Oklahoma on Film - Bridgeport
As part of how I have the blog section is planned I will be going back over previous videos from the past few months and adding them with small write ups, galleries and image reviews.
Originally known as a wagon crossing of the Canadian river in the late 1800’s the town of Bridgeport quickly became a bustling small town aptly named for its many bridges. Though the town grew quickly its fall was just as fast having a population of roughly 130 by the end of the 1930’s with the completion of Rt.66 and the Pony Bridge nearby routing traffic away from the town. This however was not the only issue that plagued the town. A long and bitter feud over the towns water supply, placement of the post office, and the expensive toll of the Key Bridge were also major factors that contributed to the fall of Bridgeport. In this video I explore and photograph the area and show you what remains of this now unincorporated town.
Gallery
Kodak Portra 160 - Fuji GW 690
It should come to no ones surprise Portra 160 again delivers exceptional results, well at least when it is metered correctly. This films fine grain structure, wide latitude, and accurate
color rendering coupled with the GW’s tack sharp 90mm F3.5 lens make it (in my mind) a perfect pairing for stunning “true to life” fine art and documentary photography. In retrospect
I do wish that I had taken more time within the town itself and shot more with the Fuji while I was there. Perhaps there will be a “next time” this coming spring.
Canon AE1 w/50mm F1.4 - Harmon Phoenix 200 Pulled 1 Stop
Firstly, I can say that I definitely overshot at the rail bridge. Secondly, I will say that this is my first roll of Harman’s Phoenix 200. After seeing many people shoot this at box speed, ISO 160,
and ISO 125 with standard development I decided I would try pulling the film to lessen the film’s well known harsh contrast. Now pulling is typical recommended against as it lowers the density
of the negatives, and there by the overall contrast of the image, but this is precisely why I decided to try it here.
From the results below, I think that overall or at least for the most part my hypothesis was correct. The images still have a heavy overall contrast but also seem to offer a decent bit more in
shadow and highlight detail. With this success I believe I know how I will be shooting the other 9rolls of Phoenix that I have.
