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Tuesday, June 30, 2009 -
Kit bag: Balda Baldixette
After consuming LomoKev's excellent and inspiring book Hot Shots (which has been on my todo list to review for months now) I was inspired to dig out some different cameras and go back to film to see what it could teach me rather than relying so very heavily on the LCD on my DSLR. I'd already got my autosampler for Christmas (review coming soon) and figured that digging out my Mum's old camera, the Balda Baldixette, could be fun.
The Balda Baldixette was made in West Germany in around 1956. It takes a 120 film, and is similar, at least in function, to a Holga.
It has 3 focussing zones - 5ft-10ft, 10ft-25ft and 25ft-infinity
It has 2 shutter speeds - 1/60th of a second, and bulb
It has 2 apertures - f9 and f16
It has a flash hot shoe (which I haven't tried yet)
It has a fixed prime lens
I put the first film through it to see if it still functioned, and after being delighted with the results I took it to Clock Tower cameras for a general clean and service, after all it is over 50 years old and deserves a little care and attention. To be honest, this didn't make that much of a difference to the resulting images - there are still dust marks and scratches but I'm not too bothered by this - a perfect camera after at least 20 years neglect would have been rather too much to ask.
I've been using Kodak Portra VC400 film which, combined with the in-camera vignetting, seems to bring out the vintage feel rather nicely and I've been getting them processed and scanned at Colourstream.
Some sample photos:
Other photos taken using the Balda Baldixette can be found on my flickr stream under the tag baldabaldixette.
By using this camera I've learnt:
- it's harder getting the horizon completely straight through a viewfinder than post-processing in lightroom (and I'm not post processing any of these scans at the moment)
- that the square format takes some getting used to - seeing the world as a square instead of a rectangle makes composition different - not easier or harder, just different
- that the Balda Baldixette is simple to use
- that spending time before taking the shot to ensure that all the camera parameters are correct (aperture, focus zone, shutter speed) is something I'd stopped doing because I was relying on the camera too much
- that the guys at colourstream do a great job
- that I love the Kodak Portra 400VC film stock
- and that there is something very sentimentally pleasing about taking a photo of your Dad with a camera that your Mum used to use - no idea if the photos will come out at all, but I'm pleased with the emotional connection it made for me
I'd recommend getting hold of a simple camera, popping a film in and going for a wander - it's a great way to rediscover the simple side of photography and if it has some family value then even better - now, where did I put that Conway Camera Popular Model (also my Mum's I believe) or the Kodak Instamatic 200 (my first ever camera)
Thursday, June 18, 2009 -
UK Photographers Rights V2
The UK Photographers Rights PDF has been updated. It is still available from the same place and is described as
I'm going to be downloading it and popping it onto my iPod Touch as well as printing a copy for my kit bag.
This is intended to provide a short UK guide to the main legal restrictions on the right to take photographs and the right to publish photographs that have been taken.
The guide was written by Linda Macpherson LL.B, Dip. L.P., LL.M is a freelance legal consultant specialising in Media Law and Intellectual Property Law. She is also a part-time law lecturer and has presented seminars on law for photographers
I'm going to be downloading it and popping it onto my iPod Touch as well as printing a copy for my kit bag.
Labels: Rights and laws
Thursday, June 11, 2009 -
Loading film into the Blackbird, fly
Richard brought me a Blackbird, Fly back from his recent trip to the USA. I've just loaded my first film into it, with the help of The Plastic Len's article Blackbird,fly - Loading Film which includes the following extremely helpful video
Loading Film Into the BBF from artpunk on Vimeo.
I'm looking forward to having a play with it and adding it to the other mixture of cameras in my (not as recently updated as it should be) kitbag
Loading Film Into the BBF from artpunk on Vimeo.
I'm looking forward to having a play with it and adding it to the other mixture of cameras in my (not as recently updated as it should be) kitbag
Labels: blackbird fly
Monday, May 11, 2009 -
C-Curve at Chattri, South downs
This is one of the most amazing and inspiring photos I've seen in a while, and its taken locally by a local photographer.
