Ripping Yarns: Calling bookshops & festivals: Celia Mitchell, a...

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Calling bookshops & festivals: Celia Mitchell, a...: Calling bookshops & festivals: Celia Mitchell, actress & Adrian Mitchell's wife, will do events to talk about ' Just Adrian ,' Adrian's ...

More cameras available!

By the way, I am also offering for sale the following cameras from my collection:

Yashicamat 124G twin lens reflex camera

Yashica D TLR camera

Ricoh GRD 8 megapixel digital camera

Ricoh GRD IV 10 megapixel digital camera

Pentax ME Super slr camera plus extra lenses

See them all here

Another fabulous Rolleiflex TLR for sale

Hot on the heels of the previous Rolleiflex Automat which I sold recently, I am now offering another Rolleiflex, again in excellent, fully working condition, fully tested, with a FREE roll of Fomapan film thrown in to start you off!

This has been in my collection for some 5 years now and has not just been sitting in a glass cabinet, but has been used regularly, so you can be sure everything works as it should.

See it here and make it yours TODAY!

The Yashica Mat twin lens reflex- a solid workhorse

The Yashica Mat was a true workhorse when first introduced more than 50 years ago.

With superbly crafted mechanisms and fabulously sharp and contrasty Yashinon lenses, it walked in the steps of it's more upmarket brother, the Rolleiflex.

This one here is in very good used condition, and aside of some very small nicks here and there from normal use, not abuse, it will keep on churning out stupendous photographs worthy enough to grace the front pages of any glossy magazines.

The lenses are in immaculate condition, no marks or fungus, the winding mechanism is fine, shutter and aperture working as normal.

The self-timer is a bit slow in working but I think that may be due to lack of use of the feature than anything else.

The meter needle is moving, but has not been confirmed as accurate, as the camera has always been used according to that bastion of photographers everywhere, the "sunny 16" rule!

And all the photographs taken with this method have come out outstandingly beautiful as expected.

The camera will come to you in a handy zip up case which has several pockets for extra lenses, film etc, and we are also including a rare yellow filter and very handy cable release as well.

A very sturdy and capable vintage camera for students or professionals alike.

Click here to purchase.








[!brand:yashicamat!][!upc:026649734320!][!focus_type:manual!][!genre:medium format!]

The unbeatable Kodak Tri X film!

The wonderful Kodak Tri X film!

 

Time was when the technology we have today was unheard of and photographers working with their cameras and in their darkrooms were considered genuises. And to be sure, their work did have a certain allure, especially as the heart of it had to be conducted in a dark room.

I remember very well my first few visits to the darkroom my uncle used to have set up in his house. It was in the attic, so even getting to it was a bit of an adventure for small bairn like me; climbing all those sets of stairs till you eventually reached the attic had my little legs beat!

Of course, as is always the case, the first thing that got my attention was the smell, a weird mixture of chemicals and damp mustiness in the small space under the roof.

I can safely say that was the time when something clicked in my mind telling me that this was the best hobby I would ever see in my life, and from that time on, I was smitten by the photography bug, something that still has not gone away even now, after more than 40 or so years. Every time I enter my own darkroom nowadays, and the moment I smell the chemicals I use for my own processing, I am magically and instantly transported away to that tiny attic my uncle used to have.

And that was also the time when I learned the beauty of black and white film. Besides all the other films around at that time, my uncle had suggested, with a tell-tale glint in his eye, that I try some Tri X in my camera and see what I think about it. That of course told me straight away that there is bound to be some mystique behing the film, otherwise my uncle wouldn't have given me that mischievous look of his, so I was determined to try it out.

Loading up my dad's old Agfa Super Silette with a roll of Tri X, I walked out of the house and headed on foot, all the way to Ealing Broadway in West London, which at that time was a posh kind of place with stores like Bentalls, F H Rowse and British Home Stores lining the main High Street. And of course that was where one of my favourite toy shops used to be situated, just past the National Westminster bank; the toy shop was called Confiserie Francaise, and it had two huge beautifully curved glass windows outside, and a doorway leading to an absolute Aladdin's cave full of all the toys you can imagine! Needless to say, I used to spend virtually every weekend in there, spending my few shillings pocket money on toys! Oh, those were the days!

