Author name: Floyd

Floyd K. Takeuchi is a documentary and fine arts photographer who is based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Most of his work is done in Hawaii, the Pacific Islands and Japan.

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The Attraction of Wet Darkroom Prints – My Experience at Hidden Light LLC – By Floyd K. Takeuchi

For those of us of a certain age, no matter what the photo technology in our hands, we’re thinking of the output in terms of photographic prints, not pixels on a display. In my case, that’s because as bad a darkroom tech as I was in high school in the late 1960s and early 1970s, I was smart enough to know that I needed to think in terms of how my photo would look as a print before I snapped the shutter on my Nikkormat.

5 Frames with a Rolleiflex 2.8F – A Lifetime Partner – By Floyd Takeuchi

Like many a photographer, I’ve accumulated a couple of drawers worth of cameras and lenses. In my case, reflecting the fact that I’ve owned a camera since 1963, when I was given a Kodak Brownie Fiesta for my 10th birthday, nearly all of these “excess” cameras are the kind that use film.

I’ve also sold a number of cameras over the years – a series of auto-focus Nikon film bodies when I finally went digital (F100, N80, N65, and then eventually bought a cherry F100 in Tokyo, and a low mileage N90s to use a camera bag full of sweet Nikkor glass); a lovely Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta; an even more desirable Contax G2 with its holy trinity of Zeiss lenses; to name a few.

But I’ve always said the camera I’ll never sell is my Rolleiflex 2.8F

Joys and Challenges of Publishing Zines – By Floyd K. Takeuchi

I thought I knew a thing or two about publishing a zine.  In a previous life, I ran a Honolulu, Hawaii-based media company that published six monthly consumer magazines. We covered the market – among our titles was a regional city magazine whose beginning could be traced to the days of the Hawaiian Monarchy in the 19th Century; a regional business monthly, one of the oldest titles of its kind in the western United States; and a monthly that covered politics and business in the vast reaches of Oceania. I was also, at various times, editor and publisher of the business and Oceania publications.

Yashica Fx-3

5 Frames with a Yashica FX-3 & Kodak Ektachrome 100 – By Floyd K. Takeuchi

There’s always been a bit of snobbery in the world of film photography. Unlike digital cameras, where the latest megapixel monster hanging over your shoulder is like a flashing neon sign, a film camera could last you your entire shooting career. The brand thus became the equivalent of today’s megapixel count – an indication of how serious (read “good”) of a photographer you really were. In that not so long ago era, for the most part, Nikon was “pro” and Canon was not quite, quirky brands like Alpa were interesting, and Leica was as good as it got. And perhaps still is…?

Mamiya Press Super 23

5 Frames, 2 Rolls of Film, and 1 Mamiya Press Super 23 – By Floyd K. Takeuchi

At the westernmost point of Oahu, the Hawaiian Island that is home to Honolulu and Waikiki Beach, is an area of desolate beauty called Kaena Point. Now a state protected nature reserve, it is sacred ground to indigenous Hawaiians. This is where the spirits of the dead are believed to gather and then leap into the next world. It makes for photographic landscapes that are unlike the usual beach and palm tree vistas one usually associates with Hawaii.  It also makes for film photography well-suited for medium format and larger cameras.

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