About Monday columns

Dear Readers,

It is my pleasure to announce one of our "staple" contributions to our blog! My fellow photographer and friend Matjaž gladly accepted the invitation to write a weekly column on Mondays about his own work, experiences and other film-photography-related stuff. I gave him carte blanche, so he will be a co-editor as well. I am not going to write down his whole biography in this post-it would take too much space and it would be quite complex to do, I think. Instead, you will easily get a grasp about his bio by reading his columns, and I am sure it will be a pleasure for you. I will point out only some basic facts about him: I highly regard him, also because he is a »new breed« of analog photographers. That is, he began with a digital camera, but soon realized the superiority of film medium. (I have seen too many »old breed« photographers being totally succumbed by digital). Thus, the transition to film for him was easy, quick, and logical. And what's more, he also quickly »upgraded« the 35mm film format with medium format, by ending with a large format (18x24cm) camera. He mastered film cameras-regardless of their format-in no time. He also took the study route, doing his bachelor degree course in photography. He's really fearless, a true die-hard guy!

Mitja

 

Random Quote

"To keep from going stale you must forget your professional outlook and rediscover the virginal eye of the amateur."  

Brassaï

The substance is crystallizing!

Dear Readers,

Our blog is beginning to get its shape! The main issue for us was not about its content, there are many ideas about  the "substance" (and new ones are emerging), but also the "package" is important in order to make you happy. So, some things became clear now, after a week. On Mondays, there will be a column written by my fellow photographer Matjaž (more about him in the following post). On Wednesdays, as already promised, we will feature a portfolio from one of us (a.k.a. the analog community). On Fridays, there will be a short technical article, a technical news, a camera review, or something in between. Most likely, there will be other contributions as well. Of course, these are no rigid rules how the blog will appear in the future, but you get the idea. We will be more than pleased and thankful if you send us suggestions and preferences, it matters very much in order to fulfill our mission-connecting our analog community.

Mitja

Random Rant: "Polaroid Z2300 hopes to rekindle the glorious days of instant photo"

Polaroid has undergone a certain rebirth with their digital line of products, probably also with the advertising help of LadyGaga. In this article, the Polaroid Z2300 is introduced, a digital camera integrating a ZINK printer. Its price will be 160 $, while the cost of paper will be 0.50 $ per sheet (the prints are 2x3 inch in size, not really impressive). The people who tested it, say "We're absolutely loving the chromatic stripe that's emblazoned across the front. It gives the camera that much more of a old school aesthetic." That's some good appreciation of vintage style cameras, I would say, especially for the "chromatic stripe". Moreover, they state "Prints take about 40 seconds to print, but when it's all said and done, the photos do seem to have that slightly blurry look reminiscent of old instant film cameras. Polaroid reps also told us that filters can be applied in-camera Instagram-style before printing, which should add some more value to the Z2300." OK, someone can call it "value", the extra upgrade options which inflate the price tag.....Hmmm...I am puzzled....really.....I just don't get it. Where's the whole point? Customer satisfaction? Sure...

One can buy a Polaroid Land Camera for something like 10-20 $ or so (the better or collectible models cost more, of course), and in a good shape-there are still so many around. One can buy 1 pack of Fuji NP instant film (10 sheets) for about 10 $, that's 1 $ per shot. Even the cheapest Pola cameras give the "instagram-like" look by default (the lenses are just right for this-only 2 plastic elements), without any "upgrades". Yes, they are bulkier than the newest Pola Z2300, but surely greater eye-catchers, too. They have bellows, after all. If you want to break even with both cameras, you need to make about 300 shots with each. Not really likely to happen very soon. Probably, most people would make maybe a hundred shots and then forget about the camera or dispose it somewhere for a long time. My point: these "glorious days of instant photo" can be rekindled anytime by anyone, without buying the newest gadget. And the Pola Land was just one example!

silver regards
Mitja

About the Rants

Once in a while, anybody gets hit by some weird news-for a product, application, whatever. Most of the times, I just ignore it. But sometimes it just happens to be so irritating I just can't help. You know, in those irritationg, frustrating moments, one just needs to speak out loud! This is the very reason I decided to add the Random Rants category as well. I must state that I really try to avoid the typical Film vs. Digital debate (or viceversa) by any means. But sometimes, things just go beyond the average outrageousness, so to speak, and sadly involve this very same topic...So here we are. I hope you'll read the very first rant and comment as well. Please, take it with a bit of irony and don't be shy to comment! Criticize, but don't be offensive to anybody (the comments are not moderated). If you think that somebody, including me, is an as***le, go express your opinion, but please, use some more polite (or at least anatomical) terms :)

Mitja

The "RolleiHolga"

No, it's not the newest Lomo camera or a hybrid camera I made by myself (I would never profanate a Rollei and even don't own a Holga)! But it happens even to best ones (cameras, to be clear) to be sometimes a bit off. So it happened even to my beloved Rollei SLR, actually to its film back. The film leading/retaining spring clips (which are supposed to hold the film flat, very flat) were not doing their job properly, as it turned out later. On the contrary, the film was so unflat, out of focal plane, the image sharpness was on a par with a Holga. Hence, the name RolleiHolga! It happened on a Sunday trip. And to make things even worse, I forgot to take the right lens hood for the wide 50 mm lens. Being a nice, but also a naive and technocolic guy I am, I was sure shooting at f/8-11 would not produce noticeable vignetting. Wrong! The wrong lens hood added another »Holga-feature« to the shots! 

Two shots made with the "RolleiHolga" from Motovun

Under normal circumstances, I would not show these shots to anybody, but I thought it would be nice to share this happy accident in this case. And luckily, the problem was solved in a breeze by my trusty camera mechanic. By the way, these are panorama shots of the river Mirna valley, taken from the tiny little town of Motovun, located in central Istria. If you have a chance, go for a visit there. It is a picturesque town, with galleries and local taverns serving good Istrian cuisine. But the town is most famous for its film festival, which is going to be soon! And don't forget to take your camera with you!

silver regards

Mitja

"In the Prairies, Film Photography Rises"

I just found this nice contribution on the Lomography site . I think it's not just yet-another-good-news for the analog community, in terms of our "survival" or just some lifestyle stuff. This story clearly shows analogue photography is not only a goal by itself, it's also a pleasant means for people to stay connected. Luckily, there are many other similar stories like this one. These stories need to be shared. Photos of their gathering can be found here.

Mitja