Sunday, July 11, 2010

on photo assignments

Lately, I've been fortunate enough to have been given some fun photo assignments courtesy of a facebook friend. The first challenge or assignment (represented by the image left called "max fill") was called "jody was here" and entailed me finding ways to get something (a finger, a foot, a shoe, a braid) into an image of something else. This was much harder that I thought it would be as it was difficult not to let the body part dominate or become the main focus of the photo.

Yesterday's assignment or challenge--one I've named "opposing views" was one that I didn't know that I'd really get into. By contrast, I thought the first challenge would be one for which and with which I'd come up with many things to do. Wasn't the case. Anyhoot. This time the assignment was to take pictures of what my cameras might see at various times throughout the day--specifically so, the cameras that are sitting on shelves, tables or left hanging on chairs or doorknobs. In the diptychs featured here, the image to the left depicts the camera and where it is positioned while the image right depicts what that camera might see. This first image is what the ansco anscoflex sees and as you will soon see, Dorothy figures prominently is a good number of shots.

. . .and here what the brownie hawkeye flash (modified as a wax film plane camera) sees.







. . .and what the polaroid i-zone sees



. . .and what the honeywell pentax sp1000 sees



. . .and, finally, what the six-20 brownie special sees

2 comments:

Bill Wolff said...

I just picked up a Kodak Brownie Target Six-20 yesterday afternoon, with amazingly clean lens glass, and some typical wear on the viewfinders. Do you have any experience with this camera? I may have to teach myself how to re-spool film to use it. Next thing you know I'll be jumping into development!

Question: how did you meter when using your Hawkeye? I imagine metering this one will be a similar process.

remediate this said...

Blah. I did a response and lost it due to a computer glitch. Let's see if I can recap:

I think I have a Target Six-20 in a box of cameras I've not yet tested. My tip for doing test rolls is this: If the supply side of the camera will hold a 35mm cartridge, test with this--much cheaper than 120. You'll have to tape the counter window and figure out how many turns to advance the film, but, again, it is much cheaper to use 35mm especially if you buy in bulk and spool your own.

In terms of metering--well, I almost never do. Not with fixed focus cameras anyway. I'll meter for pinhole and infrared (unless it's Holga). Ironically I was researching meters last night!

And I really, really hope you take the jump into development. I'll offer to push you, in fact! But seriously, after doing my own b/w and color dev for the past two years, well, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's easy, cost-efficient, rewarding and (I think) very calming!

I can't wait to see the results you get with the Target!