In the summer I tried something different: shooting Sumo with a film camera. I used to use a DSLR, but I no longer have one of those and the Sigma is pretty near the bottom of the list of "cameras to shoot Sumo with", especially from a relatively distant seat. So I dug out the Canon FTb with the 70-150 zoom on it and got some Ilford Delta 3200. This is interesting stuff: I didn't know much about it, so I had to do some reading up on it. The 3200 doesn't seem to be its true ASA rating, but it has a huge amount of latitude for exposure, it was said. Basically I metered around and guessed.

Here are some shots. Grainy as you would imagine, but with some contrast and curves adjustments in Photoshop I think they came out OK. No cropping.

A slight contrast in physical build...(the wrestler with his back to us is from the Czech Republic, one of a number of countries from which wrestlers and combat athletes have come to try sumo. He's very popular because although he's usually at a size disadvantage, he's full of what the Japanese call "konjo" - basically, guts).

The rest of these are a mix of shots, some from as far back as May of this year (a trip to Tokyo) and others more recent. Some were shot with the same Ilford Delta 3200 and the others with (if memory serves) Tri-X 400. It should be fairly evident which is which.

Penguins, Higashiyama Zoo, Nagoya

Spiral

Crow, Meijo Koen, Nagoya

Policeman, Akasaka, Tokyo.

Dance lesson, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo

Mode Gakuen Spiral Towers, Nagoya.

Meiji Jingu, Tokyo

Joggers, Meijo Koen, Nagoya. It was (I think) after I took this one that I was made aware of a fantastic photo by W. Eugene Smith called "Walk to paradise garden" which has a slightly similar dark-light structure. The difference being that a signed copy of that photo sells for thousands of dollars :-)

Shimenawa ("twisted rope"), unknown shrine, Nagoya

Penguins and house guest, Higashiyama Zoo, Nagoya

Two people, Hisaya area, Nagoya

Path and rock, Zen temple and garden, Nagoya

Grounds of imperial palace, Tokyo

That's cleared the black and white backlog, but I still have several rolls' worth of colour shots to get processed...then I can start shooting film again, just in time for the autumn colours. Definitely going to be a job for some Velvia...

Thanks for looking!