I was always iffy about shooting 620 cameras, since when I first got into film photography finding 620 film was difficult, but the cameras were everywhere and many found their way into my collection. And to make matters worse the take up spool was missing. But let’s back up a bit and discuss, exactly what is 620 film? It was a film that was first introduced by Kodak in 1932 and continued being produced until 1995. But here’s a secret, it’s the exact same film stock as 120, same size and same backing paper, but it was the spool that was different. So if youRead More →

Henry Procter is one of several British commanders that served in Upper Canada during the War of 1812, while his initial days of the war were marked with success, his record has been forever tarnished by his actions later in the war. He is one of two controversial commanders of the Crown Forces during the war, that came from humble beginnings. The son of an army surgeon, Procter was born at Kilkenny, Ireland in the year 1763. His career in the army began in 1781 as an ensign in the 43rd Regiment of Foot. By the end of the American Revolutionary War he was aRead More →

Coming off the last bicentennial reenactment in Canada and a trip to Texas looming next week, I figured I needed something quick and dirty for Week 43, so I decided to give a little bit of still life a try with two of jewels of my working collection. A 1950 Leica IIIc and a 1969 Rolleiflex 2.8F all nicely posed with some APX25 and Ilford Delta 400; the film is for my Texas trip, the cameras will be staying home (As I have my Pentax 645 and Nikon F4 packed up for the trip). But it was the first time I worked with my strobistRead More →

One of the many unsung British heroes of the War of 1812, Miller Worsley the son of a clergyman was born on the 8th of July, 1791. He volunteered for the Royal Navy in 1803. The navy unlike the army at the time often promoted through merit rather than money and by 1805 he was a midshipman. While serving aboard H.M. Ship Swiftsure (74) participated in the Battle of Trafalgar. While he passed with Lieutenant’s Exam in 1810 his promotion was delayed due to a large number of officers in the Royal Navy at the time. By 1812 he was serving at the Bermuda StationRead More →

Keeping it nice and simple for this week, a simple white clapboard church along my way to and from work. The Church of Christ in Omagh, Ontario is one of the oldest churches in the area and has always caught my eye, mainly for its simplicity. If you go into the town of Milton proper along the main street are three rather ornate churches, including my home church, but this one made a great subject to shoot right from the hip, yep, sporting the Crown Graphic as it was designed to be shot…handheld. Pacemaker Crown Graphic – Fuji Fujinon-W 1:5.6/125 – Kodak Tri-X Pan (320TXP)Read More →

One of two Canadian born British Officer during the War of 1812 was Charles Michael de Salaberry, born in the town on Beauport in Lower Canada (today Quebec) on the 19th of November 1778. His family having a long tradition of military service with the French and then British armies, de Salaberry joined at 14 as a gentleman volunteer in the 44th Regiment of Foot. It was too long after that a family friend, Prince Edward Augustus secured an Ensign’s commission in the 1st Battalion of the 60th Regiment of Foot. Joining the regiment in 1794, de Salaberry proved his worth, rising to the rankRead More →

There are many who served in the War of 1812 that made a name for themselves, some positive and on which history smiled upon, and those whom history was not as kind to. American lawyer, politician, and hero of the American Revolution William Hull is one such men. Born in 1753 in Derby Connecticut, Hull’s goal was to become a lawyer, studying law and graduating from Harvard in 1772 and then passed the bar in 1775. The start of the American Revolutionary war brought him to join the patriot militia, quickly rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel by 1785. His prowess in battle was notedRead More →

The Iron Curtain, The Red Scare, Nuclear War, Ruskies, Commies, Berlin Wall, Spies…Sounding Familiar? Even Canada was affected, so much so that our Prime Minister at the time, John Diefenbaker, ordered the construction of a series of bunkers that would house the civilian government in the event of Nuclear War; they were collectively known as Diefenbunkers. Only one got completed, and in 1962 Canadian Forces Station Carp went online. The other 49 were either not finished or partially completed. When the cold war ended in 1994 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the station was decommissioned; it reopened in 1998 as a Museum andRead More →

Parliament Hill stands tall above the rush of the Ottawa River. While many a photographer would choose to shoot this building head-on from the front, it took me a bit to find a different vantage point from my favourite angle, the one that faces the Ottawa River primarily so that you can get a glimpse of the Library of Parliament, that round conical structure. My first choice was from across the River in the park surrounding the Museum of Canadian History (Museum of Civilization), but that wasn’t it, okay well, how about in the heights on Nepean Point…so I lugged the gear across the bridge,Read More →

Back when I visited Ottawa for the first time in several years this past September, I lugged along my 4×5 camera. While I wasn’t too pleased with every shot, I made a point when I was there this past weekend to focus, slow down, and work with the 4×5 primarily and put the smaller formats away. The results were a much more robust set of images that I am incredibly proud of, and I do plan on getting these into the darkroom to print. Centre Block East Block Chateau Laurier Details of the National War Memorial The Connaught Building – National Headquarters The National GalleryRead More →