Re: Quasi "alt" question re:8x10 cameras


Hamish Stewart (Hamish.Sophie@wanadoo.fr)
Mon, 01 Feb 1999 19:33:45 +0000


>Subject: Re: Quasi "alt" question re:8x10 cameras
>Sent: 26/1/19 16:21
>Received: 31/1/99 22:03
>From: Chris Read, of30@dial.pipex.com
>To: Alt-photo-process, alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca
>
>Hi,
>
>This is an interesting point. personally, I've thought for some time
>that was holding me back from taking the sort of pictures I want to take
>is too MUCH choice. I used to use 35mm and ended up totally confused
>about which lens combination to employ for a particular shot. But things
>improved one day a few years ago when I brought an ancient Rolleiflex in
>a Liverpool junk shop. No battery, one lens (albeit of great quality).

I did the same thing about 10 years ago. The old Rollei is still with me
takes great pictures - despite having a terrible fall - and the one lens
creates a certain discipline that I like. Sometimes too many options
kills the point. Using your tools to the fullest is really important. The
rollei has changed the way I work, but maybe my work has changed too so
it is an appropriate choice. For years I used 35mm and realized that I
only used a few lenses because they suited the way I see. The rollei,
with its limitations has just edited this a little further...

As an aside there was a large Man Ray exhibition in Paris last year -
work from the large collection of his work that is held here. And I can
tell you now that the Man Ray cropped his images something terrible (as
indeed did bresson in the early years).
>
>And suddenly, because the confusion of choice was denied me, I think I
>began to exploit what it *could* do, and my pictures have improved no
>end.

Maybe you just spend more time thinking about the image rather than how
you should realize it...
>
>Now I'll readily admit that this could simply be down to me being unable
>to distill the essence from complexity, but if so, The Rollei has worked
>for me.

If it works, then it works.
>
>Chris
>
>Oxford, England
>
Cheers
Hamish

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Hamish Stewart

Gum Bichromate Photography

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/hamish/gumphoto.html

email gum_photo@wanadoo.fr
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