Argust 6th, 2006

Images on this page have been lost along the way. I was able to recover the text from the www.archive.org web site, but alas, none of the images were present in the archives. Please scroll down, and you will find several that have been re-submitted by the original photographers. If your name is in this list and you have copies of the missing images, please email them to argus@megley.com.

All photographs this page © 2006 by the respective photographers.

Please click images to view full resolution file as submitted by the photographer.

David W. Thomas
Lederach, Pennsylvania

An outdoor "beehive" bake oven at the corner of the farmhouse.

One of the main doors of the barn on the property. This barn was built in 1761 and is a fine example of a Pennsylvania "bottom" barn of the period.

"Argust 6th" eh! Well, I kept thinking I must be crazy, I'm supposed to be remodeling a bathroom. But what the heck, I scrounged the ol' brick out of the back of the closet and the shutter appeared to be working. At least it open and closed on command. I already had some B&W chemicals mixed for a return to film that's underway with medium format.

Attached are two black and white shots taken this morning. They are part of a series taken at the Heckler Farmstead, a nearby 18th C historic site and park in Lower Salford Township, Montgomery County, PA.

The camera is a C3 which I purchased new in late 1957 or early 1958. This is probably the first time it has had film in it in thirty years or more. I did have it apart once many years ago to clean some mechanics and correct a shutter problem. Today it seemed to occasionally skip one extra sprocket hole between frames, but I managed to get twenty shots (some bad!)

The film was Kodak 125PX, developed in Kodak D76. The negatives were scanned with an Epson 3200 flatbed, as I have not yet gotten my darkroom resurrected to the point of printing. I am headed that way, having just acquired a Bronica SQ-A and an Omega B-8 for my toy collection.

The rest of today's series -- or at least those I had the patience to scan -- may be found in a corner of my PBase galleries at http://www.pbase.com/dw_thomas/argust6th2006

Tom Featherstone
Detroit, Michigan

Lofts

This photograph was taken in downtown Royal Oak, Michigan about 5:00pm on August 6, 2006.

The camera used was an Argus Model A, serial number 193057. The exposure was 1/25th of a second at F 12.7 on Kodak High Definition color fill rated at 400 ISO.

The young woman in the crosswalk has just finished her work shift of holding a sign advertising a new building full of "lofts" (the red building in the background). Despite her best efforts, the sign across the street reading "Only Two Left!" has been on display for months.

RR Crossing

This photograph was made with an Argus Model M. The exposure was “Instant” at F 9 on TMax 400 film. Royal Oak is bisected by railroad tracks and
this view shows one in the many crossings.

Not a particularly good image, but it is the best one to come from my roll of homemade 828 size film.

Sam Hotton
Salisbury, Maryland

I am very excited and pleased to submit the following photographs for Argus Day. I, as well as others, are totally amazed at the beauty of the images produced by the Argus C-3 cameras.

Courthouse roof and clock tower
Salisbury, Maryland.
Argus C-3, serial # 1144902
Fuji 200 ASA
Shutter speed 1/100 sec, f/11
Ferris wheel at sunset

Sharptown carnival, Sharptown, Maryland.
Argus C-3, serial #1144902,
Fuji 200 ASA
Shutter speed 1/100 sec, f/5.6

Richard Heather
Los Osos, California

It was a perfect Argust 6th for "Surf Camp" in Cayucos on the central coast. I took photos with a C44r 35mm lens with "Mystery film" inside. It turned out to be Tmax100.

The first photo on the left is my 5'4" wife with a 11' surf board. Surf camp is done locally every Argust.

They bring lots of boards and all can try to ride the waves. The beginners stay close to shore. I stick to my boogie board.

Note the size of the wave in the background of the second picture, above.

Rene Greblo
Chicago, Illinois

I participated in my first "Argust Day" last year when my co-worker brought along his Argus C-3 to work. We had fun looking at the website and learning about the Argus history, and when the big day arrived had some fun with the old camera.

Shortly after, I purchased my own Argus off of eBay. I got a C-3 Matchmatic, and I bought some outdated Konica Impresa 50 film to try it out with. Well, it remained on the shelf until this Argust Day, and I grabbed the camera at around 7pm without too much time to spare and with daylight running out.

