Summer and the renaissance of analogue photography

Remember film? This photograph is called “Lone walker returning from a day at the lake”. I made it a very long time ago with my first Nikon camera on Agfa CT18 slide film. Both, the camera and the film, have long gone out of production.

When I was writing this post I researched, out of curiosity, the production years for the Agfa CT18 film and stumbled upon an announcement that German photographic materials producer Adox is resurrecting production of Agfapan black & white APX 100 and APX 400 film using the original formula. They will be sold as Adox Pan 100 and Adox Pan 400, respectively.

Agfa was my preferred material when we were all still working on film. The announcement is a perfect excuse to display the distinctive Agfa logo. For old times’ sake, you understand.

Also at Adox, there is new production of the (Agfa) Rodinal black & white developer and their own A49 developer, which has always been identical to the Agfa Atomal F, gets its Atomal name back.

In the UK, Adox materials are distributed by the indispensable and, frankly, wonderful Silverprint.

Lone walker returning from a day at the lake

The photograph has always had a nostalgic quality even when it was as new as the day – or perhaps the term wehmütig, which Collins dictionary translates rather inadequately as “melancholic” would be more appropriate, I am not sure. Perhaps bitter-sweet.

It seems to communicate the carefree, lazy mood of a summer’s evening perfectly, when you suddenly realise that your paradise is only a temporary abode.

With the unusually good weather that we have enjoyed of late, I thought that I would share it with you as a photograph for today.

And now I am going to visit the Silverprint site and indulge in a spot of Wehmut. Stefan Zweig comes to mind.

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