Analogue Ratbaggery
My previous experience in digital photography also spurred me towards the analogue form. Though I loved my pin-sharp digital images, I felt there was something missing. That 'very something' which only film photography could afford. One was the anticipation of calling in Boots three days after dropping your films off for processing and printing. Another, was an attempt at taking modern day images with toy cameras and older analogue cameras.
This began with the purchase of a late 1950s Kodak Brownie, which at this moment is a doorstop due to my (lack of) success in obtaining 127 film. I learnt this lesson by buying an old 35mm camera. This time a Kodak Retinette 022, which has become my favourite oldie with the Schneider lens and its handling abilities. My second reason for this addition was a 'bridge camera' for street photography, which would enable me to familiarise myself with an Olympus OM-1, a recent car boot sale purchase.
Within a month, I treated myself to a Holga 120CFN, thus beginning a new adventure with an all plastic medium format camera. Working with a camera that was practically a toy was a real joy with its lightweight construction. I loved the fringing and the low tech effects. A year from then, my collection mushroomed. Another Retinette; a Zenit TTL; and a 1987 Olympus AM-100 followed.
Who needs Instagram?
Though I do like the analogue style, nothing beats the real thing. Handling a 1950s camera to see how the results compared with digital styles just feels right. The sense of anticipation lost with digital technology, regained.
Seen below is a sample of my analogue images, taken with multifarious cameras.
