When I went to San Diego in June, I brought my Olympus OM-2n and the 40mm f/2 Zuiko Auto-S lens, with Ilford HP5 Plus inside. When I started the roll I was inside at an event, so I set the OM-2n to 1600 knowing the HP5 Plus could take it.
The event was at the Air and Space Museum, so I made images of the exhibits. I intended to make candid images of people, but all night people grouped up to talk and all I could see was their backs.
I was confused to see the Spirit of St. Louis here, because I saw it several years ago hanging from the ceiling in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, in Washington DC. Is it on loan here? Is this a copy?
I’m pretty sure this is meant to represent one of the Wright Brothers in early flight.
I love to photograph old airplanes. There’s always something evocative about them. The HP5 Plus performed very well on these subjects in this mixed museum lighting.
After the Air and Space Museum we all went to a karaoke bar. Here’s one of my co-workers on stage. I made only a couple of images here because I wasn’t sure the HP5 Plus could handle the nearly nonexistent light in here. But as you can see, it did a terrific job.
I shot the rest of the roll around the house with the 50mm f/1.8 F.Zuiko lens. The weekend after my birthday my sons came to visit, and with Margaret’s youngest son we all played the game Pandemic.
This is a cooperative game in which you try to save the world from an advancing, deadly pandemic. Either you save the world or you don’t — and we didn’t this time around.
One of my sons brought me a very nice bottle of bourbon for my birthday, and so I broke out the Glencairn glasses and we all had a wee pour.
HP5 Plus pushed to 1600 is gorgeous. You might remember the times I’ve taken Kodak T-Max P3200 to Chicago for some night photography. I think HP5 Plus at 1600 looks leagues better than P3200 at 3200. I plan to take HP5 Plus on my next trip to Chicago and see how it handles the night.
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