Old Cameras :D and some basics

Today we used a Hassleblad, a Mamiya and a brownie. These are all cameras which take film. The outcome is meant to be good, but I can already see that in shooting on film, the cost is huge. (ie- each camera roll costs 10 pounds, while devolving costs even more) It is also a problem because you cannot see what you are shooting straight away; after digital photography, when you sure used to being able to see everything immediately, and judge then how well exposed etc it is, this makes film photography more risky. BUT they also make you think a lot more. I had to dredge back my F-stop knowledge, and the aperture/shutter-speed relationship. Here are some diagrams to help with this.



It is easiest to say that, the bigger the aperture, the smaller the aperture number, but the smaller the depth of field (so if its a low aperture, the depth of field is shallower and can focus on smaller things) Aperture and shutter speed have a symbiotic relationship, whereby the size of the hole and the amount of light is lets in determines the speed of the shutter and vis versa, depending on the light situation. (for example, if you have a bright day, the shutter will be fast, but the aperture will be medium sized so the picture isn't under-exposed.)

After figuring this out again, we had to get used to film and film sizes. Film stock has set ISO values, so when you take a light reading to determine all of the above, you have to set this value (for else you might take a photo too exposed.) (ISO works by, the higher the ISO, the more sensitive to light it is, so if it is ISO 800, it will "see" more at night than ISO 100, but the image will become grainier.)

The film also has different sizes depnding on the camera type. most film cameras are standard 35mm, and should be shot with a 50mm lens, but the Mamiya and Hassleblad use a 50mm size, with an 80 mm lens.  the wider the film, the more space on the photograph (unsuprisingly) (so its a bit like wide angle) You can go smaller or bigger than these sizes too.

Loading Hassleblads:
1) Slide the back off the camera, and open it our so that the bit that holds the film pops out. (as you can see below)

 2) Load film on the right side of this, and undo the paper so the film is loose.

3) Hold the roll tight so it doesn't come undone, and then pull the film around the front of this, with black side to you. Make sure paper is under the clip.

4) feed the end of this into the spool at the other side, and wind it until the arrows appear. Replace the back in the camera.
here is a video:

We took some photos over campus. As i said before, it is very frustrating to not be able to see what you are shooting, and feels risky to not know if it exposed, so it is much more technical. However  this does seem to make it more intelligent, and more valuable. We discussed later in the class about how this method feels more valuable than digital photography, because not only was it a physical object, but it also had to be thought about and planned so much; you are emotionally invested in this. I can see this, especially as we assume that the physical object is the only one, however I also say that I am emotionally attached to my own photos too. It can definitely be said that new technology changes photography, however, because images are valued on their accessibility and how much they have been circulated, and because they are made up of numbers- which we value less than a chemical reality. Here are some of the cameras we used: