November 9, 2018The day has come, you have been recruited by a secret agency and given a mission to capture a photograph of the evil organisation’s plans, preparing to take over the world. The leader of which is likely to have a fluffy cat. To expose them and stop them in their tracks, the world is depending on you. But wait, the…
October 12, 2018Shooting with the Red October theme is one thing, shooting a Soviet Zorki 4 camera with redscale film is a combination that doesn’t get any more red. This ensures that the tool is red (aka Soviet), but also the result (aesthetically). The thought of this came through a suggestion from a friend on the yearly Red October theme that is…
October 5, 2018The apocalypse will eventually come one day and when it is photographed it will be in redscale. Why wouldn’t it be? Artists would be aiming at a realistic look, and nothing does that better than urban decay in red. This article is also part of the Red October theme being posted this month, where I am shooting with Soviet cameras…
July 20, 2018Fish and Chips. Kermit and Miss Piggy. Cheese and crackers. All classic combinations. Just like these, photography has its great combinations. A camera with a particular lens, a camera with a specific emulsion, an emulsion with certain development and so on. Welcome to a new series. Rather than a review of photographic equipment or emulsions, this series will concentrate on…
June 1, 2018Beautiful. Clean Lines. Minimalist. These are all words uttered about the Carl Zeiss Werra cameras. Cameras with a top plate that only house a shutter release and an exposure value display, sitting within a smooth metal finish that would have made Steve Jobs proud. Only, the Werra 2 covered in this review was produced decades before Apple computers, yet alone the iPhone…
May 11, 2018Square instant photography too limiting? Want a camera that fits nicely on The Love Boat set? You have a preference for the Polaroid integral instant film? There is one camera that fits this bill, it is the Polaroid Spectra! The Spectra uses the same film formula as the Polaroid 600 cameras but is in a wider format rather than the…
February 3, 2018Film Digital Index (DX) Coding can be very convenient for 35mm. No need to worry about setting the film speed (ASA, ISO etc.) on the camera settings to ensure it meters correctly, just insert film and shoot away. This function is especially prevalent on 80s and 90s compact film cameras, some of which are very popular and getting expensive…
January 12, 2018Square format, instant(ish) images, iconic and fun. No, not insta-social media, but a camera developed at the pinnacle of a company’s history. The Polaroid Sun 660 Autofocus Land Camera was sold at the time when Polaroid was a powerhouse in the photographic industry and was considered one of the most innovative companies across the world. There must be something hardwired…
December 7, 2017In the last couple of years there has been a resurgence in film manufacture. Several kick-starters have been successful and even the traditional manufacturers have announced some new emulsions with the balance being there have also been a few discontinuations. Before this resurgence though, Lomography had filled the gap to renew interest in film. The interesting approach Lomography took has…
August 24, 2016What happens when you don’t follow the process? Purposely do something that is not what has been specified by the manufacturer of the product.