Edinburgh and the EPIC mju ii

Visitors in a old land

Some more from our recent trip to Edinburgh. I had fun with the mju ii and some colour negative film. Processed by Snappy Snaps and scanned by myself

As always, thanks for having a look. Antz

Arundel Castle and the peaceful toil

Intent

So a fortnight ago a quick visit to the South Downs and Arundel castle saw me come close to how I want to shoot. Slow down and look for the shoot I want. I have always felt that I am too rushed when out shooting. I can 'see' what I want. However, I always feel too rushed into firing the shutter.

It seemed that your man tending these gardens was a metaphor for how I had to approach my photography. As a keen balcony gardener, I enjoyed the anticipation of waiting for the seeds to germinate. I have the patience to wait for the seedling to spring up and shoot skyward. 

Seeing this fella slowly weed and looking so content gave me a moment to pause and think about my shooting. I walked around his position as he calmly went about his morning. I felt as calm as he appeared. I waited and looked and observed. I made a few exposures. And kept on looking for the 'one' I wanted.

Then, when I shot this one, I knew I had the shot I was looking for. 

et le travail du Seigneur

This was shot on my much loved FP4 plus in my little Leica iii(a), with my 35mm Color-Skopar and the Universal viewfinder from Leica. These were developed in some Adox APH-09 and scanned on a CanoScan 9000F.

Here are some of the 'sighting' shoots.

Thanks for having a look, and happy snapping. A

Arundel Castle and the Chapel of St Nicholas

The Gear, or the Intent

So I've used already posted using this subtitle (The Gear, or the Intent) Do I shoot what I am drawn to, or does my equipment dictate what I shoot?
Last time (see blog dated 2015_04_01) I spoke about the actually camera body, and how that affects the style of shooting. I week or so ago, we visited Arundel Castle and with the amazing Chapel of St Nicholas on it's grounds. As I had an unfinished roll of Ilford FP4 plus in my little Leica iii(a), I popped on the Voilgtlander 35 Color-Skopar and the Universal viewfinder from Leica and packed that in my bag, along with a few extra rolls of the FP4 plus. These were developed in some Adox APH-09 and scanned on a CanoScan 9000F.

Going into the chapel of St Nicholas you get a sense of time passing slowly. On the scale of a human life, this is deep-time. This complex was built in around 1000 years ago. Yes 1000 years ago. That it is still standing is very impressive and was very humbling to be able to walk around inside and breath in the history. 

Now, I know I could get technically better shots in this low-light space (and maybe someday I will swop-out for a high ISO digital system) But, for now THIS is how I felt when walking through the chapel. It felt mysterious and dark. It felt close-in and intimate. Was I able to convey those adjectives? Did my equipment enable me to shoot what I felt? Do these images convey my intent? I can't say. That is not my purpose. I have to shoot what I shoot and how I shoot it. They job of critic is out of my hands. All I can do is produce what I feel. I am one of the lucky ones I feel in that I have the tools to visualise what I feel. 

The Long Sleep

Watchful keep

Mother and Child

Last rest

Side-by-side forever

Holy Centurion

As always, thanks for having a look, and happy shooting. Antz

Forms of Edinburgh

When in Scotland...

All images shot on some Kodak and processed by Snappy Snaps, and scanned by myself. I was using an Olympus Stylus

Noon Gun

Quiet Stroll

Meeting Place

Service Delayed (Right Adam)

St Mary Chapel

As always, thanks for having a look. Happy shooting all. Antz

Edinburgh and Forms of Japan

So, I've stopped buying 'street photography' books...

This has nothing to do with the Land of the Rising Sun, and everything to do with how Michael Kenna's book Forms of Japan has affected me. How it's made me think about what and how I shoot. 

But, first we had to fly to Edinburgh for a weekend out of the Big Smoke. A couple of images shot in the airport. I have about 4 rolls of FP4 Plus that I want to process in some Adox APH-09.... but that will have to wait a while. This images are shot on some Kodak and processed by Snappy Snaps, and scanned by myself.

Delayed Flight

Car Park

Lovely England

Priorities

Landing

And as always, thanks for reading and happy shooting. A

Two Icicles and style

The Gear, or the Intent

So I've been thinking about how my choice of camera on any given day affects my style of shooting for that day. Does the type of camera affect my style of shooting? Looking at my contact sheets I do get a sense that it does to a certain extent.