I'm passing along my 2 entries for this years show. These pics were taken around my home on the north side of Chicago. Both were taken with outdated Konica Impresa 50 film, shutter speed "4" (whatever that means), at f3.5. I hope to understand the camera a bit better for next years go round.

Adrian Gray
United Kingdom

Here are my two efforts from Argust 6th. It's my only Argus, a C3 Matchmatic, as they are like hen's teeth over here - I've only ever seen two, and bought one of those!

Loaded with Kodak Gold 200, and shot using what would be sunny 16 if the Matchmatic had a 16 marked on it!

This is what happens when you get too close to something incredibly highly polished with the sun directly behind you - looks like too many dodgy "cigarettes" to me!

Well, I just find that the Matchmatic brings out a terrible urge in me to take photos of beige things! It's not quite the same colour scheme, but beige bottom, dark top, lots of chrome... not a bad match!

Team of Edmund Kowalski, Joyce Kowalski, and Pamela Lee Kowalski
High Ridge, Missouri

Wetlands; Cuivre River
by Edmund Kowalski

Old Monroe; Lock & Dam
by Joyce Kowalski

Tree; Stump
by Pam Kowalski

This year, my wife and daughter decided to join me on the Argust Day excursion.

I had two cameras loaded with film: Argus C-4 rangefinder, first version, serial# 0243393, and Argus STL1000 SLR body, chrome top, front speed dial, serial# 99159. My wife was carrying an Argus HFM II with f:3.8/38mm lens, and my daughter had a submini 35 Argus 520 with f:9/28mm lens, "transparent body" version.

Here in East Central Missouri, the day dawned clear and promising to be hot. Hot it got, temperatures around the 100 mark Fahrenheit.

We headed north. First stop was Old Monroe, Missouri, on highway 79 (Great River Road) in the Mississippi River flood plain. Old Monroe has its points of interest, some old buildings, and a pair of interesting bridges across the Cuivre River near where it enters the Mississippi: one for the old highway, one for the BNSF Railroad.

From there, we visited a chain of floodplain towns: Winfield, Foley, Elsberry, Annada, Clarksville.

Near Winfield, we visited Lock and Dam No. 25, busy with coal barges moving upriver. There is a nice park including a large slough and wetlands, and an observation deck near the river, popular during bald eagle visiting season.

Then it was in Annada that I had a mishap...

I stopped the car to shoot an old retail building... got out the Argus C-4, went to the front of the car... and THUMP!!!!!! The C-4 jumped out of the halfcase I was using as a strap platform and hit the pavement, landing square and hard on its BACK!

At first I thought it survived the fall....then discovered that the rangefinder chassis had been knocked out of alignment internally, and the teeth of the wheel were a considerable distance from the teeth of the lens mount! That mostly scrubbed that camera from much use the rest of the day.

Fortunately, I usually pack two, and so I switched to my other bag, and used the Argus STL1000 SLR, with GAF f:1.9/50 lens, for the rest of the excursion.

More pictures from the three of us can be seen at: www.pbase.com/edkowalski/argust6

All images are ©2006.

Joe Smith
Ontario, Canada

I almost missed Argust Day this year. On Wednesday August 2nd we had 2 tornadoes go through the area where we live. Lost are power for 3 days and didn't realize it was Argust Day until Sunday afternoon so I grabbed my C44r which had a roll of Agfa APX 100 in it and shot a few photos of the area. All the photos were taken at 125th sec at f/8 or 11 developed in D76 and scanned into my computer.

Chihiro Sueoka
Nagoya, Japan

You don't know me....my name is Chihiro Sueoka living in Nagoya, Japan.

I joined the ACG on February 7th, 2006 with no Argus cameras as the first member from Japan. Then I got an Argus C-3 Match-Matic (#1843775744) through the eBay.

Here are two pictures were taken with this camera on August 6th, 2006...the fastest Argust 6th in the world?!...on Fuji Superia ISO 100, f/11 at 1/300.

I took these pictures in the garden of Nagoya City Museum. The 1st picture is a sundial at 14:45 and the 2nd is a modern watch at 14:49.

Dan Cluley
Lansing, Michigan

Scheduling issues led me to do my Argust 6th shooting in the early morning hours. Both photos were taken with a C-44 on 200 ISO Kodak color print film.

