Great Photos - Simple Cameras: From Holga to Pinhole: An Alternative Approach to Creative Photography

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Great Photos – Simple Cameras

Bernd Daub

Great Photos – Simple Cameras From Holga to Pinhole: An Alternative Approach to Creative Photography

Bernd Daub (http://www.Lomography.meinatelier.de) Editor: Gerhard Rossbach Copyeditor: Jeanne Hansen Layout and Type: Nadine Thiele Cover Design: Helmut Kraus, www.exclam.de Printer: Tallinna Raamatutrükikoja OÜ Printed in Estonia ISBN 978-1-937538-02-6 1st Edition 2012 © 2012 by Bernd Daub Rocky Nook Inc. 802 East Cota St., 3rd Floor Santa Barbara, CA 93103 www.rockynook.com Copyright © 2012 by dpunkt.verlag GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany. Title of the German original: Gute Fotos – simple Technik ISBN 978-3-89864-783-0 Translation Copyright © 2012 by Rocky Nook. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Daub, Bernd, 1954Great Photos - Simple Cameras: from Holga to pinhole : an alternative approach to creative photography / by Bernd Daub. -- 1st ed. p. cm. ISBN 978-1-937538-02-6 (softcover : alk. paper) 1. Cameras. 2. Photography, Artistic. I. Title. TR250.D28 2012 771.3--dc23 2012009973 Distributed by O‘Reilly Media 1005 Gravenstein Highway North Sebastopol, CA 95472 Many of the designations in this book used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks of their respective companies. Where those designations appear in this book, and Rocky Nook was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in caps or initial caps. They are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies, they are not intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book. No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. While reasonable care has been exercised in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Table of Contents

Preface

1

Introduction: Creativity without a Straitjacket

3

Chapter 1 SUC SUC SUC: Black-and-White SUC: Color SUC: Crazy Film

11 26 28 29 31

Chapter 2 Greetings from the Far East HOLGA DIANA Blackbird, Fly

33 56 63 68

Chapter 3 Oldies Kodak Brownie No. 2 CERTINA BELLA 66 IIa

73 85 88 90

Chapter 4 Canomatic Motorized film advance Focus-free color lens Interchangeable lenses Aperture control Zoom lens SLR viewfinder Ergonomic grip Indicator light

95 109 109 109 109 110 110 110 110

v

Self-timed shutter release Side flash system

vi

110 110

Chapter 5 Pinhole Cameras Holga Panorama DIANA Pinhole Pancakes Zero 2000

113 131 134 135 138

Chapter 6 For Do-It-Yourselfers P-SHARAN HOLGA DIY KIT Recesky

141 163 165 167

Chapter 7 Good Intentions LOREO DIANA Lens Lensbaby Making Filters Yourself

171 212 214 216 219

Chapter 8 Storage Media Loading 35 mm Film Loading Roll Film

227 232 234

Chapter 9 Simply Digital TECHNAXX X1 Digital SLIM 5L-II

239 259 261 262

Chapter 10 Finale The Lab Scanner The Fast The Pleasant The Versatile Image Editing The Finished Image

267 268 271 274 275 276 280 282

Table of Contents

Afterword

285

Acknowledgments

286

Appendix Prices Websites Youtube

287 288 289 290

Index

291

Table of Contents

vii

Preface

What’s your preference: simple or complicated? Most people would say simple. Why make life more difficult than it needs to be? Who wouldn’t prefer an easy, uncomplicated life? The simpler, the better, without question—right? If you take a closer look at our everyday lives, though, you’ll see that they’re anything but uncomplicated and that we actually are confronted with the opposite: complexity instead of simplicity, multiplicity instead of minimalism, a worried mind instead of a carefree one. We live in a time of advanced technological complexity that has so enriched our lives that we try to emulate its dynamic in our personal lives. Much of our stress and obligations are heaped on us from outside sources; it’s hardly possible to buy public transit tickets from a person at a counter or on the bus anymore. You must instead buy them from an automated machine that can present a real challenge for the uninitiated. Our jobs further create unavoidable burdens, and as if that weren’t enough, we throw on plenty of additional obligations in our personal lives as well. Instead of the quality of life afforded through simplicity, we opt for countless features of complexity that we actually believe make our lives better. The complexities start to mount first thing on a workday morning with our clock radio that is supposed to wake us gently from our slumber with a slowly increasing volume. In addition to playing the radio, our alarm clocks also need to be able to play natural sounds and our favorite MP3s. Furthermore, they should kindly remind us in programmable time intervals that we still haven’t woken up to the previous signal. Finally, they should be able to project the time directly onto our ceilings (in either 12- or 24-hour mode) so we know that we’re already running late. At this point, it’s time to inform our boss and colleagues with our smartphones that we’re behind schedule. The traditional way to do this would be to make a call, but nowadays people rely on shooting off a quick text message instead. We can even opt to send a picture, showing us with dark rings around our eyes and disheveled hair. Now real expediency is needed. We move on to our automatic coffeemakers that are programmed to run at just the right moment with a customized amount of water and correctly ground beans to produce the ideal personalized beverage that will provide us with just enough of that stimulating drug, caffeine, to help us fight off our need for more sleep.

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Finally we make it to the weekend, which normally gets off to a somewhat simple start, namely without the alarm clock. We can simply get the sleep that our bodies need. But the coffeemaker, which has been switched to its weekend program sequence, unceremoniously brings us back into the daily grind. We turn on our computers—machines whose full complexity we can only begin to understand because we use only a small portion of their features. One of those features, the Outlook calendar, is especially important to us, since we need to consult it before we even eat breakfast so we know what needs to be accomplished on our so-called day of rest. But it is not just that we demand an unmanageable range of features from the technical products in our everyday lives, we also demand that they work perfectly. We have dismissed a few of the classic sources of anxiety, such as matching the perfect necktie with your shirt (who wears a tie?), finding a matching handbag for your dress (a sporty outfit and a backpack are much more practical), and getting the car polished every Saturday (a hot wax from the car wash every now and then will do). Nevertheless, if you get the latest tech gear for yourself (during the short window of time that it actually is the latest tech gear), you simply can’t let its results be outdone. Our most important home appliance, the television, is simply the purest agony for the human eye unless it has the latest HDMI technology. Similarly, our ears are not adequately served by sound systems that don’t have the most technologically advanced, realistic surround sound. The camera integrated into your cell phone, a feature that now indubitably belongs on every one of these devices originally designed to make telephone calls, must not only take pictures, it must take pictures of the highest possible quality. Never mind that no one really uses these pictures for anything other than to send them to friends who, in turn, view them on tiny cell phone screens. These images have no need for the level of quality required for a razor-sharp 8x10 inch print. No one even bats an eye at any of this. Now we’ve reached the subject of this book: photography. In this realm, too, there is no limit to the amount of technology you can incorporate into your craft. But you can also do it simply. I find the expression “simplify your life” very applicable to the world of photography. I also like the ironically inverted expression, “Why make it simple, when it could be complicated?” (read: expensive). Let’s trade in the stiff suit of complicated photography for the T-shirt and baggy jeans of a take-it-easy approach to snapping great pictures. I wish you much enjoyment on your path to creating great photos with simple cameras. Bernd Daub

2

Preface


The constant drive for more complex systems has created a noticeable change in the photography industry. Manufacturers build cameras with ever more features and functions to remain competitive. For decades now, consumers have grown accustomed to new technologies developed by product engineers that supposedly make our cameras smarter. These new features—which we never would have thought useful before—are now considered must haves. And so manufacturers add new features that often go to waste because no one finds any actual use for them. For the few functions that photographers do happen to try and use, the question always comes up, “How does that work, again?” (By the way, any time I read about automatic smile detection, you can bet there’s an automatic smile to be detected on my own face.) The wealth of automatic features on new cameras should allow you to focus all your attention on what’s in front of your lens; the camera itself should take care of all the nitty-gritty technical details. But instead, we need extensive user manuals to operate these complicated machines manually. The ever-increasing page counts for these user manuals indicate that cameras are getting more and more complicated. Studying the relationship between time and aperture requires less effort than wrapping your head around how to make most new cameras operate. After dutiful hobby photographers have acquainted themselves with all of the sophisticated functions that are hidden away in the depths of the camera, then the image itself must also meet high standards. Photographers want to see a return on their investment in expensive cameras and equipment in the form of professional-looking images. And this, of course, has primarily to do with the technical quality of the photographs. Sharpness in the image corners, detail, and optimal (read: standardized) exposures are especially important here. Most photography magazines devote noticeably more pages to detailed product descriptions and various bracketing tests than they do to the actual essence of photography, namely the artistic aspect of photography. They

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use sophisticated comparative tests to distinguish slight differences that are otherwise imperceptible by the human eye. I worry that many hobby photographers who have cultivated their passion for years are now spending more time thinking about the technical side of photography than asking questions about image composition, exposure, and so on. They may now have enough experience to be aware of their priorities, but it’s unfortunate that photographers who are curious about advancing from snapping basic souvenir photos to creating interesting images may get the idea that they need expensive equipment and extensive knowledge to get started. Photography doesn’t need to be inaccessible and demanding—you can create great photos with very basic equipment. Insurmountable expenses and confusion need not be a deterrent. This type of photographer needs only simple machines that won’t cause him or her to get lost in a multiplicity of “helpful” automatic settings. It is a great concern of mine to convince people who are interested in learning more about photography that they can easily start to hone their craft by following the simple motto, “Jump in and go.” This mentality will also help them to distance themselves from conforming to conventional photographic practices before they fall into that trap. By advancing this message, I don’t wish to marginalize the sense and value of photography that is technically advanced. Anyone working on a contract for a client or using photography as a documentary medium—such as to create advertisements, documentation, and illustrations—really needs an image that is as sharp as possible, is exposed perfectly, and reproduces information as factually as possible. Departures from this goal are not acceptable. These types of images are not creative products that have artistic value, and consequently they are not appropriate subjects for photographic experiments.

Such an image is intended to provide potential customers with a clear representation of a product. This is the work of a professional photographer working for a client to provide a professional, objective photographic reproduction, not an artistic representation.

4


Images for illustrated books about geographical areas, such as these closeups of the Heidelberg Castle, should provide as much information to the viewer as possible—in other words, a high degree of realism. These images are more than documentary reproductions because they also establish a tone through the treatment of the subjects, the composition of the images, and the use of color. Even though these images have an interesting expression, there is no room for creative experimentation.


5

Yet another type of photography that deserves attention and recognition is fine art photography. Large-scale negatives that are meticulously exposed with regard to every last detail can create impressive and moving works of art. Unbelievable attention to detail and an excellent gray scale range are what makes these images so fantastic. To achieve these qualities, fine art photographers carry heavy equipment around with them and invest huge amounts of time to make each exposure then develop and enlarge each negative in the darkroom. For these photographers to be satisfied with their results, their images must also be technically perfect. It’s worth noting that the work of these photographers is demanding. Not a single step is trusted to the processes of automatic settings; everything is subject to the scrupulous control of the photographer. The idea of turning to simpler technology doesn’t have to mean that your high-quality equipment needs to languish in the corner. The concept of returning to simplicity can be a welcome change. It may even develop into a regular hobby. Doesn’t a cheeseburger from a local diner, once in a while taste just as good as a gourmet entrée from a toprated restaurant? Isn’t it sometimes fun to rattle through tiny alleyways in a beat-up old

6


subcompact car that could probably fit into the trunk of some of today’s larger vehicles? As teenagers, gourmet chefs and drivers of luxury vehicles often visited fast-food restaurants and started off with economy cars. Let’s apply the same principle to photography. “You press the button, we do the rest” was the advertising slogan of Kodak more than 100 years ago. For a dollar, photo enthusiasts could purchase a box, with a level of simplicity not to be beaten, that consisted of the bare essentials of a camera. I’ll discuss this type of device in more detail later. Taking a minute to consider the technology of the past, however, helps us recognize how effective people have been at taking pictures with simple machines. Even today cameras are manufactured that consist of these traditional and simple designs. They often show a surprising quality. There are differences in terms of technical image quality, operation, and functionality, but the images from these simple systems are characterized by a charming glow that is more or less pronounced, depending on the camera model. This can’t be hastily dismissed as a quality defect. Why do we look at pictures? Do we admire the sharpness, the lack of vignetting, and the perfectly straight lines near the image border and then move on to the next image to inspect the same technical qualities? No, we pay attention to the subject and its photographic representation. Excelling at this should be the primary goal of a photographer, in my opinion. The chains of technical requirements can be shaken off. You can also view taking photographs with simple devices as a form of liberation. Finally the photographer is an artist with enough creative freedom to turn to the essentials: the subject and its photographic realization. All of the emphasis is rightly placed on the artistic elements of an image: composition, lighting, subject, and tone. I’ll even go one step further: for some subjects you can use elements that deviate from orthodox beliefs to enhance your images in unique ways. You can use these “imperfections” to extend the range of your tools for creative expression. You can use them to greatly enhance the mood of an image or to differentiate your picture from others. If there is a reduction of focus in your image, for example, that you initially interpret as a softening element, you can also use it to create an airy lightness or a dark melancholy. More expressive images may result because of simpler technologies, not despite them. A stronger reliance on creativity, as opposed to the technological advancements of your equipment, is the basic idea of this book. The following examples describe which subjects lend themselves to this type of photography and which do not.


7

This example shows how turning away from conventions of quality can ultimately lead to a more expressive image. These are images of a watchtower on the Castle Frankenstein in the Palatinate region of Germany. These ruins conjure up thoughts of the strange and supernatural. The ghostly image on the right seems to capture these characteristics better than the more objective image on the left.

8


The backlighting is the main feature of the previous image. Your attention is drawn primarily to the skeletal frame of the building and the gray values in the plastic sheets on the sides of the building with the transmitted light of the sun. The detail in the building frame and the plastic sheets don’t play an essential role in this scene. They may even be distracting and are therefore intentionally excluded by the photographer.

The main emphasis of this picture is in the details. The interesting patterns in the weathered surface attract your attention and must be precisely depicted so they are adequately clear. The basic diagonal and vertical shapes and the knob indicate that the wood belongs to a door, but the door itself isn’t the actual subject of this image. A reduction of sharpness or any other visual artifacts would be considered imperfections in this image. Simple photographic systems are noteworthy in that they were developed in a time when photographic film and analog photography were the norm. With the digitization of photography, the complexity of cameras advanced substantially. Simple cameras, as I define them in this book, are hard to find in digital photography. I wish to motivate all the ambitious analog photographers who have eagerly turned to the new technologies to fish out their old friends of bygone days, in a nostalgic spirit, from storage in the basement. They still work, don’t they? And aren’t they still fun? I’d especially like to speak to younger generations, whose first experiences with cameras and photography were more than likely with digital technology. Dad’s heavy metal single-lens reflex manual camera is probably associated with a story that starts with,


9

“Once upon a time.” Well, take another look at that old piece. You might also find grandpa’s old camera made of Bakelite1. Take both of them along with you. And before you even ask, yes, you can still find film for these types of cameras (take a look at the list of retailers at the end of this book). You can even find newly developed products! With just a few words of instruction, you’ll be ready to get started with this camera fit for a museum. I guarantee you’ll attract more attention in your circle of friends with these dinosaurs than you will with the latest supercameras. And everyone, including you, will be excited about the results. It will, of course, take a bit of time before you get your prints. While the scenes captured with grandpa’s old Bakelite camera are bathed in a certain nostalgic but quite pleasant glow, the images from the heavy metal camera aren’t all that bad. You might even say they’re pretty good—almost boringly good. This can be helped, however, and that’s what I’d like to describe in this book. Then the next time you get your prints it will be twice as exciting. For those of you who are committed to digital cameras and don’t want anything to do with old machines, I have a little surprise just for you. There are some other simple photographic tools discussed in this book as well. And now, enough with words. A book about photography should be focused on images. On the following pages I would like to get you acquainted with images from the product group that I would like to describe first.

1

10

Bakelite was the first type of plastic that was mass-produced for industrial products. Today many people are aware of it only as the material used for the electric plugs of old electric devices.


Chapter 1 SUC

SUC: Black-and-White

12

Chapter 1 SUC


Chapter 1 SUC

13

SUC: Blackbird

14

Chapter 1 SUC


SUC: Redbird

Chapter 1 SUC

15

SUC: Redbird

16

Chapter 1 SUC

SUC: Redbird

Chapter 1 SUC

17

SUC: Redbird

18

Chapter 1 SUC

SUC: Nightbird

Chapter 1 SUC

19

SUC: Nightbird

20

Chapter 1 SUC

SUC: Crossbird

Chapter 1 SUC

21

SUC: Crossbird

22

Chapter 1 SUC

SUC: Crossbird

Chapter 1 SUC

23

SUC: Color (Panorama)

24

Chapter 1 SUC


SUC: Color (Panorama)

Chapter 1 SUC

25

SUC SUC—it sounds somewhat secretive, but it’s quite simply an abbreviation for single-use camera. Some people refer to SUCs as “film with a lens.” Whatever you call them, these cameras exhibit the old Kodak mantra perfectly: “You press the button, we do the rest.” There is never a need to purchase film separately because it is provided with the camera, ready to use, when you buy it. The price of these cameras is remarkably low, when you consider that you get film and a camera for around $10, sometimes less. Film alone costs $4 to $5. SUCs can be the ideal first step toward taking great photos with simple cameras. These cameras are self-explanatory: aim at your subject and press the button to expose your shot (without any delay!), then advance the film by turning a simple knob. Some models also come with a flash. After you press the button 36 times (or sometimes 24 times), simply drop the camera off at the photo lab. A few days later, you’ll be able to hold your finished images in your hand. I’ve never had to pay an additional charge to have the film of a SUC developed, but be sure to ask when you drop it off to make sure. Many photo labs also have return envelopes available for purchase so your photos will be returned to you. This simple camera comes in a number of varieties. Aside from classics such as color film and black-and-white film, there are other film options called Crossbird, Redbird, and so on. I’ll come back to these films later. For those of you who are interested in shooting underwater, there are even special SUCs that are watertight. Imaginative manufacturers also offer SUCs with different exteriors (even customizable ones) and for special purposes. My favorite special purpose for these cameras is at a wedding. Distribute several such cameras to the guests of a wedding and they can contribute to the wedding picture album. Of course, you can also use generic SUCs for weddings and other special occasions. To help guests get the idea, though, it’s helpful to get a customized design on the camera. Companies can also buy SUCs that are customized with their logos. At their low price, there are no automatic exposure settings available on SUCs. Those would drive the price of a simple camera up substantially. SUCs transmit light through a fixed aperture and shutter speed. The intensity of the exposure, in other words, is entirely dependent on the lighting conditions of the scene. This isn’t as much of a limitation as you might initially think. Modern films exhibit some wiggle room in terms of balancing an exposure. Taking pictures early in the morning or late at night, however, can impose certain limits on your ability to get an adequate exposure. A flash, which is available on most high-end SUCs, will increase the hours in the day during which you can work. Don’t plan on using the flash to illuminate subjects that are at much of a distance, though. Cameras usually come with a recommended range of use for the flash. For shallow subjects, I definitely recommend working within this recommendation. For subjects with some depth to them, such as shooting at a dining table, the people close to you may appear in an unfavorable light while those farther away will be dimly lit.

