I really like my old SLR and it was fun to get reaquainted with it again! I feel so much more in control with a clunky old manual than a new digital camera :P No fancy electronics and menus, just a few knobs and adjustable lens to master in order to port that image to paper. The photograph is the end creation, and the camera is the tool I drive to meet this end.
It’s heavey componentry and film winding dependency, feels reliable and gratifying in my hands. The snap of the case as it shuts, and the click of the shutter, is a familiar melody to my ears. A loyal old friend, I love it dearly.
And as with any great friend, it is honest to the core. When I’ve worked the magic of a good photo it will show me with pride. Coversely if I just snapped crap it won’t make any attempt to cover it up! My camera has a level of integrity a mere mortal like I could only aspire for ;)
Sooooo, what did it have to say about my last photographic jaunt into the world of monochrome…
Well, the majority of the film was quite underexposed :( so I need to improve on my light metering (might help if I learn how the light metering is calculated on this particular model). Alot of my other mistakes will probably be rectified as I regain familiarity with this camera again (particularly the focusing ring – its a devil to read). Practice breeds efficiency. And efficiency allows me to capture those moments, as they are occuring, in good quality. If the subject matter is landscapes or still life I’m afforded so much more time to check light metering and focusing accuracy (and DOF). But I want to be able to take candid photos of people too! So I need to get those skills honed to where they become second nature :)
That was the general appraisal. I also want to critique more on each subject matter I chose. So I’m going to post up one or two of my favourite images in each category, and discuss how I could have improved (nothing like aiming high!). These were the categories I investigated on my last roll:
- Water Landscapes
- rivers
- lakes
- glaciers
- mountains
- Nature & Civilisation
- Farriering
- First Nations Culture
For interests sake, most photos fell in the first category from my galavanting around the Canadian Rockies :) The last two came from a couple of days at the Calgary Stampede. I like some of these the most because they’re of people, albeit this made them a bit more challenging ;)
:::EDIT:::
had to alter my categories a little know i’ve selected and am ready to upload my favourites
