Thursday, May 28, 2009

A whole different animal

I was an editor of my high school yearbook. Aren't you impressed? I only mention this because that year (1996-97!) I learned how to operate a film camera, how to load and develop film, and how to make prints in the darkroom. Really invaluable skills. Seriously. For someone like me.

Now, in the digital age, which I have belonged to since, eh, the mid-90s, those skills have recessed in my brain. Along with other things.

But I am re-learning how a manual camera works and I feel a bit like a senior citizen trying to navigate the internets.

A family member generously gave two classic film cameras to me and I am afraid excited they will become my new obsession.



From what I've been able to find online, they're from the 60s and 70s and they are in mint condition. I am a lucky girl.

Instead of snapping 50 photos and deciding which one of the bunch I can sufficiently manipulate in PhotoShop, I have to think carefully about each shot. This is a good thing.

I have to play with the depth of focus and stop to think about what f/stop I need. I love it.

I have to wind the film to the next exposure and then I get to hear the shutter....CLICK. Awesome.

If my photos eventually turn out anything like these, I will be happy.

I know it will come more naturally as I get used to using them, but right now I am just enjoying learning a new gig.

The end product is slow. Like slow food. So I am making notes on the settings I use and trying to shoot different things, seeing what works. Once I get a few rolls finished I will send them off and inspect the results.

1 comment:

Justin said...

They look a lot like my first 'proper' camera, an old Zenith E. It was manual everything and taught me the fundamentals of photography, while the cost of film and processing taught me to sit and think about the photograph I was taking and led to adventures in developing my own black and white film.

I think you'll have a blast discovering photography anew with these beauties. Have fun,


Justin.