Nikon FE, 24mm f/2.835mm Film Camera I'm inviting you on another photo expedition through Orchard Park, this time its outdoors side. First a quick hop to the beautiful Chestnut Ridge County Park to say goodbye to winter and then to circle the Green Lake in Orchard Park. The camera of choice? My good old buddy Nikon FE with a wide angle 24mm lens, my comfort zone that allows me to look for compositions without much struggle.

On the other hand, I have not used Rollei Retro 80s too much, possibly only couple rolls before. Also, after about a 6-month detour using the Rollei Supergrain developer I decided a Rollei film would be the point at which I'd switch back to my favorite D-23 developer. I saved 25% of my old batch ("old brown"), mixed a 75% volume of a new batch, combined, and was ready to go.

The longer lower Newton Road loop has been my favorite for several years but for this walk we're going around the upper main loop in the park starting at the signature hilltop casino building. This time, the windows called for my attention.

Casino Windows, Chestnut Ridge ParkOrchard Park, NY

Casino Windows, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

Further up and a little back from the road this tall stump caught my eye as it took its last stand in the clearing. Winter and the last bits of snow were also on their way out.

Last Stand, Chestnut Ridge ParkOrchard Park, NY

Last Stand, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

You have definitely seen the subject of the next photo here before. The Cottage in the Woods caught my eye in a winter storm several years back and I have been returning since; in different seasons, in different weather, yet always looking between the trees whether I can find a new angle.

Cottage in the Woods, Chestnut Ridge ParkOrchard Park, NY

Cottage in the Woods, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

I have been eyeing the old curvy tree for a while but have not taken a keeper photo yet until this time. I hope you like what you see below but I am a bit obsessed and can't wait to make a darkroom print and a cyanotype print. For now, I have this digital version to keep motivating me to mix some chemicals, fill the trays, and load the strip of film into the enlarger for some old-fashioned fun.

Branches, Chestnut Ridge ParkOrchard Park, NY

Branches, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

The stone well houses have also captivated me for a long time. Some of them are easy to photograph, some pose challenge based on the shape they are in and their surroundings. I have not done a search and a comparison but think I've gotten the best rendering of the below one on this walk too.

Well in the Woods, Chestnut Ridge ParkOrchard Park, NY

Well in the Woods, Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

At this point, we have moved on from the Chestnut Ridge park into the village of Orchard Park and will be circling the lake. The spring is still early and trees are bare but the sun has a nice warmth to it and brings hope after the long winter season. When I was taking the photo I thought it was just a normal log in the water in the foreground. What a surprise to see I actually captured an alligator in Green Lake! :-)

Green Lake Alligator, Yates ParkOrchard Park, NY

Green Lake Alligator, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

Turning back into the sun is not intuitive for me and I need to learn to do it more often, whether or not sun ends up included. The light in the resulting photograph obviously differs from sidelight or front light and sometimes robs the photo of too much contrast, other times turns it into magic.

Green Lake Sunrise, Yates ParkOrchard Park, NY

Green Lake Sunrise, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

I really like the subtle midtowns of the following photograph. The other photographs in this post have quite high contrast compliments of the sunny days and the choice of the Rollei Retro 80s film, however, this one along the north shore is different as I walked the narrow trail in the shade of the trees.

Green Lake Shoreline Trees, Yates ParkOrchard Park, NY

Green Lake Shoreline Trees, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

Stepping out of that shade into the open and looking directly east against the rising sun definitely changed all that. While the geese were too far for any close-ups with my 24mm lens I was grateful they hung around to provide an extra element in my photo and differentiate it from my past takes.

Geese at Sunrise, Green Lake, Yates ParkOrchard Park, NY

Green Lake Sunrise, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

The scene I came upon next naturally called for a scene contrasting the silhouetted trees against the bright rising sun and the also bright reflection of the surface of the lake. I like the almost abstract look of this photo especially thanks to the tree trunks on the right that extend into their reflection in the water.

Sunrise Silhouettes, Green Lake, Yates ParkOrchard Park, NY

Sunrise Silhouettes, Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

And here we have the final mood change from high to low contrast as I walked home through our wonderful wetlands and an area I call The Jungle. In summer it is usually a combination of lush green vegetation and tall trees, some dead and some alive, making for a scene I would not look for in Orchard Park, NY. Maybe I'll remember to post that green look and reference this photo for a comparison between seasons and also color vs. black and white film.

Heading Home through WetlandsOrchard Park, NY

Sunrise Silhouettes, Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE on Rollei Retro 80s black and white negative film, home developed in D-23 developer

Thanks for taking the two walks with me and exploring Orchard Park, New York!

Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy

Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! For more travel photography, my Travel Photography gallery offers an interesting mix of places all around. And for more black and white photography hop over to the World without Color photo collection. 

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