I wanted to take a camera to a Thunder Hockey game at Intrust Bank Arena, but I only had 400 speed film. It’s always dark in the arena. So I decided to push it to 800. That’s the photography version of cranking the sound up to 11.

Since the only 400 speed film I had was in 120 format, that limited what cameras in my collection I could take. I only have a few TLRs and my beloved Agfa Isolette III Rangefinder that use medium format film. A TLR wouldn’t be feasible for a hockey game, so I went with the Agfa.

Whenver I’m out and about with this camera, I always get comments on it. On this evening, it was our waiter at the sandwich joint we went to before the game, a security employee* at the arena entrance, and then a random guy who saw me sizing up a shot inside the venue.

When the security guy saw my camera and asked, “What’s that?”, I thought it was in a security-breach kind of way. Turns out he was just interested in my camera and let me through with no issues.

*I’d researched whether or not I could take a film camera into the arena in advance of showing up with it. I learned that it was totally cool (according to the arena’s website). When the security guy saw my camera and asked, “What’s that?”, I thought it was in a security-breach kind of way. Turns out he was just interested in my camera and let me through with no issues.

The film was Kodak T-Max 400 and I rated it at 800 ISO. My camera was being finicky that night (and I’d also had a few beers), so my dexterity in manually advancing after each shot was lackluster. The camera is designed to give 12 shots per roll. I eeked out just 10. Eight at the game, two more the next day on a photowalk with my son and grandson.

I developed in Kodak D-76 at stock strength (no dilution), for 7 1/2 minutes at 68°.