Good Vibes – Looking back at the Toronto Film Shooters – Alex Luyckx

Back in the Summer of 2013 when APUG was the place to get your online fix of the analogue photography community, I noticed a post in the Toronto local board that there weren’t enough meetups for the film photography community. Which was at the time partly true, sure there had been a couple of FPP/APUG meetups in the area in the past, I had even helped coordinate one in 2011. But there had not been anything since. So I took it upon myself to plan these events, at least four, in a year. The first one dropped in July 2013, had a decent turnout and even saw the first core membership attend. Since then, we’ve had plenty of amazing events. Of course, in March 2020 the time of plague arrived, and the last meetup for 2020 took place in February. It turned out to be our best-attended event yet; we packed that bar at the end of the long walk from downtown to Liberty Village. And while we aren’t able to meet anytime this year in any great numbers, I decided that we all needed some good vibes to get us through the last few months of 2020. Besides, the Facebook group has been rocking some excellent work throughout the plague.

Don Valley Brick Works - July 2013 — The Original Meetup took place in 2013 at the Don Valley Brickworks, turned out to have an excellent turnout despite the trouble in picking a date and location.
Rolleiflex 2.8F – Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 – Fujifilm Neopan Acros 100 – Kodak HC-110 Dil. B 5:00 @ 20C

Toronto Film Shooters Meet - October 2013 — The Fall 2013 event established the idea that the events would go on in any weather.
Pentax ME Super – SMC Pentax M 50mm 1:2 (Yellow Filter) – ORWO NP55 @ ASA-50 – Kodak HC-110 Dil. B 6:00 @ 20C

Toronto - Spadina Road - April 2014 — After having to skip the 2014 due to lots of changes, the Spring 2014 took us to Kensington Market for some street work.
Kodak Brownie Holiday – Dakon Lens – Kodak Verichrome Pan @ ASA-125 – Kodak Xtol (1+1) 7:30 @ 20C

TFSM - Summer '14 - Toronto Islands — Even Summer meets can have crappy weather, like Summer 2014 that was the first time we went to the Toronto Islands.
Nikon F3 – AI-S Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 – Kodak TMax 100 @ ASA-100 – Kodak TMax Developer (1+9) 17:00 @ 20C

TFSM Fall '14 - Canadian National — The first ‘limited space’ meetup was in Fall 2014, tripods and big cameras were encouraged.
Pacemaker Crown Graphic – Schneider-Kruzenack Symmar-S 1:5.6/210 – Ilford HP5+ – Kodak HC-110 Dil. E 7:30 @ 20C

TFSM - Winter '15 — The Winter 2015 event remains one of the shortest due to the seriously freezing weather.
Nikon FM2n – AI-S Nikkor 105mm 1:2.5 (Deep Yellow) – FPP EDU 200 – Kodak Microdol-X (Stock) 9:00 @ 20C

TFSM - Spring '15 - The Beaches — In Spring 2015 we took our first ‘long walk’ format, starting in The Beaches and heading back downtown.
Rolleiflex 2.8F – Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 (Yellow Filter) – Kodak Tmax 100 @ ASA-32 – Kodak Xtol (1+1) 8:45 @ 20C

Camera Review Blog No. 21 - Canon EOS-1n — Summer 2015 we got in just under the wire and headed indoors for the first time, checking out the crowded St. Lawrence Market.
Canon EOS-1n – Canon EF Lens 35mm 1:2 – Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-800 – Ilford Microphen (1+1) 15:00 @ @ 20C

TFSM Fall '15 - The Distillery District — Sometimes as a host you need to make sure everyone is there, even if that means limiting how far from the meeting point you can walk, like in Fall 2015.
Rolleiflex 2.8F – Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 – Rollei RPX 400 @ ASA-320 – Pyrocat-HD (1+1+100) 18:00 @ 20C

Toronto Film Shooters - The Hangover — In 2016 I started branching out a little, with such meets as one on New Year’s Day, aptly titled the “Hangover Meet”
Hasselblad 500c – Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 – Ilford FP4+ – Ilford Microphen (1+1) 10:00 @ 20C

TFSM Winter '16 - Muddy York — Not all Winter meets are covered in snow, like treking through the mud in High Park for Winter 2016.
Nikon F5 – AF DC-Nikkor 105mm 1:2D – Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-200 – Pyrocat-HD (1+1+100) 10:00 @ 20C

TFSM - Summer '16 — Also known as TFSM goes to the Mekong Delta, the Summer 2016 meet met with humidity and a good rainstorm.
Nikon F5 – AF DC-Nikkor 105mm 1:2D – Japan Camera Hunter Streetpan 400 @ ASA-400 – Kodak HC-110 Dil. B 5:00 @ @ 20C

TFSM - Fall '16 — Checking out the Annex and Little Italy for the Fall 2016 event yielded some excellent street work.
Nikon F5 – AF DC-Nikkor 105mm 1:2D – JCH Streetpan 400 @ ASA-400 – Ilford Perceptol (1+1) 10:00 @ 20C

TFSM - Winter '17 — Winter 2017 met with more cold and a smaller number, but still a fun trip out to Queen’s Quey.
Nikon F2 Photomic – AI-S Nikkor 35mm 1:2.8 – Bergger BRF400+ @ ASA-400 – Kodak HC-110 Dil. B 7:00 @ 20C

