Category: Black & White

Understanding

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Today, another picture in my Women and Cameras series, but with a difference: up until now my subjects have all been either models or friends/acquaintances. Today’s subject Natalie not only is a photographer in her own right, but also collects and uses vintage cameras (as does her fiancé!) The camera featured in the image below, a Yashica 124G Twin Lens Reflex is one of three of her own she brought to the shoot.

Just by the way she is holding it, and looking at it, she is clearly showing that she understands the image-making potential of this fine camera, and the magic of film.

Natalie and her Yashicamat 124G

Wings

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One of the concepts I’ve had in mind for my Women and Cameras series has been the concept of a model with a large symmetrical tattoo on her back holding a camera, behind her back as in the image below, created this past weekend. When I asked the model why she got that tattoo of the butterfly, she responded that she “had always wanted wings.”   I’m not personally planning on getting any tattoos myself anytime soon, but in this case I can see the appeal of the tattoo as a way of externalizing and making tangible one’s hopes and dreams.

Argus 75

My New Beast

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This picture was taken this past weekend at Fort George in Niagara-On-the-Lake with a new (to me) camera: a Pentax 6×7. This is a beast of a camera, shooting 6×7 cm negatives (400% of the area of a 35mm negative) on 120 film. I’m in love 🙂 The 6×7 is the love child of a camera and a tank.

Behind a shed, Fort George

First Time for Everything

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Today’s image is from my first photo shoot involving a nude model a few days ago. I used my Mamiya M645J medium format camera and Delta 400 black and white film, with some post processing in Aperture. I’ll have to admit I was a bit nervous but once the session started, it was like any other photo shoot; getting the image via a fruitful collaboration was the goal. The model was an artist herself, who works in sculpture using bronze and the “lost wax” technique, and it was fascinating to hear her talk about her process and artistic vision.

From first nude photo session

Ancient Camera, Ancient Format, Ancient Film

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This picture is certainly unremarkable at first glance, but there is a story behind it: it was taken with a Detrola E camera (made between 1938-1940). This camera took film in the 127 film format which rather difficult/expensive to get today, but the roll I shot expired in 1965! I would not have been too surprised if the roll did not turn out at all, but apart from low contrast (easily fixed) the pictures were fine,  and also much sharper than I expected!

Ancient Camera, Ancient Format, Ancient Film!

Something Different

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I’ve posted a lot of rather soft-focus pictures featuring attractive models recently, so time for something different. On the recent holiday Monday (Simcoe Day in Toronto) I went down early to one of the Toronto Transit Commission streetcar maintenance yards with my Mamiya M645J, loaded with Rollei Pan 25, a very sharp, fine-grained film. It was a bright morning, but even so with this slow speed film I needed a tripod to get the sharpness I wanted.

ttc010

Good News

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Another final image for my Women and Cameras series, this time a real Cyanotype of Memento Mori.

And the good news? Beginning in January of 2012, my Women and Cameras Series will be on display at The Wild Oat Bakery and Cafe in Ottawa. I will also be giving a presentation on how I create these Cyanotype and Van Dyke Brown prints. Details to follow!

Memento Mori - Women and Cameras series

No Strings Attached

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The latest image from my Women and Cameras series features Memento Mori, an example of a model who understands the important of having a story behind the image, On our shoot in High Park last week, one character after another appeared, as a story out of a Lewis Carroll type fairy tail appeared. In the image below, we have a puppet without strings.

No Strings Attached

Friendly

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Another image in my Women and Cameras series, and the second to feature a friend who is not a model. My friend Jo-Anne is holding a Kodak Duoflex, a simple camera made from the mid 1940’s to mid 1950’s. To me it seems like a “friendly” camera, and I think Jo-Anne’s warm expression suits it to a T.

Jo-Anne With Kodak Duoflex