Neon Austin: Pentax 67 + CineStill 800T
Written and Photographed by Lilio Camere
In the weeks before the shoot, I took mental notes of where the most distinct neon signs were anytime I’d pass through downtown Austin. I wanted to capture these intentionally created signs that people dedicated to neon lights.
Artist
My name is Lilio Camere and I’m a Florida-born photographer, living deep in the heart of Texas, out in Austin. Anytime I see neon, my eyes light up and I pull out my Pentax 67. You can find more of work on my website, www.camerescamera.com, or my Instagram.
Gear and Film Stock
I shot the project with my Pentax 67 and Cinestill800T. It’s a great film stock which yields beautiful grain and provides a tungsten-type white balance which is perfect for shooting low light neon.
Hunting Austin’s Neon Signs
I hadn’t planned on doing anything that night, but something made me want to go out and shoot in an attempt to not waste the evening. In the weeks before the shoot, I took mental notes of where the most distinct neon signs were anytime I’d pass through downtown Austin. I wanted to capture these intentionally created signs that people dedicated to neon lights.
Driving through the heart of the city always provides a feast for the eyes and having the right film camera to capture it is a comfort. When it comes to shooting low-light analog work I tend to prefer medium format and the Pentax 6x7 is my weapon of choice, wooden handle and all. The brightest lens for the Pentax 67 system happens to be a fan favorite, the Pentax SMC 105mm f/2.4. I loaded a roll of CineStill 800T in right towards the end of blue hour and started, taking my first shot at Magnolia Café, where I go for the snakebite pasta.
From Magnolia Cafe I drove around the rest of South Congress to try and find a neon sign with distinct reflections. I pulled into a plaza with a ton of lights but chose the FREEB!RDS sign because of the reflections on the cars, parked right out front. The hardest part was balancing the exposure, and I chose to rate the film at 500 to get more shadow detail.
The toughest shot of the night was actually shooting the Texas Capitol building. There is always a ton of security around the area and this is especially true at night. Since I wouldn’t be able to get an adequate angle from within the main area, I switched to the Pentax 150mm f/2.8, which is a slightly slower lens, but lets me reach out further. Since it was on its own, this was the lowest light situation and any motion blur would be more obvious with a tighter angle. It was a challenge to find a slow enough shutter speed to let in enough light but fast enough to get a sharp image.
I’m hoping to get another opportunity to head out with a tripod and get longer exposures at night. With slower film, night time film images capture a unique feeling of peace and I’m hoping I can publish and print some of this work soon. Stay Tuned!
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