“Started in 1903 by Albert Scott and James Bathgate, the company [Nutty Club] became famous for products like pink popcorn, pearled peanuts and dozens of other products including candies, syrups, nuts, condiments and food colouring. Scott-Bathgate announced in a news release this week that its operations are winding down, with a late January 2024 end date.” (Source: Darren Bernhardt · CBC News, Dec 14, 2023).
This is easily my favourite building in Winnipeg. It’s actually three buildings, and when I took these photos a few years ago they were still churning out good stuff like pink popcorn. It’s sad to see it closing down and I suppose the buildings will become expensive lofts. This is a great location for an early Sunday morning as this part of town is getting gentrified (with expensive lofts) and there’s less to worry about; although I’m not generally fearful, I sometimes wonder about having expensive-looking equipment out on display.
A note about the camera. I used an Intrepid IV 4×5 on top of a nice wooden Berlebach tripod. The Intrepid is not a perfect choice for architecture because a 90 mm lens gives you a compressed, stiff bellows making it hard to use movements, especially with a flat lens board. The Intrepid V has an interchangeable bellows, and would probably be a better choice although I’ve not used one. Of course you could use a recessed board to relax the bellows – as I do now – but it turns out these buildings are not too tightly restrained by others and in the end you can get some good images, even with a 150 mm lens. Another issue with the Intrepid which becomes apparent with architectural photography is that movements are hard to fine tune. But don’t be too turned off: it’s an excellent camera for backpacking and landscapes! For these photographs I used a 150 mm Rodenstock Apo Sironar-N lens. A great performer.
When I took these I was already happy using FP4+ and HP5+ with DD-X or D-76, a combination I’ve used for decades in MF and 35 mm. Since Fomapan 400 is about half the price, I was starting to switch to it at around this time. I now use it almost exclusively in 4×5, usually at 200 ASA and usually with Rodinal (1+50). There is a lot of advantage to using a single film/developer combination most of the time, as long as it doesn’t become dogma and hinder creativity. Fomapan 400 is a reliable 200 speed film with the only disadvantage of well-documented reciprocity failure on longer exposures. It pairs beautifully with Rodinal.
I don’t have a decent scanner, so these are all prints, either 11×14 or 8×10 on Ilford multigrade fibre-based paper. The developer was Kodak Dektol, diluted 1:1, but I have recently switched to E72 (2:3) as it is easy to make and gives the same results as far as I can see. I toned with dilute (1:20) Kodak selenium toner, to get rid of the green hue and then rephotographed them with my phone (Pixel 7) and did very slight touch up – B&W conversion and some cropping mainly.
The Intrepid is probably not so Famous For Quality. Like most things English it’s quirky and you have to be forgiving of these quirks. If you want to get into large format and you value a light and affordable camera, this is undoubtedly a very good choice.
I’m on Instagram as @chrisrampitsch.
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JC on 5 Frames with an Intrepid 4×5 – Famous For Quality.
Comment posted: 24/04/2024
Great image quality with the Rodenstock lens !
My favourites are the third and the fourth shots.
Greetings , Jens
Comment posted: 24/04/2024
Daniel Castelli on 5 Frames with an Intrepid 4×5 – Famous For Quality.
Comment posted: 24/04/2024
In the early 1970’s I worked with a 4x5 monorail. I never advanced beyond rank amateur, but it was such a blast seeing an individual large negative. We all thought we were the new Ansel Adams just waiting to be discovered. Didn’t happen.
Comment posted: 24/04/2024
Jeffery Luhn on 5 Frames with an Intrepid 4×5 – Famous For Quality.
Comment posted: 24/04/2024
Please keep posting your shots and data. I enjoyed them very much. You inspired me! I think I'll get my 4x5 out!!!!
Comment posted: 24/04/2024
Curtis Heikkinen on 5 Frames with an Intrepid 4×5 – Famous For Quality.
Comment posted: 24/04/2024
Comment posted: 24/04/2024
Gus on 5 Frames with an Intrepid 4×5 – Famous For Quality.
Comment posted: 24/04/2024
Comment posted: 24/04/2024
Gary Smith on 5 Frames with an Intrepid 4×5 – Famous For Quality.
Comment posted: 24/04/2024
Comment posted: 24/04/2024
Roger on 5 Frames with an Intrepid 4×5 – Famous For Quality.
Comment posted: 25/04/2024
Comment posted: 25/04/2024
Gary on 5 Frames with an Intrepid 4×5 – Famous For Quality.
Comment posted: 25/04/2024
Comment posted: 25/04/2024
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Comment posted: 25/04/2024
Sam Forrest on 5 Frames with an Intrepid 4×5 – Famous For Quality.
Comment posted: 26/04/2024
Paul Quellin on 5 Frames with an Intrepid 4×5 – Famous For Quality.
Comment posted: 27/04/2024