Holga & 35 mm Photographs Featured in the "Art From Within" Exhibition at Steven Francis Fine Art Gallery in Lynchburg, Virginia

September 26, 2023

When I was a sophomore at University of Lynchburg, my teacher, Steven Coates taught me how to shoot film, print in the darkroom and put together a strong portfolio. He has always been incredibly supportive of my work. After graduating from college with a degree in Studio Art, I worked for Steve as a photographer’s assistant for about year before moving to Portland, Oregon in 2012. Then, after moving back to Virginia in 2019, I began working for him again as an assistant and web designer. I’ve been managing his website for the last few years and helping with social media. His gallery, Steven Francis Fine Art Gallery, has been putting out incredible exhibitions over the past few years, filled with local, national and international artists. The latest exhibition, Art From Within, is a staff show, showcasing work from all of the people that help the gallery run smoothly. I’m honored to be a part of the show and to have my work hanging alongside such talented artists, including Steve himself. Below are a few of my photographs featured in the show. There are black and white 35 mm film photographs from Paris and Scotland, along with colorful Holga photographs taken in St. Augustine, Florida, Chinoteague, Virginia and Corolla, NC. If you’re interested in purchasing a print, contact me here!

And if you’re in Lynchburg or close by, make sure to stop by and see the show!

<3 Myles Katherine

Kodak GC/UltraMax 400 Color Negative Film Review with Sample Photos in Japan with a Nikon FE2 35 mm Film Camera

September 21, 2023

In my experience, you can’t really go wrong with any Kodak film. It’s affordable, saturated and reliable. If you’re like me though, you probably want to have at least some idea of what you’re getting yourself into before purchasing film for your camera. So I wanted to share a few of my favorite photos that I took in Japan using Kodak GC/UltraMax 400 Color Negative 35 mm Film. Of course, depending on the camera you use, your images will be slightly different in terms of exposure and sharpness. I was pleasantly surprised by the bright color tones of this film and the full, deep saturation. Before using this film, I hadn’t really heard much about it. It’s not one of those films that people talk about like Kodak Portra or Kodak Gold. But I found the tones to be true and accurate, with beautiful handling in the shadows and in bright environments. I found the skin tones to be lovely as well - not overly orange or off-color. As a 400 ISO film, it is a little bit grainy, but personally, I don’t mind - it gives it that true “film” look. Plus, we had quite a few cloudy days while we were in Japan and the 400 ISO allowed me to get sharp, bright images in lower light environments. I actually find this film to have a cinematic vibe to it too that I wasn’t expecting! I used a Nikon FE2 for all of these photos, which is an amazing camera. You can read more about it here. Or you can watch my YouTube video about the Nikon FE2 here! As you’ll see, I took quite a few multiple exposures with this film and I’m obsessed with how they turned out. There was great detail in the highlights and nothing ended up over-exposed, which is always great if you love creating multiple exposures like I do. :)

I’ve included a ton of sample photos below using Kodak GC/UltraMax 400 Color Negative Film so you can get an idea of how the film handles in various lighting situations and distances. If you have any questions or comments, please share!

Purchase Kodak GC/UltraMax 400 Color Negative Film on Amazon!

Have a magical day!

<3 Myles Katherine

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Kodak GC/UltraMax 400 Color Negative 35 Film Sample Photos

(click to enlarge images)

First roll of film with the Lomography LomoApparat 35 mm camera using Kodak Gold 200 | Review and sample photos from our trip to St. Augustine, Florida

July 16, 2023

I was SO excited when I found out I was one of the winners of the “Human Stories” Lomography TEN AND ONE 2021 Photography Competition. But I was even more excited when I discovered that my prize was the LomoApparat 35 mm film camera. It’s Lomography’s newest camera and is an experimental, ultra wide 35 mm film camera with a vintage, retro look and tons of features for creating unique, original photographs.

I received the camera right before my birthday and decided to try it out for the first time on my birthday trip to St. Augustine, Florida. I used a roll of Kodak Gold 200 to really give a golden beach glow to the photos. I LOVE taking Kodak Gold on any tropical or beach trip I go on because it adds such a nice, warm atmosphere. In a typical photo shoot situation, I actually prefer NOT to use Kodak Gold because I tend to favor cooler tones. But for the beach, ALWAYS Kodak Gold.

The camera itself was a lot less sturdy than I was expecting. It’s extremely light, made of plastic and feels more like a disposable point and shoot camera than anything else. But when it comes down to it, I don’t really mind. Mostly because I drop my cameras constantly. I throw them in my bag and drag them all over the world. I’m not the best camera mom, if we’re being honest. So I actually prefer that it’s not super fancy because I would destroy it. I still think the camera has a super cool, unique look to it. But ultimately what makes this camera special is all of the creative control it allows for. The various lens attachments, the colorful flash filters, the multiple exposure function and the wide angle lens. It’s just a fun camera to use, all around. The lens is much sharper than I thought it would be, however I did notice that when I used the kaleidoscope filter, the very center of the image would be out of focus. I was pretty bummed about this because I love using kaleidoscope filters. Though it does seem to be a bit sharper if you use the kaleidoscope filter for close-up portraits, rather than landscapes or distant shots. I love how all of the double exposures turned out and I LOVE the wide angle lens. I’ve always been more about composition than anything else, especially when I’m traveling, and the ultra wide lens allows me to capture everything I want and need in a photo.

The only thing I really had trouble with was loading the film. It took a few tries to figure it out and to be sure the film was grabbing as I was winding the film advance dial. Once it was loading correctly, there was much more tension and the film dial almost wanted to spring backwards. So, you’ll notice when the film is actually caught and is advancing through the camera. I’m planning on doing a more in-depth video about the film loading for this camera very soon, so stay tuned!

I just posted a video on my YouTube channel about the LomoApparat and our trip to St. Augustine, so make sure to check that out! Or you can scroll down to check out all of the photos from my first roll of film with the LomoApparat. Overall, I think the camera is super fun and versatile. I honestly can’t wait to take it on another trip and try out a few of the other features. If you love point and shoot cameras and you love having ultimate creative control, then the LomoApparat won’t let you down. I’ll be sure to share more full film rolls from this camera in the future, but for now, I’ve included all of the photos from my very first roll of film with the LomoApparat below. :)

PURCHASE THE LOMO APPARAT ON KEH CAMERA!

PURCHASE KODAK GOLD 200 35MM FILM ON AMAZON!

#CommissionsEarned

If you found this post helpful or if you’d like to see more of my work, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards film & processing. Find out more here!

Feel free to leave any questions/comments/thoughts below! Have a lovely day!

<3 Myles Katherine