombrero to the right. The windows below are illustrated with images from the Day of the Dead.
November 10, 2025 at 6:06 PM
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Chuck

I must have been hungry when I shot this, because the focus here is square on the container of M&Ms; in Chuck’s hand. Smartflex 3445, Smartnon 178mm f/2.5 lens, Ilford HP5+ pushed two stops to EI 1600, Rodinal 1:50.

#BelieveInFilm
A man with thinning gray hair holds a clear plastic container containing peanut M&Ms, offering them to the photographer.
November 10, 2025 at 3:50 PM
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Dear New York

The opening to the primary part of the Dear New York exhibition in Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal. Pentax 17, Kodacolor 200, ECN-2 development.

#BelieveInFilm #halfframe
A large sign attached to the floor says “Dear New York” with tiny unreadable words between each of those words.
November 10, 2025 at 12:31 PM
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Veselka Grand Central

It’s not a visit to New York City if it doesn’t include a meal at Veselka. This was the first time we’ve been to their stand in Grand Central Terminal. I’ve been going to their original restaurant on the Lower East Side for […]

[Original post on pixelfed.thereisnocat.com]
A woman wearing an N95 mask stands in front of a stand for the Ukrainian restaurant Veselka. A sign hanging at left says that this is Veselka. Signs on the back wall provide a menu of offerings including pierogi/varenyky and other classic Ukrainian and American meals.
November 9, 2025 at 6:19 PM
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Mark

Another portrait from our DXpedition in western Pennsylvania. Mark knows more about pirate broadcasters than almost anyone. Smartflex 3445, Smartnon 178mm f/2.5 lens, Ilford HP5+ pushed two stops to EI 1600, Rodinal 1:50 for 24 minutes.

#BelieveInFilm
A man with gray hair and beard and glasses looks to his left.
November 9, 2025 at 4:48 PM
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Loans

Tell me you’re a pawn shop without telling me you’re a pawn shop. Kodak Retina Ia, Kodak Plus-X (expired 1994, exposed at EI 80), Rodinal 1:50.

#BelieveInFilm #folderweek
A sign flies over the sidewalk saying “Loans”. The building it’s attached to has a sign on it saying “Broadway Loan Company Jewelers”.
November 9, 2025 at 12:15 PM
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Building

I like buildings that look like they grew over time. Kodak Retina Ia, Kodak Plus-X (expired 1994, exposed at EI 80), Rodinal 1:50.

#BelieveInFilm #folderweek
A low slung industrial building sits next to a parking lot. A pickup truck and a van are parked in front of the building. The building has three sections. The closest one has a sloped roof. The middle one has a sloped roof that goes further down. The far one looks to have a flat roof.
November 8, 2025 at 6:03 PM
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Bill

Another portrait of one of my friends from our recent stay in western Pennsylvania. Smartflex 3445, Smartnon 178mm f/2.5 lens, HP5+ pushed two stops to EI 1600, Rodinal 1:50 for 24 minutes.

#BelieveInFilm
A middle aged man with gray hair smiles broadly. He is wearing a t-shirt that says 106.9 The Eagle, Maryland’s Classic Hits Station.
November 8, 2025 at 3:54 PM
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World’s Worst Trichrome

I was going for Chad Hill and Andrew Keedle and brought back David Hockney instead. I thought I had the tripod locked down. Going to have to look at the head. Oh well. It’s interesting to post your failures. ONDU Eikan 4x5 […]

[Original post on pixelfed.thereisnocat.com]
A view of Belford Harbor. The only thing properly rendered is the words “Dutch Girl” on a boat; everything else renders its colors misregistered, in most cases dramatically so.
November 8, 2025 at 12:22 PM
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Another Kiosk

More from the Dear New York exhibition at Grand Central Terminal a few weeks ago. Pentax 17, Kodacolor 200, ECN-2 development.

#BelieveInFilm #halfframe
An advertising kiosk in the bowels of Grand Central Terminal displays photographs of New Yorkers instead of advertisements.
November 7, 2025 at 6:02 PM
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Larry

Another one of my friends from the DXpedition. Smartflex 3445, Smartnon 178 f/2.5 lens, Ilford HP5+ pushed two stops to EI 1600, Rodinal 1:50.

#BelieveInFilm
An older gentleman with wire frame glasses and a receding hairline stands looking at the camera. He wears a patterned collar shirt, open, with a t-shirt underneath.
November 7, 2025 at 12:10 PM
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No Sunglasses

Andy sans sunglasses this time. If I shot more portraits, I would use the Smartnon lens more. It worked pretty well in low light wide open I think. Smarflex 3445, Smartnon 178mm f/2.5 lens, Ilford HP5+ pushed two stops to EI 1600, Rodinal 1:50 for 24 minutes.

#BelieveInFilm
A man with wire frame glasses and a baseball cap from Kalamazoo College has headphones on listening to distant radio stations.
November 6, 2025 at 6:08 PM
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Disabled Child

Seen in Long Branch. Kodak Retina Ia, Kodak Plus-X (expired 1994, exposed at EI 80), Rodinal 1:50.

#BelieveInFilm #folderweek
An SUV is parked in front of a two story painted cedar shingled apartment building. In front of the building is a sign telling motorists that there is a disabled child in the neighborhood and they should be careful driving.
November 6, 2025 at 3:46 PM