Frugal Film Project 2024 - May

The Frugal Film Project - you know, that project where you use a film camera and lens that cost you less than $ 75 and shoot a roll of affordable film each month just to show that you don't need expensive stuff to get great photo's - sadly hasn't seen enough attention on this blog in the last months. We last visited the project in April, so let's turn our attention to May.

Now May was a bit of a busy month for me with no photographs taken for the project so I'm switching to a second roll I shot in April. This saw me taking photos at the Muiderslot or Muiden Castle in Muiden, the Netherlands. Built in 1280 by Count Floris V at the mouth of the river Vecht it's primary goal was to facilitate the collecting of toll from traders using the trade route along the river. It was destroyed in 1297 after being conquered by the Archbishop of Utrecht, Willem van Mechelen. It was rebuilt around 100 years later on the orders of Albecht I, Duke of Bavaria and Count of Holland and Zeeland.

The Muiderslot is perhaps most famous as the summer home of P.C. Hooft (1581-1647). Hooft, being the sheriff and bailiff of het Gooiland for 39 years (hence his use of the castle) was a well known writer, poet and historian who established the Muiderkring or Muider society which had members like Vondel, Huygens, Bredero, Barlaeus and father and daughter Visscher.

After the time of Hooft the castle was used as barracks for the French army occupying the Netherlands. It was later used as a prison and ammunition depot. After that, the castle fell into disuse and disrepair. So much so that in 1825 it was for sale with the purpose of it being demolished. King Willem I interfered and the building was saved. It took another 70 years before reconstruction began. These days the castle is a national museum.

I brought my Canon EOS 1000N fitted with a 25-85mm lens and loaded a roll of Agfaphoto APX 100. As usual, I've developed the roll at home using Adonal developer and scanned the negatives with an Epson V850.