QUT + Botanica

The QUT Precinct would have to be some of my favourite modern architecturally designed buildings in Brisbane.

Surrounding (sort of) the QUT Gardens Point Precinct, is the glorious City Botanical Gardens. So plant. Much photosynthesis. With Qld putting on the best weather all year round, guaranteed greenery. 

All on Kodak Ektar 100, Canon A1.

Technique & Approach #17 - bwXX

Excerpt from Cinestill.com

"CineStill bwXX is a high speed, classic black & white film emulsion, with an EI of 250 under daylight and 200 under tungsten lighting. Recommended development in Kodak D-96 developer, but is compatible will all black and white film developers.

Double-x is a classic black and white film stock left relatively unchanged since it's release in 1959 for still and motion picture use. Some of the movies using the classic Eastman double-x film stock (5222) include: Schindler's List (1993), Memento (2000), Kafka (1991), Casino Royale (2006), I'm Not There (2007), and many many more.

Kodak no longer offers this wonderful still stock to the still photography community so CineStill Film has decided to release and distribute it under their label. This is a limited run (only 2000 rolls available) sold out fast, but if all goes well it will become a regularly stocked CineStill Film's emulsion.

CineStill bwXX is an excellent choice for those looking for a classic film stock to fill the void left by the discontinuation of it's wonderful sister films, Kodak Plus-x (discontinued in 2010) and TXP320.

36 exposures professionally spooled into high quality 135 Non Dx-Coded Cartridges"


My first roll and let me just one word "wow". Such mood, such rich mono tones. Shooting a mixture of street, portrait and architecture. Blown away by the results. Certainly has a unique look to any other black and white film I've shot. Very contrasty and certainly works well for portraits coupled with a bright lens, such as my Canon 50mm f/1.4. Shadows are a bit low in limited light, but this can be manipulated in either develop or print / photoshop edit. I generally choose to leave the editing out. Only in rare circumstances will I edit my work. And of course like the other 2 cinestill films, 50D and 800T, bwXX has that unique halation effect, a sort of glow in certain light. 

I'm still looking at getting an anamorphic lens, which I believe will the icing on the cake with these films. 

Wheel, Southbank Brisbane

Wheel, Southbank Brisbane

Wheel, Southbank Brisbane

Wheel, Southbank Brisbane

Wheel, Southbank Brisbane reflected off of the Cultural Centre

Wheel, Southbank Brisbane reflected off of the Cultural Centre

For portraits

For portraits

Canon 50mm f/1.4 love the dropout on this lens. 

Canon 50mm f/1.4 love the dropout on this lens. 

Technique & Approach #13

6 rolls of film. The streets of Brisbane, looking for new inspiration.

Valley Metro. Lost in Transportation. Blended together to give a double exposure.

Valley Metro. Lost in Transportation. Blended together to give a double exposure.

Support structure. Photographed in South Brisbane on the way back to my car, the sun was beaming through the encroaching clouds, providing some spectacular lighting on these neighbouring buildings.

Support structure. Photographed in South Brisbane on the way back to my car, the sun was beaming through the encroaching clouds, providing some spectacular lighting on these neighbouring buildings.

Street-side Fairytales. Teneriffe, Bus Station. I've seen this street art maybe a dozen times, thought it was long overdue for a photograph.

Street-side Fairytales. Teneriffe, Bus Station. I've seen this street art maybe a dozen times, thought it was long overdue for a photograph.

Afternoon Traffic. Gateway Bridge, Sigma 28mm, Polarising Filter. I had always wanted to photograph this bridge and thought this angle would be perfect.

Afternoon Traffic. Gateway Bridge, Sigma 28mm, Polarising Filter. I had always wanted to photograph this bridge and thought this angle would be perfect.

Side Walk. 2 complete strangers, 2 different parts of the afternoon. A mish mash of 2 photos, into 1. South Brisbane.

Side Walk. 2 complete strangers, 2 different parts of the afternoon. A mish mash of 2 photos, into 1. South Brisbane.

A Story about a Bridge and 2 People. Early morning sunshine and strolling (probably exercising), Story Bridge - connecting one side of Brisbane to another.

A Story about a Bridge and 2 People. Early morning sunshine and strolling (probably exercising), Story Bridge - connecting one side of Brisbane to another.

Line Drawing, Fortitude Valley. A little linear and a little vintage. Probably 70s/ 80s styled.

Line Drawing, Fortitude Valley. A little linear and a little vintage. Probably 70s/ 80s styled.

Roma Street Parklands, early morning. Along the boardwalk this stainless railing glistens in the morning sunshine.

Roma Street Parklands, early morning. Along the boardwalk this stainless railing glistens in the morning sunshine.

Bird of Prey x2. An accidental double exposure. Somehow. Most likely the film didn't advance / double exposure engaged accidentally. I like it when this happens, makes for an interesting photograph.

Bird of Prey x2. An accidental double exposure. Somehow. Most likely the film didn't advance / double exposure engaged accidentally. I like it when this happens, makes for an interesting photograph.

QUT (Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Brisbane.

QUT (Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Brisbane.

Grid Lines, use for reference.

Grid Lines, use for reference.

Down Town Meet. I enjoy incorporating the surrounding environment to give a bit more of a story and provide placement / relevance in addition to the focal point of the photograph. In this case, a regular street portrait, with a tight framing provide…

Down Town Meet. I enjoy incorporating the surrounding environment to give a bit more of a story and provide placement / relevance in addition to the focal point of the photograph. In this case, a regular street portrait, with a tight framing provided by the bars in the middle and on the right.

The key was geometry, lens type and composition. Vertical lines will (almost) always (should be) vertical. Find a line in the framing and use that as a point of reference.