weekly Asha Film 52 with 52 Different Cameras Challenge WEEK 52: Completed!....

Asha

Asha

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Asha
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Ok here goes with my first attempt:
This was not my original planned theme.
As it was I had to improvise and do an indoor long exposure so a subject was required.....Imagine the reaction that i got from the mrs when I asked her to get her kit off the moment she walked in from work!! lol



week1film52.jpg

Shot at 2012-01-05

This was taken with an old mahogany and brass qurter plate field camera (Picture below)...exact age unknown but it's knocking on in years and poses quite a challenge at getting an image let alone a quality shot!
There are many faults with this pic I know but please feel free to make comment.
Adox CHS 100 ISO F/11 5 seconds
Ilford chemistry
Canoscan 8800F

week1camera.jpg

Shot at 2012-01-19
 
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You have a very understanding wife :) I like the idea and the composition very much. The film and black and white effect works for me too. I'm not a film tog so am not really qualified to discuss the technical aspects, other than to say that the quality is very good for a long exposure (leg) portrait shot !

Only thing I'm not keen on is the metal step ladder which I can't completely relate the lady in stockings and boots too.
 
Defiance said:
You have a very understanding wife :) I like the idea and the composition very much. The film and black and white effect works for me too. I'm not a film tog so am not really qualified to discuss the technical aspects, other than to say that the quality is very good for a long exposure (leg) portrait shot !

Only thing I'm not keen on is the metal step ladder which I can't completely relate the lady in stockings and boots too.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your feedback...much appreciated.

The idea I had in my head didn't emerge into the photo......I was looking at mixing the classy sexy form of a lady with the butch/manly image of builder....Maybe a full body shot with her holding some tools etc may have worked better??

Hopefully by the time I've posted 52 shots, I will have improved in executing my ideas onto film.
 
michael23 said:
As the pic is I like it, it is something different. I do like the idea of the full body shot and tools though, that could work well.
Click to expand...

Might try something later on in the year...........I have a suitable location in mind but I know for a fact the answer from the mrs would be a definite no no at the moment as it's too darned cold!
She always tells me the photographer has it easier than the model.....now there's a debate! lol
 
Managed to get week 2 shot sorted yesterday afternoon.
Took myself off to a local cemetry, the external walls are lined with mosaics:

film52challengeweek2.jpg

Shot at 2012-01-16


This was taken with a quarter plate Ensign Victo. (Picture below)
Like many of these cameras that I have, there is evidence of light entry simply due to their age.
As the curtain shutter is too fragile to be used, a long exposure was taken by waiting for the sun to drop low in the sky, stopping down to F/32 and using the slowest film that I have.

Adox CHS 25 ISO F/32 4 seconds
Ilford chemistry
Canoscan 8800F

Comments welcome!

week2camera.jpg

Shot at 2012-01-19
 
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Nicely Done.
Mart
 
Dark said:
I think the light artefact (or maybe it's something else? ;o) really adds to this!
Click to expand...

Thank you!
Sometimes the light entry causes the photo to look more "oldie worldy" ( for want of a better phrase!) which makes the shots very much inkeeping with the age of the camera
 
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Marvin d martian said:
Nicely Done.
Mart
Click to expand...

Thank you Mart,

I would have liked to have got the whole semi circle in shot with all 5 mosaics but not a chance with the field of view on this camera!
I was already "squashed in a corner trying to view the ground glass.
Never ceases to amaze me how I find myself being asked questions by some passer by whilst I have my head buried under a darkcloth!!!!
 
One of the benefits of LF or it could be a hindrance is the number of people that stop and talk to you, most are very pleasant and very interested.

Mart
 
Marvin d martian said:
One of the benefits of LF or it could be a hindrance is the number of people that stop and talk to you, most are very pleasant and very interested.

Mart
Click to expand...

I do like it when it's someone very old ( of which there are lots of people in this area who are well into their 80' and older!) as they were born in an era when these types of cameras were the norm....to see the look on their faces as they recollect memories of a time gone by...that is lovely to see!
The couple who spoke to me yesterday were much younger asking if I was free to take a snapshot of them whilst i had my head buried in darkness...Did I really look as is if I was available!! lol
 
Week 3 ..............One of many museums just a few minutes walk from my home.
Took two attempts over two days as I seriously overexposed the first version.
I did want the more distant perspective that I took in the first version to include more of the grass lawn and palm tress in front of the building but upon my return yesterday I found construction work blocking the ideal spot!
The building was spotlit but I don't feel like I have captured the scene as it was at the time (dusk) ....it still looks a little overexposed to me.