26

Chapter 1 SUC

Since SUCs have an integrated fixed lens, you will not have the option of setting the focal length. Their optical system is set to a hyperfocal distance. They achieve the highest level of sharpness a few feet in front of the camera lens. According to the laws of optics, everything that is in front of or behind this point will not be 100 percent sharp. This blur, however, is undetectable in a range extending from a minimum distance from the camera (usually specified on the camera) to the horizon. This type of lens is not unique to SUCs. It is used by any camera that doesn’t come with a focal length setting. Even photographers with sophisticated cameras use this type of focusing as a snapshot setting so they can spontaneously react to situations without having to lose time to set the focal length. After the image counter reveals that you’ve reached the end of the roll, you might wonder where the rewind crank is. Well, it doesn’t exist! Everything should be easy, right? The case is designed so the film rolls up into a spool as you advance the film for each picture, not the other way around. Perfect! “You press the button, we do the rest”, is especially true here since there’s nothing to do when it comes to rewinding the film. I previously mentioned that there are different varieties of film that you can use to expose your images. I’ll discuss a few of them on the following pages.

SUC

27


These images show two black-and-white films with different contrast behaviors. The normal black-and-white film on the left exhibits true color tones in corresponding gray values. The Blackbird film on the right is one of the special effect films offered by Rollei in its SUCs. It has a higher contrast than the image on the right. The structure of the wall is emphasized, but at the expense of the gray values in the sky. Determining which photo looks better is a matter of personal taste. The very bright and very dark areas of subjects lend themselves especially well to black-and-white photography because they produce the greatest range of contrast. Colors that have the same brightness will look as though they are more or less the same tone on the gray scale. This uniformity is generally not attractive, so you should try to look at your subjects in terms of bright and dark areas instead of colors; for example, a light yellow sweater (white) and a dark blue pair of pants (black) will result in an image with good contrast.

28

Chapter 1 SUC

SUC: Color There isn’t as much to discuss with color-film cameras. As you would expect, these cameras display the colors of your subject authentically, just as you perceive them with your eyes. To introduce yet another option with SUCs, I decided to use a panorama perspective for these shots. You can additionally use a standard 35 mm film with this camera.

By switching on the panorama function, a small mask with a narrow slit drops down over the lens. The exposure area of the film will correspond to this narrow opening. In combination with the wide-angle lens, this setup will create an effect that you won’t be able to appreciate fully until the film is developed and enlarged. You will have a picture that is about three times as long as it is wide. This format can create attractive results when taking landscape photos, but it can also be surprisingly effective in other situations. It affords a completely different perspective of well-known or common subjects. I took the photo above in a parking garage that I use almost every day. I’m quite sure that no one else has ever thought that this completely unremarkable parking garage might be an interesting subject for a picture. A few passersby shook their heads while I set about my work, but that’s often a good indication that you’re on your way to getting an unusual shot. The panoramic dimensions helped make this shot. Panoramas can create especially interesting and suprising results when you turn them 90 degrees to take a vertical shot, as seen in the image to the right. Of course, you can argue that this type of panorama photography is the same as taking a conventional image and then cropping it. In principle, yes, of course, but to avoid ending up with a miniature print, you’ll need an enlargement that’s worthy of the name—probably about 9×12 in. A print this size won’t be cheap, and you’d be throwing a large part of the image away, which is too bad. Some photo labs charge based on the enlargement of the side of an image and adjust the length accordinly. This will save you some

SUC: Color

29

money. Sliding down the mask also has a psychological effect, however. Our imaginations are tied in some degree to the standard image formats offered by the camera and film industries. The only real variable is whether to shoot your images portrait or landscape. Additional possibliities usually don’t even come under consideration. But when we have an alternative before us—in this case, the mask that creates the panorama format we can see through the viewfinder—we consciously look for scenes that fit this unconventional format so we can make use of it. You’ve surely noticed the red light reflection in the middle of the parking garage image. With simple lenses, effects like this are to be expected because of light scattering. They are not unique to SUCs; they naturally occur with all rudimentary optical systems. There are sophisticated lens systems to avoid uncontrollable light reflections such as this, but we want to take pictures with simple cameras. You can control effects like this by avoiding highly reflective objects and backlit situations. But the effects look fantastic to me. Instead of avoiding circumstances that cause light reflections, you can use them to integrate unusual special effects with your subject. The results may be pleasantly surprising. With this particular panorama picture, I hadn’t observed this effect until looking at the negative. Once I saw this ghostly appearance in the finished image, I really grew to like it. In fact, I consider it the highlight of this image. In this book you’ll see several other images in which I have included similar light effects, sometimes as a coincidental result of the circumstances and other times intentionally. You won’t be able to see the effect in the viewfinder because it reflects light in a different way than the lens. This means you’ll have to surprise yourself. Points of light and highly reflective metal surfaces that mirror the light of the sun often engender these effects. But be careful! Never look directly at the sun through your viewfinder, not even for a brief moment. This can cause serious damage to your eyesight—a risk that is certainly not worth it.

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Chapter 1 SUC

SUC: Crazy Film Up until now, I have only discussed conventional film types. Now, however, I’d like to talk about films that are designed for photographers who like to experiment. These films tend to defamiliarize the subjects in your images through a drastic conversion of color. These films are called Redbird, Nightbird, and Crossbird. If you like the effects they create, you can also purchase these films independent of SUCs. You can find them as 35 mm film and roll films of other sizes, so they can be used with most types of analog cameras.

Redbird

Nightbird

Redbird and Nightbird are related to one another. The examples above demonstrate their different color characteristics. Both are color films that are rolled upside down into the film canister, but they differ in terms of their light sensitivity. Redbird has a sensitivity of ISO 400/27°, and Nightbird’s is ISO 800/30°. Nightbird, in other words, is twice as sensitive. The Nightbird image shows that this film works very well in the late evening hours, but be sure to use both types of film at various times of the day. What’s exciting about these films is the shift in color that occurs as a result of under- or overexposure. A short exposure creates a yellowish cast, while a longer exposure produces orange and even red and violet color tones. The preceding images show a direct comparison of Redbird and Nightbird films; they were snapped at the same time of day but reveal different variations according to their nominal sensitivities. Backlighting and high-contrast scenes with pronounced low-light areas tend to create especially impressive results with these films. The shifts in color can simulate a dramatic sunset or create a dreamlike atmosphere when capturing trees, people, and other subjects as silhouettes against an unobstructed sky. Rounding out this trio of eccentric films is Crossbird. The first part of its name, cross, comes from the cross-development process of developing a slide film as though it were a color negative film. Its light sensitivity is ISO 200/24°. The resulting images have a sharp contrast and very unusual color effects that are hard to describe. Instead, I have included several examples in the gallery at the beginning of the chapter so you can see for yourself. Very colorful subjects are ideal for this film because the color shifts are readily apparent.

SUC: Crazy Film

31

Neglected, dilapidated, and dirty conditions—for example, ruins, worn-down buildings, old industrial parks, docks, and so on—are often monochrome and usually reproduce with a dirty green color shift. This effect can really emphasize the tone of the subject, but the results are not easy to predict. Throw caution to the wind and see what happens. When working with this film you’ll definitely end up with some winners, but you’ll also probably create some images that aren’t especially exciting. Scrap these rejects and focus instead on your successes.

Crossbird

With that, I’ve reached the end of the first chapter, and I hope I’ve successfully piqued your interest in simple photography. I don’t want to leave out a quick word about the nature of single-use manufactured goods. Single-use products can be negatively thought of as disposable products and are accordingly indefensible from an ecological perspective. And rightly so. After use, it’s very important to dispose of SUCs either by giving them to a photo developer or by using an alternative recycling option. I encourage everyone who follows my suggestions above to consider the ecological implications of your work. It’s important for me to emphasize that I’m not suggesting you use SUCs as a general substitute for other cameras. It would be nonsense to buy SUCs by the 10-pack and use them all the time. Conversely, I see them as an opportunity to gain some exposure to simple photography, perhaps first as an alternative to your regular camera. If you end up liking this sort of photography, I recommend graduating to a proper reusable camera. There are a number of simple and adventuresome cameras out there, and I will introduce many of them in the remaining pages of this book.

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Chapter 1 SUC

Chapter 2 Greetings from the Far East

HOLGA

34


HOLGA


35

HOLGA

36



HOLGA


37

HOLGA

38


HOLGA


39

Holga-Panorama

40


Holga-Panorama


41

DIANA

42


DIANA


43

DIANA

44


DIANA


45

DIANA

46


DIANA


47


DIANA

48


Blackbird, Fly


49

Blackbird, Fly

50


Blackbird, Fly


51

Blackbird, Fly

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Blackbird, Fly


53

Blackbird, Fly

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Press the button, and you’re finished. Not because all of the variables of exposure are entrusted to some incomprehensible automatic system, but because the functions of the camera have been reduced to the basic essentials. This type of technology has experienced a renaissance in the film photography scene. Near the center of this interest are two much beloved cameras from Asian manufacturers: HOLGA and DIANA. They were originally developed as cameras for the masses so people of modest means would have access to affordable photography. These cameras have plastic cases that are remarkable because they are so lightweight, and you can figure out how to use them quickly because of their spartan functions and features. Surely no one imagined that these cameras would gain international fame. However, a Viennese company with the trademark Lomography, who had already rescued the Russian Lomo camera from its deathbed and helped it rise to a new success, also recognized the potential of these likable cameras—HOLGA and DIANA—from the Far East. They were soon included in the company’s product line. This is how they became ennobled as one of the tools of the likable and fun photography of Lomography, whose philosophy is described in 10 rules. The last rule especially pleases me: “Don’t worry about any rules”—a sentiment that should be applied to all photography in general. Many, many excellent photographs have been taken because photographers have resisted conservative rules. Eventually DIANA and HOLGA started to win the attention of photo enthusiasts who were interested in using the special charms of these cameras as a means to design creative and artistic photographs. I have the impression that the triumph of digital photography triggered a countermovement by the remaining supporters of analog photography. No innovative advancements to tried-and-true products occurred, and the development of new products nearly came to a complete halt. In fact, as a result of the focus on digital photography, many of the beloved film products started to disappear from the market. Photo enthusiasts were staring into an empty future for film photography. Searching for an answer, they discovered plastic cameras that, until recently, no one would have ventured into daylight with. It’s practically unimaginable, but in the blink of an eye, you can now show them off proudly. The same goes for the images they create. In addition to the classics—HOLGA and DIANA—a new point-and-shoot box became available that increasingly gained attention as a curiosity: Blackbird, Fly. This trio of simple devices won the hearts of many analog photography fans. Now an unbelievable dynamic has developed in the photography industry. More and more variants of these types of cameras, with new developments, have become available. Whether the motivation behind this revitalization is profits or the desire to expand creative possibilities is up to you to decide. Here I will concentrate on my three favorite models: HOLGA, DIANA, and Blackbird, Fly.


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HOLGA

HOLGA has achieved worldwide admiration that has even given rise to the concept of Holgagraphy. Can you achieve more than inspiring a new a type of photography? The HOLGA accomplished this. You can recognize the HOLGA immediately in advertisements because of the massive, robust impression it makes. If you didn’t know any better, you’d assume that its case was made of a heavy metal. The model with the silver top looks particularly impressive, but this isn’t intended as a deception. Consumers who purchase a HOLGA, as a rule, are well aware of what they are getting: a lightweight plastic case with straightforward internal workings. Straightforward is relative, since HOLGAs are available with a range of features and subtle differences that are indicated with a letter identifier. When you learn this secret code, you’ll see that not all HOLGAs are alike. The same is true when buying a car; you can get the basic model or you can choose any number of upgrades. • S is the original HOLGA with a plastic lens. • N is the base model, which features a shoe mount, a bulb mode for long exposure times, and a tripod mount. • F features an integrated flash. • G indicates a glass lens—a clear upgrade to the basic model. • C specifies an increase in creative control afforded by a variety of color filters for the flash.

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If you opt for the all-inclusive version, you would choose model GCFN. The number 120 that comes before the letters indicates the appropriate type of roll film to use. HOLGAs are now available in a slew of different colors with other adventurous features. To describe them all is well beyond the range of this book, but you can easily get a sense of the options from different vendors. The addresses for many of them are listed at the end of this book. The model I discuss in the following sections is the HOLGA 120N, which doesn’t have any frills and is accordingly my favorite of the bunch. The HOLGA’s case is designed so it is comfortable in average-sized hands. It’s also sturdy enough that you don’t have to worry about any fragile pieces breaking off when you pack it and take it on an outing. Its alluring appearance tempts you to insert a roll of film and get started right away. Despite the spartan nature of the camera, though, there are a few things you should know about your new camera’s functions before getting started. The HOLGA is a medium-format camera and accordingly requires 120 roll film. (See chapter 8 for more on film.) I recommend using film with a sensitivity of ISO 400/27° for your HOLGA, which is your best option for most weather conditions. Only in direct sunlight would I recommend using ISO 100/21°. The camera exposes the negative in a 6×6 cm area (it’s actually somewhat smaller than that, but 6x6 cm is the traditional designation) and produces 12 negatives. You can also use a mask to create a smaller 4.5×6 cm format that will produce 16 negatives. This comes at the expense of the characteristic vignetting in the image corners, however, which is a large part of the HOLGA’s charm. My recommendation is to not use the mask. After you insert the film, you have a ready-to-use camera at your fingertips, and you are ready to familiarize yourself with the camera’s modest controls. Aim at your subject by looking through the viewfinder. Approach your subject closely and take your images full frame. Since the viewfinder reveals an area that’s slightly smaller than what the exposure will actually capture, you will not see some of the area that will appear in your final image. To set the focal length, simply turn the lens, which has a number of symbols to help you establish the distance to your subject. This symbol method is not uncommon, but I prefer working with a scale that indicates concrete distances. The user manual provides a commendable interpretation of these symbols: • • • •

Symbol: Symbol: Symbol: Symbol:

1 Person 3 People Several People Mountains

= 1 m (3.3 ft) = 2 m (6.6 ft) = 6 m (19.7 ft) = 10 m (32.8 ft) to infinity

As a means of roughly controlling the exposure settings of the camera, there is a switch above the lens with the symbols for sun and rain. With older models, you could toggle this switch back and forth with complete disregard to the actual weather conditions. It didn’t matter because it didn’t actually change anything. You cannot, however, position this switch in the middle because a small lever inside the camera, presumably intended

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to adjust the aperture, blocks the path of light and ruins your picture. I speak from experience and am sure that I’m not the only one to have made this mistake. Now the HOLGA is ready to fire. You have two options for the shutter speed: N is an exposure time of 1/100 second, and B allows you to leave the shutter open as long as you hold down the shutter-release button. The slider to switch between these two options is located on the underside of the HOLGA and is barely visible. You normally won’t have to worry about it because you will primarily shoot using the N mode. If you foolishly (or accidentally) toggle the switch to B, your images will be ruined by overexposure and/or camera shake. You can either throw these pictures out or claim unabashedly that you meant to achieve the effect to obscure your surroundings. Anyone who’s not familiar with HOLGAs would believe your story without a moment’s hesitation. For night exposures, shooting in B mode (with a tripod) is naturally the way to go. The best results are not to be Tripods had during nighttime hours, but instead during late twiEven if you are using the B shooting mode for light or the so-called blue hour. I recommend taking two only a brief exposure time (for example, with exposures: one with a 5-second and one with a 10-second very low-speed film or exposures taken at dusk exposure. or indoors) and you use a very steady hand, You can use any commercial flash with a HOLGA beyou’ll still end up with some degree of camera cause it has a hot-shoe mount with a center contact. The shake. You can often turn this into a charming strength of the flash, which determines the range of your desired effect, and you may even intentionally shot, naturally depends on the output of the flash unit you shift the camera in a particular direction, but employ. Make your flash decisions based on an aperture mostly you will want to affix your camera to a of f/8. For a flash without automatic detection sensors stable base, ideally a tripod. It would also be (and what could be more fitting for a HOLGA?), the flash optimal to use a Holga cable release (available output and the size of the aperture determine the effecas accessory). tive range of the flash. For a HOLGA, this means the following: • Guide Number 20: 2.5 m (8.2 ft) • Guide Number 25: 3.1 m (10.2 ft) • Guide Number 30: 3.8 m (12.5 ft) If you’ve set everything up correctly but don’t see any indication of an exposure on the film, you’ve probably forgotten to take the lens cap off. I’ve done it myself. Don’t laugh— I’m sure it will happen to you at one point or another. The same goes for exposing the same negative twice unintentionally because you forgot to advance the film. You will also occasionally discover empty spaces between negatives because you advanced the film twice as a precaution (“Did I already turn the dial or not?”). It’s best to adopt a routine for these steps so they become second nature.

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Multiple-exposure Images Creating multiple-exposure images with cameras is something of a curiosity. It used to be that there was always a risk for multiple exposure. With the advent of multiple-exposure prevention mechanisms, it became obvious that they were not included in inexpensive, simple cameras. Even now, after these mechanisms became available for less expensive cameras, the ability to create multiple exposures is a coveted feature of sophisticated cameras. Sometimes taking a multiple exposure can make a lot of sense. Here you can see an example of a house and a bit of masonry exposed on the same negative. Textures such as this are often introduced to images to imbue them with the feeling of a painting.

To count your exposed images, there are two holes on the back of the camera that are sealed with a red plastic disc. The one on the top is for the 6×6 cm format, and the one below is for the 4.5×6 cm format. On the backside of the film, printed numbers indicate how many negatives have been exposed, and these numbers are visible through the red window. In this section, I have intentionally described the functionality of the HOLGA in detail because the design principles and operation of this camera are the same for many other simple camera systems. The operation of the HOLGA can be summed up in the following steps: • Open the back. • Load the film. • Close the back. • Set the distance. • Sight your subject. • Release the shutter. • Advance the film. After reaching 12 exposures, you can have the film developed and eagerly await your finished photographs. Your images will have all the characteristics of the aforementioned Holgagraphy. Take joy in the charms of the not-very-sharp focus, the subtly darkened corners, and the gentle bend in objects that are actually straight. You’ll eventually discover an unexpected bright area in your images. This phenomenon indicates that your camera is one of a kind; it’s the result of a light leak in your camera’s body. To fix this problem, you will need to locate the leak and use black tape

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to cover it up. You can even purchase a starter kit with your HOLGA, which includes a roll of black tape. In my experience the light leaks most often occur along the edges of the camera back. I taped the entire back of my HOLGA, top, bottom, left, and right, and systematically removed one of the four pieces of tape, took one exposure, then held the camera up to the sun. I eventually discovered where the weak spot of my HOLGA was: at the top, in the middle, so I left that part taped up. In addition to taping any possible light leaks, I also recommend carrying your HOLGA in a bag and taking it out only to snap your photos. This will greatly reduce the chance of unwanted light exposure. You might decide to become friends with your light leak, so to speak. Depending on its position and severity, you can leave it alone and work its effect into your images. You can adopt the mantra, “What the hell? That’s just my HOLGA’s quirkiness,” or you can manipulate the light leak as a tool for creative design, for example, as a ghostly apparition. You can remove and replace your tape as needed, depending on the subject at hand.