The Arch entrance to Durant Park in Lansing and named after William Durant, founder of General Motors. 30 second exposure at f4.

The Ferocious Pixie Cat (Ok, so she was actually in mid-yawn) ;) 100mm lens, f11, and Sunpak Auto611 bounce flash

Johnnie Walker
Fairbault, Minnesota

Argust day always seems to fall on a day of our family vacation and this year was no different. This year we decided to drive up to the shore of Lake Superior. Just above Duluth there are two stops you just have to make, Split Rock Lighthouse and Gooseberry Falls.

Split Rock for years was counted as the most photographed lighthouse in the nation, so I was not exactly plowing virgin soil but nonetheless came up with a nice composition I think with that guy in funky waders in the foreground balancing the composition nicely. At Gooseberry My wife and daughters decided to be adventurous and walk through the water. Taking their picture with my Argoflex gave me the perfect excuse to stay dry (I hate getting my feet wet)!

Split Rock
1/100th f14
Fuji Superia 100

Gooseberry Falls
1/100th f16
Fuji Superia 100

Bruce Maclellan
Burnaby, British Columbia

I'm Bruce Maclellan, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. The attached photos were taken this Argust day in Whistler Village, BC.

Camera Argus C-3, film- Fujicolor 200

Adrian Wylie
Ann Arbor, Michigan

What better way to celebrate the 6th of Argust than in the birthplace of Argus Cameras – Ann Arbor, Michigan. Being my hometown, I didn’t have far to go with my Argus kit which includes a 1950’s Geiss modified C-Four along with the 35mm and 100mm Lithagon lenses, and the 50mm Cintar lens. I also added the Argus turret viewfinder which is a great help both in composing with these three lenses and for adjusting for parallax error. The images were shot on a roll of outdated T-Max 100.

After my buddy Marc arrived at my house toting a non-modified C-Four that he had recently picked up at an antiques store, we headed out to the former Argus factory which is now part of the University of Michigan.

The photo of him and his camera was done with the 35mm lens at f/11 1/50th sec.

Vita has been one of my favorite photo subjects ever since she was a young girl. I gave her a last minute call to let her know I had to include her in on this Argust Day shoot.

The photo of her was taken with the 100mm lens at f/8.5 and 1/10 sec. She is holding Marc’s C-Four… it is not only a classic camera but a great prop too!

Fred Stelling
Newburgh, New York

These were taken with my Argus C-44 last Sunday, Argust 6th.

The guys at the Waterbury Train Museum who hosted the Thomas the Tank Engine event were gushing over my C44 - a couple of them pulled me aside to tell me how great it is to see someone "toting old iron" instead of the plastic digitals they always see.

Still Life with Manual
Thomas in Waterbury, CT

Charles Becker
Gallatin, Tennessee

I am pleased to submit these attempts at picture taking with a cantankerous Argus Model 21. Out of 24 shots, only 13 were exposed, they were at the beginning of the roll. When attempting to rewind, the film jammed and I had to have Walgreen's remove the film in a black box after disassembly of the camera. Eddie Kowalski answered a distress call regarding a C-4 with a foggy viewfinder with a set of fine instructions (a real benefit of being a member of the ACG) which I applied to the Model 21 and now its back in service with another roll of 400 film.

Red Barn
Photo taken with Model 21 Rangefinder S/N 0000002670, built in 1947. I loaded this camera with Walgreen's 400 speed color film. The shutter speed was 1/100 sec @ f/16 aperture opening. This fine old barn is slowly wasting away, it has real character.

A Hole in the Clouds
Another photo taken with the Model 21 S/N 0000002670. The speed was 1/50 sec and the aperture was set at f/11. Cloud formations are always a great source for photos.

Brian Waddell
Edmonton, Alberta

Both pictures were taken with an Argus A – possibly one of the earliest ever used for the exercise (s/n 5573). It was a nice bright day here in Edmonton and so both shots were taken at 1/200 @ f11. I used Fuji Superia 200 film.

Lazy Day

Our pup, Penny. She has now been in the last three Argust shoots. The expression sums up a lazy summer day as she struggles to stay awake.

Bird Feeder

Our retired neighbour made this replica of our house as a gift. The birds have decided that the cedar roof is tasty as well, so I will be re-shingling the roof later this summer.

