Throwback Thursday...

So in honor of Holga Week, once again we go deep into the archives to bring the past into the present…

I’ve probably mentioned it more than just a few times that I have a sizable collection of cameras most of which I’ve owned for a very long time. With the exception of my digital gear, I don’t think that there is a film camera in my arsenal that I’ve owned for less than a decade.

And I still use them.

All the time.

Because of this, whenever I travel, I feel the need to bring it all with me. Not a big deal if I’m going by car, but, lacking a Sherpa, any other mode of transportation presents many logistical challenges., not the least of which is the sheer weight. The old stuff was mostly made of metal, built to last forever and it’s heavy …

Fortunately, one of my favorite cameras, is small, made almost entirely of plastic, fits easily in my bag, and weighs practically nothing.

Yes, it’s the Holga.

I absolutely love this camera and never venture out without one. I have at least 6 and of varying models. I have versions with a plastic lens, glass lens, panorama, stereo, pinhole, you name it, I probably have it.

Alaska Triptych

So naturally, on a trip to Alaska a few years ago, my 120 GN got an extensive workout.

Alaska is like no other place I’ve ever seen. It rained just about every day we were there. This is fine by me as I prefer the light on cloudy days as it’s much more diffuse. This tends to soften the shadows and reduce the specularity of the highlights. It’s “God’s softbox” as I like to say. So the feel of the light and way it presented the landscape made me think the soft and dreamy look of the Holga would work well together. I think I was right.

The sequence above is a strip from one of the contact sheets. It wasn’t planned but the three images really work well together, so I had them printed as a single panorama print. That’s one of the great things about analogue photography. Had I just been looking at files on a screen, I don’t know that this sequence would have made itself known. As much as we like to think we’re so clever, we really aren’t. Sometimes the discoveries come to us…

Throwback Thursday

This is one of my favorite photographs, and also a great example of what you can capture when opportunity meets preparedness.

Kids at Play

This photo was taken in the Black Rock section of my hometown, Buffalo, NY. during one of my many walk about’s. Unfortunately, the business is no longer extant.

When I’m out on one of my photo walks, typically I will take a meter reading and set the camera aperture and shutter speed to my preference. Depending on how bright the day is, I’ll use either an f8 or f11 and set the shutter accordingly.

Then, I pre-focus the camera using the depth-of-field scale to as close as possible with infinity as the farthest distance. And off I go. This is my version of “Point and Shoot”. I still use this method with my film cameras today. Mostly because I’m still using them! Modern digital cameras with the auto everything’s require far less pre-planning. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

When I look back at some of my older work, I often wonder what the place is like, where the people are and what they’re doing today. This photo was made sometime around the fall of 1978. That would mean the girls would be entering middle age. And that’s one of the greatest things about photography. In this photo, they’re kids forever…

Throwback Thursday

This image was made with a 35mm Widelux panorama camera. With this type of camera the lens rotates in front of the film plane exposing the film as it turns. If I remember correctly, you only get 24 images on a roll of 36 exposure film. It’s really cool. This image is from the first roll of film I ever shot with a pan camera. I use them all the time today.

St Louis Church, Buffalo, NY

St Louis Church, Buffalo, NY

I was wandering the streets near my studio looking for something to photograph with the camera when I passed by the church. The doors were open and I could see the light streaming through the windows. I went inside to take a closer look and was met at the door by the custodian who was preparing to lock up for the day.

“Just one shot!” I said as I ran past him.

Before he could object I had the camera on the tripod and ready to shoot. I didn’t have time to fish the exposure meter from my bag, so I made a quick calculation and took the shot. I may have lied to him and actually taken two. But after the second exposure I picked up my gear, thanked the custodian for his indulgence and left as quickly as I had come, praying all the way back to the studio that I would be forgiven for the lie, and that the exposure would be correct.

Both prayers seem to have been answered as the film came out great and the negative prints beautifully.

Can I get an “Amen!” somebody…?

Throwback Thursday...

Looking forward, looking back. something from the archives…

Flag sale, July 4th

Throwback Thursday, July 4th edition. Shot on the 4th of July ca. 1978’79.

Photographed while wandering through the neighborhood as I often did in those days. The girl was sitting outside a diner selling balloons and American flags. Back in the day, it was a very popular place, well known for their meatloaf. My dad would take my mom there back when they were dating. It’s still there, although I can no longer vouch for the quality of the meatloaf.