I think the light leak is too strong in this image. It was worth a try, but it’s simply too much of a distraction. Away with it!

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One interesting possibility with your HOLGA camera is to use 35 mm film instead of standard 120 roll film. In principle, this trick works with any medium-format camera. Instead of loading the intended 120 roll film, insert a standard 35 mm film canister. The diameter of the cartridge fits, but there will be extra space above and below it. You can trim some pieces of foam to fill up this extra room and hold the canister in place, or in a pinch you can use some wadded up newspaper. Next, attach the end of the film, just as you would attach the roll film, to the middle of the empty spool and take out the slack by advancing the spool a couple of turns. You’ll also need to tape over the red window on the back of the camera. To advance the film, you will need to turn the dial 1.5 times (or 36 clicks). A much more elegant solution is to purchase an accessory that is sometimes called a panorama insert, which will hold the film canister more securely in place and will facilitate advancing the film. Panorama inserts have a back wall without a red window. The fruits of your effort will be extraordinarily wide images, but naturally you won’t be able to see this in the viewfinder. With a little imagination, though, this shouldn’t be a problem. Try out your new setup when taking shots in portrait orientation. The advantage is that the exposure bleeds all the way to the edge of the film, even beyond the perforation. For this reason, it’s wise not to position any key subjects in this part of your frame. Someone’s head might get chopped off in a horizontal group picture, or someone may be punched full of holes in a vertical image. The perforations can also be detrimental to architectural images. In general, the only objects that you would want to be directly affected by the sprocket holes would be any unnecessary, incidental subjects. You’ll have to place a special order with your trusted photo lab so the technicians can develop your film in the panorama format with or without the sprocket holes, according to your preference.

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I should also mention two other accessories: a wide-angle attachment and a telephoto attachment that are placed over the lens. They resemble yogurt containers with glass bottoms. I used them only one time. The result is a circular image, but neither of them particularly impressed me, and I probably won’t use them again. By now you can probably see that with a camera reduced to its essential basics, like the HOLGA, and a certain measure of imagination, you’re already off to a great start. And with that, I hope you enjoy using your HOLGA.

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DIANA

The DIANA is the smaller and gentler sister of the HOLGA, and it appeared some 20 years earlier. This camera offers an aperture setting that actually works, with three weather symbol designations. You can use a film adapter with the 120 roll film (ISO 400/27°) to create three variations: there’s the standard 6×6 cm format (12 negatives), a 4.2×4.2 cm format (16 negatives), and, as a specialty, a 4.6×4.6 cm format (also 16 negatives). You can switch the red window on the camera’s back to be set for either 12 or 16 exposures. The last format is noteworthy because the camera will seamlessly expose the images on the negative film without any space between each exposure. According to the camera manual you can use this feature creatively, by stringing together coordinated images to create a panorama. However the individual images don’t fit perfectly together, and to be honest, I don’t care for this feature. But I’m not the measure of all things. Give it a try for yourself; it may be just the thing to spark your creativity. The big surprise with the DIANA is that it is a regular system camera with interchangeable lenses. Changing out the lens is easy, thanks to bayonet mounts. Bayonet mounts! At the time of the DIANA’s introduction to the market, these were by no means as common as they are now. Even high-end cameras required the lenses to be screwed into the camera body. The M39-thread lens mount for Leica lenses was legendary, and the

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universal M42-thread mount reigned for many years. The DIANA’s advanced bayonet, in other words, deserves real attention. In addition to its standard lens (80 mm), a wideangle lens (38 mm) and a telephoto lens (110 mm) are also available. All three lenses feature a gradual distance setting (indicated with symbols and metric displays).

So you can see the composition of your image with different lenses, the DIANA has a clever multiple viewfinder. It attaches to the regular viewfinder, and you can easily sight your subject based on which lens you are using. This attachment may not win any beauty contests, but it does its job well. In particular, the telephoto lens seems monstrously large in comparison to the modest size of the camera body. This lens is called a soft telephoto lens—a name that alludes to the noticeable cloudiness and blur that the lens creates in exposed images. I’m not bothered by the dark corner areas. They even underscore the telephotographic effect to a certain extent. Interchangeable lenses aren’t designed just to allow you to take full-frame pictures without having to walk closer to or farther away from your subject. You can also create interesting results by using their individual perspectives and focal distances to design your images thoughtfully and imaginatively.

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This image was recorded with a standard lens. The size ratio between the foreground and the background is similar to how the human eye would perceive the scene.

The background appears smaller when a wide-angle lens is used, and this creates more depth in the image. The surroundings appear to be farther away than with a standard lens. This effect produces fascinating results in sweeping landscape images and architecture photography. It can also be effective when taking pictures of hotel rooms and swimming pools for tourism brochures. Wide-angle lenses excel at creating a sense of expansiveness.

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A telephoto lens has a much different perspective. It appears to compress the space in your images, which is great when a number of objects are separated but you want them to appear more compact in your image. Crowds of people in a sports arena, for example, will appear to be standing much closer to one another than they actually are. Objects in the background will also be enlarged, an effect often observed in images of sunsets. The sun looks like a colossal ball of fire above the horizon. These examples weren’t taken with the DIANA’s lenses, by the way. I used a superzoom lens covering a wide range of focal lengths to underscore the effects of perspective that I’ve described here. The DIANA is also capable of working with a flash. Unfortunately, you will need to use a flash made specifically for the DIANA. This flash connects to the camera body with two plug contacts, and it costs about as much as the DIANA itself. Unless you’re going to use the flash often, it probably isn’t worth the cost to buy one. The DIANA offers another very interesting shooting option: aside from the three aperture settings, you can also use a tiny hole to expose the negative without using a lens at all. In other words, you can use the DIANA as a pinhole camera. Working with pinholes can be a lot of fun. I’ll talk about pinhole photography in another chapter. You can also use 35 mm film with the DIANA, which is equipped specifically for this. You can even purchase a back for the camera to work with instant picture film. Operating the DIANA is more or less the same as operating the HOLGA. The only extra step is to look at the sky and choose the appropriate aperture for the conditions. DIANA cameras also offer the chance—and risk—of double exposure. As with the HOLGA, light leaks will develop and make your camera one of a kind. Stay calm. Black tape can help you regain control of your images. I decided not to use tape for the picture on page 42. I love the ghostly figure.

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A light leak was not the source of the effect in the picture on page 51 it resulted from flare. Normally you would attempt to avoid this condition by using sophisticated lens designs and hoods, or you would try to rearrange the shot to minimize the effect. But why not make a virtue of a necessity? Take advantage of the opportunities that simple lenses offer. I look forward to surprises like this fiery goblin that forced its way into this image. To create flare, position your lens so the sun shines into your image from just beyond the frame of your shot, or position it so rays of the sun twinkle just over the edge of a silhouette.

Making a virtue of a necessity Making a virtue of a necessity: you should always have this saying in the forefront of your mind in any photographic endeavor. If there’s going to be flare in your image, then embrace it. Are there unsightly power lines in a landscape shot? Then incorporate a few additional poles and integrate the wires into the scene. Without the poles, our eyes will see the power lines as indefinite black lines that disfigure the image like scratches. Is an unavoidable tourist trap blocking the view of an architectural treasure? Then embrace it and feature it centrally in your picture. Now you have a picture with a message: “The overall impression of a beautiful building is disturbed because of a temple to consumerism.”

Comparing HOLGA and DIANA HOLGA sits better in the hand than DIANA because it’s slightly larger. If you can do without the ability to swap lenses (the attachments for the HOLGA are second rate), you’ll find that the HOLGA has a stronger lens. Another advantage of the HOLGA is the hot-shoe mount for the flash with the center contact. This allows you to attach any commercial flash to your HOLGA. The DIANA’s greatest strength is its option to interchange the lenses, which allows you to play with image composition more. Furthermore, the DIANA offers a finer control over the exposure settings and an option for pinhole photography. One weakness of the DIANA is its nonuniversal flash connection. In summary, the HOLGA offers the possibility of truly carefree photography, while the DIANA offers more extensive equipment.

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Blackbird, Fly

In addition to these two classic models, I’d like to introduce you to a similar but new design. The “Made in China” label on the bottom of the camera is proudly accompanied by “Designed by Superheadz.” The rectangular design is modern, and despite the name Blackbird, Fly, several models of the camera are available with front panels in different bold colors, but the rest of the camera body is black. If you wish to purchase a Blackbird, Fly that’s completely black, you can. Additionally, the front panel is accented with a small bird and an abbreviation of its name, bbf, in curly letters—a nice touch. What really sets the Blackbird, Fly apart from the other simple and inexpensive plastic cameras is its completely unusual design principle. It immediately calls to mind other twin-lens reflex cameras in the history of photographic technology, such as the much more glorious Rolleiflex. There are two lenses on the front plate that are situated one above the other. The bottom one is the exposure lens, and the top one is part of the viewfinder, which reflects the image upward. Pulling up the lid of the camera creates a light well that makes it possible for you to see through the viewfinder lens. This means you must look down while shooting the subject in front of you. In the age of digital photography and modern camera design, this may sound somewhat odd, but the practice

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of shooting with a humbly bowed head and a downward glance was very common for decades, even for professionals. Twin-lens reflex cameras were actually quite popular with press photographers. They could hold the camera above their heads while looking up through the viewfinder and shoot above the heads of people that were in their way. This practice posed problems both for image focus and neck muscles, and it wasn’t ideal in situations that featured a number of other photographers who also had their hands and cameras thrust into the air. The prospect of capturing a salable image of a head of state passing by, however, made the effort worthwhile. Getting back to the Blackbird, Fly, the viewfinder image will take some getting used to. A circular representation shows a number of frames that indicate the various image formats discussed on the following pages. It’s viewable only from a minimum distance of 30 cm (11.8 in), and the image is reversed as though it were reflected in a mirror! All of this makes it a bit tricky to align your camera perfectly. It’s much easier to use the sports finder, which is my preference.

On the front side of the viewfinder shaft, you’ll find a small door that you can pull backward to open. The rectangular opening on the front of the pull-up viewfinder, in combination with the smaller rectangular opening on the back of the viewfinder, creates a functional viewfinder. Using this method to set up your images is something of an improvisational exercise, but the results can be great, especially when you rotate the camera 90 degrees to take a portrait shot (which will produce a negative with the sprocket holes along the top and bottom edges of the image). Give that a try with the mirror viewfinder first—I’m sure you’ll have some fun with it.

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Aside from the twin lenses, the most obvious distinguishing feature of the Blackbird, Fly, in comparison with the HOLGA and the DIANA, is the use of 35 mm film (ISO 400/27°). Using this film is a requirement, not an option. This is an advantage because 35 mm film is more readily available, and more photo labs develop it. In other words, you’ll be able to take more exposures. The Blackbird, Fly does not use the standard 24×36 mm format exclusively. It features a special novelty for 35 mm cameras, which allows you to choose between three different negative formats: • The conventional small format: 24×36 mm • A mini square format: 24×24 mm • A large square format: 36×36 mm, which exposes the area surrounding the film’s sprocket holes Before you load your film into the camera, you will need to install the appropriate masking frame that corresponds to the format you wish to use, or in the case of the large square format, you will need to remove the masking frame entirely. This means that you will need to choose your format before you load the film. I find it useful to employ the full 36×36 mm format and then compose my shot so it fills up the frame. The borders for all three formats are marked in the viewfinder: 36 × 36 mm

24 × 24 mm

24 × 36 mm

Another interesting thing about the large square format is that the negatives’ edges are flush with each other. One negative is directly beside the next. This seamless row of negatives and resulting opportunity to create panoramic images should be familiar to you—the DIANA camera also has this feature. With the Blackbird, Fly, however, you can use 35 mm film to achieve the same effect, which allows you to include the sprocket holes in your exposures. The rest of the camera’s features can be described quickly. It uses a gradual focal length setting with a metric scale from 0.8 m to infinity, exposure options for sunny and overcast, shutter speeds of N and B, a film advance dial with a frame counter, a crank to rewind the 35 mm film into its canister, and its shoe mount has a center contact. The Blackbird, Fly is neither famous nor infamous for light leaks. If you do discover a problem with your images, it is most likely a manufacturing defect that should be taken up with the dealer.

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Despite the obvious design differences with its plastic siblings, the operation of the Blackbird, Fly is more or less the same: • • • • • • • •

Open the back. Load the film. Close the back. Set the distance. Select the weather symbol. Sight your subject. Release the shutter. Advance the film.

The Blackbird, Fly will allow you to take the next picture without advancing the frame. Double exposures can be delightful—when you create them on purpose.

As with 35 mm film in the HOLGA, you shouldn’t position any important details of your image in the area of the film sprocket holes when you use the Blackbird, Fly. This image features a punctured tree and perforated side of a building and is headed straight for the trash can. As I conclude this chapter, I would like to point out that I have introduced only a few popular simple cameras. If you look into this area a little more, you’ll discover that this market is booming, in stark contrast to the established and serious realm of analog photography. You can purchase the HOLGA and the DIANA in a number of varieties and with a wide array of new accessories. Describing all of them is beyond the scope of this

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book. And since they are developing and proliferating so quickly, it would take longer to explain them all than it would for the cows to come home. At the end of this book, I’ve provided several locations to buy this equipment, where you can stay up to date on the latest offerings and talk with salespeople to your heart’s content. Who’s to decide whether all of this is commercial madness or creative diversity? The answer is simple: each to his own.

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Chapter 3 Oldies

Kodak Brownie No. 2

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Chapter 3 Oldies

Kodak Brownie No. 2

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Kodak Brownie No. 2

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Chapter 3 Oldies

Kodak Brownie No. 2

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CERTINA

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Chapter 3 Oldies

CERTINA

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Chapter 3 Oldies

BELLA 66

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Chapter 3 Oldies

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In recent times, the Asian classics Holga and Diana have enjoyed a popularity that has become something of a cult following. The concept of inexpensive, simply constructed cameras for the masses is neither limited to this era nor to this geographic area. At the start of the 20th century, box cameras were already making a name for themselves and were available internationally. When the billows of smoke from World War II began to clear, a new camera industry sprouted across the globe, resulting in more choices. The contemporary renaissance of camera technology has more or less passed these cameras by. Committed enthusiasts and collectors are the only ones interested in these cameras. Most photography enthusiasts have directed their attention forward. Times of increasing prosperity have understandably given rise to an interest in new (read: better) camera models. Most of the beloved plastic and sheet metal cameras have been put into boxes and have disappeared into basements and storage units. Now, decades later, these abandoned treasures are finally seeing some daylight again. They’re not being retrieved from storage out of nostalgic remembrance by their original owners, but by their grandchildren. And they know enough to do something with them. These objects should not rot away in a corner. If they’ve read this book, they’ll discover the joy of using this type of camera immediately. If they haven’t, they probably know enough to get started with grandpa’s old gadget on their own. You can also find outdated cameras on Internet auctions—the modern-day equivalent of flea markets. Sellers circumvent all liability with comments such as, “I’ve got no idea how or whether this actually works,” and they sell items that have simply been dusted off. And now is your chance. For no more money than a basic haircut would cost, you can win an auction and have a box camera with real Holga charm in just a few days. The dust may be removed, but you’ll probably need to do a little more cleaning. Chrome cleaner and auto interior spray will probably be enough to bring your camera back to top form. Use a cloth for eyeglasses to clean the lenses and the viewfinder. You can easily track down some film, and then you’ll be ready to fire. The method of operation is familiar by now : load the film, . . . I’d like to introduce three historical treasures that I was able to track down.

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Chapter 3 Oldies

Kodak Brownie No. 2

From a modern perspective it’s hard to look at a little box like this and imagine that it’s a camera. If you carried this box by its leather handle in public, you’d be sure to receive several inquisitive stares from people who would probably not identify you as a photographer. Even the large hole in the middle of its front panel and the two smaller holes in its sides don’t betray its secret purpose. Our modern perspective simply doesn’t associate this shape with a camera anymore. If the question marks in the eyes of a curious observer turn into exclamation points, the observer will no doubt examine it closer and embark on a journey through time to the end of the 19th century. Kodak developed its original box camera, the Kodak No. 1, in 1888. It was intended to be the camera that Kodak would spread around the world with its newly developed roll film and the slogan, “You press the button, we do the rest.” But Kodak’s goal of providing a camera for everyone was not met. At $25, plus an additional $10 for developing the film, making prints, and supplying new film, it was too expensive. Instead, Kodak had its breakthrough in 1901 with the Brownie No. 2, which was on the market for $1. That marked the beginning of a golden era of simply constructed cameras and film rolled up on a spool. The design principles of box cameras caught on around the world and were adopted by many other camera manufacturers. In the early days of commercialization, low-budget box cameras were

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manufactured out of wood or even cardboard. Camera bodies made of sheet metal were higher-class box cameras. The dimensions of the Kodak Brownie No. 2 are 10×8×14 cm (3.9×3.1×5.5 in). Behind the large opening in the middle there is a simple closure and a meniscus lens. The term “lens” is somewhat misleading, since it is not the shape that you would expect. It’s more of a curved piece of glass. With this design, the rudimentary lens produces a better image quality than you would expect. The two holes on the front, and the small windows on the top and the side, are two separate viewfinders. One is for portrait orientation and the other is for landscape. The need for two viewfinders is due to the 6×9 cm film format. If you view the image from the top, you’ll see it in portrait. Rotating the box 90 degrees allows you to record your picture in landscape format. The complete equipment of the Kodak Brownie No. 2 includes the following: • 1 fixed-focus lens • 2 viewfinders • 1 shutter release • 1 film advance dial • 1 red frame counter window • 2 sheet metal strips on the front of the cover plate

To load the 120 roll film into the box, unclasp the lock on the back cover and then lower it. After you’ve removed the film advance mechanism from the box a little, you can pull out the inner casing of the box and load the film. Reinstall the inner casing, close the cover, and then you’re off. The rather large film format of 6×9 cm produces nine negatives. A distance setting is not necessary since the camera is equipped with a fixed-focus lens with a range of 2 m (6.6 ft) to infinity.

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The shutter-release lever is unconventional for most people. You would expect that after you push it downward that it would automatically return to its starting position. That doesn’t happen, however. It simply stays in the lowered position. Is it broken? Nope, that’s just how it functions. You press it down for one exposure, and then you push it up for the next one. Continue in this fashion until the roll of film is exhausted. What about those two strips of sheet metal above the shutter release? With nimble fingers you can remove them from the case. What are they for? Let’s start with the smaller of the two. When it is inserted into the case, the shutter will open for 1/30 second and the image will be exposed. If you remove this strip, however, the camera will function in the same way as the B mode on the Diana. It works like this: lever up, shutter open; lever down, shutter closed. Or vice versa. For long exposure times you would normally use a tripod, but that’s not possible since there’s no mount to attach a tripod. After all, for only $1 you can’t expect too much. This means that you must rest the box on a sturdy surface, hold it still, and then shoot. A small bean bag works great; you can lay it on a table and then position the box on top of it. Now you can orient the camera horizontally or vertically, hold it still with some ease, and fire away. This is a makeshift solution, but it works. Walking around in public with your box camera in one hand and a bean bag in the other is sure to boost the amount of attention you will receive. And now to the second, larger strip of metal. Inside the box, this piece of metal features a few different sized apertures. You can slide it out two steps to adjust the exposure. The different settings aren’t designated by different symbols, you just have to know what each position means: • Metal strip inserted in the housing: Overcast • Metal strip slid out one step: Partly overcast • Metal strip completely removed: Sunny A shutter speed of 1/30 second is actually not all that short and will require a steady hand, in addition to film with a light sensitivity of ISO 100/21° or, even better, ISO 50/18°. The three different weather settings mean that the exposure will be fine in bright daylight. When it starts to get dark out, however, it’s time to move the metal strip to the B position and get out your bean bag. The simple operation of the Kodak Brownie No. 2 is more or less the same with all box cameras. And that’s what is beautiful about these cameras: they’re self-explanatory. You can still take great photos using the simple technology from the early days of amateur photography.

