Change is Good

Right? Or so they say...

Sometimes we see a bright shiny object that catches our attention, and we test the waters. We think "what if..." and dive in hoping to learn and grow, and enjoy that "bright shiny thing". This camera was one of those "weak" moments.

My last piece of camera gear to suffer the house cleaning process was this really nice 6x9 folder. A Voigtlander Bessa I. Unbelievably clean, and fully functional, this was indeed a great find.

Last year I saw this camera in a thrift store, and my daughter managed to go back and bring it home, as my Christmas present. (yes, she is so sweet!) I took it out and flexed the shutter a bit, shooting 4-5 rolls through it over the next 9 months. Definitely fun to use, and very compact for such a large negative. A bit slow for a traveling camera though. No meter, zone focusing and only a general viewfinder to line up the image.

So I hate to let it go, as it seems almost disrespectful. But comfort comes from knowing that it was sacrificed (upgraded) for another photography tool. A very nice 180mm lens for the RB67 outfit. A perfect portrait lens, which will act as a short telephoto for my landscape work as well.

So the brief journey into the past ends with a new adventure, a new medium format lens, and a new perspective. Time to go shoot!

A Final Goodbye

One last emotional sendoff!

The last piece from my past life of exploring film photography as a young man. A Graflex Crown Graphic 4x5. Such a wonderful piece of photo gear. A fully manual, extremely slow, but a very creative tool.  A few rough spots, yet able to create very impressive negatives, that are so full of detail, it can amaze even the experienced photographer. Scan these negs at 1200 dpi and you have the equivalent of a 30MP digital file. Scan higher if you dare!

What did this camera teach me?

How to slow down and see the image before you raise the camera to your eye.
How to stop and enjoy the scenery, removed from the photography process.
How dedicated the photographers were 30-50 years ago (hauling these rigs around)
How to look in the corners of your frame.
What is the best aperture and shutter speed for each image.
Which film stock represents the desired goal of the image or place and time.
The hard work and inherent value of each image.
How many steps it takes to actually create art.

But, the future is bright! The new path forward includes a 6x7 negative with plenty of detail. Enough camera weight to feel like I have earned the image. And a slow process, much like the 4x5 sheet film experience. See below.

So off we go... To play, and explore!

Cleaning House

While I have been having fun testing the new RB67, I have also been quietly cleaning and selling off old gear to pay of the cost of the new RB outfit.  And I have to say, it is a bit painful, or even nostalgic to say the least.

Today I sold my Canon A1, a camera I purchased in college after my AE1 got stolen. It served me well for over 30 years, and can I admit to feeling sad to let it go?  This certainly was a joy to use.  And it made it to some beautiful remote places, including the top of Half Dome in Yosemite NP.

The bottom line is I simply don't use it enough these days.  Once you experience medium format it is very hard to go back to using such a tiny negative!

So tonight I'll pack it up, and send it off to another youthful photographer, ready to explore the joys of analog photography.

Next up... the Crown Graphic 4x5.
(Oh, the pain and agony...)

Testing in progress...

I have been testing the RB67 and recently took it downtown for a quick photo walk. Mounted on a monopod, and loaded with Delta 400. Seemed to handle fine, a little slow for general work, but that is why I went with this platform.

I found one flaw which I can't tell if its a light leak or a developing issue. Definitely not consistent, which makes it a little unsettling for important work. So, more testing will follow. Stay tuned!

A New Addition

Subtraction actually! Part of my camera gear consolidation and cleaning house.

Wanting to reduce the cutter and focus more intently as I retire, I am selling off much of my gear to make room for this guy. Meet "Artie the RB"

My justification was to reduce the clutter and focus on one film format, and shed all the confusion and chaos. You know... gear everywhere... partial kits that initiate fun and creativeness, but not enough of a complete kit to really get good at the craft.

So after much research, I landed on the Mamiya RB67 Pro S, a 6x7 format which uses the same 120 format film as my Pentax 645. Now I can stock one film size, use one developing technique, use my existing scanner, and yet increase my negative size for just a bit more quality.

Not as much detail as a 4x5 negative, but more than enough, and at 1/8th the cost per shot! And so much easier to process and scan. No more stitching in PS and trying to balance colors.

Features of this system:

• Low cost ($325 for this rig)
• Modular and Flexible (removable film backs mid-roll)
• Great quality glass
• All manual (much like my 4x5)

The first "test" roll shows no sign of light leaks, which are common for these 40 year old systems. But the seals were bad in the revolving back so I found some 2mm adhesive foam at a local craft store, and replaced the foam in the revolving back adapter.  All is tight and ready to go.

Stay tuned for some first results soon.

NYC Vacation - continued

Finally processed all (7) rolls, and scanned... editing may take awhile! Below are a few more images.

Saint Patrick's Cathedral - compared to the "Oculus", shown below. Equally impressive, yet vastly different.  Detail or simplicity? Separated by 160 years and about $4B dollars.

The detail in St. Pat's is incredible... tone and texture everywhere! Could have blew through 2 rolls of just detail shots, but I resisted... although my iPhone did get rather full.

 A day at the Met... summarized simply by me being able to stand in front of Van Gogh's self portrait (not shown). My older daughters appreciated it, and were patient, but I could have lingered all day!

A couple of Portra 160 shots just for fun.  I am learning that I really appreciate black and white so much more.

Back from NYC Vacation

We took the family to New York for some exploring, food and photography, and enjoyed a full week riding the subways around and walking nearly 40 miles!  We enjoyed some local food, took in the sights, explored the river around Manhattan, and of course stopped by the 911 memorial.

We packed each day with architecture, history, food, and photography and I came away with nearly 100 film images. So now the developing, scanning and editing has begun! (7) rolls of 120 film, (5) of which are B&W.

The first 2 rolls are into the editing stage and I am liking the results so far! See below.

Stay tuned... there are a few more rolls patiently waiting for attention!