I posted a Polaroid from this shoot a few days ago, but I think today’s image (shot on a Rolleicord twin lens reflex camera) will be the “official” image for the “Old Friends” series. For me, this image captures the total ease in each other’s company, which is one of the hallmarks of a true friendship.
Today’s image in Kensington Market was taken with my Yashica Mat LM 120 format Twin Lens Reflex camera. On one hand it was quite inexpensive, and has an amazing lens. On the other hand, the shutter/film advance mechanism is balky, so that the film advance often sticks until I jiggle the camera or mutter incantations. This is the one camera I have where keeping a headless chicken in the camera bag (to wave in front of the stuck film advance; when all else fails there is always voodoo).
I swear that in a past life this camera was a cat (Will I work? Yes. No. Yes. No. ….)
Instant Photography is all about people. The experience of sharing the print (as a tangible object) so soon after the image was taken adds a unique flavour to a photographic interaction, and this was quite evident of a photo shoot I had last evening with my good friend Jo-Anne. We shoot a lot of Polaroids, and she enjoyed being able to see them, and I believe she was energized in her posing by seeing how well her poses and looks worked. This image is another negative scan (where the negative peel-away portion of the print is saved, allowed to dry then scanned, and inverted back into a positive). I love the grain and the vintage look I get from these negative scans, and Jo-Anne’s look suited the technique perfectly.
Today’s image is of actor Caitlynne Medrek. We did a shoot at High park in Toronto, and Caitlynne was a joy to work with. Every now and then I am lucky enough to capture in one image these essence of a person’s personality, and I think I did so here; it’s hard not to smile back at this kind of smile! 🙂
Today’s image is a scan of the negative from one of the Polaroids I took at my “Old Friends” shoot this past Sunday. Originally meant to just be thrown away, if these negatives are carefully allowed to dry, they can be scanned and inverted (negative -> positive). The results have a character all their own!
I like processes and materials that can be extended and altered in ways the original manufacturer never dreamed of, and film photography is perfect for this, in a way that digital never could be.
This afternoon I finally was able to have the “Old Friends” shoot with my good friends Ken and Bryon. The idea of shooting these two together was the original inspiration for the project, but for various logistical reasons we were not able to shoot until today. Today’s image is a Polaroid instant picture from the session (shot mainly in 35mm and 120 roll film format).
One neat thing that did occur: the Polaroid 100 is not a small camera, and tends to attract attention whenever I use it. Today, a guy at the next table at the pub where we did the shoot noticed what I was using, asked if it was a Polaroid, then ran home to get an old Polaroid he had inherited from a relative. He came back with a Polaroid model 104, a sibling of my Model 100. Without a battery I couldn’t tell if the camera worked or not but the battery compartment was clean and the shutter sounded strong. I told the guy he could still get film for the camera, and I hope he tries it out.
Yes, it was a very good day. 🙂
Today’s image was taken this past holiday Monday in the Rock Garden portion of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, not far from Toronto. I was quite struck by the beauty of this area of the garden, and the large tree stump to me acts like a station or monolith; not alive, but still exerting dominance over the space.
(Nikon F3 camera, Nikkor 28mm f2.8 lens, Kodak SO-331 High Contrast Intermediate film, developed in Diafine, 3+3)
In today’s image, the model Rae is sitting in an old chair I found a block and a half from my house, put out by someone with a “Free” sign on it. My guess is that it dates from the 1930’s/40’s, and it needs some TLC, but in its present condition it was perfect for the vintage, somewhat melancholy mood I was looking for in this image, and it worked great with Rae’s lovely pose and expression. I just had to click the shutter.
(Mamiya 645 Pro TL, 80mm f2.8 lens, Ilford Delta 100 film processed in HC-110 Dilution B for 6 minutes, scanned then post-processed using NIK plug-ins)
One more image of Keira from our Kensington Market shoot. We both saw this background at the same time, and immediately gravitated to it. The iconic Metropolis robot heads, and the frame, slightly askew which frames Keira’s head were an interesting combination — there is a lot going on!
It was sometime between 7:30 and 8:00, walking along the Rideau Canal in Ottawa on a Sunday morning during PAB 2012 weekend. It was clear and bright, with the promise of a warm day ahead, but with early morning stillness upon the water.
My Third Eye 