week3w.jpg

Shot at 2012-01-19

The camera used was a half plate Lancaster Instantograph.(Picture below)
The bellows of which have many holes and the lens aperture ring is stuck at F/10 (Covered the bellows with a dark cloth to eliminate light entry!)
The glassware of the lens is also scratched...I'm not sure if this is what has caused the speckled black spots on the image.
CHS 25 quarter plate film ( using half - quarter plate adapter)
F/10
6 seconds
Ilford chemistry
Canoscan 8800F

Comments welcome as always

week3camera.jpg

Shot at 2012-01-19
 
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I've decided to add a pic of the camera used for each shot as I think there will be many members who have no idea what some of these LF cameras look like.....Adds some colour to my b&w film 52 !! lol
 
Nice image, I know that museum and some nice cameras, I'll have to post a pic of my City sale and exchange half plate.

Mart
 
Marvin d martian said:
Nice image, I know that museum and some nice cameras, I'll have to post a pic of my City sale and exchange half plate.

Mart
Click to expand...

Thanks Mart,

You've been to Nice then??

If so, do you not recognize the shot in Week 2 ??

I for one would love to see a pic of your City sale and exchange half plate...
 
Asha, very impressed with all three shots.. and I'm also very envious of the cameras you're using to take them! Construction work is always in the wrong place at the wrong time.
 
Thank you Alastair for your kind words....The encouragement from yourself and others is much appreciated (y)...makes the work and time involved in getting the gear sorted to take the shot worthwhile.
The cameras are beautiful.......The lancaster (week 3) was in a desperate need of tlc, the brassware was so badly oxidized it was as black as coal :eek:
Took many many hours of cleaning...sadly the aperture ring refuses to turn so is stuck at F/10 :( not always ideal for the picture but at least it's open enough for me to make the scene out on the ground glass :D
Not sure what theme nor which camera to use this week.......decissions decissions!! :thinking:
 
To be honest I'm liking the pics of your old camera's more than the actual photo's :help:
 
happygolucky said:
To be honest I'm liking the pics of your old camera's more than the actual photo's :help:
Click to expand...

LOL...i could easily agree with you :D

They do make very nice photos and indeed ornaments but as with most of my collection, I try to use the gear if possible even with their limitations.

Many of them are capable of throwing out an image but one has to have plenty of patience....All adds to the challenge!
 
In this 'throw away age' it's easy to be blasé about photography, oh I'll delete that on the pc later or make all other tweaks! Or (as in my case) take 20 photos for every one shot to get the exposure right and so on. I can also be done in a fraction of the time! How long does it take you to set up?

I am amazed at the quality of your images and think all the 'faults' give so much character to each shot!

How many cameras do you have?

I'll watch along here with interest(y)
 
Asha, yes I know Nice, nice place to live.
I'll do some pics of the half plate for you.

Mart
 
The goblin said:
In this 'throw away age' it's easy to be blasé about photography, oh I'll delete that on the pc later or make all other tweaks! Or (as in my case) take 20 photos for every one shot to get the exposure right and so on. I can also be done in a fraction of the time! How long does it take you to set up?

I am amazed at the quality of your images and think all the 'faults' give so much character to each shot!

How many cameras do you have?

I'll watch along here with interest(y)
Click to expand...


I'm pleased that you like the quality of the images....there are without doubt far superior ones on here from other film/LF photographers doing this 52 challenge but for me it is about being able to use these beautiful cameras even with their age and faults and to obtain "reasonable" results.

How long does it take to set up?......
To be honest I've never timed myself but it can be time consuming!
Here is how a typical outing would go:

Having no darkroom, I am dependant upon a changing bag to load film etc. Even though it is fairly large it can still be interesting with a box of film, plate holders etc in there.Even more so if using quarter plate film in a half plate holder as I have to mess with adaptors as well as the sheet film holders.
From there it is off to the chosen spot then the following procedure followed:
Unpack and open up the camera.
Attach tripod legs ( wooden) to the camera base one at a time.
Open the aperture lens fully open.
Position camera for the shot, composing and focusing the subject in the ground glass screen on the rear of the camera whilst having a darkcloth over my head. ( This is when you often get someone asking a load of questions or requesting your services to take a snapshot photo of them with their camera! lol)
Stop down the aperture. ( at this point the image can often no longer be seen clearly in the ground glass)
Cover the lens ( usually with it's original lens cap)
Carefully insert the darkslide holder containing the film into the rear standard of the camera ensuring the camera doesn't move!!!
Metering the light and calculating exposure time.
If necessary covering the bellows with a dark cloth ( as in the case of the Lancaster Instantograph to eliminate light entry through the holes)
Opening the darkslide holder ( again ensuring the camera does not move)
Removal of the lens cover for the desired exposure time to expose the film without making the camera move.
Replace the lens cover,
Close dark slide.
Pack all the gear away ( if only taking the one shot)
Head home feeling content and hope that any light leakage is minimal so that the shot comes out as intended.
Obviously there is developing and scanning time to be added to all this too. ( I carefully fold the sheet film into "tacos" and develop them in patterson tanks.)