Anyway, so during my way to Ealing Broadway, I took as many shots as I could, of buildings, people shopping etc, whatever I thought interesting, and of course at that time nobody was paranoid about someone taking photos, unlike today.

Very soon the film had been used up and that very same day I took it to my uncle who told me how to develop it and prepare the negatives for printing.

I can tell you that soon as I saw my shots printed out, my eyeballs almost fell out! I had never seen such beautiful photos, except in books of course; sharp, crisp whites and deep, dark black shadows, with shades in between; I was hooked!

So that was my first intorduction to Tri X, a film taht is still going strong and should be the one film, if not the only one, that every aspiring photographer, amateur or professional, should never be without.

The film's history goes back at least 50 years. The speciality about Tri X is that it has a superb emulsion coating that gives unbeatable contrast with incredible sharpness, with only a slight hint of grain, making it ideal for moody shots.

Tri X has a lot of harshness about it; so this is the one to choose for portraits that convey the true feeling of a person's character, I find.

And of course, unlike colour films, the images will not fade. I myself prefer to have my most valubale shots, be they of people or places, taken on this film and printed by hand on the very best black and white paper I can afford, for I know that once done in this way, my shots will still be around generations after I am gone from this world; I couldn't say that about digital media, stored as it is on precarious hard drives, prey to all sorts of problems such as power surges and obsolete formats and magnetic storms and what not.

Tri X doesn't require as much development time as other black and white films, like TMax for example. Whihc of course means you can have your film developed, dried and in your darkroom for printing in a very short time span.

Sure, there is quite a bit of graininess present with this film, but that is half the fun and beauty of using it. It somehow manages to infuse a magical quality to your shots that you would swear were not observable when you took the photos! With hand on heart, I can safely say that digital black and white shots just do not, and for me, cannot have the mystery and magic that shooting with this film gives.

And you know something? With Tri X, you don't need to have a camera costing $$$$$$; load it up into any good classic camera you have lying around at home, and you'll see what I mean; the results will always be astounding.

So there you are! I bet this has got your creative juices flowing at long last and you can't wait to get your hands on some this weekend.

For me, I am just so glad that I learned this superb art, which in my mind is so close to that other ancient art of incantation and hocus-pocus, alchemy. And all this at a time when darkrooms are  fast being closed down.

Every time I switch on that red lamp and those weird and strange smells together with the tinkling sound of running water in my darkroom hit my senses, I am in heaven, nay, paradise itself!

Why don't you join me?

:)

The name Rolleiflex has always been synonomous with the highest quality and precision.

Even today, Rolleflex medium format cameras continue to be used the world over and photographs taken with them still adorn the covers of many glossy magazines.

And here is just one example of this superb photographic icon, the Rolleiflex Automat.

A better medium format camera you cannot buy, even today. This is the later version with the bayonet mount for adding filters etc, and automatically senses the start of the film.

Absolutely simple and foolproof to use, but with performance and results that are more than good enough to grace the front cover of any glossy magazine.

With the world-renowned Ziess Tessar lens, you will be amazed at the results this little beauty will give you! Photos taken with this Rolleiflex have been enlarged to 20" x 15" and bigger, without any loss of quality!

All the mechanisms have been checked ok and as a final test, we have run a roll of film through it, processed the film and scanned the negatives, with wondrous results.

Price £244.99 plus £9.99 shipping UK

Rest of world price: US$367.99 plus $35 shipping

Payment:

GoogleCheckout, NOCHEX, Paypal. If you are in the USA/Canada, you can pay direct via Bank America or CIBC into my account. I can accept cheques from UK buyers only.

Click here to purchase

I was talking with a friend a few days ago about how fortunate we all are in the western world compared to other people in the third world.

