I was out this morning at Todmorden Mills; it was cool, but some amazing light to work with. One of the cameras I was using was my Mamiya Universal Press, with a 90mm/3.5 lens and a 6×9 medium format back attached. I was shooting Rollei RPX 25, a very slow speed film an with a small aperture the tripod was a necessity for the 1/4 sec or so shutter speed.
Stand developed for 1 hour in Rodinal 1+100 @ 20 C
It was a very grey, very dull day yesterday, but all that meant for me was that the light coming through the window for a shoot with model “K” was fantastic. I shot with three cameras: my Mamiya Universal Press (with Polaroid instant back), my Mamiya RZ67 medium format, and a few on my Nikon D90 DSLR. The image below is one of the instant pictures taken with the Universal Press.
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!!
My Third Eye 