Farewell Kurokiba, Farewell....

Death is never more appalling then when it comes to someone who has barely begun to live. Kurokiba came to us after her mother was unable to take care of her at 19 days old. We took her in, bottle fed her and made her part of our family. Unfortunately, the long life that should have been was cut short by an illness the Vet was unable to cure and, at just 18 months, she passed from our lives.

Nikon FE2 Micro-Nikkor 55mm f2.8 Kodak Ultramax 400 Arista C-41

Scanned using a Kodak Pakon F135 Plus using Pakon's OEM scanning software.

Rescued

Nikon FE2 Micro-Nikkor 55mm f2.8 Kodak Ultramax 400 Arista C-41 - Not a perfect shot, but damn cute, this poor little kitten was abandoned by her mother, and we are now bottle feeding her. She is curious, mobile, demanding and above all adorable. A mother's loss is a kittens gain, as she will spend the rest of her life as a pampered indoor cat.

Scanned using a Kodak Pakon F135 Plus using Pakon's OEM scanning software.

An Awwwwww Moment...

Kiev 60 Arsat 80mm f2.8 Foma Fomapan 400 Adox Adonal 1:25 - Three of the neighborhood feral cats using a lawn chair to escape the mid day sun. One adult and two kittens showing the softer side of cat life.

Scanned with an Epson V500 Photo using Epson's OEM software.

Kajin Tora....

Fujifilm GA645Zi Fujinon 55-90 f4.5/6.9 Fujifilm Acros 100 Arista 76 1:1 - One of the first shots from my GZ645Zi, our cat Kajin Tora was striking a great pose so I could not pass her up. She has stunning eyes and a killer instinct.

Scanned with an Epson V500 Photo using Epson's OEM software.

Impossible - Instant Cats

Polaroid JobPro Instant Camera Impossible Project Color Shade UV+ Film - A couple more images from my first pack of Impossible Project Color Shade UV+ instant film.

The Cat on the left is Kuron Neko, this sly little kitten managed to work her way into our home by hanging herself by a rear paw in our hedges. Her weak cries and injured foot played in our sympathies and earned her indoor status. After limping around for a few days to insure her permanent indoor status, the paw magically healed. Mission Accomplished.

The Cat on the right is Greymon, son of Bob. He is the current dominate male of the neighborhood's ferrel clan. They keep the mole and snake population under control and like to leave the kills on the front porch in exchange for food...

Scanned with a HP Scanjet G4050 using HP's OEM Software

Three Lucky Finds

Polaroid Macro 5 SLR Polaroid Spectra Image Film Expired 11/05 - The results of 3 lucky finds.
One: A Polaroid Macro 5 on ebay for next to nothing. I will post on the camera later, but in a nutshell the Macro 5 is a SLR Camera designed specifically for close-up work.
Two: The local camera store, Lynchburg Camera had several packs of expired Spectra Image Film they were willing to part with cheap. After testing one pack to verify the batteries were still good, I could not pass these rare lomo gems up.

Three: Kuroneko, the Kitten of one of the feral cats that rule our neighborhood. Kuroneko wormed her way into the house by managing to hang herself by a rear leg from a fork on a branch in a bush. When my wife found her, Kuroneko had been hanging for several hours and was very weak. The leg from which she was hanging, was injured and appeared to be paralyzed. After a trip to the Vet and several weeks of pampering and rehab, the leg is now fine and and Kuroneko has achieved House resident status.

I am convinced the leg injury was a trick to gain House resident status before winter. Kuroneko has filled the opening left by the passing of our oldest feline resident, Amber, at 14 years old. She has been accepted by our German Shepherds and terrorizes the older cats in the house, like every good kitten should. And as she curls up on a warm bed and licks her once injured leg, I swear I hear her purr, "Mission Accomplished."

School is in Session exposure no. 9

Kiev 60 Arsat 250mm f3.5 Kodak Tri-X 400 Professional Adox Adonal 1:50 - Bob's son Greymon schools the slightly younger Felix in the art of feline combat, while a unnamed Kitten Doe looks on. Felix is the great grand son of Hitler, but despite that relation, Hitler seems to have anointed Greymon dominate male status. The "Kitten Doe" is Bob's from her 2nd litter of the year. The clan's size seems to fluctuate between 6 to 10 cats. Some kittens, once old enough, are run off by the older cats to starts adjacent clans, others, unfortunately, will not survive the winter.

BB spawn of Bob exposure no. 4

Kiev 60 Arsat 250mm f3.5 Kodak Tri-X 400 Professional Adox Adonal 1:50 - Bob's leap year daughter BB carefully watches me from behind Hitler's great grand daughter Fluffy. BB has the looks of her mother, with her markings in tan, black and grey, while Fluffy has the Black and White "Orca Felinitis" makings of her great grand mother. BB was born and leap year, so not only does she have 9 lives, but she only ages 1 year for every four that pass.

Another example of why Tri-X has been around so long.

Meet Bob exposure no. 2

Kiev 60 Arsat 250mm f3.5 Kodak Tri-x 400 Professional Adonal 1:50 - Meet "Bob," the co-alpha female of the feral cat clan that rules our street. She reigns with the older, larger "Hitler," named for her white Hitler mustache and dominate demeanor. Their clan makes sure the rodent and snake population in our neighborhood stays in check, and in return they feast on left overs. Bob is a particularly good mole hunter, carefully tracking their underground movements and then, with surgical precision, digging them out of the lawn. She often offers them in trade for a meal better suited to her tastes.

It has probably 20 years since I have shot a roll of Tri-X, an old favorite. I loved it for its grain and contrast, especially when pushed. Now it seems like a perfect match for Adox Adonal (Rodinal). The grain is surprising fine and the tonal range is outstanding. Bob is a light grey cat, with subtle darker grey and white markings, all rendered in great detail.

Jzette Snapshot

One of the neighborhood cats was nice enough to pose for me. Shot on Kodak T-Max TMY 400 120. Developer D-76 1:1, Scanner Epson V500. Mild tone Levels adjustment using Lightzone by Light Crafts. LightZone