Many of the Hipstamatic images I have taken on the TTC (Toronto’s mass transit) recently have shown fatigue: the faces of people being steadily worn down by the demands of living and working in Toronto. Today’s image is different. Yes, this commuter’s eyes are closed, but I did not get a sense of weariness from him, but rather more of a sense of serenity and peace.
Here is another Hipstamatic image, taken on the subway on the way home from work today. I couldn’t get these images driving on the highway! 🙂
A video of my vintage style Christmas Photo album.
I turned this picture upside down, and I like the results, especially her expression!
(Mamiya Universal Press Camera, 127mm f4.7 lens, Fuji FP3000B Instant film, lit with “Sun Gun” lates 1950’s quartz-halogen movie light bounced in umbrella,
scan of original 3.25 x 4.25 inch print)
Today’s image in an instant print (of Model Justine from the recent High Park shoot) shot with a recent acquisition — a Mamiya Universal Press Camera. This is another big beast of a camera, and I got it mainly because it came with a Polaroid instant film back, which will give more flexibility for shooting instant images. I also have 6×9 and 6×7 (soon) roll film backs, so it will be quite flexible. It is not the easiest, or most ergonomic camera to use, but once I get used to it, I will be using it frequently!
I had a great photo shoot yesterday with Dawn Bailey, a performer of mainly Early Music (think medieval, renaissance, etc.). As a performer who values early music, Dawn had an appreciation for photographic techniques that might seem obsolete to some, and when one of the old cameras I was using started getting cranky, she likened it to playing an original instrument — often challenging and in some ways more difficult than playing a modern instrument, but uniquely rewarding. This image was shot on Fuji FP3000B film, and I am posting the scanned negative version here.  Dawn’s lovely hair and amazingly textured and detailed jacket were perfect for the concept, and there will be more to come from this shoot, including a hand tint once I get the conventional film developed!
This image was shot with a new (to me) camera: a Mamiya Universal Press camera with a Polaroid back, and a 127mm f4.7 lens. It will be a challenge getting my head around this camera, but it will be worth it!!
Last Sunday I had a great time on a shoot with Mallory: the concept was combining the dangerous/sexy look of the motorcycle with symbols of domesticity: in this image Mallory is holding an old-fashioned egg-beater, one of my favourites from my prop collection.
Mallory is a great actress, and was easily able to create a character that made the concept come alive!
Expect to see more steam punk images over the next little while! Today’s image is of Ren Brockhouse, who I know through a Toronto theatre group. One of the things that appeals to me about steam punk is how it celebrates technologies that were accessible: things you could build, repair, change or hack with the right tools or know-how. So much of technology today is hermetically sealed away and abstracted; we seem to know so little about how things work, and that is a dangerous state of affairs!
In my last couple of shoots, I have made a point of using different cameras and technologies at the same shoot, and I am glad I did so — I love the different kind of results I get. As a follow-up to yesterday’s post, here is another image of Shreeti, but instead of a high resolution digital image, today’s image is a scan of an instant print (using Fuji FP3000B film in a Polaroid Model 455 Land Camera). Shreet’s look is timeless, and I think the vintage appearance of this print technique captures this, while still retaining her thoroughly modern sensibility.
Yesterday I had a great shoot with model and photographer Amy Sarfinchan, using the infamous “shipwreck” located along the Q.E.W. (exit 55) in Southwestern Ontario. I shot a number of different cameras and film: Colour and black and white instant film, traditional black and white film, Infrared/Hybrid black and white film, along with some digital. One of my favourite shots is from an instant print, where I scanned the negative from the Fuji FP3000B print. I think the retro, low fidelity look really compliments Amy’s timeless, haunted expression.
<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmeadows/7926327794/” title=”Waiting 2 by John G Meadows, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8315/7926327794_450eb25c82_z.jpg” width=”491″ height=”640″ alt=”Waiting 2″></a>
My Third Eye 
