Asahi Pentax Spotmatic FFilm Photography This is the second post of 2026 but the first one with 2026 photos. On January 3, 2026, conditions were finally right for a winter walk and this one took us to Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve in Depew, New York. Snow covered ground and winter clean up and simplification in action strongly contrasted my last visit in the fall. As many of the local deciduous forests of the area, Reinstein Woods looks very picturesque in the fall. In winter, the mood and focus change and the landscape naturally lands itself to black and white photography.

The choice of tools for the day was a black Pentax Spotmatic F loaded with Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 black and white negative film, later developed in Rollei Supergrain 1+15 developer for 7.5 minutes. While I still struggle with not knowing the true origin of this film, I am a big fan and it's hard to argue with the great results I get and the price they come at. By now, I have tuned my development in both D-23 and in Supergrain and the film has just become another known film to me.

The Wide Path AroundWinter Reinstein Woods

The Wide Path Around, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

I almost always use replenished D-23 developer for all black and white films. However, the way I use it results in lower contrast and thus the deviation to Rollei Supergrain to fight the winter gloom. While the bright white snow adds a good dose of light to the scenes the universally gray sky lacks any features and is darker than the snow. Color filters do not do much in this situation as they cannot selectively impact colors that are simply not there. And that's where I feel the extra kick of Rollei Supergrain comes handy.

Trees Down over CreekWinter Reinstein Woods

Trees Down over Creek, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

I also change my film scanning technique slightly with winter photos. I am much less aggressive on the black point on the histogram and leave it more to the left leaving the blacks further from pure black and the shadows more open. I feel that matches the experience where the gloomy overcast sky and snow on the ground create an even diffused light with few real shadows or blacks in the natural scene. In SilverFast, the same can be done automatically by switching the Auto drop down to the Snow mode. From there, the black point can be adjusted manually based on the specific scene. I like to be careful. Making deep blacks or dark shadows with winter scenes can quickly look unnatural to me.

Bridge and Log BridgeWinter Reinstein Woods

Bridge and Log Bridge, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

And yes, when the magic happens and blue sky shows up, it can be right back to color filters and D-23 even in winter. In those rare situations, a yellow or orange filter can create punchy contrast. I had used a red filter in winter before and liked the results but it can also get unnatural as with the black point setting. If you'd like to try, I recommend experimenting and finding what you like. Even on a single roll of film, you can go through the filters at least for couple scenes and later compare side by side.

Bark PatternWinter Reinstein Woods

Bark Pattern, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Tree HideawayWinter Reinstein Woods

Keeping Warm in Western New York Winter
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Hollow TrunkWinter Reinstein Woods

Hollow Trunk, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Leaning over PondWinter Reinstein Woods

Leaning over Pond, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Info BoardWinter Reinstein Woods

Info Board, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

HolesWinter Reinstein Woods

Holes, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Patches of WaterWinter Reinstein Woods

Keeping Warm in Western New York Winter
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Frozen SwampWinter Reinstein Woods

Frozen Swamp, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

By a Frozen SwampWinter Reinstein Woods

By a Frozen Swamp, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Stump ChairWinter Reinstein Woods

Stump Chair, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Stump & LogWinter Reinstein Woods

Stump & Log, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Tree SculptureWinter Reinstein Woods

Tree Sculpture, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Downed TreesWinter Reinstein Woods

Downed Trees, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Relax by the PondWinter Reinstein Woods

Relax by the Pond, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Locked DoorWinter Reinstein Woods

Locked Door, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Fallen OverWinter Reinstein Woods

Fallen Over, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

BowedWinter Reinstein Woods

Bowed, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Guarding the PondWinter Reinstein Woods

Guarding the Pond, Winter Reinstein Woods, Depew, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Asahi Pentax Spotmatic F on Ultrafine Xtreme UFX400 Black & White Negative Film

Thanks for stopping by again and joining me for a nature photo walk. I hope to see you again soon.

Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy

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