Richard and I visited the C-Curve installation on Saturday, but my efforts are nothing compared to this stunning full moon, light painting photo by Rob Orchard
Labels: brighton festival, inspiration
Sunday, May 3, 2009 -
Review: Silver Efex Pro
I downloaded the 15 day free trial of the lightroom plugin for Silver Efex Pro and decided to give it a go. It
I picked a photo from my recent weekend in Margate which I thought would look good in black and white, and tried out some of the different settings.
The original: taken on a d80 at 9am in RAW format, edited in Lightroom using Auto Tone.
There are a couple of main ways to do the editing, firstly from the pre-defined styles, which covers things like undexexposing, overexposing, pull process, push process, different filters, and even holga and pinhole. There is a neutral image always available to reset any settings.
Processed in Silver Efex Pro using the Pinhole style - makes it look like a moonlight shot.
Processed in Silver Efex Pro using the Soft Skin style.
Some of the more interesting settings are using the stylistic qualities of 18 different black and white films.
Processed in Silver Efex Pro using the film emulator for Kodak ISO 32 Panatomic X.
Processed in Silver Efex Pro using the film emulator for Ilford Delta 100 Pro.
This tool is definitely worth a download and play with and it gives a lot of predefined options for making some really impressive black and white images but I'm not sure I can justify the $199.95 price tag for a tool that'll be used now and again.
is the most powerful tool for creating professional quality black and white images from your photographs.The tool is pretty self explanatory but there is also a comprehensive user guide available.
I picked a photo from my recent weekend in Margate which I thought would look good in black and white, and tried out some of the different settings.
The original: taken on a d80 at 9am in RAW format, edited in Lightroom using Auto Tone.
There are a couple of main ways to do the editing, firstly from the pre-defined styles, which covers things like undexexposing, overexposing, pull process, push process, different filters, and even holga and pinhole. There is a neutral image always available to reset any settings.
Processed in Silver Efex Pro using the Pinhole style - makes it look like a moonlight shot.
Processed in Silver Efex Pro using the Soft Skin style.
Some of the more interesting settings are using the stylistic qualities of 18 different black and white films.
Processed in Silver Efex Pro using the film emulator for Kodak ISO 32 Panatomic X.
Processed in Silver Efex Pro using the film emulator for Ilford Delta 100 Pro.
This tool is definitely worth a download and play with and it gives a lot of predefined options for making some really impressive black and white images but I'm not sure I can justify the $199.95 price tag for a tool that'll be used now and again.
Labels: lightroom, review, silver efex pro
Saturday, February 28, 2009 -
February's photo group meetup
I went to my 3rd photo group meetup a couple of weeks ago. The theme, brought forward from January's cancelled meetup, was photos in the style of Sally Mann or Henri Cartier-Bresson, and general Christmas photos.
I failed in the Sally Mann and Henri Cartier-Bresson theme, but did bring along some Christmas themed photos - mainly Lego Santa related but I also put together a triptych of photos (a continuing theme from the November meetup) from the recent snow which seemed to be liked by the group.
Next months theme is, well, there is no theme. Just a chance to bring along 10 or so favourite photos which will be good to us new members to get an idea of what the others are all about
I failed in the Sally Mann and Henri Cartier-Bresson theme, but did bring along some Christmas themed photos - mainly Lego Santa related but I also put together a triptych of photos (a continuing theme from the November meetup) from the recent snow which seemed to be liked by the group.
Next months theme is, well, there is no theme. Just a chance to bring along 10 or so favourite photos which will be good to us new members to get an idea of what the others are all about
Labels: brighton, photogroup
// posted by Jane @ 11:28 AM
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009 -
photoblogs...
Smashing Magazine has put together a great review of 50 Wonderful, Inspiring Photoblogs. A handful of these I already knew about, most I did not, so I've now got lot more places to get inspiration from.
Labels: photoblogs
