Saturday, October 15, 2011

Chess [stranger 15/99]

chess stranger
(Hapo 66-E, Fujichrome Provia 400X, ISO 400/27°)

My fifteenth stranger was playing chess in the warm almost spring sun.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Time machine - Carrying the Vito

«However elegant it may be to carry the camera on a long strap hanging from the shoulder, this position is quite unsuitable for quick action. Many a good shot has been lost in this way. A better method is to carry the Vito on a strap around the neck, so that it lies on the chest. Opening the front and lifting the camera up to the eye is then a matter of a split second.»

(from the instruction manual of a 1940 Voigtländer Vito camera)

Saturday, October 1, 2011

The 30 day photography challenge

Last weekend, as we were riding our bicycles on our way back home from a nice picnic, Mar told me that she wanted to take the 30 day photography challenge proposed by White Peach Photography for last June, but using film instead of digital, in fact using a single roll of 35mm film. She told me she was looking for some other photographers to take the challenge and, of course, I couldn't resist.

In October we are going to shoot a picture every day, matching the topic in White Peach Photography's proposed list. Since a 35mm film cartridge has 36 exposures, we have to be careful with the shutter, because there are only 6 additional frames for the 30 days in October.

the 30 day photography challenge
(EOS 40D, Sigma EX DG 50mm f/2.8 macro, 1/25, f/11, ISO 100)

But, since I wanted a little bit of extra "kick" on this challenge, I decided I'm going to use an Agfa Vista 200 film that expired in 2009 and, even more interesting, a Belca Beltica, a 1951 35mm folder camera that is completely unknown to me (I just got it last Wednesday!). This is going to be the first roll of film that I expose with the Beltica.

In fact, I think a film 30-day challenge is by far less time-demanding than a digital-based one, because the natural limits of the technology used (36 frames, all have to be developed at the same time, at the end) lets you concentrate exclusively on shooting.

In one month I hope I'll be able to share some of the results of this challenge! :)