Sunday 31 July 2011

Week 83 - Fujicarex II

Fujicarex II by pho-Tony
Fujicarex II, a photo by pho-Tony on Flickr.
A 35mm SLR camera with fixed lens and leaf shutter. Theres is a built in coupled exposure meter, and both the focussing and exposure setting are done using a pair of thumbwheels on the back, below the wind on lever.
Made around 1963.

Week 82 - Mercury II half-frame camera

Mercury II half-frame camera by pho-Tony
Mercury II half-frame camera, a photo by pho-Tony on Flickr.
This is an unusual little camera, it takes half frame 35mm images, and has a rotary focal plane shutter, which explains the odd circular protrusion on the top.
It was made around 1945, and the wind on and shutter cocking mechanism is reminiscent of the old Contax I cameras.
I've loaded it with a roll of Rolei Retro ISO 100 black and white film.

Saturday 23 July 2011

photo from week 81 - Cosina CX-2

Taken in the early evening, I spotted the bill-board, and just as I took the photo someone came round the corner, adding to the interest of the composition. The odd colours are due to using very expired slide film and processing it in negative chemicals.

photo from week 81 - Cosina CX-2

I knew that this one was likely to be out of focus, the light was fairly poor, so full aperture and minimum focussing distance, it's hardly surprising that the plane of focus seems to be around my shoulders rather than at the camera.

photo from week 81 - Cosina CX-2

GENTLEMEN by pho-Tony
GENTLEMEN, a photo by pho-Tony on Flickr.
I used another roll of very expired Ektachrome P1600 film this week, and cross-processed it in rather tired C41 chemicals.

Tuesday 19 July 2011

photo from week 80 - Kodak Brownie 127

x||||...x..xx..x4..xx4.x4.x by pho-Tony
x||||...x..xx..x4..xx4.x4.x, a photo by pho-Tony on Flickr.
This was taken on "Summer 127 Day" (12/7).
I like the way the backing paper markings become part of the composition.

Thursday 14 July 2011

Week 81 - Cosina CX-2

Cosina CX-2 by pho-Tony
Cosina CX-2, a photo by pho-Tony on Flickr.
The Cosina CX cameras were the originals which the Russian Lomo factory copied to make their now iconic Lomo LCA camera, the model which inspired the Lomography cult. This one came from a car boot sale many years ago. In the spirit of Lomography, I've loaded it with expired p1600 Ektachrome slide film, which I will cross-process in C42 chemistry.

photo from week 80 - Kodak Brownie 127

Hungerford Bridge by pho-Tony
Hungerford Bridge, a photo by pho-Tony on Flickr.
I was looking around for a suitable composition after getting off the tube at Embankment, when I spotted a fellow film photographer aiming his TLR from Hungerford Bridge.

photo from week 80 - Kodak Brownie 127

This is a rather complex self-portrait, for a start it is a reflection in a double glazed patio door, so there is inherent ghosting of the image. I was standing outside in the sun, and my dad was inside aiming a Voigtlander Vitessa camera at me. The whole thing is degraded/enhanced, depending on your point of view, by the backing paper markings of the film showing through.

Sunday 10 July 2011

Week 80 - Kodak Brownie 127

Kodak Brownie 127 by pho-Tony
Kodak Brownie 127, a photo by pho-Tony on Flickr.
These 127 formay Brownies were made by the tens of millions in the UK from c1950-1963, this is one of the second version, made from 1959-63.
To my mind it's a real design classic, made of Bakelite and with an exagerated, almost bloated curved shape, it is the most basic camera you could imagine, with no adjustments whatsoever. I've loaded it with a roll of expired Jessop brand B&W film, which I think is probably made by Efke in what was then Yugoslavia.

Wednesday 6 July 2011

photo from week 79 - Demekin 110 Fisheye

Gorm on the beach by pho-Tony
Gorm on the beach, a photo by pho-Tony on Flickr.

One of the hundred or so figures that make up "In another place" by Anthony Gormey on the beach at Crosby.

photo from week 79 - Demekin 110 Fisheye

Reflected self-portrait with Demekin 110 Fisheye. Using a simple fixed shutter speed camera meant that I had to find a brightly lit place for the reflected portrait. This is the window of a local college.

photo from week 79 - Demekin 110 Fisheye

dancers by pho-Tony
dancers, a photo by pho-Tony on Flickr.
The Romano Jilo dancers at the Sharrow festival in Sheffield, this was taken holding the camera up in the air above my head.

photo from week 79 - Demekin 110 Fisheye

The lens on this novelty toy camera is so wide that even holding it at arm's length looks a long way off.
You can use your reflection in the front element to compose the picture.

Sunday 3 July 2011

A Collectors Life For Me

A Collectors Life For Me by pho-Tony
A Collectors Life For Me, a photo by pho-Tony on Flickr.

The latest of my regular columns in Amateur Photographer magazine is on the newsagents' shevles now. This is about the Kalimar Actionshot 16 that I used in week 24.

Friday 1 July 2011

photos from week 78 - Agfa Parat-1

Europe Pleasure International by pho-Tony
Europe Pleasure International, a photo by pho-Tony on Flickr.
2 consecutive frames (or rather half-frames) taken in Liverpool. The expired and cross processed film is responsible for the strange colours.

photo from week 78 - Agfa Parat-1

I was quite pleased with the weird colours from the very expired Ektachrome slide film which I cross processed in C41 chemicals. This photo illustrates the difficulty in getting accurate framing at close range when using a viewfinder camera as opposed to an SLR.

Week 79 - Demekin Pocket Fisheye

Demekin Pocket Fisheye by pho-Tony
Demekin Pocket Fisheye, a photo by pho-Tony on Flickr.
This is a real novelty camera. It takes a 110 film cartridge, which clips onto the camera and forms the body. The lens is an 8.9mm fisheye, there are no controls, the shutter speed, aperture and focus are all fixed. Bright conditions are needed, especially as the only 110 film available now is expired. I've loaded it with some from the late 1990s.