Blind man

This is almost the depth of field that I feel can give an image a movie like atmosphere. There is this sweet spot with different lenses used and finding that sweet spot (the distance between the subject, the camera and the f stop) is always that challenge. Especially when you have no control over the subject. In the previous post I speak about colour pallettes. While this shot is lacking what goes a way to helping is the film used to achieve or at least shift the temperature of the shot. Is this shot feeling warm or cool to you?

Ride on time

Another from a very large collection I seem to have.

Urban landscape

A dream?

This picture was shot quite a while ago in Shibuya with Jon. This girl happen to be standing in just the right place and I happen to have my Rolleiflex and a Rollinar at the ready. I can't begin to describe the soft yet sharp quality of the Rollei f/2.8 lens. If you have the chance to use one I highly recommend it.

The old house is no more

An old man around the corner from me used to live in this house. I took this shot right next to his house and this one right outside. Actually while I was taking that shot the old guy came out and at first wondered what the hell I was doing outside his front gate but he soon figured it out, gave me a big smile and road off down the street. A few months back I was walking passed, hoping there were more plants to shoot and discovered his bike missing and some of the plants he once had outside gone. I have no idea if he died or just moved but I knew that the house would vanish quickly. This photo and a few others I took will be all that remain of what once used to be here. It's now an empty lot, waiting for some large corporation to buy it, split it in three and sell each one for a million dollars. Just one of the idiosyncrasies of Tokyo life.

Birubi beach revisited

Twirl

Sydney back street

Native

Also from the wetlands (as is the one below) that I visited while I was in Australia. Missed the ladybug with the focus but the magic tones and the crazy background made up for it (for me anyway).

Blossoms in rain

It's an old shot that I guess I'm re posting. Shot late afternoon near my house at the park with a Rolleiflex and a Rollinar 2. I ended up trading that camera in. It was a mistake of sorts to do that but I think I'm better for it. Less focus on cameras more focus on picture making. Still, the Rolleiflex had an amazing balance between sharpness and softness. If you have a chance to use one (f/2.8) I recommend it. But don't go taking candid street photos at night with it. It's even harder to use in that situation than the Hasselblad.

Shinjuku darkness

This is one of my failed kodak T64 shots that needed a LOT of contrast to give it any kind of personality. Not having a lot of luck with these 20+ year old films :-)

Madness

One from an up coming collection

Returning

Opening of scene 4

Shinjuku station, about 12am. Rain is starting to fall and he's...

Lens fun

So just for fun I asked several people, including my friend Stephan, for a photo. I usually use the Hasselblad and have tweaked my settings so I can use the 80mm lens to take close-up head shots. I was, however, surprised to see the result when I developed the film. I wasn't expecting him to look so different. And I always thought that the 80mm lens on the Hasselblad was a 50mm equivalent on a 35mm SLR. What a difference a lens and a bit of fiddling with the settings makes. Stephan prefers the digital shot. Probably because of how different the lens makes his face look. I actually like it more. Most likely because it's difficult to replicate the look. In any case I'm surprised to see how well the film version turned out when putting it side by side with the digital one. More of these to come.

Omotesando old man

Nara blossoms

The second shot of the roll that I took with the Holga when I went to Nara. This was the only other shot that worked.I have to say, I do enjoy the Holga's randomness when it comes to focus, colours, tones etc. You've usually either got an instant hit or a complete failure. This, I think was shot with Velvia 100.

Kawasaki on film

So I finally finished the roll and got the film shots I took at Kawasaki developed. Here is the film vs digital. I'm not sure if you can see it here (even at a large size) but the film appears to have more depth than the digital shot which just seems flat. In any case I like the square format a lot more.

Waiting for the train

Shooting with the Rollei 35 is very hit and miss. The focus is all based on distance. There is a finder but you cannot see the focus through it. And shooting at f/2.8 at night and candid photos at that makes this task even more difficult. So I was surprised to see this shot turn out so sharp.

Late afternoon

Spent on afternoon earlier this year at Koga san's cafe. He wasn't around at the time and no one knew who I was but that was the beauty of it. This great little space in the middle of nowhere I'd been before. The light in the late afternoon is magic and the food is excellent. I'm hoping to go again with a few friends next time for some food and beer to kill a late afternoon / early evening. Recommend you check it out if you get a chance.

Blog