Wesley and Margaret Furr
Bridgewater, Virginia

Wesley and Robert; Overlook, Geo. Washington National Forest
Photographs by Margaret Furr

Margaret, Robert & Snoopy; Snoopy (right)
Photographs by Wesley Furr

After church on Sunday Argust 6th, Margaret and I decided we should take the Argus on a hike in order to get a good photo-op. We went to the Hone Quarry recreation area in the George Washington National Forest in VA...about 30 minutes or less from our home. There's a hiking trail there called "heartbreak trail" which climbs the side of the mountain to a beautiful overlook.

Of course little Robert had to go along (mom got a little extra exercise!) and Snoopy loves hiking as well, so we couldn't leave her behind. We both got quite a workout and some good photos to boot.

Taken with the C3 "woody" - http://www.megley.com/argus/wood.html on some several years expired Kodak Royal Gold 200. If memory serves, all outdoor shots were f/11and 1/100, though I should have slowed it down a bit in the shadows. The indoor shot was f/8 and 1/50 with electronic flash. (It was hard getting Snoopy to hold the bone that long while I focused and framed my shot!!)

If you look carefully at little Robert in the photo's, he's wearing his ACG hat that Doug made! My other Argust 6th photos are posted at http://www.megley.com/photos/argus/argust6

Graham White
Sheffield, England

Argust day 2006 found me and my Argus C3 on a warm sunny afternoon at Teddington Lock on the river Thames, 15 miles from London.

Built in 1811 and located at the end of the tidal reach of the river, this famous lock allows boats to navigate to and from London from higher up the river. Controlled by gates, the water level rises and falls almost 9 feet to match the upstream and downstream river levels. The colourful boats and their passengers make a fine sight as they wait to pass through.

Parts of several well-known movies have been made here as well as the famously funny Monty Python 'Fish Slapping Dance'.

Film I used was Fujifilm Superia ISO 200 using 300sec at f11 as indicated by my faithful Weston Master II exposure meter.

What a fantastic idea Argust day is, long may it continue!

A relaxed Captain of his ship!

Waiting for the lock gates to open before
sailing on to London.

Herb Ellis
Lake City, Florida

The morning of Sunday, "August 6th" my wife and I were in our hotel room in Atlantic Beach, Fl. Recovering from my 40th high school reunion celebrated the night before. After drinking a large cup of coffee I took my C-3 Standard with attached 100mm Tele-Sandmar and my C-44R flattop, 50mm Cintagon 2.8, loaded them with color negative film and made a number of exposures of sea oats and beach scenes. Then we traveled to my mother-in-law's home in Jacksonville.

In her garden i started a roll of T-Max 400 in the C-3Standard and shot the attached image of the plant in a basket with oyster shells in the foreground. I don't have an auxiliary viewfinder for the Tele-Sandmar so the composition was by guess. I finished the roll of color on the C-44R shooting in her garden.

When we returned to Lake City that afternoon I finished the B&W roll in the C-3 Standard shooting cypress trees. With the 100mm Tele-Sandmar I didn't;t have to wade out in the swamp as far to get the attached photo. The Color rolls were fine except for some vignetting in the sky areas of the Tele-Sandmar shots. I used a tripod for both these submitted photos and they were chosen because they are representative of the themes I pursue with my photography.

Richard Chiriboga
Groton, Massachusetts

I went out early in the morning with a C3 loaded with 100ASA York film.

One picture is of the sun through the trees looking at the mist over a field. The other is of lily pads on a local pond with the morning mist. I love taking pictures early in the morning and as the sun is setting. Great shadows!!

Leon Fundenberger
Topeka, Kansas

I dusted off my A3 to do Argust 6th this year and found plenty of opportunity for operator error. Fuji film 100 asa.

The camera is capable of far better, but the photog wasn't up to the challenge this year.

The playhouse is at a friends house. The Sunflowers are at my place of employment.

Pat O'Connor
Magnolia, Illinois

Argust 6 brought the threat of rain to north central Illinois, so I took "garage sale lawn chairs" in our back yard while the sun was still out.

"Old Rusty" is our friend's Ford pickup. It is semi-retired, now being used only to plow their quarter mile long driveway.

The photos were taken with a C-4 that I've owned for a while, but haven't previously used. The film was Konica Minolta VX 200 Super, which must have come from a bargain bin somewhere.