TFSM - Spring '17 — The Spring 2017 meetup turned out a lot of different film stocks and turned into a Batchlor Party.
Hasselblad 500c – Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 – Fomapan 100 @ ASA-100 – Kodak D-23 (Stock) 10:00 @ 20C

Meet at the Sign of the Rooster — Trying out a single camera/lens/film even though the lens had focusing issues.
Zeiss Ikon Contax IIIa – ЮПИТЕР-9 1:2 f=8,5cm – ORWO UN54 @ ASA-100 – Kodak HC-110 Dil. H 7:30 @ 20C

This ain't no Baywatch — Another trip out to the Beaches for the Long Weekend.
Nikon FA – AI-S Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 (Yellow-15) – Efke KB 100 @ ASA-100 – Pyrocat-HD (2+2+100) 8:00 @ 20C

A Lovely Day — The second ‘limited space’ walk, through High Park specifically designed around Large Format Work in the late Summer of 2016.
Crown Graphic – Fuji Fujinon-W 1:5.6/125 – Rollei RPX 25 @ ASA-25 – Blazinal (1+25) 6:00 @ 20C

Camera Review Blog No. 72 - Pentax 67II — By Fall of 2017 I started expanding the reach of the group as we headed out to Elora for a rather damp hike.
Pentax 67II – Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 1:3.5/55 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-400 – Kodak D-23 (Stock) 7:30 @ 20C

Beauty in Simplicity — Winter of 2018 we also stayed out of the city, taking in the charming historic Unionville.
Rolleiflex 2.8F – Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 – JCH Streetpan 400 @ ASA-400 – Kodak HC-110 Dil. F 12:30 @ 20C

Long Dusty Trail — Back to Riverdale for Spring 2018 and a trip to the inner-city farm.
Nikon F5 – AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D – Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-125 – Ilford Microphen (Stock) 8:00 @ 20C

New Guy! — Summer of 2018 we hit Niagara-On-The-Lake for the first time and got some members of the Film Shooters Collective up from New Jersey!
Nikon F5 – AF Nikkor 28-105mm 1:3.5-4.5D – Kodak Plus-X @ ASA-125 – FPP Super Monobath (Stock) 5:30 @ 20C

Camera Review Blog No. 100 - Nikon F6 — Fall 2018 we returned the Toronto Islands for a colder than expected fall meetup.
Nikon F6 – AF-S Nikkor 85mm 1:1.4G – Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-400 – Kodak D-76 (1+1) 9:45 @ 20C

We're Here! — Winter 2019 started off with a bang, as in a snow storm, but we kept moving to keep warm.
Nikon F5 – AF Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4D – Kodak Tri-X 400 @ ASA-800 – Ilford Microphen (Stock) 11:00 @ 20C

The Silos — A dirty, wet, cold, and miserable day to head out to Collingwood in March 2019.
Minolta Maxxum 9 – Minolta AF Zoom 35-70mm 1:4 – Lomography Berlin 400 @ ASA-320 – Pyrocat-HD (1+1+100) 16:00 @ 20C

Three By Three — The year the meet weather reserved, in spring 2019 we went to The Beaches first, on a cold dull day.
Minolta Maxxum 9 – Minolta Maxxum AF 50mm 1:1.7 – Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-200 – Pyrocat-HD (1+1+100) 9:00 @ 20C

Slide! — Our first sponsored photowalk, Burlington Camera hosted the Spring 2019 event and it was Pinhole Day.
Nikon F90 – Rising Pinhole Adapter f/175 – Fomapan 100 @ ASA-100 – Kodak D-76 (1+1) 10:00 @ 20C

Torsten and Julie — Furtheset we’ve ever travelled in Spring 2019 for a beautiful day in Peterborough. Even attached an attendee from Germany!
Minolta Maxxum 9 – Minolta Maxxum AF 100mm 1:2.8 Macro – Ilford FP4+ @ ASA-125 – Kodak HC-110 Dil. B 9:00 @ 20C

Bryan — Summer 2019 we returned to Niagara-On-the-Lake for models and a little bit of Holga Week!
Holga 120N – Optical Lens 1:8 f=60mm – Kosmo Foto Mono 100 @ ASA-100 – Kodak HC-110 Dil. H 10:00 @ 20C

Defend the Darkroom! — Nothing like wrapping up the year with a wonderful photowalk to celebrate one of our founding members, John for his birthday in 2019!
Nikon FE – AI-S Nikkor 105mm 1:2.5 – Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-200 – Kodak D-76 (1+1) 10:00 @ 20C

The Brant House — 2020 started off okay, with a rather mild day in Burlington for the coldest day of the year.
Mamiya m645 – Mamiya-Sekor C 1:2.8 f=80mm – Lomography Berlin 400 @ ASA-400 – Ilford Microphen (Stock) 7:00 @ 20C

The Tower — The Winter 2020 meetup proved to be the last meet for 2020, and oddly enough the best attended yet!
Minolta Maxxum 9 – Minolta Maxxum AF 100mm 1:2.8 MACRO – FilmFerrania P30 @ ASA-80 – Cinestill D96 (Stock) 8:00 @ 20C

But if you think that the plague will be the end of the Toronto Film Shooters Meetup? It won’t; we have gone through rain, snow, heat, humidity, and every good bit of weather in between and it hasn’t stopped the group yet! So I and the rest of the admin team along with a few members who have forwarded some useful solutions and we have a plan for 2021! Stay tuned.

Explorer, Wanderer, Photographer

Good Vibes – Looking back at the Toronto Film Shooters

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