I find that using my compact allows me to get closer and at a lower angle. This, I find gives the image a more intimate 'feel', a snapshot if you will. But then I also like what the regular SLR, or rangefinder can provide. I get a more thoughtful approach to selecting subject and composition. Both work for me, and both deliver results I enjoy.

The Little Prince @ Covent Garden 2015

The Back of the Crowd @ Piccadilly Circus 2015

So the the question is: does my style dictate which camera I use and what I choose to shoot, OR does the choice of camera for the day dictate my style for that particular day? I think the jury is still out on this one, but it's fun to this issue to consider.

The Ascent @ Hammersmith 2015

The Watchers @ Aldwych 2015

And as always, thanks for reading and happy shooting. A

The BESSA-R

A love affair

This is a modern incarnation of a classic design, harking back to a simpler time. I could talk at length about the Voigtländer name as a brand. I could talk about the Japanese company Corsina who bought the license enabling them to use the old German company’s name, and distribute their own cameras. I could, but I won’t. I want to tell you how this camera feels when using it. Moreover, I want to tell you how this camera makes me feel when using it. As everyone probably knows by now, I am almost 95% totally film these days. I almost instantly feel in love with the rangefinder design as soon as I picked up my first Yashica Electro 35 (the classic GT model – black of course)

So with the eagerness of a golden retriever puppy, I ripped into the wrapping of my package delivered from Japan. I had bought a used body-only for around £170 including postage. With a serial number of under 400 (meaning it was virtually brand ‘new’), I was hoping that I did in fact receive a good example of this classic. Thusly follows my tale…

  The Ticket (part 2) @ 2015

I am absolutely smitten with this camera. Just like the word smitten having a few strikingly different meanings, this camera too has many sides (some good, and some not so good). So after just over a month of owning the Bessa-R, firstly, what are my negatives?

For starters, the frame counter is tiny, and on a black background. This might not sound like a big thing, but as I use reading glasses, it certainly makes life a bit more challenging when you’re losing the light or in deep shadows. Not a deal breaker, but an inconvenience. It is easy enough to work around... just keep a few brains cells reserved for tracking the frame count.

The next issue is a bit more than just an irritation though. This is a medium sized camera and feels very good in my hand. I tend to grip the body in the classic 3 fingers in front, thumb cocked behind the film advance, and the forefinger poised above the shutter release.  However I have fairly large hands and I find my middle finger keeps on tripping the self-timer lever on the front face of the camera. I had noticed that every now and again the shutter speed would be wildly out, by seconds. I thought it might have something to do with the meter, or maybe the batteries were losing juice and dragging the shutter. But soon I discovered that it was me that was tripping the self-timer with my fingers around the front and so close to the lever. As said, it's a bit annoying, but with care, I get by just fine thank you.

 

The Surprise @ 2015

My last issue is just a bit of a nag! It is annoying, irritating and (I feel) is the weak link in this great system. But like everything in life, you work around the challenges. I own a Leica iii(a) which has the worst rewind knob ever (or so I thought). I just accepted the fact that I would lose some skin on my thumb each time I needed to rewind and load more film. This flip/lever system of the BESSA-R has now surpassed the Leica iii system, and is without a doubt the worse I have ever come across. It feels flimsy in your grip, and occasionally it slips a gear as it kind of ‘floats’ now and again. Also, it is sometimes a struggle to actually lift the flip/lever to start rewinding. All in all, it is the most annoying thing about this camera.

All other issues are just down to preferences, and I will not labor you with those. There are many good reviews regarding this camera on the interwebs if you’re interested. Now, finally, why do I love this camera?

For starters this is a surprisingly light-weight camera. This is a good thing as I use a neck strap and can be out and about for 4 – 6 hours average per walk-about. So, the lighter the better I feel. I usually have it stung over one shoulder and keep it at the ready across my chest. This means I can swing it down to my side when I feel nothings to be had. With a quick swing, it is at the ready. As I've mentioned I use the classic camera grip, and this camera is just about the most comfortable I have ever used. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s ever so pretty…

Then there's the smooth film advance. It's not as smooth as a Leica-M series camera, but buttery will not be an issue when describing this advance. Then there’s the mechanical shutter. Again not as quiet as the fabled cloth-shutter of the M and it's older siblings, but, to me, it has a very reassuring action and sound (much like an early Olympus  OM series camera – but not quite as mechanical). This makes it a real asset when shooting as close as I sometimes do. Add to this a 1/2000^th of a second max shutter speed, it has all the specifications that I need.

