Miami's Overtown

Overtown is a place just north of Downtown Miami.
Its use to be a real black town up until early 60s when the major highways (Dolphin, I95) were build through the area; its remnants of the past now, in a form of half-empty old structures with modern condo towers popping around here are there. Once a year,there is a street fair called "Overtown Music and Arts Festival" which I am trying hard not to miss. Yes, its not the biggest one; the weather of mid-summer is atrocious; and it is scheduled for the hottest time of the day. Still, its the best event in Miami one can photograph. Every year I bring something interesting from it.
Here are some of this year's catch:

The Night at Ocean

This Saturday I've got a chance to stroll the South Beach. The Ocean drive was packed with folks celebrating, flirting, kidding, snapping selfies. My Olympus XA died after years of exemplary service but Lieca M2 worked and these are the pictures (Tri-X shot at E.I.1600 and pushed to E.I.3200 in TMax developer):

ORWO N74 Plus in TMax

ORWO is a trade name for a range of film products from Germany, from the company named Filmotec. I the 70s, I use to shoot ORWO slide film (UT 18). Recently, in my search for an affordable B&W 400 ISO film to replace Arista (aka cheap Tri-X) I came across ORWO NP74 plus, a movie stock said to be around 400 ISO. I bought one 100ft can of it from http://orwona.com and tried it in my daily shooting. Here are my findings:

Current content

Rain and shine, night and day, June and May...

Some of my recent shots in no particular order. Downtown, Opa-Locka, South Beach...enjoy (:

Independence Day

Few frames from morning SoBe walk with Hector Isaac. Bessa L/25mm/Dark Red filter/Tri-X @ E.I.3200 in TMax developer.

Memorial Day's Night at Ocean Drive

Leica M2, shooting TMax 3200 at E.I.12000, accompanied by Hector Issac and Wenbo Wang

South Beach in the morning

Leica M2/35mm Cosina lens/Tri-X

Little Havana, backstage

This winter I started walking working class neighborhoods of Little Havana. I liked it better then the Calle Ocho. Yes, it is less iconic, never too crowded and there is nothing here to catch tourist's eye, but I'm not a tourist, more of a local already. Here are the few frames from the last week's wanderings:

Lucas, I'm watching you

Again, Olympus XA/Tri-X

Walking Downtown

Olympus XA/Tri-X at box speed in TMax developer

Olympus XA again

I switched few things last week: went to TMax developer from Diafine for Tri-X and stopped pushing the film; I tried again little Olympus XA which had been sitting on the shelf for the last 2 years. So far I like both changes. What killed my interest in XA last time was Ilford HP5+ at E.I.800; it was not very good combo. Tri-X @ E.I.400 is much better.

Last night of November at Lincoln

Leica M2 with 28mm on TMax P3200 @ E.I.12500

Friday's Night Catch

Leica M2 has become my #1 camera for night work. Tried: Leica IIIf, Nikon F5, Nikon S, Contax IIa...you name it. M2 is a clear winner. The lenses are 35mm and 28mm (this is 28mm).

Ocean drive's nights in September

The film has its limits; when the light is as weak as it usually is at the Ocean at night its failing to record anything at all, even at the sensitivity as high as 12500.
Still, people at night are open as never during the day and I just keep shooting, hoping for the sudden glimpse on the subject, just like in the picture above and below...

South beach nights

Night is the only time when I can shoot comfortably these summer days. Even at night --- this one was hot (87F) and humid -- the feel and the load of subtropical summer never goes away.
Shooting streets at night is tricky:
- the light is unpredictable;
- exposure error is rather a norm;
- bracketing rarely helps;
- focusing is unreliable, both manual or AF,
and despite of all of this I love the view of night-time pictures and how people open to the simple emotions in the dark. Again, Satursday's South Beach was packed with people, celebrating life and I had my glimpse of it. Here another second for you:

Soccer fan

At South Beach last Friday, Tmax P3200 film exposed at E.I.6400 / developed to ISO 12500; Nikon F5 camera with DW-30 waist level finder installed.

Nikon Nights: myths debunked

It had been my believe for ages that a rangefinder is the best camera for available light/night time candid street photography, and it still is...with one bold exception: Nikon F5 SLR. Heavy big camera just won't shake at all. It is stable in hands as it is attached to the tripod -- well, almost. Plus, it has interchangeable viewfinders I love; use them to compose from the low view point; like the bright high magnification finder DW-31 or the convenient waist level finder DW-30. Add to the recipe Ilford Delta 3200 or Kodak Tmax P3200 film pushed to 12500 ASA and you have the best film-based night-time street setup ever! Of course it is BIG, BOLD and HEAVY camera and I have been noticed and frowned at much more often when with F5 than with my leicas but the results are stunning and I don't care. Let it fly!

The last few days of decent weather...

The hot and humid South Florida summer is around the corner; it is becoming increasingly hard to stay in the streets for a long time. Shot on Tri-X 400 with Bessa L/25mm. The last two are night shots on Ilford Delta 3200 film exposed at E.I.8000 in Leica M2 camera with 21mm Voigtlander lens and developed to E.I.12500 in Tmax Developer (13 min at 74F/25C)