My loose aim for the week was to find some interesting angles across the many bridges Frankfurt has to offer, with Ilford FP4+ as my companion.
As with all Ilford films, I had high expectations. I have not been let down by any of them and they always seem to deliver exceptional results. As such, I was not expecting anything different from Ilford's FP4+, and at ISO 125 this is a medium speed film known for its very large latitude for exposure error (both above below its standard ISO 125 rating).
It is easier to think about a weekly photographic theme when you have weekend trips planned, but when I stay in Frankfurt I have to think a bit harder about something interesting to go photograph. And then it dawned on me: Frankfurt has loads of bridges! Also, given the amount of bridges I go under when I am out rowing, I thought I could get some interesting angles and cityscape photos. I was also shooting mostly on a bright and sunny weekend, which I thought would work well for the ISO 125 this film has.
Shot with both my Leica M6 and Hasselblad cameras, including some cityscape views. All photos are clickable for full screen view. Enjoy!
Towards the east of Frankfurt, just managing to catch a rower going under the bridge. Quite hard shooting conditions actually as very bright and the sun still high in the sky, but look at the clarity on the bridge - I can see why this film has a good reputation.
Looking down towards the city, with the new ECB building towering above my shot. In future I probably need a stronger filter to deal with a bright sky situation in black & white.
One of the many forgotten bridges heading over towards the still-in-use Docks tucked in-between the sprawling city. The first shot is through the Hasselblad viewfinder.
The final shot.
My favourite composition from the week. I had actually intended on shooting a likely quite boring shot straight down the middle of the railway line, when I saw this piece of street art and strong lines in the composition. I am using the 150mm tele lens much more and I really like how well it captures and frames a scene.
The final shot. The background is a bit over exposed, but look how clear the bridge is, the street art is jumping out of the image at me. Nice work, Ilford FP4!
I got this shot from a very cramped position on one of the many road bridges that cross the river Main. I wanted to get a better crop and cut out the railing on the left but couldn't get it right, and the viewfinder is reversed which doesn't help. Either way, I like how the composition turned out.
All the lines caught my eye, I was happy with how this came out. Really clear shot, I remember it being very sunny and bright.
Frankfurt skyline at sunset. I purposely tried to underexpose the cityscape to make sure all the airplane trails were visible. Hard shot to take with a high dynamic range, but I like how this film renders.
A quick turnaround and this is the view you see, with the new ECB building in the background. I am definitely going to get this shot printed in large, I really like how well the reflections on the water have come out.
A non-traditional view of the Eschenheimer Turm, which was once a city gate and part of the fortifications of the city during medieval times (yes, Frankfurt is very, very old).
I wasn't quite close enough for this shot, but it did make me laugh that this guy was getting his photo taken of him pretending to spray the bridge walls. From a photographic perspective I really like the clarity of the image and how well the light and shadows have been rendered.
I was not quick enough to take this photo with a wide angle lens, which is a pity as it was a rare double-length barge. The sky is a bit too washed out for my liking, but not the fault of the film - it was really bright.
Towards the end of the film, hence one starts taking random shots of bike wheels. However, I am impressed with how clear the details on the wheel are, excellent result!
Taken right after sunset without a tripod so really struggled to keep the camera still in portrait mode, hence it is a bit blurred, but I like the overall effect!
Overall impressions
So, as usual, Ilford films deliver exceptionally well! I can see why this film has such a strong reputation in the marketplace.
I am definitely going to use this film again, I would like to try it in a bit softer light (i.e. not during the middle of a sunny day!) and also with flash, that could be a good combination. I have been impressed with how clear this film renders, particularly if one gets the exposure and focus right (user error happens more than the film "failing").
So there you have it, not much more to say - it is another great film by Ilford!
I hope you have enjoyed some new and slightly different shots of various parts of Frankfurt. And as always, the opportunities for interesting photographs are all around us, so get out there and start snapping!
See you next time,
Neil