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CERTINA

Think of the Certina as the Diana of the German Democratic Republic, which is where it was introduced in 1964. The Certina was also the product of a desire to reduce the camera down to its essential elements and make it available to consumers on a budget. In contrast to the unusual appearance of a box camera, its exterior resembles the conventional look of a modern camera, which is what it more or less is. At first glance, you’ll discover that the Certina gives the impression of being higher quality than its Asian counterparts because of its solid metal body that is encased in thin leather on its sides. The case could probably withstand a fall from a low height with just a dent or two, without breaking. As with its Asian equivalents, the Certina uses 120 roll film (ISO 100/21°) that it exposes in a 6×6 cm format. As for the camera’s method of rewinding the film, it has a feature that is uncommon to cameras in its price class. It has a quick-release lever, instead of a return dial, similar to ones you might be familiar with from 35 mm single-lens reflex cameras. Strangely, this lever is located on the left side of the camera. This is an advantage for photographers who are left handed and gives the camera a very unique design.

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The Certina is also the first of the cameras I’ve introduced that has a system to prevent accidental double exposures. At first this seems very practical to prevent film from being wasted. The unfortunate drawback of this system, however, is that there’s no way around it. This means that there’s no way to double expose an image intentionally to create an imaginative result. I guess we can’t have everything. The lens is achromatic, with two glass optical lenses. Two are better than one, and as a result the pair make for a better optical quality than the other camera models introduced to this point. They are embedded in a ring for focusing from 1.5 m (4.9 ft) and beyond. There are two slightly finicky turning rings on the lens that allow you to choose between the exposure modes B and M (M mode is the same as N mode for the cameras previously discussed) and to set the aperture at f/8 or f/11. A shoe mount, a connector for a flash cable, a tripod mount, and threads for a cable release round out the Certina’s equipment. The leather trim is not of a particularly high quality and has been worn down around the edges of many models that I’ve seen. You should have a closer look if you buy one. Also check out the smoothness of the shutter-release button and the film advance lever, which can have a tendency to be slightly bent. The Certina is an icon from German history and has a certain fun factor for its loyal fans.

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BELLA 66 IIa

The Bella 66 IIa is similar to the VW Beetle: rock solid and on the market since 1960. You can tell it’s really something when you hold it in your hand. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a work of art, but you can tell that no corners were cut in terms of its material and workmanship. The three exposure control options indicate a technological advancement. In addition to the B shooting mode, you can also choose 1/50 second (also for flash operation) or 1/100 second shutter speed. In combination with the aperture choices of sunny and overcast, you can create four different combinations for the exposure settings and customize your shot fairly specifically to the prevailing lighting conditions. For places where overcast skies are ether norm, I recommend a film with a light sensitivity of ISO 400/27°.

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The following is a list of exposure settings, from the brightest to the darkest lighting conditions: Exposure settings

Lighting conditions

1/100: Sunny symbol (f/16)

Sun, cloudless sky

1/100: Overcast symbol (f/8)1

Partly cloudy sky

1/50: Sunny symbol (f/16)2

Partly cloudy sky

1/50: Overcast symbol (f/8)

Evening hours

The possibility of intentionally exposing the same negative twice returns again with the Bella 66 IIa. As previously mentioned, to prevent an accidental double exposure, it’s a good idea to come up with a personal routine to snap a shot and advance the film.12 The Bella 66 IIa’s lens is similar to the Certina’s double achromatic lens because it is mounted in a ring and has a focal range of 1.5 m (4.9 ft) and beyond. The Bella 66 IIa can also be used for flash photography (with a flash cable).

The lens of the Bella 66 IIa has a surprise to offer. There’s a good chance that you do the same thing as me and other people when you pick up a new camera: you take a quick look through the viewfinder, focus on something you wouldn’t normally photograph, and press the shutter-release button. But what’s this? Nothing happened. You give it a second

1 2

This exposure setting works better for pictures of people. This exposure setting will achieve a better depth of field and is accordingly better suited for landscape and architecture images.

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try and—great disappointment. It doesn’t work! It’s broken! Don’t panic. Simply pull the lens out of the case—you’ll see that the lens is mounted on a tube. Only after extending the lens completely and locking it in place by turning it slightly to the right will it be the proper distance from the surface of the film and the shutter-release button will be functional. This may seem slightly strange from a modern perspective, but there was a time when it was not uncommon to reduce the travel size of a camera in this way. If you ever encounter another camera from this era that appears to have a broken shutter-release mechanism, make sure you’ve pulled the lens out before angrily throwing the camera down. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if it was just a design peculiarity of the camera? The class of cameras to which the Bella 66 IIa belongs is pushing the limits of the “you press the button, we do the rest” philosophy. It has already stepped it up a gear, so to speak. Further advancements amount to a more complicated operation, especially regarding the increased control over the exposure settings. This added functionality makes sense only when you also have exact methods of light metering, which is a voluminous subject—the stuff for a book of its own, if not several. It is beautifully complicated, for analog and digital photography alike. To conclude this chapter, here are a few comments about buying older cameras. The lubricants in the moving parts of the aperture- and distance-setting mechanisms have a tendency to gum up after long periods of not being used. Check to see how smoothly these controls function before buying a camera. A specialist can fix this sort of problem, but it’s only worth paying the costs when the camera is a real rarity. Otherwise, search for alternatives. You should also prevent your own cameras from falling into disrepair by regularly manipulating these parts. To check for fungus, take a close look through the lens in the direction of the sky or another very bright surface. Depending on the model of the camera, you should be able to remove the lens or open the camera back to peer through the lens. Partial cloudiness is an indication of a fungal infestation. This is common when cameras are packed away in damp conditions often found in basements or storage units. It’s also important to ensure that the camera body doesn’t have light leaks, which don’t always figure in to the joys of operation as they do with Holga and Diana. You should accept broken, bent, or loose pieces, especially along the edges of the camera’s back, only if you intend to use the camera as a paperweight or if you plan to place it in your collector’s showcase (and when the seller has reduced the price!). Also pay careful attention to medium-format cameras and make sure they actually use 120 roll film. The term “roll film” generally refers to 120, but some cameras in the United States are built for 620 films. The 620 designation may ruin your joy of finding a bargain rather quickly. I’ll explain more about that later. Additionally, there are really appealing cameras for 127 roll film. This type of film is much less widespread, but it is available nonetheless. The addresses for several photo retailers are provided at the end of this book.

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Perhaps these three examples have sparked your interest in old cameras. If you spend more time investigating them, you’ll no doubt be amazed by the imaginative variety of designs that camera manufacturers have devised for interested consumers. Indulge yourself in a few nostalgic moments and enjoy the fun of the unconventional. I’m sure you’ll end up saying, “They may be old, but they take great pictures.”

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Now it gets a little tricky, but I promise you an adventure. The Canomatic and its extensive clones make up a special subgroup of simple cameras that one can’t ignore: on one hand they are easy to use, and on the other they have a certain entertainment value because they are somewhat controversial. There’s talk of pirating, deceptive trickery, and swindling, which is understandable when you acquire a supposedly high-quality single-lens reflex camera for a three-figure sum only to discover later that you’ve purchased a toy. Nothing like this would ever happen in a regular camera store—you aren’t likely to find a Canomatic there to begin with. This misfortune would result from a private transaction, most likely at places like flea markets, Internet auctions, and other venues that require you to pay close attention to the integrity of sellers and their wares. Less than honorable sales people, with dollar signs in their eyes, talk up the nearly professional-looking Canomatic with words such as “professional camera,” “reporter camera,” and so on. After talking up these cameras, they get gullible people to pay prices that appear to be bargains. The name of the camera, Canomatic, assists with the swindle because it sounds expensive, and the typeface of its logo is similar to a well-known manufacturer. Canon, by the way, coincidentally had a rangefinder camera named Canomatic in its product line. Was this originally thought of as a rip-off during the production stage, or was it intended to be more of a children’s toy? Is this a case of pure piracy by the manufacturer, or was the top plate with an altered logo exchanged elsewhere? I won’t speculate here. The fact is, you can actually take pictures with the Canomatic. It is quite simple to work with because it is not overloaded with electronic frills, and that’s why it earned a place in this book. As mentioned, the Canomatic has the appearance of a high-value single-lens reflex camera with an impressive hand grip. It is also offered with a flash kit that includes a flash unit and a side bracket, and it can be further marketed with platitudes like this: • • • • • • • • •

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Motorized film advance (including rewind function) Focus-free color lens Apertures 6.6, 8, 11, 16 Zoom lens SLR viewfinder Ergonomic grip Indicator light Self-timed shutter release Side flash system, horizontally and vertically adjustable, zoom function

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Isn’t that amazing? It’s a toy that any kid would be proud of. What a professional camera! I don’t begrudge him his joy for a minute. It’s worth every penny of the $10 he shelled out for this Porsche that has the motor of a moped. But wait, let’s take a closer look: Motorized film advance There’s nothing to complain about here. This feature is included and it works. It can even rewind the film into its canister. A real plus for the Canomatic. Focus-free color lens This is true in principle, since you don’t actually have to manually adjust the focus, but it’s impossible to adjust the focus at all. The term focus-free sounds like autofocus, but it’s actually a fixed-focus lens! Interchangeable lenses Ha, ha—fooled! To change the lens you’d need to saw it off and glue another one on. Based on the camera’s appearance, you wouldn’t think to ask about this feature because it looks like the lens can be changed. You would fool yourself, so the seller wouldn’t even have to trick you. Aperture control This is real, and it is awesome. You can set the aperture manually, but—and this is the real showstopper—the two decorative buttons on the grip also change the aperture. As unbelievable as it may seem, the Canomatic features motorized aperture control. Pressing one of the buttons causes the aperture ring to sweep from one end to the other and

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bounce back again at the stop. The other button does the same thing, but in the other direction. This is very entertaining, but it’s completely useless. It’s much better to control the aperture manually. Zoom lens Fiddling with the motorized aperture control has yet another surprise. The lens barrel is linked to this feature, and it moves forward and backward as you adjust the aperture. This feature is often mistaken for a zoom lens, but it’s purely decorative. SLR viewfinder This is the big misnomer. The Canomatic is not a single-lens reflex camera—it’s a simple rangefinder camera. The conventional viewfinder is located next to the faked single-lens reflex viewfinder, and it catches your attention only on a second look. The bulge in the middle, however, is not empty. A mirror viewfinder is included here, similar to that of the Blackbird, Fly. This also explains the small round window above the lens. It allows you to set your Canomatic on the ground, look down through the mirror viewfinder, and shoot from there. Another plus for the Canomatic. Ergonomic grip The grip is, in fact, ergonomic. Another plus for the Canomatic. Indicator light The light flashes. With every exposure. There’s absolutely no purpose for this, but it happens anyway. It doesn’t cause any problems, and the above mentioned kid will like this. Self-timed shutter release This functions as intended, with a lag time of about eight seconds. The indicator light flashes during the lag time; this time it has a purpose. Side flash system It tries hard, but the function of the flash doesn’t live up to how it looks. It looks like it could easily illuminate an entire dance hall, but it’s no more powerful than the standard flash integrated into a rangefinder camera. With 400 speed film and the Canomatic’s widest aperture, the range of the flash is around 7 m (23 ft). In other words, it won’t light up a dance hall, but it will do the trick in a small circle of friends at a birthday party.

The Canomatic is worth about as much as a plaything, and that’s exactly how you should treat it. In contrast to the Holga and the Diana, which have now been endearingly dubbed toy cameras, I think of the Canomatic simply as something to have fun with. It hangs like a weight around your neck because it’s equipped with metal weights to make it seem like a better camera. Its best light sensitivity is ISO 400/24° at a shutter speed of roughly 1/100 second. Honestly, it’s fantastic when you’ve got your finger on the shutter-release button and you’re fully aware of what a simple machine you’re holding, then you hear that motor

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roar. The images? Well, they don’t quite stack up to the Holga. I’d stick with an image format of 9×13 cm with the Canomatic. It looks better, and it will be easier on your wallet.

Shutter

Metal weights

I was curious to see if there really are weights built in to the camera, so I bravely grabbed a screwdriver and operated on my Canomatic to explore its inner life. It’s true! You can also see the simple shutter. Designs like this were already in use 100 years ago, in good old box cameras, for example. The Canomatic is not alone when it comes to matters of fraud. It has siblings, like the Protax 2000. Although its deceptions are more subtle, it still has a couple of so-called features that you should—and can—recognize as dummies. Like the Canomatic, the Protax 2000 is not a single-lens reflex, though at first glance you might mistake it for one. The aperture ring is very similar to that of the Canomatic, but it doesn’t show off with an unruly motor control mechanism. Built-in weights are at work here too, since the camera hangs heavily on the neck strap. If you hold the Protax 2000 in your hand and allow yourself to be convinced that it’s a real single-lens reflex camera, you must be blamed for naïveté. If you take a closer look and manipulate some of the controls, you’ll discover the Protax 2000 for what it really is: a cheap plastic camera—a plaything that can take real pictures.

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My intent with this chapter was, on one hand, to describe the true nature of these mysterious cameras and, on the other hand, to encourage you to experience their fun factor. Exercise caution when buying one. If you see a traditional viewfinder on a camera that claims to be a single-lens reflex, be wary. It’s a toy and nothing else. Make a specific offer and hold firm, and then you’ll have a great toy for your child. Then you can do what many parents have done with their kids’ toys: pick up the pieces for yourself and jump in. Go a little crazy and take some pictures for yourself. You won’t be the only one in the world!

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Chapter 5 Pinhole Cameras

HOLGA Pinhole

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Zero 2000

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Pancake Zone Plate

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DIANA Pinhole

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Pancake Zone Plate (Crossbird)

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Pancake Pinhole

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In the introduction to this book, “Creativity without a Straitjacket,” I philosophized for a bit about the ever-increasing desire for high-performance photographic lenses and the creative possibilities that emerge when you opt for a more relaxed view. There is a very elegant way to avoid any discussion on this matter: simply do away with the lens entirely. Yes, take it off, put it away, and replace it with a tiny hole. This is neither a novel idea nor a crazy one, and it is not the absurdist plan of an eccentric who wants to distance himself from mainstream photographers. Quite the opposite. With this method, we go back to the early days of photography. Does the term camera obscura ring a bell? Perhaps in a dusty drawer in your long-term memory you remember your high school physics teacher’s wise words. You may have lingered on the lesson that revealed the secrets of light rays and the laws of their diffraction behavior in relation to different optical lenses or the rectilinear propagation of light without optical lenses. The latter is actually simpler to understand, and it is just the thing for our purpose. The principle can be illustrated with just a few lines and words.

Light rays travel rectilinearly from the arrow’s point, through a hole, and onto the back wall of a sealed box. The same is true for the light rays shining from the other terminus and for every other point along the arrow. As a result of this behavior, an inverted image of the arrow will be projected on the wall of the box that is opposite from the hole. The smaller the hole, the sharper the projection. In Arabia around 1000 AD, a Bedouin woman discovered that a hole in the side of her tent allowed her to see an image of her approaching husband on the wall opposite from the hole. Let’s assume that she was happy about her discovery. Some 150 years earlier, a Chinese wife could already use the rectilinear propagation of light as an early alarm system. Open an empty cookie tin and poke a tiny hole in the middle of its lid. Then put black tape over the hole and position a piece of photographic film on the bottom of the tin and close the lid again. When you turn the tin on its side, you’ve turned it into a pinhole camera. Remove the tape for a few seconds to expose the film. After it’s developed you’ll have a negative image. This example with the cookie tin is perhaps too simple. Let’s look at something a little less improvised.

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Holga Panorama

When we’re talking about the simplest of cameras, we can’t forget Holga, which naturally offers a pinhole camera, even for panorama images. Its exterior immediately recalls the trusted Holga camera case, but it is substantially wider. This camera doesn’t expose the area of 6×6 cm as before; it exposes a wide-screen format of 6x12 cm. With an adapter, you could reduce this area to 6×9 cm. Doing so, however, diminishes the effect of a true panoramic picture, which would be a shame, so I don’t recommend it. After you’ve loaded 120 roll film into the Holga Panorama, it’s ready to go. Now comes the decisive uniqueness of pinhole cameras. The opening is tiny, or to put it in more technical terms, the Holga Panorama has an effective aperture of f/133. As already mentioned, the small diameter ensures that the exposed image will be sharp, but unfortunately it also requires a substantially longer exposure time. Noticeably longer. We’re talking about full seconds here, not fractions of a second. When exposing your images, be patient and steady: one one-hundred, two one-hundred, three one-hundred . . . Counting in this way has a tendency to calm you, and it eliminates the need for an elaborate shutter mechanism. The camera’s shutter is a simple slide that you push aside for a few seconds to allow light to enter the pinhole. It is also equipped with threads for a cable release, which is well worth using. In the age of digital photography, many photographers with integrated image stabilizing technology have thrown their cable releases away. Snap them up! They’ll prevent images with camera shake.

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The user manual gives the following instructions for use with ISO 100/21° film: • Clear weather: 7 to 9 seconds (4 seconds) • Overcast sky: 10 to 12 seconds (8 seconds) • Dark sky: 13 seconds or longer, if necessary (16 seconds) I don’t follow this advice, though, because the differences between these exposure times seem too small to me. Replace the exposure times with those listed in parentheses: 4, 8, and 16 seconds. These are tried and true, in my opinion. In general, I recommend that you use your first roll of film to get familiar with exposure bracketing.1 Expose a series of images of the same subject in the same weather conditions while doubling the length of the exposure for each shot. For example, start with 2 seconds, then try 4 seconds and 8 seconds. Depending on the film you’re using, you may need to increase these test exposure lengths substantially. For this reason, it’s advisable to use the same type of film from the same manufacturer so you can get to know its characteristics. You’ll save yourself some unnecessary frustration by doing this. During these long exposure windows, you simply won’t be able to hold the camera still enough in your hands. That means you’ll have to take some extra precautions. You’ll need a tripod, but it doesn’t have to be a super heavy monster of a camera stand. The Holga Panorama weighs 234 grams (8.3 oz), which means you need only a light aluminum tripod, unless you happen to be shooting in strong gale winds. The “viewfinder” of the Holga Panorama is remarkable—that’s an optimistic word for the V-shaped lines on top of the camera body. It works surprisingly well when you adjust the camera horizontally, but you’ll have to guess when adjusting it vertically. This is just a Holga, after all. It’s simple and it works. More isn’t expected.

