One of the things I enjoy about shooting film, especially in busy places, is that cameras like a Hasselblad or pretty much any TLR are always conversation starters — ice breakers that result in anything from strange looks to engaging chats with total strangers. They also invite a lot of smiles, pointing, fascination, questions, and comments like, “Cool camera!” And when you’re shooting film in a city like New York, all of that can be as much fun as the actual picture taking.
Continue reading…Rollei
A Big Deal: Reflecting on the Significance and History of the Rolleiflex
I originally wrote this article while working on the review of my own Rolleiflex Automat MX (a review I’ve since published). While researching the history and origins of the camera, I became fascinated with (and derailed by) some of the history of the Rolleiflex itself, and just how significant the camera actually was (and is).
Continue reading…How to Identify and Use Rolleinar Lens Attachment Sets
One of the great things about film photography is just how much information there is on the internet about various esoterica related to cameras, accessories, film development, and more. But it’s sometimes surprising just how much information is not actually available, and the Rolleinar close-up attachment system for Rolleiflex cameras is a prime example of that.
Continue reading…Color Filters in Black and White Photography: An Introduction and Examples
When I was first into film photography and shooting a lot of black and white (which was about 35 years ago), I never explored the use of color filters for image enhancement — in part because I didn’t know anything about it, in part because we weren’t taught anything about it in high school photography class, and finally in part because I couldn’t have afforded the filters anyway. With my renewed interest in film, and in shooting a ton of black and white, I’ve become interested in ways to achieve better, more interesting photos — especially in situations where things seem washed out, or when subjects fail to “pop” in the image. That’s where color (and other) filters come-in.
Both the blessing and the curse of black and white, I suppose, is that everything renders as shades of gray. It’s really not possible to tell the difference between red, green or blue — they all look the same, depending on the lightness of the color. Yellows, like the color of my MINI Cooper, appear basically white; you’d not even notice the white decal on the side unless you looked really hard at this image. (The car in color is in the inset for comparison; same car, same lower checkered side decal — big difference.)
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