Agreed, those people we call poor, may well be very much richer than us in moral, behaviour or happiness terms, but we are talking about modern comforts and money we enjoy here.

I know myself that were my fridge, or washing machine, tv or computer to fail, I would be seriously worried! Out of these four items, I would rank my computer the most valuable in my personal case, without which I would feel as lost as a duck in the desert!

But believe me when I say I have been to places and sat down and talked to people who do not know where their next meal is coming from or how they are going to get it. For these people, they are absolutely ecstatic if they can fill their stomachs for the day, and sleep contendedly, until the next day.

I visited one such family in rural India last time I was there, getting to their home just as they had woken up, and seeing how they live day by day. This particular family live in a round 20 foot shack made of branches with old cloth tarpaulins and plastic sheets on the top to keep out the wind and rain. In the middle of the shack are hung big lengths of cotton dyed sheets, acting as dividers between the living and sleeping areas. A total of 6 people live in this space, two parents and 4 children.

The second section is divided up once more into a smaller section, one for a rudimentary bathroom (the bathroom area is for washing your face and bathing for the ladies, nothing much else as all other toilet ablutions are done in the bush) and the other for a kitchen. There is no flowing water in the area at all, not even a standpipe, and the nearest well is located at the start of the village, quite a walk away. 

I saw small children aged no more than 4 or 5 years old, carrying small tubs of water to their homes with their parents; this alone brought tears to my eyes; no child should ever have to do this.

But in this small and primitive existence, I found cleanliness and order, peace and tranquility and above all, happiness. Ok, fine, although the people were smiling all the time I was there, when I mentioned their finances, or lack of, their children’s futures, in other words normal day-to-day parental things, then I could see that their happiness was only transitory. There is never enough food to go around, and many times the father and mother stay hungry and let the children eat. Disease is rife, as nobody can afford medicines.

And food? What do they eat when there is something to eat? Red chillies, garlic and salt, all ground up into a thick paste, together with half a chapati (like a tortilla, only thicker). That is their food for a day, washed down with water.

But there is hope on the horizon. A few days later, I was told about a local self-help scheme that some of the villagers had set-up, with a little help from voluntary donations from well-to-do locals, and it is this scheme that I want to mention here.

The villagers have set up a small business, which even though does not turnover millions of rupees, it still makes enough money that enables the participants to pay for all their costs and overheads, and leave a little left over to pay for their food and essentials. Now things are improving, but only for those who can afford to join up to the scheme; others who cannot, continue to suffer as before.

Working in the scheme, participants can make a few hundred rupees a month. Not much you are probably saying but let’s not forget that it these are the same people who were living like that first family I mention above, but their decision to join up with the scheme has enabled them to better themselves a 1000-fold.

I was so moved by the sheer poverty these people are living in, that I racked my mind trying to think how I could help as well. In the end,  I purchased a whole load of their items, a purchase that made them extremely happy, for never before had they received such a big purchase! It only dawned on me later what I was going to do with so many of the products! By the way, 90% of the price will go back into the scheme and I will not be making any profit out of this at all — the well-being of those families is uppermost in my mind.

So if any of my readers are interested at all in making a difference to those poor families’ lives, please purchase one or more of these beautiful notebook journals, all hand-made of course, with recycled paper and leather from ethical sources.

The covers are all unique, being hand-embossed, and the writing paper is good quality and sound enough to take fountain pen ink or ball-point or pencil. Approx. 90 double sided pages. Each journal comes with a useful elastic close and a nice silk ribbon placemarker. There is also a space in the spine of the journals for a pen or pencil. Very nice and handy 80mm by 100mm size, ideal for your pocket or handbag. Ideal for use as a notebook for your photography or a journal for your up and coming photo shoots. I have sold many to students attending my street photo classes!

Price UK/Europe is just £3.50 plus £1.50 shipping

USA/Canada/rest of world price is US$5.25 plus US$2.50 shipping

You can pay via Google Checkout, PPPay, Paypal or direct bank transfer. Email me or leave me a message via a comment.