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We owe thanks to Karl Schwarzschild for teaching us about some of the characteristics of film during lengthy exposures. The longer you expose film, the less sensitive it becomes. For example, if you were to increase an exposure from 2 seconds to 4 seconds, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the effective exposure would be twice as great, as you might have predicted. To double the exposure, you would need to expose the film for a longer time, and the behavior of this quality varies from film to film. So there’s no good way around creating an exposure bracket.


The operating principle is as follows: Viewfinder line in

Viewing direction for the right edge

the pinhole

camera case

Viewing direction for the left edge

The Holga Panorama includes a very helpful accessory: a bubble level. Without a conventional viewfinder it would be easy to tilt your camera, but with a bubble level this isn’t a concern at all. The Holga Panorama lends itself very well to photographers who want to become more familiar with pinhole photography. When you are setting up your shot, you should keep in mind that the areas around the edges of your picture will expose noticeably darker than the rest of the image. This effect tends to frame the subject in the center of your shot and can create a dramatic mood with dark or gloomy subjects. This effect is accentuated if you squat down and shoot from a low level, which is how I created the image on page 114.

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DIANA Pinhole

When talking about pinhole cameras we can’t forget to return to the lovely Diana. On page 67 I mentioned that you can convert it to a pinhole camera. It’s a novelty—in the spur of a moment, you can simply flip a switch. Out with the lens, in with the pinhole. All it takes is three simple hand movements: remove the lens, swing in the pinhole, and select the B exposure mode. As already mentioned you will use a 400-speed film with the Diana. This reduces the exposure time in “bright daylight” (according to the user manual) to a whole second, which is something of a rush compared with most pinhole photography. In the shade it’s not so bad. The recommended 30 seconds in the user manual is an exaggerated concession to Schwarzschild. I’ve obtained good results by exposing an image for around 5 seconds. But as already discussed, Schwarzschild demonstrated that all films behave differently. Of course, a tripod is still necessary, even for these shorter exposure times. Perhaps you’ve stumbled onto a promising subject for your pinhole camera, but you don’t have a tripod handy. Well, then, improvise a little. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Set the Diana on a stable surface (a chair, a table, a wall, or something similar), but be careful with the fragile camera. You can always experiment to see what you end up with. Disobey the rules now and again, and take a handheld shot. That’s how I created the image on page 124, and I was very pleased with the resulting atmosphere of a nightmarish cemetery.

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Pancakes

Pancakes represent a substantial band in the spectrum of pinhole photography, and they are especially worthwhile. They are adaptable for a plethora of various camera brands, both digital and analog—whether it is the legendary Hasselblad (the Rolls-Royce of medium-format cameras) or even a large-format camera (which usually has a negative size between 9×12 cm and 18×24 cm).

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Sturdy metal plates are screwed into camera-specific adapters. Their centers contain threads into which a carrier for a metallic perforated disc can be attached. This carrier is easy to exchange, which is a good thing—drum roll please—since now comes the good part: in addition to simple pinholes, there are also special ones called zone plates. I adore them. I’ll spare you (and admittedly me, too) the related physics concepts, such as constructive interference, phase shift, and other atrocities. Simply put, a zone plate is a hole with rings around it. Experts with a detailed understanding are probably hyperventilating now, but for the predominate part of my readership, I’m going to leave that sentence as is. You could introduce the principle of a zone plate with this image:

The number of rings around the center hole depends on the zone plate you use. The thinner the rings, the farther they are from the center point. The hole in the middle and the surrounding rings transmit light. The result is a diffused image, the intensity of which depends on the number of rings in the zone plate. High-contrast images tend to become couched in a light and airy mood, while low-contrast and short-exposure images tend to appear dark and mysterious. If you imagine the tiny center hole as the primary hole, and you replace the rings with systematically positioned and smaller secondary holes, you’ll understand what a zone sieve looks like. This tool also regulates the light and provides a somewhat comparable image.

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Pinhole

Zone plate

These two images illustrate the different effects of pinholes and zone plates. The pinhole image almost looks objective and sober next to the dreamlike zone plate image. Cover up the zone plate image for a moment, though, and the charms of the pinhole image will shine through. Do yourself a favor and get both types to add variety.

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Zero 2000

Now for a real gem: the Zero 2000. It uses the standard pinhole technology—a case, a hole in the front, and film in the back. What’s different, however, is the quality of the case, which is beautiful and gives the Zero 2000 a special status. It is a delightful hand-finished box made of lacquered rosewood, and the operating controls are made of brass. The shutter is a tiny, cute wooden slide. When you hold this camera in your hands, you will feel the unmatched quality of its finish. The Zero 2000 is compatible with a number of film formats and either a pinhole or a zone plate aperture. My trusty Zero 2000 is made for 6×6 cm format roll film and is equipped with a zone plate. Even if you don’t intend to photograph with it, the Zero 2000 will make a great addition to any collector’s showcase, or it would be a fine paperweight on an equally noble desk. The images it creates have a pronounced wide-angle character to them that corresponds to a 25 mm lens. This visual perspective is particularly effective for the image of the mosque on page 117. It is important to note that the wood surfaces inside the Zero 2000 are not lacquered— they’re unfinished. Before shooting your first roll of film, take the time to clear away any sawdust or wood debris with a brush, or better yet with a vacuum cleaner. This will spare you from the unnecessary frustration caused by countless wood particles that could show up in your first images.

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The operation of the Zero 2000 doesn’t require anything unusual. As an optional extra, you can buy a piece of cardboard with a window, which detracts from the otherwise elegant look of the camera, but serves a function. I make it slightly easier for myself. I first mount a small-format single-lens reflex camera with a 17 mm wide-angle lens on a tripod. The perspective of this camera is roughly the same as the Zero 2000. After I’ve settled on the frame for my image, I swap the cameras and take the actual exposure with the Zero 2000. Although this method increases the weight and volume of the equipment you have to carry with you, it makes the task much easier in the end. That was perhaps a lot of words for a method of photography that is reduced to the absolute bare minimum—the pinnacle of simplicity. I hope I’ve inspired you to take up this type of photography. Every time I look at the results of this method, I’m fascinated that completely doing away with the lens can produce such amazing images. The price you pay is a longer exposure time and the resulting requirement for a tripod. You could say that the extra weight of a tripod in your equipment bag is offset since there’s no need to carry a lens with you. So indulge yourself with something very unusual. Enjoy the tranquility of photographing through a simple pinhole. At the beginning of this chapter I mentioned cookie tins. You can actually buy pinhole tins from some of the retailers listed at the end of this book. If you poke around on the Internet you’ll also find instructions for building pinhole cameras out of any number of household objects—even matchboxes. So the next time you finish off a tin of cookies, give some thought to whether you really want to throw it away. If you just prick a small hole in the lid, you’re opening the door on a new adventure. Don’t miss the chance.

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Chapter 6 For Do-ItYourselfers

P-SHARAN

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Chapter 6 For Do-It-Yourselfers

Recesky


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P-SHARAN

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P-SHARAN


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P-SHARAN

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P-SHARAN


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P-SHARAN

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P-SHARAN

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HOLGA DIY KIT 135


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HOLGA DIY KIT 135

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Recesky


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HOLGA DIY KIT 135

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HOLGA DIY KIT 135


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Recesky

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Recesky


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Are you a do-it-yourselfer? Do you belong to the group of people who can work in the basement with a hammer, a plane, a jigsaw, and a healthy amount of raw power and loud noise to create a useful object for your home or garden from pieces of lumber? Or can you use brute force to chop and saw a tree into firewood? How well do you think this ability with your hands translates to the delicate work of putting together a precision instrument for photography? This might not be directly related to the business of felling a tree. It’s not easy to switch from one dimension to another at the drop of a pin. But do you think you might ever be tempted to trade in your saw and axe for tweezers and a watchmaker’s screwdriver? If you would, then I’ve got something for you: components that range in length from a fraction of an inch to an inch can be used to build a completely functional camera. The components, which are available in kits, are made of plastic and cardboard. We remember toys like this from childhood. Back then, we’d assemble tiny houses to sit next to our electric train tracks, airplanes, and other interesting models. Building a camera is naturally more demanding, though, and requires both nimble fingers and precision in your work. You’ll need to pay close attention to instructions and assembly diagrams. More than anything, it’s interesting to learn about the mechanical interactions of camera components. Your reward will be holding a camera in your hand and knowing every detail about how it functions, inside and out.

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P-SHARAN

Let’s begin with the P-SHARAN. As a pinhole camera, it functions as an ideal transition from the previous chapter. Additionally, of the three camera types presented here, it’s the easiest to assemble. The kit is mostly composed of cardboard that comes precut with the various components of the camera. You’ll eventually punch all of these out, but it’s best not to do them all at the same time. You should instead follow the instructions and separate only the pieces you need as you go along. Otherwise you’ll end up with an unsorted mess of components and it will be more difficult to identify and locate the correct one. Aside from these parts, there are also plastic pieces for the film advance mechanism and a bottom plate that allows you to mount the P-SHARAN to a tripod. The threads of the bottom plate are metal, as is the small plate that features the all-important component that gives this type of camera its name: the pinhole. You will also find two simple rubber bands to hold the front and back parts together, in addition to a small surprise: black tape! You may already have black tape, but the pieces in the kit are conveniently trimmed to the exact lengths required to assemble the camera. Putting all of the precut pieces together is pretty straightforward, and the assembly instructions are clearly explained. After a bit of taping and folding you’ll finish the front and back pieces in no time, and things will be looking good already. Next you will push the two pieces together and use the two rubber bands to keep the whole thing from falling apart. That’s it. Finished!

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Can you actually take pictures with this thing? To be honest, I was a little skeptical at first, but my doubts were unfounded: no light leaks. The camera’s labels are very helpful because they contain a wealth of useful information: the recommended film sensitivity (ISO 400/27°), shutter speeds for various weather conditions, and notes regarding advancing the film, the effective focal length (25 mm), and the aperture (f/140). To permit light to expose the film, you move a cardboard slide to uncover the pinhole and then move it back in place to close the pinhole shutter. The film advance functions flawlessly, and the recommendation for turning the advance dial three times is accurate. This avoids both unwanted overlap between the images and unwanted extra space between them. Unfortunately, there is no targeting device for composing your image and sighting your subject. This is too bad, and it’s a real drawback. It would have been easy enough to include two simple guidelines, like the Holga Panorama, to aim the camera better, but this problem can be fixed: draw the two lines yourself. The results are a dream. An effective area of 23×65 mm produces a distinct panorama effect. The camera produces truly stunning images. The film is held adequately flat, and the surface of the film does not get scratched. Bravo! That a cardboard camera would have such a functional film advance is a pleasant surprise. Taking photographs with the P-SHARAN is usually quite entertaining. It’s almost certain that bystanders will ask you what you’re doing. After a few impressive words about the functionality of a camera obscura and your hand-built version made from cardboard, they’ll be impressed.

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HOLGA DIY KIT

Now it gets a little more complicated, both in terms of the assembly and the functionality of the camera. The camera housing says 135 Camera, but the name on the assembly instructions is somewhat more special: Holga DIY Kit (do-it-yourself ). The plastic components are easy to punch out from their frames, but you should deburr the pieces with a pocketknife before starting to put them together. Aside from patience, attention to detail, and concentration, no other tools are required for assembly. The instructions are clear, brief, and precise, and there are instructive drawings and symbols that come in handy if you can’t make heads or tails out of the written directions. Pay close attention to the smallest details, and don’t move on to the next step without making absolutely sure that you have completed the previous one. There is one unfortunate disadvantage that stems from the assembly not requiring tools: since the pieces simply snap into place, they need to fit together especially tight, even when you make a mistake and need to go back to the previous step. It’s usually not possible to fix a mistake by backtracking, and even if you can it’s very difficult. Pay special attention to the very small springs that are nearly imperceptible in the drawings; they play an integral role in how the camera functions. I learned this the hard way after proudly snapping the last piece into place, only to discover a lonely spiral spring sitting unused in front of me. Now I can’t get the release button to rewind the film unless I carefully tap the camera against the edge of a table just right. Fortunately this works. If I had made the same mistake with one of the springs that affects the shutter, all of my work would have been for naught.

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Now then, none of this will happen to you, of course, and you’ll end up with a finished— and entirely functional—camera in your hand. The camera offers two functions that I wasn’t expecting to be included in the DIY model: a double-exposure lock and a lens cap that also disables the shutter release when it is closed. Before you snap together the case as the last step, look at the pieces that enable these features one last time, and also examine the shutter mechanism and the frame counter. You’ll be fascinated by these simple but functional systems. The remainder can be summarized quickly. The 28 mm focal length gives the lens a distinct wide-angle characteristic that makes this camera particularly well suited for landscape and architecture photography. The fixed-focus lens obviates the need for a distance setting and allows for photographing objects that are a minimum of 2 m (6.6 ft) from the camera. The exposure time of 1/125 second and the unchangeable aperture of f/8 mean that a 400 speed, 35 mm film is best. And with that, it’s time to get outside and get shooting! Your images will show all of the Holga’s regular charms: a tempered sharpness with a moderate increase toward the picture edges and darkened corners. Don’t panic if the shutter-release mechanism fails to function at some time. The camera is surely not broken. You may have remembered the double-exposure lock, but you’ve probably forgotten about the lens cap. Remove it so you can get going again.

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Recesky

In appearance, the Recesky resembles the Blackbird, Fly. In comparing the two, the Recesky lacks a bit of the Blackbird, Fly’s elegance, but the massive gears around the lenses have their own charm. The housing is somewhat flatter. For anyone who finds the black model too dull, there are also models with front plates that come in a number of sharp colors—and in white.1 One might assume that a product named Recesky comes from eastern Europe, but how wrong you’d be! It’s produced in China. Its comical name Gakkenflex sounds more neutral, as does the somewhat aggrandizing Gakkenflex TLR Camera Kit, which also indicates that the camera is DIY. Lovers of long names, however, will certainly enjoy the DIY TLR Twin Lens Reflex Camera Lomo Holga. And if that’s still too short for you, it can be called the DIY Lomo Camera Science Twin Lens Reflex TLR 35-mm Camera Holga Lomo Recesky DC67. My model bears only the simple name Recesky, and that’s good enough for me. That’s also how I’ll refer to the camera from here on out. Period. Back to the camera itself. The operating principle is the same as the Blackbird, Fly. There are two lenses: the bottom one is for exposing the film, and the top one functions as a viewfinder. The two lenses are connected by a gear mechanism. You will find the 1

Wouldn’t a white model be a great alternative to a single-use wedding camera? The guests could not only photograph with it, but they could also assemble their cameras in good company. That would surely be entertaining for everybody.

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collapsible light well on the top of the camera. As with the Blackbird, Fly, you will have to direct your gaze downward while facing your subject when you’re ready to shoot. The aperture and shutter speed are also similar to those of the Blackbird, Fly, and they are best suited for a 400 speed, 35 mm film. These are some of the similarities, but the Recesky is more than a DIY copy of the Blackbird, Fly. Aside from the fact that you purchased the camera in pieces, there are other characteristics that give it an appreciable degree of individuality. The Recesky does not have a frame counter. The user manual says you’ll know when you reach the end of a roll of film when you can’t advance it any more. This is a truly insightful conclusion, and I’m sure people wouldn’t figure this out themselves. There’s a dial on the right side of the camera with a marker that indicates how to advance the film. By turning the dial 180 degrees you can advance the film to the next frame. On my camera, the advance catch unfortunately doesn’t reach the sprocket holes of the film. I have to press strongly on the back of the catch to make it work. The view from above into the light well will reveal an image in portrait format. You’ll no doubt take many great pictures with this orientation, but if you want to change things up and take a picture in landscape format, have fun. Turning the camera 90 degrees while attempting to look into the viewfinder from the side and shooting perpendicular to your stance may give you a touch of vertigo. As you twist and turn, the image in the viewfinder will behave like a disobedient child and do the opposite of what you want it to do. If you want to level out the horizon, for example, it will get more steep. If you want to move something to the left in your image, it will go to the right. I’m confident that it will be no time at all before you realize that the portrait shot was actually better to begin with. My model has a light leak between the back and the case. True to its reputation, every camera is unique. Bring in the black tape! The viewfinder projects the image nicely on a focusing screen. This is a large advantage compared to the distorted viewfinder image in the Blackbird, Fly. There aren’t any symbols or numerical measurements to help you set the distance for your shot. Why would you need them? You can achieve acceptable sharpness by looking at the focusing screen. You might not be able to set the shot down to the last inch, but it will do the job. Alternatively, the user manual describes a comical and simple solution: • Lens fully extended: Up to 0.5 m (1.6 ft) • Lens in the middle: 0.5 m (1.6 ft) to around 2.5 m (8.2 ft) • Lens fully retracted: 2.5 m (8.2 ft) to infinity And now comes the cool part: the shutter speed is fixed at 1/125 second, but the aperture influences a two-stage exposure control. But what is the aperture setting? It’s a simple ring that you clamp between the housing and the lens. For sunny conditions and partly

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cloudy skies, this setup will work just fine, but you’re likely to run into gray weather sooner or later. In these darker conditions, you’ll want to shoot without the limiting aperture ring. But how? First undo the lens mount, then remove the lens, and finally remove the aperture ring. Now you can replace the lens and snap your muted subject. Be careful not to lose the aperture disc. At some time or another the sun will start to shine again, and you’ll need to reinsert it. The assembly is really easy; all of the pieces screw together. You can also disassemble the Recesky at any time, which is great. You’ll always be able to take care of any springs that you accidentally left out. The one real challenge in putting this camera together is mounting both lenses to the camera case while simultaneously attaching the two gears. You should attempt this last step stone-cold sober and in a state of serenity. Screwing in one lens requires a lot of fiddling. But trying to do two at the same time while also setting up the gears properly requires a great deal of patience and nerves of steel. The Recesky isn’t ideal for every subject because the sharpness near the edges of the image is diminished. It can make a lot of sense to bring it along as an auxiliary camera in your equipment bag, though, so you’ll have it handy when you come across a subject that is appropriate. And always remember: don’t lose the aperture ring, otherwise you’ll be able to photograph only under cloudy skies.

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Chapter 7 Good Intentions

DIANA-Lens on SLR

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Loreo


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Blur


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Loreo


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DIANA-Lens on SLR


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DIANA-Lens on SLR

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Blur


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Blur

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DIANA-Lens on SLR (Film: Crossbird)


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Blur

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Blur


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Blur

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DIANA-Lens on SLR

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DIANA-Lens on SLR


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Lensbaby

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Blur


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Blur

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Blur

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Lensbaby


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Effect Filter

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Deliberate Blurring

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Effect Filter


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Effect Filter


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Blur


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Deliberate Blurring

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We always have good intentions on January 1 around 12:01 a.m. Lose some weight, exercise more, take better care of the family, and try to get to the dentist more often. Nevertheless, on January 1 around 11:00 a.m., about the time we get out of bed, reality takes hold of us again and everything remains just as it has always been. That’s how it’s worked up until now, anyway. Maybe we should think about intentions in a different way. So far we have discussed simple cameras. Assume for a minute, though, that you also have a technically advanced single-lens reflex camera that shouldn’t sit around unused in a drawer at home while you’re out gallivanting with plastic, wood, or even cardboard cameras. But you don’t want to do without the charms of simple cameras, either. You probably don’t want to carry your single-lens reflex on one shoulder and your Holga, box camera, or DIY camera on your other one. It’s also uncomfortable to wear both of them around your neck and have them dangle against your chest, and this is bound to cause collisions between the two distantly related devices, anyway. A large equipment bag may not be your thing, either, since it is heavy and greatly constrains your freedom of movement. I can relate to all of these concerns. Reducing your equipment to the absolute minimum to make photography as simple as possible is the basic idea of this book. On the following pages I offer a few suggestions for how you can use just a few pieces of equipment and yet instill your images with a good measure of charm. They are inexpensive, space saving, and broaden the possibilities of your photographic art. Let’s have a look.

