Aug 13

Aug 13 One Lens, One Camera, One Film

Real creativity happens with limits.

Anyone who knows me knows that I like cameras, Bruce constantly reminds me of this. I have been through, since I started shooting film, about 50 different cameras ranging from 35mm all the way up to 4x5. I have whittled what I own and actively shoot down to eight cameras, each with their own unique attributes. However, I still tend to take, usually, three cameras with me on a trip. When it comes to one of the cameras, I even end up taking multiple lenses (only one of my cameras has interchangeable lenses, the rest are fixed).

The Colosseum
Trying to get this into the scene with a standard instead of a wide angle, as well as only a table top tripod forced me to take a photo that wasn't all encapsulating of the Colosseum. Instead, i get a view that lets you know where it is while not being just another shot.

Cameras are not the only choice I have when it comes to packing for a trip, film is a big choice. Do I take color, black and white, slide, fast film, slow film, there are a plethora of options for film as well.

As such, this year, I decided to take one single film, Bergger Pancro 400, one single camera, Hasselblad 501c, and one single lens, the 80mm F2.8 CF T*. I had shot a handful of Bergger Pancro 400 before this trip and really enjoyed the tones that it gave me. It is not as contrasty and Ilford HP5, which is my normal go to film. The camera was the most versatile, too. I could set it on the ground, as the bottom is flat, I could shoot it handheld or on a tripod, and with all the rain I was expecting and eventually got, I did not want an electric camera that could be ruined. The lens I chose was the fasted for the system and is a standard focal length. I also had my Voigtlander VCii clipped to the hood. I brought along a yellow filter as well, which I cannot remember which shots I used it for and which I didn't.

Venice
I would have love to shoot some Provia 100f in Venice, I also would have loved to shoot Portra 400, heck, I would have loved to shoot TriX here, too. Had I brought all those film stocks, I likely would have taken multiple shots two or three times each, just to get each photo on each stock.

In terms of photographic quality, everything went as normal as any trip I take. I point my meter at something, get a reading, then put that reading into the camera. Rarely do I step outside the meter reading, unless I'm doing longos, in which case I just guess without taking a meter reading.

Overall, it went well enough. Shooting one film, especially it being a black and white film, I didn't have much to consider when taking a shot. The only issues I had were in development when I got home. I messed up a few of the rolls and they a look awful. If I was a better black and white photographer, I would likely do this more often, but taking color out of a scene entirely does not work for me. I did enjoy the experiment, though.

My post about Italy is here.