I am not sure why Corsina decided to use the Leica L39 (screw) mount for their first foray into making a more 'serious' camera. Yes, Corsina did make a couple of SLR's before setting out in the rangefinder arena. I own some old Leica glass, with my favorite being a 50mm Summarit 1.5, so this camera was a logical choice (outside forking out a small fortune for a Leica-M series camera). Of course the glass does not have any impact on the body (other than feel), but I feel it's a match made in heaven. This brings me to the framelines. Yes, the framelines for 35, 50, 75 and 90mm glass. The selector is situated on the top plate, and constantly gives me a warm fussy feeling inside when I look down at it.

But the biggest surprise of me is the viewfinder. Or more correctly the view through the viewfinder. It is as bright as any M camera I have ever looked through. It might even be a bit brighter than a few out there. These  framelines are bright and clear. There is plenty of room outside the framelines making the world look much bigger, and makes composing a real pleasure. It gives me more time to compose as I can see so much coming into frame. Combine this with an equally bright and clear focusing patch, and I have an extremely capable tool to make my vision a reality.

Then, there is the price! At £170, compared to about a grand (pounds) for a good working-order Leica-M, this is the bargain of the century. A flash sync speed of 1/125^th is plenty enough for me thanks. Lastly I learned that the rangefinder alignment screws are situated just under the hot-shoe. I can confirm this is so, and very easy to adjust if need be. All in all, this camera suites my needs perfectly.

Of course the camera you have is the right camera for you. But you have to feel comfortable when using this tool. And, of course it is just a tool. But this is a great tool for what I feel I can produce. I have a couple of other cameras that also fit me like a glove – my RICOH GR1 and NIKON FM (and I will be doing a review on these soon as well). If the camera gets you out shooting, then that can only be a good thing I believe. Some might find this interesting, some might be tempted, and some will laugh this off as silly nostalgia. However, we should all never forget the history of classic design and where that brand new micro four thirds body has its origins... rangefinders made it all possible. This Bessa-R is one of the best value-for-money and ease of use out there... And I am smitten with mine.

Happy shooting everyone. And thanks for reading. A

Chinese Cakes and The Surrealist Manifesto

Shoot at sight

"Psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express — verbally, by means of the written word, or in any other manner — the actual functioning of thought. Dictated by the thought, in the absence of any control exercised by reason, exempt from any aesthetic or moral concern." - André Breton

In the absence of thought... on instinct. The area which I feel I need most improvement is to shoot on sight. I find I spend too much energy thinking (or over-thinking) when on the street. Shooting film may have something to do with this. However I do feel I might be improving as I start trusting my instinct. It is probably the most difficult thing for me to overcome!!

For more on the Surrelist Manifesto, have a look at the brilliant Adam Marelli  http://www.adammarelliphoto.com/2012/01/surrealist-manifesto/

Thanks for taking the time to have a look. Have a good week ahead all. A

I want a Leica M6

I mean, I REALLY want a Leica M6

To be more precise, I need a Black Leica M6 with a CRON-M 35mm f/2 ASPH. I simply lust after this set-up. Visits to the Leica shop down on Old Street usually end up with the poor staff there having to give the display cases a good clean.  Yes, unadulterated lust...

However, I do so love my beat-up old Nikon FM. Yes, this piece of mechanical excellence built in the late 70's, yes, 1970's is still going strong. A couple dents, and some seriously sexy brassing proves this old girl's been around the block a few times. This, nearly 40 year old beauty makes the Leica M6 look like very expensive toy, which in essence of course, it is.

I love it more because, what it does, can be done by almost anything. My Nikon FM is just a box with a hole to allow light to fall on some plastic coated with silver halide crystals. The result is that when this exposed strip of plastic is processed with some chemicals, that light is, almost magically, fixed on that plastic strip. From the earliest days of the camera obscura to the modern pixel crunching beasts of today, all they did then and do now, is allow light to fall onto a light capturing medium.

So, will I make better images with a M6? Maybe. Will I enjoy shooting more with a M6? Maybe. Do I really need a M6? Not really. So, for now, I enjoy taking my FM out. I enjoy using it, and  I am very happy with the images I create using the FM, this beat-up old classic. Yes, I might lust after a Leica M6, but I am in love with my Nikon FM.

Thanks for reading

Happy shooting