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LOREO

The LOREO Lens in a Cap measures 5 cm (2 in) in diameter and is only 1 cm (0.4 in) thick. From here forward I will refer to it only as LOREO for simplicity’s sake. In its center you will find an optical lens with a diameter of 3 mm (0.1 in). This diminutive size is possible thanks to a simple aperture mechanism, the absence of a distance setting, and the abandonment of a computer-automated (read: large) lens system. We’ve already seen that a simple optical lens is perfectly capable of creating an image with a typical atmosphere. The LOREO attaches to many common camera models because it uses a bayonet mount. They aren’t widely available in photography stores, but if you look for them you can find them in places like those listed at the end of this book. With a focal length of 35 mm, it’s a light wide-angle lens. A single-lens reflex camera with through-the-lens (TTL) metering can precisely measure light with a LOREO lens attached. But just because it can doesn’t mean it will. Many very advanced systems that claim to do everything often have one obvious shortcoming: coordinating with a very simple lens. In order to do (nearly) everything, these systems require extensive communication between the camera and the lens. But our LOREO is mute—a quality that many camera processors can’t compute. They refuse to cooperate. And unfortunately, some camera manufacturers modify their bayonet mount for each camera model, which means that our inexpensive LOREO many not even fit on the camera to begin with. I recommend that you use a single-lens reflex from before the days of autofocus, when the world was still simple and everything made sense. This will also mean you can use a variety of different film speeds.

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f/64

f/5.6

Another great thing about the LOREO is its wide variety of apertures. The smallest is f/64.1 You aren’t likely to find many commercially available interchangeable lenses that stop down to an aperture this small. The smaller the aperture, the greater the depth of field. This is fantastic, and you’ll see why in your viewfinder. The left illustration was snapped with an aperture of f/64, and the one on the right was taken with a much larger aperture of f/5.6. The metal grate near the bottom edge of the image is about 30 cm (11.8 in) away from the camera. How’s that for a difference! By stopping down we obtain a range of focus from 30 cm (11.8 in) to infinity. This is very effective for images with pronounced depths of field, as is the case with many landscape photographs. Everything from the grass in the foreground to the mountaintops in the background is in focus. Remarkable! It’s really as simple as it sounds. The LOREO is absolutely practical and makes for carefree point-andshoot photography. I was eager to see how my first images with this lens would turn out, and I was pleasantly surprised. The promising image through my viewfinder preview turned out to be equally attractive. The result was much better than I was expecting from the little plastic disc. My compliments to the designers; you did a great job!

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For mathematical reasons, the actual aperture and the number used to designate it are inversely proportional. A small aperture refers, in other words, to the diameter of the opening, not to the f-stop number.

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DIANA Lens

We just can’t get away from DIANA—a testament to its wide range of uses.

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I’ve already discussed the special place DIANA has in the world of simple cameras because of its interchangeable lenses. The kicker is you can also use these wonderful lenses with other camera bodies. You can buy inexpensive adapters to connect them to Nikon, Canon, and other popular single-lens reflexes. You will no longer have to rely on general settings associated with symbols to set the sharpness of your image; instead, you can monitor it very accurately in the viewfinder. One of the advantages of doing this is it allows you to control the focus of your image. The TTL metering even functions with the advanced DIANA lenses, which means you’ll be able to photograph as you would with the original lens. Please recall my notes about the limits of these lenses, though, on page 212. Using a DIANA lens is so simple that I really don’t need to say much more about it. Remove the standard lens, attach the DIANA lens—that’s it. The compact DIANA lens will fit in nearly every jacket pocket, even if it bulges a bit. The DIANA option is always available.

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Lensbaby

The first time I saw a Lensbaby, I could not believe my eyes. What’s this? A camera mount and a bracketed lens connected by, of all things, an accordion tube? I also saw several pictures that had been created with this lens, and I thought immediately that I’ve got to have that! That excitement continues to this day. The accordion tube is the characteristic feature of the Lensbaby—not only in terms of its appearance, but also its functionality. Compressing or extending the tube allows you to adjust the focus. As you sight your subject, hold on to the front plate that houses the lens with two fingers on your left hand, and adjust the sharpness by moving it forward and backward. This is definitely something that will take some getting used to, especially because you have to hold the lens steady at the desired position. The term “sharpness” brings us to another characteristic of the Lensbaby: the lens creates a degree of blur around the edges of the image that surpasses everything we’ve seen up to this point. You can only really speak of any sort of sharpness at the center of the image. The blur in the middle of the image increases dramatically in the regions near the borders. The blur isn’t the same as a failure of a traditional lens; it’s the Lensbaby’s main purpose. It allows you to play with a flexible area of focus surrounded by a dreamlike haze.

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You can also manipulate the lens on the end of the accordion tube sideways or up and down. The area of sharpness isn’t limited to the center of your picture, in other words. This interplay of moving the camera’s eye in and out, and around in all directions, results in countless and unbelievable distortion effects. Play around with the Lensbaby’s movement. In most cases you’ll want to take multiple shots of each subject.

Shifting the area of focus in your image from the center to one of its edges can make for interesting results. The illustrations here provide a direct comparison. I shot the image on the left by moving the Lensbaby in and out. In the image on the right, I also moved the lens sideways to shift the area of focus. You can control the degree of distortion around the borders and the sharpness at the center of the image. The way you do this is just as unique as how you handle the accordion tube while shooting. The aperture plates are metal discs with circular openings in a range of sizes. The discs are held in place by magnets in the lens holder. You can also opt to shoot without a disc to achieve the greatest effect. When they are not in use, the metal discs can be stored in a carrying case. The tip of the handle is magnetic, and you use it to remove the current aperture disc and replace it with another one.

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There are a number of newly developed Lensbaby models. They allow you to lock the lens into the desired position to improve the quality of the lenses. I described the original Lensbaby here, but unfortunately it’s not available anymore. This is too bad because I think the optimizations have detracted from the Lensbaby’s original excellence. The uniqueness of a lens attached to the end of a tube, the curious charm of this construction, and its uncertain handling—these things are now somewhat lost. If you value the original charm as much as I do, you should wait for a secondhand original Lensbaby to become available.

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Making Filters Yourself

I’m coming now to a practice that (if I must be totally honest) fills me up with a certain measure of pride: attachment filters. Photography equipment manufacturers offer many filters—usually at lofty prices—that you can screw onto the front of your lenses. They have advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are lucrative for sellers because you most likely have lenses that require different filter sizes, or at least an adapter, which does in fact save money but is usually not readily available. All of the disadvantages are for the user, who has to fork out cash to buy them. One admirable exception is Cokin, which offers filters in a standard square format. With the aid of an adapter, you can mount Cokin’s filters to lenses that require various filter diameters. In contrast to filters that you screw in front of the lens, this is a cost-effective solution for people who shoot with an assortment of interchangeable lenses. On the other hand, you can use slide frames to give you some flexibility to create effects filters of your own. Not 35 mm slide frames, but larger glass ones that are designed for a 6×6 cm medium-format slide. These are large enough for you to hold them in front of a lens. You don’t screw them onto the front of the lens, and you don’t have to use an adapter—just hold them there. You can manage this singlehandedly without too much difficulty, and you’ll save time because you don’t have to screw in filters and adapters. In one pack of 6x6 cm slide frames, you can get 20 glazed slide frames, or for our purposes, 20 potential filters. A pack costs around $25 or $30. One conventional diffuser filter with a typical diameter of 55 mm could cost you $90 or $100. With prices that high, you’ll quickly learn to get along with the slide frames. They are doubly useful since they have two sides: one is normal glass (with a gray frame) and the other has a roughened, somewhat


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clouded glass surface (with a white frame) intended to prevent the dreaded Newton rings.2 Clear glass

Anti–Newton ring glass

Usually, slides are inserted between the two parts of the glass frame. Then the two sides of the frame are pressed together until you hear and feel it catch. I do almost the same thing, except I leave out the slide and call it a filter. It’s as simple as that. Let’s get started with the diffuser filter. In the 1970s, photographer David Hamilton became famous by photographing young girls in graceful poses while using a romantic and dreamlike style. Admirably, he worked with a single-lens reflex camera that was quite simple for a professional photographer. Rumor has it that he created his famous soft, diffused effect by scratching the front of his lens with sand. Well, who knows? He became famous partly because his images conspicuously departed from the widely followed convention of creating sharp images. In this way, he created rich images that would not have been possible by sticking to conservative methods. He didn’t invent blur or softening, but he did boost its popularity enormously. He counterpointed the fad with sharpness, which makes him all the more admirable in my esteem. Diffusion filters intentionally and obviously reduce the level of sharpness that a lens can produce. When using this type of filter in combination with overexposing your scene, you can create subtle pastel colors, or with black-and-white-film you can create gentle light gray tones. Photos shot in this way have an atmosphere that is shimmering, dreamy, and suffused with light. Conversely, by slightly underexposing your images, you can make subjects that are already chilling—like graves, castle ruins, and so on—even more macabre. You can call forward a whole range of human emotions with a simple roughed piece of glass. 2

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The effect of Newton rings produces unwanted rainbow-colored rings in projected images. They can be hampered with this type of glass.


We take a camera with a lens designed to create sharp images, look through the viewfinder, and settle on a subject in bright light—such as this female beauty crafted out of alabaster by a talented Greek craftsman—then hold up one of the white slide frames with a roughened surface in front of the lens. That looks good, doesn’t it? Now hold up a second frame and you’ll see that the effect is twice as strong.

Dreamlike bliss or nightmarish horror—you can easily create both with a diffusion filter. That’s it for the white slide frames; now let’s consider the gray ones. These are simple glass sheets that don’t have any influence on the image, and that is their exact purpose. You can project an image through them without the slightest optical influence.


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Now it’s time for the petroleum jelly. This practice is actually old hat; photographers have been using petroleum jelly on UV filters for decades to soften images. Smear some petroleum jelly on a UV filter to make a functional diffusion filter. The problem with this method actually comes after you take your photo. Where should you put the greasy filter? It’s either going to make a mess on your equipment in your photo bag or it’s going to get all over the inside of your pocket. The only good solution is to carefully clean it off after every use. The next time you want to use a diffusion filter, you have to reach for the petroleum jelly again. The gray slide frames make for a much more elegant solution. Evenly smear petroleum jelly on the inside of one of the frames and then place a clean slide frame on it. You can now carry this little sandwich around with you and not worry about soiling pockets in your equipment bag, pants, or jacket. The next time you want to use it, you won’t have to smear any more petroleum jelly or clean up your makeshift filter. You can regulate how strong the effect of this filter is by altering the amount of petroleum jelly you use. The untreated white slide frames produce a standard diffusion, but with petroleum jelly, you can modify the effects. For example, you could smear petroleum jelly only around the border of your filter while leaving the center of the slide frame untouched. This would replicate the look of an image snapped with the Lensbaby. The picture will be sharp in the middle and increasingly blurry toward the edges. There’s no reason why the sharp area has to be in the middle of the picture. Simple smear the petroleum jelly in the desired areas, or, even better, just move your filter into the desired position.

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You can get even more creative when it comes to distorting your images. Instead of smearing the petroleum jelly evenly across the filter, for example, you can use your fingers to brush it in calculated ways. You could create a beam of reflected light at a right angle to your strokes.

First apply parallel strokes of petroleum jelly. You can see the effect in this picture. Turn the filter until it directs the beams of light as you wish, then shoot—and with that you’ll have an image that astonished viewers will ooh and aah over.


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Small crisscross strokes of petroleum jelly were used to create the effect in this image. It’s not bad, but the effect isn’t strong enough. If you’ve already got your hands dirty, why not really get into it? Allow yourself to get carried away and smear the stuff over the glass surface with reckless abandon. Give anything that your imagination comes up with a try. You can evaluate the results in real time while looking through your camera’s viewfinder and decide to abandon filters or keep them in your photo bag with your set of special effect filters.

I achieved this special effect by creating concentric circles with petroleum jelly and leaving the center untouched.

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A coat of petroleum jelly painted out toward the edges created this effect. 3

This picture is really rather unremarkable, but the petroleum jelly filter can breathe life into an otherwise dull subject.

3

Please don’t be deceived. I didn’t accidentally mix up the text for this illustration and the previous one, as you might at first suspect. As described, the desired effect occurs at a right angle to the direction of the petroleum jelly strokes and accordingly distorts the image.


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Small curls on the surface of the filter completely alter the visual character of this subject. The result is an interplay of lines and various green color tones.

Before you give someone a bouquet of flowers, enjoy them for yourself first. A thick coat of petroleum jelly in tandem with a telephoto focal length turn the flowers into enchanting balls of colorful cotton. These methods open up the door to an extraordinary realm of creative possibilities. Two materials—slide frames and petroleum jelly—are the basis for an imaginative and endless photographic game. To close, I’d like to reveal the secret of the images on pages 204 and 210. Suppose you left all your good intentions at home, and you have just discovered a subject that is crying out to be thoughtfully distorted. Set your good-quality lens to a close distance. The results will be incredible. This is also an effective means of dealing with a fusspot who complains about your outof-focus images. Just show him or her an image like this. Out of focus? This is out of focus!

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Chapter 8 Storage Media

I recently read a newspaper article that attempted to explain the basics of photography to teenagers. It said that photographers used to save images to a roll of film that had a capacity of 36 exposures. This struck me as odd. Used to? I must belong to a fringe group of darkroom druids who still use film. The article didn’t actually say, “imagine that!” but you could read it between the lines. Today, storing images digitally is the norm. Film is almost ready for museums. When people speak of photography nowadays, it’s clear that they mean digital photography. This has been the case for many years already. If you wish to denote film photography, it’s necessary to explicitly say so to avoid confusion. Time passes, and the new replaces the old. Were that not the case, we’d still be crawling around on all fours and wouldn’t have any free hands to hold a camera. As I’ve already demonstrated, working with the simplest of cameras inevitably requires a look back to a traditional craft. By and large, the medium of film and the methods of using it are no longer familiar to everyone. It’s therefore worthwhile to take a closer look at the properties of film, which many find so peculiar. Film isn’t widely available in a lot of brands and varieties like it used to be, but 35 mm film is still on the shelves of most retail photography stores, though this goes largely unnoticed. Let’s take a look at the types of film that are still available today.

Standard 35 mm film is consistently available with 36 exposures and dimensions of 24×36 mm. You can sometimes find rolls with just 24 exposures. The difference in cost is modest, and the cost for development is the same, so it’s better to buy the 36-exposure type instead.

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120 roll film

127 roll film

Medium-format cameras commonly use 120 roll film, with the various frame sizes of 4.5×6 cm, 6×6 cm, and 9×6 cm. Depending on the format, the film can hold 16, 12, or 8 exposures.1 Cameras that produce 4×4 cm frames (12 exposures) use 127 roll film. This film also works with a few rare cameras that produce 3×4 cm frames (16 exposures) and 4×6.5 cm frames (8 exposures). The advantages of 35 mm film are that it is readily accessible in stores, and it is available from a number of different manufacturers in a variety of styles. Also, you don’t have to go very far to find a lab that can develop 35 mm film. Additionally, each roll of film provides you with more exposures than comparably priced roll films. Roll film opens up the possibility of using Holga cameras and several other oldies, for which this format is standard. In theory, 120 roll film provides better image quality because the larger negative format doesn’t need to be enlarged as much when it’s converted to a positive image. But since we weren’t so meticulous with our choice of camera, this is insignificant. There’s no need to buy the most expensive film available for our purposes. The cheapest roll you can find will work just fine for simple cameras.

1

The term “medium-format film” indicates that it falls between small-(35 mm) and large-format film. Large-format cameras often use negative formats larger than 9×12 cm. These cameras typically use single sheets of film that are loaded into a cassette. You may find some that take two—one on the front and one on the back. Typically these cameras look like an accordion, and they are always used on a tripod. The photographer’s head and shoulders and the camera are usually hidden beneath a black cloth so the photographer can see the image on the focusing screen. When you happen to come across this ceremony, just walk on by. No matter how tempted you are to pull the cloth off the photographer—he or she isn’t likely to think it’s funny!


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There is a wide variety of other formats and systems. They unfortunately have one thing in common: you can’t find them anywhere.

120 620

Pay close attention to the film designation 620 and to any roll film spools that are especially slim. The film itself has the same dimensions as 120 roll film; the only difference is that the spool is smaller—somewhat too small. A camera with the number 620 in its name, or one that has 620 anywhere on its case, will likely do better as an ornament than a functional camera. Some dedicated tinkerers take the trouble to unwind an entire roll of 120 film in complete darkness and then wind it onto a 620 spool. This requires a lot of patience and skill; as far as patience goes, it takes more than I have, so I steer clear of this procedure. It’s not compatible with my preference for all things simple. There are color films, slide films (usually color, rarely black-and-white), classic black-andwhite films, and monochrome black-and-white films. Color films are generally the most in demand and are accordingly the easiest to find at photography stores. They’re also capable of balancing out minor over- or underexposure, which is inevitable with cameras that offer only one shutter speed. Slide films are not practical for our simple cameras. They are better suited for cameras that offer exact exposure metering and control because they don’t allow room for small deviations. Even a small deviation from the proper exposure would ruin the shot. Also, most people are not too excited about putting in the effort to set up a projector, a projection table, and a viewing screen. Traditional black-and-white films aren’t quite so finicky. They definitely offer some latitude when exposing them, even if it’s not quite as pronounced as color films.

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For our purposes, Monochrome black-and-white films have clear advantages for black-and-white photography. There are two types: Ilford XP2 Super and Kodak BW400CN. These types of film offer a lot of leeway in terms of exposure and, although they are not entirely without limits, they can do a great deal to balance out under- or overexposed images. This is just the ticket for our simple cameras, especially for pinhole photography, which demands that exposure times be determined by rule of thumb. The respective light sensitivities of the various film types are yet another variable. Common film speeds include ISO 100/21°, ISO 200/24°, and ISO 400/27°. The higher the value, the more sensitive the film is to light. Films with ISO 50/18° are rare, as are exotic films with speeds of ISO 1600/33° (color) and even ISO 3200/36° (black-and-white). Monochrome films are typically ISO 400/27°. You should also shoot with this speed film when using cameras that feature adjustable sensitivities. This is true even if the manufacturer advertises that you can expose the film with ISO 200/24°, ISO 400/27°, or ISO 800/30°. The sensitivities of ISO 1600/33° and ISO 3200/36° are suitable for use with the LOREO lens when using apertures of f/32 or f/64, respectively. I suggest the following general rule of thumb for cameras that don’t offer a recommendation: • Oldies: ISO 100/21° • Newer models (e.g., Holga): ISO 400/36° • Pinhole cameras: ISO 100/21° Loading film into a camera is a ritual that is comparable to setting the needle down on an LP record. Quiet, caution, and a great deal of care are required, and it is a task for those of us who are in a nostalgic minority. There is a general process for loading 35 mm film and roll film that varies only in the details specific to the camera brand.