PS I asked that first family if I could photograph their daily chores, saying that they may be posted on the internet later on, but after thinking about it, they politely declined, saying that they didn’t want the world to see the poverty they lived in, and I fully respected their decision.

A dollar is a dollar!

photo courtesy creativecat.wordpress.com

In these days of economic woes, etc, everyone is finding it rather difficult to survive, and running blogs costs time and money, so it's only natural that we all capitalise on every method we can in order to maximize earnings, however small they may be.

That is why I am offering to allow adverts from sellers or buyers, be they private collectors or larger companies...in this case, size does not matter!

In return, I will be asking you to post my adverts on your blogs.

It's going to be a case of seeing how things pan out really, so initially, I will not be charging anything for this service. If however, business picks up, then I am sure we can work things out so that everyone is happy, but even then, I promise it will be very fair.

The only thing I ask is that any adverts you want me to post on my blog are to do with photography, film or digital.

So, please email me or leave me a comment on the comment section and I'll do the rest.

Look fwd to hearing from you!

For everybody who's always wanted the world famous Olympus Trip 35, here is your chance!

But this one is no ordinary one -- oh, no...this one has been fully refurbished and finished off painstakingly by hand, with a fantastic green lizard effect covering (notice I said "effect", so no lizard was killed for this!).

Not only that, but this is the rarer chrome shutter button model -- why is it so sought after? Well, these earlier models had the all-metal mechanisms inside, whereas the later ones were made with plastic parts, which tend to wear out after time).

Lens in immaculate condition, no dings or dents on the body at all.

Everything has been tested and checked, even the little red flag inside the viewfinder works as it should in low light. A final test with a film has also been done, with predictably excellent results!

It will come to your home complete with it's own case, an original lens cap, wrist strap and of course, my legendary FREE FILM!

Make it yours TODAY.

Price £65.99 plus £5.99 shipping UK

Rest of world price: US$98.99 plus $29 shipping

Payment: GoogleCheckout, NOCHEX, Paypal. 

If you are in the USA/Canada, you can pay direct via Bank America or CIBC into my accounts.  I will accept cheques from UK buyers. To buy, email me here.

Don't worry! 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back -- no arguments at all!

Well, it's about time I paid more attention to this, my very first blog!

A lot of my time has been taken up by my other blog at Wordpress, so I haven't had much time to freshen up my first love here on Blogger!

So, as you may have noticed, although this will ALWAYS be the home of everything to do with film photography, I have decided not be a stick-in-the-mud and introduce a little bit about digital as well (eeeek!).

Fortunately, technology is a double-edged sword -- on the one hand, it has taken a lot of people away from film, but on the other hand, it does have a lot of advantages for all of us, whether we use film or not.

For example, I always get a huge amount of questions from beginners to photography, asking me what camera I can recommend. I flip the question over and tell them to start off with a cheapo digicam, and once they have got the hang of using a camera, composing a shot etc etc, then they can move onto a film camera.

Why do I suggest that? Well, let's look at it from the beginner's point of view; he/she will be just beginning, and so, more than likely, will want to keep their spending within a budget, so the last thing a beginner would want to do is spend £££s (or $$$ !) on developing and printing film which may have 90% dud shots on it! If they use a digicam, at least the spend will be very much lower (aside from buying the digicam in the first place of course).

And here's my confession -- I always try and use my ancient 2 megapixel digicam first; if I like the result, I whip out my film camera and take my final shot with that. Of course, if I'm on a street shoot, I never have time to take shots on the digicam; in that scenario, it's just shoot, shoot, shoot, as fast as possible and hope to hell you've captured the shot you wanted!

So there you are! A lot of changes will be coming to this blog, though nothing drastic! I will be offering more beautiful cameras from my collection as well, so please drop in when you can and thank you for your time.

PS the lovely Olympus Trip with hand-customised Green Lizard effect covering is coming up for sale very soon here! Be the first one to own it!