Most of this procedure is the norm for LF photographers I think but perhaps a little easier for some depending upon their cameras/ equipment.
Using very old gear, as already said does invlove a lot of patience.
Generally I have to take long exposures as these cameras either don't have shutters or they have very fragile curtain shutters that cannot be used.

How many cameras?.....I actually don't know...Too many my mrs says ranging from these wooden/brass ones through box cameras, folders, rangefinders, subminiatures, instamatics, slrs and of course digital!
I'll have to do a count or better still photograph them altogether ....Reckon I'll need my 10-20mm for that shot! lol
 
It's going to be fascinating to see what shots you can get out of these cameras Asha.

I wouldn't have though a scratched lens would produce the specks in picture 3. They seem too sharp - presumably something actually on the film.

There's a wonderful 3d effect to the collonade on that one.
 
offline said:
It's going to be fascinating to see what shots you can get out of these cameras Asha.

I wouldn't have though a scratched lens would produce the specks in picture 3. They seem too sharp - presumably something actually on the film.

There's a wonderful 3d effect to the collonade on that one.
Click to expand...

Thanks for taking the time to comment on my challenge.......Makes the effort of taking the shots worthwhile and offers encouragement to get on with next weeks(y)

I wonder if the specks have come about from something inside the plate holder as I'm using the same pack of film that I used for the other two weeks and the first attempt on week 3 also had the same marks on the film :thinking:

I might add that the adox 25 that I'm using is actually out of date (june 2011).....It's another reason I'm doing this challenge to force me to get on with using it as I purchased with all good intentions and hardly got out with the cameras!

Got week 4 developed last night. hoping to scan and post it later today ;)
 
Week 4
Whilst passing through a small town just a few km along the coast from Nice, I came across this Citroen 2CV parked up. Not often seen down here which is quite surprising seeing as they originated in France!:thinking:
Just had to pull up to take the shot ( to the groan of " we never get anything else done because of your photography" from the mrs! lol)


week4j.jpg

Shot at 2012-01-25

This was taken 6x6 format on 120 film with a Ferrania Elioflex camera produced in the 1950's
A fairly recent purchase, this being my first roll of film through it.
Pleased to see it's light tight and all the mechanics work ok.
Every shot is however very soft/OOF around the edges, only the centers resembling anything like sharp.....I don't know why that is.
No big deal as it gives some of the shots a "dreamy" kind of look but curious to know the cause.
Fomapan Classic 100
F/11
1/100
Ilford chemistry
Canoscan 8800F

As always, comments welcome

ferraniaelioflex.jpg

Shot at 2012-01-25
 
Its the make up of the lens that gives it the soft around the edges look. Nice couple of photos. It would be good as a portrait lens, lets see what you can do with it :)

Mart
 
Marvin d martian said:
Its the make up of the lens that gives it the soft around the edges look. Nice couple of photos. It would be good as a portrait lens, lets see what you can do with it :)

Mart
Click to expand...

Well the soft edge effect was not planned that is for sure :p

Looks like the mrs is going to be in demand as the subject next time then......she doesn't know yet! :D :D
 
I think that edge softness is going to work a treat with the right type of portrait.

Is it a true TLR, or something a bit like the Ful-Vue? (i.e. no focus through the viewing lens, zone focus on the taking lens)
 
Alastair said:
I think that edge softness is going to work a treat with the right type of portrait.

Is it a true TLR, or something a bit like the Ful-Vue? (i.e. no focus through the viewing lens, zone focus on the taking lens)
Click to expand...

It's a "false" TLR a bit like the Ful-Vue.
In addition like many of the old cameras I have, the focusing distance has to be set after either measuring or judging how far the subject is away from the lens....not always as easy as it may seem but I have a very clever old device that works a treat:

24telepantelrangefinder.jpg

Shot at 2012-01-25
 
The goblin said:
I like the OOF feel to the image. I don't know if it's the camera or the angle you're shooting at but the image looks compressed slightly, so the building behind the car looks closer than it is! It works though (y)
Click to expand...

I hadn't really noticed how close the building appeared until you mentioned it.

The camera was held pretty much level at waist level so as to compose using the viewfinder.

I think maybe it's the same distortion causing the oof, that is perhaps giving the illusion of the building being nearer.
 
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