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Loading 35 mm Film

Sprocket holes line the sides of 35 mm film, which is spooled inside a canister. To open the back of the camera, just pull up the crank.

When you open the back of the camera, you’ll see the rear part of its inner workings—a chamber for the film cartridge, a second chamber to receive the exposed film, and the film guide between the two. Generally, the film canister should be placed on the side that has the crank for rewinding the film.

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Take the end of the film that extends out of the canister, run it through the film guide to the opposite chamber, and thread it onto the spool. Gears will engage the sprocket holes on the film and advance the frame when you turn the crank or a dial. When you’re sure the film will securely spool into the receiving chamber, close the back and advance the film until the frame counter indicates 1. The camera is ready to shoot, so now you can get started. The Blackbird, Fly offers something unusual. The film cartridge has the luxury of its own compartment. This requires one additional step: open the door, insert the film, and close the door. This will seem cumbersome the first time you do it, but you’ll get used to it with time.

After 36 exposures you’ll reach the end of the film, and you’ll need to rewind the film into its canister. Then open the back and remove the cartridge. That’s all there is to using 35 mm film. Before we get to the development process, let’s take a quick look at how to use roll film.


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Loading Roll Film

After you open the back of a camera that requires 120 roll film, you’ll see more or less the same inner workings as a 35 mm camera: chambers on the right and left and the film guide in the middle. One key difference, however, is that there is no cartridge, no crank, and no way to rewind the film. I’ll talk about that more later. Place the film in the appropriate chamber, which won’t feature an advance mechanism.

Thread the film through the guide and into the empty spool.

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There will be a feed knob above the empty spool, which you will need to turn until an arrow reaches the take-up spool. Then close the camera case.

Now comes the second major difference between a medium-format camera and a 35 mm camera. It has to do with how the camera counts exposed negatives. On the back of the camera you will see a red window. While you advance the film, you will see some meaningless characters roll by, then right before you lose hope, something miraculous happens: the anticipated number 1 shows up, and now you’re ready to go.2

2

High-quality, modern medium-format cameras often feature counters similar to those found on 35 mm cameras.


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You’ll know when you’ve exposed the entire roll of film when it becomes noticeably easier to turn the take-up dial and when numbers no longer appear in the frame counter window. Continue turning the dial until film is no longer visible through the window. This means the entire roll is now wrapped around the take-up spool. Open the back, remove the film—and now for something interesting.

To keep the roll film from unraveling off the spool, there is a strip of paper at the end of the roll. This paper is covered with adhesive, like on envelopes, to secure the film. You

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can either use a moistened finger to activate the glue, in a perfectly civilized manner, or you can do like most people and profanely lick it. After it’s moistened, stick it to the roll. Important: Until you have securely fastened the roll with the adhesive, hold onto the roll of film tightly. With even a slight unraveling of the film, light will fall on the sensitive surface, rendering your images useless. The spool that originally held the film now functions as the take-up spool. This means you should never throw out an empty spool, or you will need to scrap an entire roll of film just to harvest the spool. Film is loaded into box cameras in essentially the same way. The path of the film, however, must be steered around a corner twice. The film is now ready for the last step: development. I hope you’ve followed my advice and opted for the simplicity of using color film or monochrome black-and-white film. If you did, then the next steps are much easier. Without exception, both types of film are developed using the C41 process, which is standardized worldwide (and is the principal advantage of using monochrome black-and-white film instead of traditional black-and-white film). It’s the same no matter what type of film you use and where you use it: Up north in Alaska or at the southernmost tip of Chile, in Tokyo or in Hum (the smallest city in the world, with a population of around 20 people).3 The development process is always the same for every color film (and monochrome black-and-white film). Any of the large photo discounters, and even small photography shops and studios in your area, readily offer this service. You can also find many vendors on the Internet who are willing to fulfill special customer requests. One such request is developing panoramic pictures. What good are our wide-screen images when they will be cropped unceremoniously without regard for the large negative format? Some panoramas are shredded at this point and lost forever. So our special request in this case is don’t shred our film! The Internet is also the logical place to turn when there isn’t a lab that can handle roll film in your area.4 There are two more important things I’d like to highlight: 1. Don’t touch the surface of the film. Always hold the film by its edges, unless you want palm-sized fingerprints in your images. 2. Film is very prone to scratching. Avoid any mechanical friction against the surface of the film, and take great care when removing your pictures and negatives from the lab’s envelope. Both of these risks can be minimized if you hold the film as little as possible. To wrap up our trip into the world of film-based storage devices, I’d like to leave you with another tip: keep your negatives. Your friends may want a print or two from them later.

3 4

This is not a mistake. This settlement in the south of Croatia is really designated as a city. I fear that these inhabitants may have to visit the next town over to have their film developed using the C41 process. Also, naturally, an option for the citizens of Hum.


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Chapter 9 Simply Digital

TECHNAXX X1

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Digital

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SLIM 5L-II


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I count myself among the fringe group of analog and darkroom druids. But with an open mind I ventured into the realm of pixels, image sensors, and digital storage media. Are there any digital cameras that resemble the simplicity of a Holga? Perhaps a camera with a simple concept and features that are reduced to the bare minimum? Full of optimism, I ventured forth in search of a camera with spartan inner workings, a camera that doesn’t try to hide its simple origin and instead wears it proudly in the open. My task was more difficult than I expected. Even cameras in the lowest price segment of the point-andshoot variety come with an absurd number of bells and whistles. Reviews of the images produced by these cameras say things like “sufficient for its intended target group,” or “it’s acceptable, considering its price.” Where can I find a budget model that has a lens in the front, a sensor in the back, a shutter-release button on top, and nothing else? My efforts were finally rewarded. I got a camera that, according to several reviews, is boiled down to its essential elements. But one is never enough, so I continued my search and there it was: a small digital snapper whose technical features consisted only of a small lens, two unassuming buttons, and a rectangular frame. When I later discovered another camera that had similar features but larger dimensions, I packed my little digital trio into my camera bag. My research wasn’t based on a carefully selected, representative cross section of what’s available, just a random stab in the dark. My inquiring mind needed to discover cameras that seemed best suited to my plans. Please follow me on my off-the-cuff journey onto the black ice of digital photography. Let’s have a look at the three marvels that quenched my thirst for digital knowledge. The order I present them in is based on the highest-profile criteria for digital cameras: the number of pixels.

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TECHNAXX X1

When I bought this little runt, it was hanging off a key chain. I quickly removed the key chain and tossed it. You shouldn’t think of this snapper as a pendant. Even if it is small, it’s still a digital camera. The camera includes the following: • 1 built-in lens with a fixed focal length • 1 shutter-release button • 1 mode button • 1 retractable viewfinder • 1 LCD monitor with a two-digit display • 1 USB 1.1 port • 1 CD with driver and editing software Now for the all-important parameter: a dizzying 100 kilopixels! With two levels of resolution possible, each with the option of using compression, its memory capacity ranges between 18 and 150 images. I was completely amazed to discover a video function. Yes, the little thing actually has a video function! It’s capable of capturing and electronically saving a clip of 12 seconds of your life. Incomprehensible! A self-timer and an automatic turn-off function after 60 seconds of inactivity round out the features of the TECHNAXX X1. With this extensive range of functions, this photographic flyweight should actually be disqualified as a simple camera. What gives? Simpler digital cameras just don’t exist.

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The operation of the freeze-frame function is as follows.1 After turning the camera on, the LCD screen displays the number of remaining pictures you can take. This pleases me. It’s simple! Just two numbers—the straightforward display isn’t capable of showing anything else. And that’s enough! For any possible three-digit numbers, the user manual offers this useful tip: “it continues with 00 and you have to remember the initial 1.” When you’re ready to snap pictures, the viewfinder pulls up out of the housing. It consists of a simple 5×8 mm (0.2×0.3 in) frame through which you can “select the object you wish to photograph,” according to the user manual. A beep confirms that you have successfully captured an image, and that’s all there is to it. The image is in the box. With these simple operation procedures, this camera has earned a place in our league of simplicity, despite my initial concerns.

To avoid distracting artifacts, you shouldn’t attempt to enlarge these images too much. You can still give the snapshots some extra substance by using a trick that is often quite effective with miniatures: furnish your image with a broad mat and a sleek, narrow picture frame. This works really well, especially if you create a series of similarly framed images related to the same theme and use them to decorate a wall. The images produced at the lowest quality setting (small resolution with compression) are actually beautiful and almost painterly. You can see examples on pages 244, 245 and 246. It is unlikely that you will be able to find this specific minicamera because it is not widely available. To find a comparable pixel-processing small-fry, search for terms like key ring and camera together in Internet search engines, as well as word combinations including clock, pen, and even USB connector. That’s all. A general search for minicamera will also produce a number of hits. You’ll be amazed at everything that you can find in the flyweight class of digital cameras.

1

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The video function was beyond the scope of my research.


Digital

The dimensions of this camera are slightly larger. It goes by the simple and unassuming name Digital. The functions and operation of this camera are conveniently identical to the TECHNAXX X1. What appears to be the housing for a flash on the top of the camera is just a fake. An integrated flash is really beyond the scope of cameras in this category. Most importantly, it has 300 kilopixels! The camera is also capable of creating video recordings of up to 15 seconds in length. Depending on your resolution and compression settings, the camera will save between 5 and 70 pictures. You can readily notice a jump from the photographic flyweight division to the featherweight division. The images can be enlarged more, and the strong vignetting is also promising. The details wash away almost entirely around the edges and in the corners, resulting in a patterned colorful and circular frame of sorts around the main subject. The only analog camera that produces a similar effect is the Recesky. As far as image quality and camera operation goes, the digital counterpart to simple film cameras is the pudgy-looking Digital.

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SLIM 5L-II

This was the first camera I found in my search to try a digital equivalent to the likes of the Holga. It’s not exactly all the rage, but the product description outlined all of the qualities that I was after. The range of functions seemed straightforward. The customer reviews showed a controlled enthusiasm with nothing along the lines of a give-it-to-me-now infatuation. After three days I had it in my hands. A curious look into the user manual provided me with the following details: • • • • • • • • • • • •

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3.1 megapixels Digital zoom Video with sound recording Flash Internal memory Memory card Self-timer Blast shooting mode White balance Brightness correction Image effects: Color, black-and-white, and sepia Three levels of image quality: Normal, fine, and superfine


Whoa! This extensive list is overwhelming. I wasn’t expecting it at all. Well, I want simple, I search for simple, so I’ll make it simple for myself; I’ll choose the shooting options carefully and keep my fingers away from anything that doesn’t look like an on/off button or a shutter-release button. In daylight, you’re more likely to see glare on the camera display than anything that might be of use to a photographer trying to compose a shot. To have a look at your images immediately after you take them, you’ll have to find some darkness. My ascetic leanings helped me get over this weakness quickly. Working with pinhole cameras has taught me to roughly estimate the frame of a picture. I personally could well live without investigating the images right after shooting them. I save everything to the memory card, sustain the excitement, and look at the results later on my laptop2. I had high hopes for a rich image quality based on my standards, but I was bitterly disappointed. By conservative standards the image quality is shockingly good. There are no areas of reduced detail, and there is a penetrating sharpness in the corners. Additionally, there are none of the visual artifacts that I treasure so much. But since I bought this digital snapper, I will find a way to get satisfactory results. I don’t give up that easily, so I accept the challenge. I figured out how to turn the camera on and off and how to release the shutter. Now I need to work out how to fix the image quality that was so unpleasant for me. I started looking for ideas. This example shows the alarmingly sober clarity of an unaltered picture. There isn’t anything that could impress the expecting eye of the viewer in any way. Not even the blue façade brings any life to this image.

2

Yes, I do have one of these things. Perhaps you’re under the impression that I used a good old typewriter to hammer out the text of this book on paper. But I have neither the dexterity nor the patience to line up this many letters and words flawlessly. Three cheers for the correction features of word processing software!

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Fortunately, there’s a clever tool in the Lomographic bag of tricks: transparent tape. You can place it over the lens. You can even use two layers. Alternatively, you can use the transparent part of blister packaging. Already the recorded picture starts to develop some character, and the viewer will be offered something interesting. Shooting the structure of leaves and blossoms makes for particularly sweet eye candy.

You can also create a fingerprint on the adhesive side of the tape. Positioning this fingerprint in front of the lens creates a sight worth seeing. I would much rather live in this romantic cottage than in the terribly clinical box in the first image of this series.

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If you don’t have any tape handy, though, and your fingers have just been scrubbed with soap and a brush so they won’t leave any fingerprints on the lens, don’t be discouraged. Just use the camera’s integrated continuous Holga function. The manual uses the maligned term “digital zoom.” I don’t quite understand the contempt for this function. When you use it properly, you can create images that fit perfectly into our analog league of simplicity. I’ve made a successful step into the brave new world of modern photography in this chapter, even if it was a bit tongue in cheek. I discovered cameras whose functionality can be summed up entirely on four-page leaflets. Thick instruction manuals are not required. Well then, it is possible!

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Chapter 10 Finale

The Lab

We’ve purchased a camera and the required accessories that are well suited for our purposes. We’ve searched for subjects, found them, and captured them on film. The film has been developed, and now only the final step remains: create the finished images. The silver bullet would be to use your own lab by designating a room at home to function as a darkroom. This need not be a special room—even a bathroom can be turned into a makeshift work space. Many people find the development process to be a truly enjoyable hobby. For me, it’s always a thrill when I dip a piece of white photo paper into the development bath and start to see a black-and-white image appear. The color process takes place in a lightproof tube, but it is hardly carried out today. When you finally hold that finished image in your hand, it’s time to pat yourself on the back and tell yourself, “You did a great job.” Working in a darkroom is time consuming and requires precision. Accordingly, only those who derive pleasure from the tasks involved should take it up. You can teach yourself about the methods by reading advice and tips in Internet forums, or better yet by getting someone to show you how it’s done. In principle, it’s not difficult. If you trust yourself to: • • • •

turn on the lamp of an enlarger for a few seconds, bathe a piece of paper in a tub that’s half full of liquid, splash the piece of paper in two additional tubs, and rinse the paper that now displays your image in water,

you are ready to hazard a trip into the “red light district”.

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The most common process is to have the photos enlarged at the same time they are developed. This is also the easiest and a cost-effective solution. All you need to do is drop your film off at the lab, and a few days later you’ll have your photos in your hand. This convenience doesn’t come without a cost, however. You have only limited influence on how your photo actually gets printed. You receive the picture exactly how the processing machine produces them. The automated technology determines the color intensity, contrast, and brightness. Additionally, the machine processes every single exposure, even the ones that you don’t especially care for and the ones that you’d rather throw out. When I say “limited influence,” you’re not totally at the mercy of an image processing machine. You can usually include special instructions with your order. Not every photo lab takes special requests, so I drop my film off at a service counter where I can talk to people face to face. This sort of service counter can usually be found only in stores that deal exclusively with photography, but sometimes portrait studios have them. These types of places are probably not around the corner from where you live, which means you’ll have to turn a few extra corners to get there. The movement is good for you.

Crossbird with color correction

Crossbird without color correction

Redbird with color correction

Redbird without color correction

There is one important special request that is indispensable for our purposes: Redbird, Nightbird, and Crossbird film must be processed without color correction. The automatic white balance will interpret these films as having an undesirable color tint and will attempt to balance them out. As you can see in these photos, the result will be images that

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don’t reveal the essential character of the films at all. It can bring tears to your eyes. No, no—please, no color correction!

Color

Black-and-white

I find the results of enlarging monochrome black-and-white film on color paper really interesting. This produces a subtle coloring that gives the images an antique character. Depending on the subject, this effect can look really great. Panorama images also require special attention that you shouldn’t leave to a large commercial lab. I’ve had a range of experiences with this myself. It’s best to talk directly with a technician. The same is true with roll film negatives. Aside from discounters and photography stores, there are also specialized vendors that can handle specific requests, and they may expressly offer customization as a service. The range of available services are typically listed on the websites of photo labs. You can find the addresses for several at the end of this book. You can also get useful information over the phone or via e-mail. This type of store should be your last resort, though, after you’ve exhausted all other possibilities. One thing is clear: their prices won’t compete with those of a discounter who benefits from the economies of scale. With all told, having a professional lab handle your film processing and enlargement is the simplest, and certainly not a bad, way to go.

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Chapter 10 Finale

Scanner

One intriguing option for getting your final images is a hybrid method: analog film exposure and development with digital processing that involves scanning and printing. Scanning and printing are as common as calling someone on the telephone, writing an e-mail, or sending someone a text message. The younger generation figures all of this out before they learn the multiplication table and can execute these tasks as though they were second nature. The older generation hopefully has some contact with the younger one and is in a position to realize the benefits of a real social network. Scanners are available in a wide range of prices, from less than $50 to several thousand dollars. It would, of course, be strange to lay down $5,000 for a scanner if the camera you’re using is a $60 Holga. A scanner for your negatives should be able to reproduce images without a significant loss of quality. It doesn’t, however, need to be able to handle razor-sharp negatives from a Hasselblad with total loss-free precision. This obviously isn’t one of our requirements. The scanner should be adequate for the camera you’re using. What can we expect from a scanner that fits the description, “As much as necessary and as little as possible”?

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My expectations are the following: • Resolution of 1800 pixels This is the recommended minimum resolution for 35 mm film negatives and will serve our purposes adequately. Nearly every negative scanner offers at least this resolution, by the way. There’s no need for anything higher. • Manual contrast and brightness adjustment The contrast and brightness adjustments will be different for each of your negatives, and they should be adjusted during scanning. I don’t care to entrust this process to an automatic system because image detail that’s lost in the shadows or highlights can’t be retrieved by other post-processing methods. • Dust and scratch removal option Even if you are careful with your equipment, you’ll eventually find unwanted particles on your negatives. Blemishes that the scanner can remove won’t be bothersome later on. What’s been described already is necessary. If you happen to pull a scanner off the shelf that doesn’t offer these functions, you should set it back down. If you shoot with one of our medium-format fireballs from the Far East or with a venerable oldie, take note that you’ll need a scanner that can readily handle roll films in addition to 35 mm negatives. There are a number of influences that can sully your negatives with a tint of color. White balance will (usually) be able to provide correct color reproduction. Be careful with the Bird films, though, because their main purpose is to color your images distinctly. For those films you need to disable the white balance feature. For a scanner to process the negatives of panorama exposures, its image frame can’t be strictly limited to the 36x24 mm format. It’s advantageous to be able to save your scans as TIFF files. I’ll talk about that more later. For the following comparison of scanners I arbitrarily set an upper price limit of about $250 and looked at three models. The selection of scanners here is not accidental. These are the three scanners that were available to me. My goal is not to provide an overview of everything that’s on the market, and it’s not to select a winner from an extensive series of tests. My aim is to highlight the features I believe are important for our purposes.

