Small town bar with GOOD FOOD in rural Indiana

Chriscrawfordphoto

Real Men Shoot Film.
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waymires-bar.jpg


Driving east on US-30, I stopped at a gas station to buy some coffee, when I noticed a grain elevator in the distance to the south. A road that ran past the gas station had a sign for the town of Hamlet, so I drove down the road to photograph the town. This bar seemed to be the happening place in Hamlet, and was the only restaurant that I saw. Fortunately, the neon sign in the window promises Good Food. There was a stray black cat sitting on the sidewalk in front of the door who let me make some portraits of him.

I made this photograph on June 17, as my son and I were driving home from Chicago, where we attended the annual Brickworld convention, which is a large gathering of Lego enthusiasts. Mack loves Legos, and had been looking forward to the trip for months, and it was a good excuse for me to get out of Fort Wayne and explore some areas of rural Indiana that I had not seen before.
 
Very nice Chris. The tonality is fantastic, lovely and rich. I like your small anecdotes that go along with your pictures. What did you shoot this on and with?
 
Very nice Chris. The tonality is fantastic, lovely and rich. I like your small anecdotes that go along with your pictures. What did you shoot this on and with?

Thanks Ezzie,

I shot it with a Leica M6, 35mm ZM C-Biogon lens, Tri-X at EI-200 developed in PMK.
 
This photo is nothing special. And becomes a special photo because of its simplicity. Because of the composition (the electric wires coming from the corner of the frame), the tones and the story behind it. Because what we all do not see but can imagine (like the good food promised by the small restaurant!). I really like it. Post more, please, when you have.
robert
PS Many, too many years ago I took part at a Lego competition, probably I hacve some photo somewhere...
 
Wonderful shot Chris.... Great building facade
Its the 'Mood' & tones that just make it Special

Love the lamp post & mist in the back of the building

Thebiogon seems to Suit Your style
Best- H
 
I agree, there's nothing special about the building, the cars, the scenery in general. There are much more scenic examples to be found elsewhere. But as a picture its special, as other factors come together, like the composition, the texture, the tonality, the timing (the light and the lack of people on the streets). Gives it a solemn mood, of sparseness, of emptiness, where this establishment offers an alternative; good food and most likely good company. Pictures that tell stories are good pictures.
 
Just a question Chris. Have a little patience with someone who's not tried TX (yes they do exist). TX is a real 400 speed film, is it not? What was your rationale for pulling it a full stop?
 
Just a question Chris. Have a little patience with someone who's not tried TX (yes they do exist). TX is a real 400 speed film, is it not? What was your rationale for pulling it a full stop?

The speed of a film depends on how you develop it. PMK causes most films to lose speed. A lot of other developers do too. Tmax 100, another of my favorite films, gives 100 in Tmax Developer and 50 in Rodinal. I use Rodinal for it because I prefer the tonality of Rodinal on Tmax 100. D-76 usually gives the box speed, or close to it, on most films. I've actually never found any developer, ever, that gave a true 400 for Tri-X, its really 320 in D-76 (the old standard developer for the 'classic' tri-x look), and its 320 in Tmax Developer too. That's only a 1/3 stop difference from the box speed and most people shoot it at 400 when developing in D-76, but I am too obsessive about it to do that.

The speed also depends on your meter accuracy, accuracy of your metering, accuracy of your processing, accuracy of the shutter in your camera, etc. My equipment is all calibrated carefully and most people who try the developing times and film speeds I've gotten through my testing find they work for them...but they're really just starting points for your own testing since your gear may give different results. Anyway, Tri-X at 200 in PMK isn't pulling, its the correct exposure for a negative developed for normal contrast. If I need more speed, I use D-76. I love the tonality from PMK though, and the 2/3 stop loss doesn't bother me most of the time.
 
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The speed of a film depends on how you develop it. PMK causes most films to lose speed. A lot of other developers do too. Tmax 100, another of my favorite films, gives 100 in Tmax Developer and 50 in Rodinal. I use Rodinal for it because I prefer the tonality of Rodinal on Tmax 100. D-76 usually gives the box speed, or close to it, on most films. I've actually never found any developer, ever, that gave a true 400 for Tri-X, its really 320 in D-76 (the old standard developer for the 'classic' tri-x look), and its 320 in Tmax Developer too. That's only a 1/3 stop difference from the box speed and most people shoot it at 400 when developing in D-76, but I am too obsessive about it to do that.

The speed also depends on your meter accuracy, accuracy of your metering, accuracy of your processing, accuracy of the shutter in your camera, etc. My equipment is all calibrated carefully and most people who try the developing times and film speeds I've gotten through my testing find they work for them...but they're really just starting points for your own testing since your gear may give different results. Anyway, Tri-X at 200 in PMK isn't pulling, its the correct exposure for a negative developed for normal contrast. If I need more speed, I use D-76. I love the tonality from PMK though, and the 2/3 stop loss doesn't bother me most of the time.

Thanks Chris. I should have suspected as much. But a full stop was more than I thought propbable.
 
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