Phil Lewis

These photographs were made by a camera with the Argus name plate but was probably manufactured by Concord. The pictures were taken on Argust 6th. I chose this camera because we were flying from St. Louis to Seattle and I didn't want to have to hassle or hustle a bulky C3 or E through security. Anyway, here you go...

Marty Jacobs
Slater, Iowa

I took my Argus a-four out to Ledges State Park on the 6th. I was using Kodak 400-speed color film. Exposures were guesstimated by the f/16 rule as always with this camera. The images were cropped after scanning to correct some scanner edge problems and get them to the proper size.

Ken Dickinson

Here are two photos that I made during Argust Day 2006. They were shot with a 1950 Argus C3 (which appears to be in need of some adjustment) and a roll of Ilford XP-2 that expired several years ago and which I found buried under the newer film at the bottom of the refrigerator.

All negatives were scanned and minor adjustment to brightness and/or contrast were made, as well as a little cropping.

Expectant Mother is my wife, Angie, at 33 weeks pregnant.

Kendall in the Sun is my daughter Kendall in the back field behind our house at high noon.

Tadas Osmolk
Washington, DC

Taken in front of the White House with an Argus C3 on Fuji Superia Xtra 400 at 1/300 at F 16. I've seen these roller hockey players playing on Pennsylvania Avenue before, but wasn't expecting them in early August.

Curtis Barrow
Great Falls, /\/\onTana!

Here are my two, taken with an Argus C4...see more at http://www.barrowroad.com/argus/a606/argust6.html

The wheel is the front wheel on a really old piece of farm equipment that is here in Great Falls, /\/\onTana! It has been standing in the corner of the filed for years and years. It is always good for a character study, anytime of day, night or year. Kodak 200 ASA print film, 1/50 and f8.

Across the road from the farm machine is an old water tower. It stands beside Giant Springs Water company, who bottle water that comes from Giant Springs, the source for Roe River, the shortest river in the world (78 feet, + or - a couple). This was as the sun was setting, and it was again Kodak 200 ASA, and about 1/50 and f8.

Hrad Kuzyk

This Argust 6th I was at my cousin's stables, and managed to get some photos of her horses. I used Kodak BWC film in a pre-war Argus A2B (150 at f18).

John Stepp
Clemson, South Carolina

Argust Day for me was a day when I had to run to Atlanta. It also was not a good day for photography, pretty overcast. Late in the day as the sun was in the West, I leaped out of the car and shot about 6 street scene shots using Sunny 16 and 200 ASA. I was using my "uncoated lens" early post war C3. ( I did all of my shots in about 5 mins.)

The Castle on Peachtree in Atlanta
Probably f/6.3 or so at 1/100 sec on ASA 200 film.

Advertising in Atlanta
f/5 or so, 1/100 sec or so on ASA 200 film

Matt Haines
Ventura, California

I only recently acquired an Argus C-Four a few weeks prior to 'Argust Day'. Actually I ended up buying two of them, because the first one had mold growing between the lens elements, and I thought at the time I wouldn't be able to fix it. As it stands, I not only was able to fix it (with the help of ACG members) but I haven't even put film in the other C-Four yet as a result. I'm still getting the hang of the camera, but it's a joy to use.

For Argust Day this year, I had a 50 mile bike ride scheduled. I like to bring a camera long on rides, but unfortunately the C-Four is just a little to heavy to have tucked in my jersey pocket for a long ride. Most of the pictures taken that day were on a very light Smena 8M. I did have a little time in the afternoon and evening to get some C-Four pictures in however.

The first is a row of trees bordering an orchard near where I live. I live in a smallish town north of Los Angeles, called Ventura. There are lots of farms and orchards here, mixed in with the suburb/exburb enviroment. many of the orchards are separated by very tall rows of trees, and I really like the unnatural look. I took this shot in bright afternoon sunshine, a curse we have here in southern California. The contrast that resulted makes this picture look very 'vintage'.

Later that evening, I went out in the garage and my eye was drawn to my spare set of bicycle wheels hanging on the wall. The single fluorescent bulb lit them in stark relief, and I figured a black and white shot of them might turn out well. I purposely overexposed the light for this look, and am pleased with the results.

Next year I'll try and have a full day of shots on my C-Four!