Who's Painting My Dream?

Who's Painting My Dream?, originally uploaded by Biroz.

It's a Sally D thing.

FED 2 Second Roll (19)

FED 2 Second Roll (19), originally uploaded by Pin Shy Avenue.

That's two rolls now, and I think I'm getting the hang of it. I don't know what that funny mark is across the top, unless perhaps something to do with the scanning at Asda. Also, several of them have what I think is lens flare, so I need to get a lens hood (that won't interfere with the rangefinder).

I've got another nine rolls of Jessops Diamond Everyday 200 ISO film that I bought for a couple of quid on eBay - I'm using that until I get the hang of this. Mostly, to get my eye in for the settings - I don't have a light meter yet. The development I'll probably leave until I get back to Tripoli, where it's only 1 LD (about 30-40p) per roll for colour. I'll do my own black and white of course.

And I really need to get a film scanner this week.

Right. That's me. I wasn't going to do anything online this holiday, but couldn't resist putting up these photos.

FED-2

I had resolved to not be online whilst on holiday...

But I had a new FED-2 waiting for me, and a load of cheap colour film I'd bought on eBay to enable me to get the hang of it. So naturally I loaded up a roll straightaway and spent a bit of time last night, and more time today, getting the hang of the rangefinder, and the wee diopter adjustment thingy on the left hand side, and generally having a huge time... Until the moment came to rewind the first roll. I tried everything to release it. Useless.

So I had to break the resolve and go online. Where I found a pdf of the users' manual in English. Which is entertaining in several respects, but informative also because I was able to rewind and unload the first roll, and load a second. And that's me, I'm getting to love this camera.

The rangefinder was hard to get the hang of at first, until I discovered the wee diopter adjustment. I've got the hang of it, but it'll take a bit of using to do it quickly.

It feels lovely in the hand. Utterly different to the bulk of an SLR. It's one of those things, no amount of reading can prepare you for the tactile reality.

It came, unexpectedly, with its kit lens (an Industar 26), but I also had an Industar 61 in the post, and I'm using that. The case, which has the strap fastened at its tipping point... I MUST get a working strap to fit on the lugs of the camera itself. I don't think I'll use the case much, except for travelling. It does look good, though. And does it's job of protecting the camera, even if it does seem more than capable of looking after itself.

The number's 802789. It's older than me. And the case has that sharp, sweet smell of old people's houses. Perhaps it's lain in its case, in a drawer, for years. It's a bit scuffed so it must have seen use, once. I'd love to see the photos it took. Its former owner would think... what, of its new life? Now there's a thought you couldn't have about a new-smelling DSLR.

No really, this is me not here, see yous when I'm back in Tripoli. Inshallah.

Speechification

I need to check this out when I get time.

It's good to be getting some time with Herself and The Bairn, but England's a bit shit, isn't it?

Getting Exposure

This Fred Parker is interesting.

Tripoli Noir II

This photo is yet another example of the perils of autofocus and the inadequacy of my D50's sensor at high iso. On the other hand, it gave me the idea of Tripoli as an incredibly noirish city. The Italian architecture and the fact that a lot of the men still wear suits as a matter of course.

This idea has been growing for the last few weeks. I even dreamt about it last night.

I got some advice about filters (don't) and film (Fuji Neopan 1600) on th Flickr B&W film group. There's actually a group for Fuji Neopan, and some of the results there are just what I'm after.

This photo, for example, is precisely the quality I want, that I can't get from a dslr without paying over a thousand quid for a new camera. Couple of thousand for an M8 - before you even buy a lens. Whereas: ten rolls of neopan, Russian rangefinder plus a couple of lenses, dev tank, chemicals, film scanner... less than £250 the lot. Not bad, eh? The cost of a dirty weekend rather than a holiday in Goa.

I'm going home in a few days for a holiday, and I can get the rangefinder(s) and lenses and filters and film I've bought on eBay. And get a film scanner and some more developing chemicals.

Fed and Zorki Technical Matters

This site looks as if it might have useful technical info, though I haven't had a chance to check it out yet.

Landa Ruweha

On Saturday I went with my mate Dan to the gallery on 7th November St.

There was an exhibition by Landa Ruweha, called Letter by Letter with the theme of Arabic letters, in paper and pastels on glass. I really liked them, and chatted to the artist about the framing and the lighting. What appealed to me was the three-d nature of some of the pieces, and the way shadows would fall behind them, moving with the day if they were in the sun - it would make them into a small installation if properly placed.

Dan wasn't so impressed, and felt that Landa's remarks about people who gave them a cursory glance was intended for him. She also told me that Libyans had been puzzled, seeing Arabic calligraphy as something that should be treated traditionally.

I wish I'd had a bit of surplus cash, and I would have got one. But English teachers with a small child and photography habits can rarely splash out spontaneously on original works of art, regrettably. Still, it was nice to talk.

The exhibition is on until 30th April, then it's moving on to Syria. Good luck to her.

As for the photo. I'd like to say, taking a photo of an artist, I went for an artistic affect. The truth is, I'd forgotten that I'd earlier decided to avoid the autofocus, set the lens to "manual", and wasn't paying attention when I took the photo. So there's a salutary lesson: learn to use my specs together with the viewfinder if I want to break away from digital technology for a while.

Though, actually, it's an accidentally rather interesting portrait, eh?

light work

workmen, originally uploaded by Pin Shy Avenue.

The trouble is with digital, you get lazy and, unconsciously perhaps, expect the technology to do the work.

I'm trying to get back to basics, ready for using more film when, inshallah, I get my hands on my Russian rangefinder. So I've started to regard the D50 more as a learning tool. Actually, the flexibility of digital, the fact that it records all of your settings, is great for that.

This photo is a good example of a good photo spoilt by not thinking carefully about the light. (Actually, I did think about it, but I could hardly haul these blokes 50 yards away to where it was better).

Light, light, light. In photography, everything comes second to it.

Maybe that's the difference between a snapshot and a photograph, and why people throw "snapshot" around as an insult on Flickr. A photograph needs to be thought about. And the thing you most need to think about is of course the light: especially in the scarce light of a night-time street, or, as here, the unforgiving near-overhead light of a North African midday.