Posts

Cars & Cameras Social Club Launch & CineStill 400D First Impressions

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2 months ago I hosted my own take on the "Cars & Coffee" style of event that we all know and love. I called it "Cars & Cameras Social Club" with the idea of bringing together like-minded automotive enthusiasts, creatives and content creators to network in one place. The launch event was a success and I was blown away by how many people committed to the extremely early 7am start and embraced the overcast, almost studio-like natural lighting. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to load up my first roll of CineStill 400D ever, be a little different to the crowd and finally tick off the photoshoot with Brock that I had been trying to fit in for far too long. Preparing for the session, I was focused on capturing the best images possible and knew there would be limited time and space to make the most out of the morning. I chose to use an SMC Pentax-DA 50mm f/1.8 lens so I could start taking photos as early as possible and to isolate Brock's SLOWWAGON

Chris' Twin Turbo Nissan 350Z

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My most recent IG post gave me a throwback to where it all started, one of my earliest sets of a locally modified Japanese car, Chris' hectic twin turbo Nissan 350Z. This was back in 2018 when I picked up my first DSLR camera with no clue how to use it (still don't 😅). This set was taken using a dirty 18-55 kit lens with no filters and the wrong settings. The images are noisy af but I love it. Chris' 350Z will always be a fuzzy low resolution memory of where it all began. Long live Floreat Beach! Follow Koi Collective on  Instagram ,   Facebook ,   YouTube   &   TikTok

Ilford HP5 Plus 400 First Impressions

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This was my first time trying Ilford HP5 Plus 400, let alone any kind of black and white film. The camera body used was a Pentax K1000 with an Pentax-M 50mm f/1.4 prime lens. My first impression from the HP5 scans was that they were very low on contrast, even "dreamy" looking. This characteristic really grew on me. If you desire any extra contrast, it can be easily achieved via pushing the film a few extra stops in camera (often even up to +3/ISO 3200 as written on the box) or by adding any extra desired contrast in post-production. The 50mm f/1.4 lens really had an impact on the photos when used to isolate subjects, matched with HP5 removing any coloured distractions from the frame. B&W film + 50mm prime lens = portrait monster (even if the subject is a Toyota Camry). Please enjoy these photos taken viewing the world through black and white for the first time. Follow Koi Collective on  Instagram ,   Facebook ,   YouTube   &   TikTok