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I’ll start with a bad experience. Several years ago a type of scanner that looks like a small black tower came on the market at surprisingly low prices. Its main selling point was that it could scan negatives and slides exceptionally fast. The prospect of saving space by scanning thousands of vacation slides seemed attractive to me, so I purchased one of these inexpensive machines. The scanning didn’t take too long. Unfortunately, it also didn’t take very long to discover that the quality of the scans was terrible. I parted ways with that little machine quite quickly.

The scans of the negatives looked awful, too. Since these images are scans of negatives, not positive slides, they appear as if it’s dark outside instead of light. I don’t mean to dismiss tower scanners entirely, but mine was a catastrophe. No matter how fast and inexpensive the scanner is, it doesn’t make up for these terrible haloes. This is neither low budget nor a concession to simple technology—this is just botched! Even from an inexpensive scanner I expect that the negatives will be evenly illuminated. Away with that rubbish! It should be sent back to the dealer. Treat excessively discounted scanners with suspicion, and keep your eyes open. If something is cheap, that doesn’t make it a good value. Here is an overview of the scanners that I use:

Features and Capabilities

The Fast (SnapScan 9000)

The Pleasant (Reflecta 7200)

The Versatile (EPSON 4990)

Resolution of 1800 pixels

+

+

+

Contrast adjustment

-

+

+

Brightness adjustment

+

+

+

Black-and-white and color

+

+

+

Dust and scratch removal

-

+

+

Scanner

273

Features and Capabilities

The Fast (SnapScan 9000)

The Pleasant (Reflecta 7200)

The Versatile (EPSON 4990)

White balance

+

+

+

Panorama format

-

-

+

Medium format

-

-

+

TIFF format

-

+

+

Software

Internal

CyberView X

EPSON Scan

And now the scanners in detail: The Fast

This scanner is a small black tower, but it produces a much better quality than the catastrophe I described earlier. The device is very user friendly and provides a manageable number of functions, which makes it appropriate for use in conjunction with our simple cameras. It’s especially practical because it can be used as a stand-alone unit instead of requiring a connection to a computer. After setting the tower on a table, it’s ready to go. You can preview each scanned image on a small monitor, and after you press the button it takes about 0.6 seconds to scan and save one negative. This means you can work through an entire series of negatives in a matter of minutes. The sharpness and uniformity of the illumination in the scanned images are acceptable.

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The speed of this machine is its greatest advantage. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include a manual contrast correction, and it can’t eliminate distracting particles on the film surface. This means you must rely on an automatic contrast correction, and you must carefully clean your negatives by hand. The Pleasant

The software is more extensive with this device. Its functions are still simple enough to be explained in a few pages of a small booklet. Unlike the previous model, this scanner requires a connection to a computer. You insert a filmstrip into a guide, then advance it manually one image at a time. You need to examine each image on your computer monitor to manually correct the brightness, contrast, and color. Using the input from your corrections, the machine rescans the negative and saves the image. Working with this model is quite a bit slower than working with the tower, but it offers both manual and automatic contrast adjustment, dust and scratch removal, and the ability to save your files in TIFF format. These are substantial benefits in exchange for speed. Keeping a cup of coffee and a piece of cake on your desk is a rather nice way to pass the time you’ll spend waiting while the scanner moves from one negative to the next. The speed is acceptable for scanning an entire roll of film, but you would need a lot of time and patience to tackle a complete slide collection. Photographers who work mostly with 35 mm film would find this scanner to be a solid and user-friendly tool.

Scanner

275

The Versatile

This flatbed scanner is a machine that satisfies all our wishes. It scans both photos and negatives in various formats. It features guide marks for 35 mm film and roll films, which makes this the right model for anyone armed with our medium-format friends from Asia and anyone who prefers nostalgic time travel. An additional and more substantial advantage is that this device allows you to scan an entire series (to a maximum of 24) of 35 mm negatives with a single click. In the meantime, you can go have coffee and cake with your family. Unfortunately, this tea-party mode is not available when you scan roll film. Each of these negatives must be scanned individually. The software offers three different processing modes: 1. The first mode takes care of everything automatically. You don’t have to worry about a thing. 2. The second mode asks for a few basic details, thanks you for the information, and then takes off. 3. The most sophisticated mode is called “professional,” and it follows detailed input from the user. You can select a variety of options for a whole series of scans and review them before processing.

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This flatbed is the all-around scanner of my team. It’s practical for all of the photographic tasks described in this book, and it’s especially interesting for processing series of 35 mm and medium-format films. The Pleasant and The Versatile offer automatic dust and scratch removal, but these features have their limits. That’s why it’s important to have a soft dusting brush (available in every photography store) so you can free the larger particles from the surface of the film, leaving only the smallest pieces for the scanner’s automatic function. I strongly recommend that you use a picture editing program to optimize your images after you scan them. This is why you should scan your images as TIFF files and why you should continue to save your images as TIFF files while you work in your picture editing software. You should save only the final image as a compressed JPEG file. You should save the JPEG with a file name that’s different from the original TIFF file so you can revert back to the original image later. If you save an image in JPEG format while you’re editing it, and then you reopen it and resave it over and over again, the image becomes more and more compressed with each save. This leads to a clearly noticeable reduction of quality. A scanner is naturally intended for the straightforward reproduction of an original. You don’t usually expect more of such a machine, but that doesn’t mean it’s not capable of more. It actually offers a lot of room for creative play. It is, after all, a recording device.

Here’s my favorite trick for scanning black-and-white film. Instead of scanning a blackand-white negative using the logical black-and-white mode, opt instead to misuse the RGB color mode for experimental purposes. The result will be a brownish color that shows its true potential only after you increase the contrast. Depending on the strength of the increase, the color will shift to a stronger brown that conveys an excellent antique effect and eventually a bright red that approximates the look of Redbird.

Scanner

277

It can be really exciting to discover a scan of a negative that is clearly over- or underexposed, and perhaps one that also has low contrast because of overcast skies. These scans also require a strong boost in contrast, which will leave only a few medium tones left in the image. No one will recognize that this image was exposed using a film camera. People will be surprised—and pleased—when you tell them this.

A scanner is actually a type of photographic device. Try using a flatbed scanner to capture anything you can get your hands on. Just keep your eyes open around your home and yard for things like rubber bands and colorful cardboard. A photographer friend of mine showed me images of simple rubber bands, and I thought to myself, I’ve got to try that.

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Negative

Slide

Can you scan a tree leaf with transmitted light, like a negative or a slide? Why not? It works with other things, too. You just need something that’s colorful and translucent.

I have to share this image with you. It started with a negative that I took with my Blackbird, Fly. After I once again failed to treat my flatbed scanner fairly, it decided to hit back. I was ready to get back to normal, but it let me know it wasn’t there yet—not until it showed me what it was capable of. I have no idea how the scanner made this image, but I think it’s great. If I ever run out of creative ideas, I’ve got quite a creative partner!

Scanner

279

Image Editing

Negativ

Dia

I don’t favor the practice of attempting to optimize images so much during the scanning process that it is not necessary to process them later on. Each to his own, but I prefer to do this work in an image editing program. The sensational capabilities of these programs is a hot topic right now, and there are a lot of things to say about what they have to offer. Even with imaging processing I’m looking for simple solutions—ones without bells and whistles—that will take care of what’s important. For me, image editing is not about taking the head off of person A and attaching it to the torso of person B, changing the red sweater of this person to a blue that matches the overall scene, smoothing out the skin of this fake person so she has all the charm of a mannequin, setting her knee-deep in a mountain lake in the Alps, and then finishing off the scene with a waterfall from the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop. I only want to adjust the brightness and contrast and possibly trim the image modestly. That’s just enough to give my images the final touch. Even the simplest image editing programs offer these three basic functions, including the Windows basic program Microsoft Office Picture Manager. These three features offer many opportunities for experimentation and allow you to design an image with its own unique look. Anyone who finds these modest features too limiting can find several image editing programs on the Internet for free download.

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Some keepers of the grail stand by never-changing rules that say you need to frame and compose your final picture when you expose your image. Others opine that black-andwhite photos must show a minimal degree of detail, in the shadows and the highlights. Anything that doesn’t live up to these standards is dreck. Ugh! Spare yourself any discussion with the likes of them. Their opinions are cast in concrete. Simply improve your images for yourself, and do so with simple means. Why exactly does the image need to be framed during the exposure? Why should a photo that otherwise pleases you thoroughly be used as an example of what not to do because someone’s big toe is visible in the edge of the picture? You really shouldn’t spend the rest of the day grief stricken because of a big toe. You should instead be thrilled that you took the shot before the guy had a chance to make his way farther into the image. Snip, snap, and the toe is gone. There’s something else along these lines that is very important. In the moment that you expose the film, you’re working with a predetermined image format—when shooting with 35 mm film it’s 36×24 mm. Whoever said that this aspect ratio was always and forever optimal? Maybe one particular subject fits better in a 36x20 mm frame. Though it will probably dismay the high priest of classical photography, I recommend that you give some thought to the aspect ratios of your images and optimize them as you see fit. This is true even with panoramic shots of landscapes. Simply trim away a boring sky and everything will look better. Now to the subject of brightness and contrast. The level of detail in the highlights and shadows does not make or break a photograph—the overall impression of the shot does. And who judges this, anyway? You and you alone! A photograph of a dungeon feels sinister even if you can make out only some dimly lit chains and implements of torture in an otherwise totally black space. Do you feel the same emotion that you did when you reached for your camera? Then it’s an excellent picture. If you successfully record an image of your beloved in romantic, bright tones, but the sky in the background appears completely white, then you’ve created a tremendous photo that corresponds exactly with your perspective—one that will make you both happy. With significantly diffused images—those shot with a zone plate, for example—the colors are typically subtle and pastel, and this may be perfect for your photographic vision. You may also wish the picture had more intense colors. Well then, grab hold of the controller! Play with the parameters of brightness and contrast. Try some variations until you’ve found what you consider optimal. Let the others say what they want, but this variant is the best.

Image Editing

281

The Finished Image

You now have a finished image on your monitor, and you have trusted it to an electronic storage device. Whenever you wish, you can bring up this image on any monitor and show it to your friends. Many people—myself included—prefer to have a proper picture, that is, something they can hold in their hands. There are two ways for you to accomplish this. Many photography and electronics discounters offer automated machines that happily upload your image files and print them. Alternatively, you can upload your images from home over the Internet. I have had good experiences with this. The changes I made in my image editing program were transferred directly to paper. The process is faster, though, if you have your own printer. Right after your final click to save the picture, you can get started with printing right away.

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This little postcard printer is a lot of fun. It creates prints that are 10×15 cm (3.9×5.9 in), but it also is capable of handling panoramic images in a 10×30 cm (3.9×11.8 in) format. Sure, a standard letter-sized printer can also produce panoramic prints, but then you need to trim away the borders, which means you waste both paper and money.

The Finished Image

283

If you want to print your images in a larger format, you should stick with a conventional printer that produces letter-sized printouts. Most people already have one, it’s just a matter of picking up some photo paper. The wide variety of paper types is one large advantage to printing your images yourself. Most service providers deliver high-gloss prints. They are widely loved, no doubt partly because people aren’t aware of the variety of image surfaces available. A picture has a glossy surface, what else? There are several wonderful kinds of paper off the high-gloss path that offer an alternative in terms of appearance and feel. Take a look and you’ll find matte and semimatte finishes, as well as handmade paper, water color paper, and much more. A pinhole image printed on handmade paper is really something. Do yourself a favor and give it a try. The finished effect looks like a painting that makes a beautiful wall hanging when it’s finished with a mat and a frame. A wall hanging is great, but the moment you hang your picture on the wall, it is also beautiful. It all began with a simple click of the shutter-release button on a simple camera, and now the image has found its place as a one-of-a-kind decorative piece. I hope you decorate the walls of your home with many other pictures worthy of the attention. When you sooner or later (usually sooner!) run out of wall space in your own home, give a thought to your friends. A hug isn’t the only gift for a good friend—a picture works, too.

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Afterword

Single-use items, Asian best sellers, discoveries from grandpa’s basement, and much more—there are many simple ways to take great pictures. I hope I’ve succeeded in engaging you with this theme. Maybe you’ll even find a bit of space for this book on your shelf. If you indeed enjoyed it, you may even offer it as an ideal gift for a person you like. If you didn’t enjoy it, then it’s an ideal gift for someone you don’t like. The greatest success would, of course, be if I sparked your interest to pursue one or a few of the methods I described. I wish you a pleasant journey. Whichever path you choose, it will be an adventure. Lose yourself in the work and combine wildly different ideas—Holga with Redbird, historic cameras with diffuser filters, and so on. Not every image will hit the bull’s-eye, but this is completely normal. Not even professionals can manage that—quite the opposite. From hundreds of pictures a professional uses a highly critical eye to choose only the best of the best. Make it easy on yourself in this regard, too. Make it simple like the professionals do. Simply accept the rejects and be happy about the triumphant bull’s-eyes, because they are something special. You have worked with simple tools that are reduced to their bare essentials to capture photographs that are very unlike the run-of-the-mill photos of the masses. You have used your head to create them. You used your watchful eye, your skills, and your creativity as the simple means to achieve great things. No, it wasn’t a photographic computer stuffed to the gills with electronics. You did it!

285

Acknowledgments

The expertise required for this book was neither handed down to me through my genes, nor does it result from my studies in school. In addition to plenty of experiences of my own, a variety of information sources have lodged their way into my memory. I am unfortunately much less familiar with the names of these people than I am with the information they shared. I extend my thanks, then, to everyone who spreads information about photography on the Internet and in print media. Your generous willingness to spread information is of inestimable value to the curious. I also owe thanks to Gerhard Rossbach and his team at dpunkt.verlag and Rocky Nook, whose interest and engagement made this book possible. I’d also like to especially thank all the readers of this book. Your imaginary presence during the many hours I worked on this book helped me realize the text. Special thanks to Sabine and Yvonne. It’s wonderful that you’re here.

286


Appendix

Prices (as of February 2012)

35 mm film Adapter for the Diana lens Bella 66 IIa Bird films Blackbird, Fly Canomatic and clones Certina Diana Digital camera (key ring) Digital camera (toy camera) Holga Holga DIY Kit 135 Holga pinhole Kodak Brownie No. 2 Lensbaby LOREO Pancake starter kit Printer P-SHARAN Recesky Roll films Scanner Single-use camera Slide frames ZERO 2000

$4–$7 $13 $13–$20 $7 $119 $7–$13 $13–$20 $53 $13 $40 $40 $20 $66 $8–$46 $66 $33 $92 $66–$132 $33 $20 $5–$8 $132–$264 $7–$13 $26 $198

Note: I created this list based on my personal experiences, but the market is always in flux. Prices and offers for these products are permanently subject to change. I’ve also collected the following list of retailers, and I recommend that you do some research to get an overview of the best prices and alternative products available.

288

Appendix

Websites

Below is a list of websites that you might find helpful as you begin to explore the world of simple cameras. Cameras http://singleusecameras.com/ www.lomography.com www.fourcornerstore.com http://shop.holgadirect.com www.bhphotovideo.com www.freestylephoto.biz www.fsdistribution.biz/fsd_holga_dealers.php www.sharan-camera.com www.zeroimage.com www.pinhole.org ww.freestylephoto.biz www.loreo.com www.matchboxpinhole.com www.amazon.com www.ebay.com http://lensbaby.com

Image Editing www.gimp.org www.photoscape.org www.getpaint.net

Communities www.fotocommunity.com www.flickr.com www.apug.org

Appendix

289

Youtube

Loading Film into a Holga (also shows how to block light leaks) www.youtube.com/watch?v=0idNGP07fp8 Using 35mm Film in Holga www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK9iBKoQYik Diana F+ Camera from Urban Outfitters www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTnu3m10Dkk Photography: How to Load 35mm Film www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjCfcTFP50E&feature=related Changing the Film of a Box Camera www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1XeC15XZdU Lensbaby 2.0 and 3G How To Video www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvL0j8BFasU Camera Obscura www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuJ_Jd6Qgyo

All of these videos were chosen to demonstrate the subjects discussed in this book. The person who posted each video, however, is responsible for its current and future content.

290

Appendix

Index

B

F

BELLA 66 IIa 90 black-and-white photography 28 Blackbird 28 Blackbird, Fly 68 box camera 85 brightness adjustment 272, 281 building a camera 162 buying older cameras 92

Far East Camera 33 Blackbird, Fly 68 DIANA 63 HOLGA 56 film 228 color film 230 medium-format film 229 monochrome black-and-white film 231 roll film 229 slide film 230 traditional black-and-white film 230 fixed lens 27 flare 67 for Do-It-Yourselfers 141 HOLGA DIY KIT 165 P-SHARAN 163 Recesky 167

C cable release 131 Canomatic 95 function 109 Metal weights 111 CERTINA 88 color correction 269 contrast adjustment 272, 281 Crossbird 32 D darkroom 268 DIANA 63 DIANA Pinhole 134 interchangeable lenses 64 telephoto lens 66 wide-angle lens 65 DIANA lens 214 diffusion filter 220, 222 Digital 261 digital camera 239 Digital 261 SLIM 5L-II 262 TECHNAXX X1 259 dust removal 272

G good intentions 171 DIANA Lens 214 Lensbaby 216 LOREO 212 H HOLGA 56 HOLGA DIY KIT 165 Holga Panorama 131 light leaks 60 Holga function 265 hyperfocal distance 27

291

I image editing 280 J JPEG file 277 K Kodak Brownie No. 2 85 L lab 268 Lensbaby 216 light leaks 60 light reflection 30 light sensitivities 231 Lomography 55 LOREO 212 M making filters yourself 219 petroleum jelly 222 slide frames 219 special effect filters 224 Multiple-exposure Images 59 N Nightbird 31 night exposures 58 O Oldies 73 BELLA 66 IIa 90 CERTINA 88 Kodak Brownie No. 2 85 P Pancakes 135 panorama exposures 272 panorama perspective 29 panorama photography 29 paper 284 petroleum jelly 222

292

Index

Pinhole Cameras 113 DIANA Pinhole 134 Holga Panorama 131 Pancakes 135 Zero 2000 138 prices 288 printer 282 postcard printer 283 P-SHARAN 163 R Recesky 167 Redbird 31 roll film 131, 229 S scanner 271 panorama exposures 272 Schwarzschild 132 scratch removal 272 shooting underwater 26 slide film 230 slide frames 219 SLIM 5L-II 262 snapshot setting 27 special effect filters 224 storage media 227 film 228 roll film 229 SUC 11 Blackbird 28 Color 29 Crazy Film 31 Crossbird 32 ecological perspective 32 for weddings 26 Nightbird 31 Redbird 31 shooting underwater 26

T tape 60, 163, 168 TECHNAXX X1 259 telephoto lens 66 TIFF file 277 tripod 58, 132

W websites 289 white balance 272 wide-angle lens 65 Z


Zero 2000 138 zone plate 136

Index

293

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