My “new” Yashica Mat 124g
Around this time last year, I came across a great deal to upgrade my Canon Rebel XT digital Camera. I had been drooling over a Canon 5D digital camera for quite some time, but the price remained too high to justify. So, I ended up with a Canon 30D, which is a great camera, it takes terrific photos, but still I yearn for a full frame camera. I am taking lots of photos (some of which I am VERY happy wtih), but I am not yet the point where I can justify a $2000+ camera.
To complicate the matter further, the interwebs are full of rumors of Canon replacing the 5D very soon, as it is about (or past) the age at which Canon usually announces replacements. The 5D is a fine camera at any age, and it’s certainly not going to stop taking good photos, but I kind of hate to buy a camera just to have it upgraded only a couple months later. Plus, as soon as the new 5D Mark II (or whatever they call it) hits the market, there will be a flood of people dumping their perfectly good 5D’s to pick up the new one. Either way you couldn’t possibly go wrong. Both are or will be excellent cameras.
I have recently found the work of some very talented photographers, like Kate Hutchinson (blog) and Thomas Broening (blog), who both post to their blogs with images from their old film cameras (Thomas shoots with this camera). I am not quite sure what Kate uses. I loved the look of their images and decided to search for an affordable option for a medium format film body (the digital bodies can run upwards of $20,000). I saw some images produced with an old Rolleiflex 2.8 TLR film camera, but a more recent version of the Rollei can run several thousand dollars. This is where the Yashica comes in. I read up a bit on the old Yashica TLR’s and many people said that the later models with the Yashinon lenses would give the Rollei’s a run for their money. It costs about $5 to process a 12 exposure roll of 120 film (with no prints).
Here is the first image I scanned from my Yashica. This is my beautiful wife Liz. She’s hard at work on a Friday, they day she is able to telecommute.
I helped photograph a wedding this weekend, and I ran through a roll of film with the Yashica. I am scanning those tonight and will hopefully have a few great ones to post tomorrow. After the first couple images, I am more than happy with this camera…WOW!!! It really makes me slow down, compose the image, meter the lighting, check the camera settings, meter again, and then take the picture. Perhaps just what I need rather than just the “snap and delete” mentality I have had since purchasing the 30D.
New Theme
I decided that the wordpress theme I was using before was a little too busy, so I wanted to try something that was a little cleaner. Still have a few updates to get it just right, but I think I'm almost there. I like the fact that this theme allows me to design a logo and put it into the top of the page. Now…if I can only get my friend Lisa to work with me on a logo…Drop me a line and let me know what you think of the new WP Theme. I know I still have some work to do on the gallery pages, but this template is quite versatile, so I can add a lot to it.
Here is Briana again with a little different take on the processing. I was trying to achieve more of a film look with this image, not sure I got there, but I kind of like what I did with it. I really need to get back out and shoot some more images. A good solid day would be great. Maybe I can find a Saturday in July or August.
Finally - I think it’s working!
I have been trying this Wordpress blog out for a while, with the hopes of using it for a fairly customizable web site. I've seen a few photographers sites that I really like, and I wanted to try to make my own site in the same style as their sites.
I spent a fair amount of time several months ago deconstructing the website that I paid to have put together in order to build a new one, to then just dump it and start from scratch with this website. With my acquired "knowledge", I have since been given the honor of managing my company's website (for my full time job) as well. I hope that this wordpress format continues to suit me, but more importantly, I hope that I continue to grow and am able to learn html, php.
Here is a sunset from my Honeymoon in Costa Rica. We were lucky enough to be able to take a wonderful sunset boat ride to watch the sun disappear over the horizon.
Buddy from Seattle
Josh and Robin's dog has a great personality. He was always interested in the new people in the house. I hope that we can have a dog again some day. Don't get me wrong, Daphne brings me lots of smiles. She has really transformed into a lap cat these days. I've never seen her so cuddly.
