Brought a tear to my eye....

I was in Nashville today to shoot some street photography, and swung by Drury's to pick up some 120 film. I stood behind 3 girls, non of which could have been older than 22 at the counter. All 3 had stacks of boxes of Ilford Paper. 11x14, 8x10, 5x7, in WarmTone and regular. Along with bricks of 35mm Ilford film.

They let me go in front of them since I only had 6 rolls of Ilford to pay for. While outside I struck up a conversation about what format they were shooting, and printing in general.

I told them I was there shooting 120 today. One said she wasn't wild about 120. I kind of cocked my head, and asked why. It was just because she had been shooting with a holga. I told them to come around behind my ride. I whipped it out.

I mean, I whipped out my RB67 with my 180 on it, along with the suitcase that came with it, with other lenses, filters, prism finders, etc....

I popped open the Waist Level View Finder, and threw the strap around one of the girls neck. I thought she was going to pee her pants.. while looking at the images she was viewing.

It was just cool seeing the girls buying all this paper and film. One girls order was 300.00 and change.

There is life after digital

A good sign for sure!

I also find the holga hype so appalling. So many nice cameras around, why pick the platic ones ?

I think so long as you're really into photography as an artform, you will eventually be led into film, so long as you discover it.
I am 22 myself and started only a few years back, after using digital gear. I use the rb67 too. Amazing "little" thing.

I always love letting people view through a wlf even if it is merely 6x6 which is what I'm mostly using when the possibility of talking shop occurs.

The RZ really does it hehe.
It's like IMAX.

Post some of your recent stuff Pfiltz.
Always dig on your street shots

AOCo said:

I also find the holga hype so appalling. So many nice cameras around, why pick the platic ones ?

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At least she is starting off right with film!

Great story! 300 usd is quite an order. Maybe they study art?

I brought my Toyo 45AX into work to photograph the view out the window. Not that the weather cooperated once I did that, though.



But, oh, were my coworkers bugeyed over the camera! So I explained things like film and why view cameras are still used.

AOCo said:

I also find the holga hype so appalling. So many nice cameras around, why pick the platic ones ?

Click to expand...

I doubt she would be spending $300 on film if the holga didn't exist... Be thankful the holga is keeping film companies afloat.


~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

what's wrong with holga - it's her photograph, let them use holgas if that's what they're interested in. not everyone wants a race camera like an rb67, even if they are cool!

Beating up on Holga is very tiring, and not good for film.

Hey guys.... Any film camera is a great camera. Holga, 4x5, pinhole, 35mm... pick one and use it. I've never even shot a 35mm camera.

Not sure what kind of experiences she had with this Holga, or maybe what she was expecting by shooting with one.

I'm pretty sure they were art students. Non of them out of the 3 had their own darkroom yet. Heck I told one that up till 2 months ago, I was doing contact prints in the bathroom, which pushed me to make a DR. All 3 combined I figured they spent somewhere around 700.00 or so, based on the pile of paper and film they all had.

I wished we could have spent more time talking about film and developing, but they weren't dressed to well to be standing in the parking lot talking due to the weather. It was nice talking with someone face to face that shoots film. No one in the town I'm in shoots with it.

It's been almost like a year since I've gotten to shoot with my RB, since I had to get another back for it. I think I may have screwed the pooch on the orientation of the shots of the guys I shot, because I may not have had the back in the right position. It's all good though. It was a great day to be outside shooting.

I wish I had of packed my 4x5 to let them see it as well.

a good reason to have a business card or such on hand. let's them decide if they want to continue the conversation.

I refer those people to Apug, but... these encounters are so rare.
About 4 times a year.

I'm hoping one of them will pop off an email to me. One of them knows my town, and I did tell them the studio name, but would probably have forgotten it, though it could be found via google. One asked to see some prints that I've done, but of course, why would I lug around prints while shooting some street work.

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I wish I had of packed my 4x5 to let them see it as well.[/QUOTE]

See, it's like my wife keeps telling me, "Bigger is better"! My wife is always complaining my camera is a bit on the small side. Alright, she really says it's tooooo little. I have no problems with Holga cameras or that artsy/fartsy type of photography. My only question is why somebody would pay that much for a plastic camera when they could go on eBay and buy much better for less. Most old box cameras and plastic cameras from the 50's are really better made and the results are also similar. You can also take a camera with a better lens and alter it's image quality. Plus, you can reverse it back and have a decent picture taker if you needed better quality. Just my opinion of course, but at least they were buying film/paper instead of a "Compact Flash Card"?

Almost sounds like an old pick up line, "come over to my place to see my......"

brucemuir said:

Post some of your recent stuff Pfiltz.
Always dig on your street shots

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Thank You Bruce... It seems I did have the back in the right orientation after all. I was a bit shakey with it, since I've never used a WLF before...

RB67 w/50mm. Ilford film, Arista Developer.


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Brian C. Miller said:

But, oh, were my coworkers bugeyed over the camera! So I explained things like film and why view cameras are still used.

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I'm probably the last person at work still shooting film, but interestingly whenever I bring in a film camera people actually want me to take their picture. The weirdest part is that what seems to get them the most excited is having to wait a few days or a week to see the results.

AOCo said:

I also find the holga hype so appalling. So many nice cameras around, why pick the platic ones ?

Click to expand...

why?

this is why ... (there was a url link here which no longer exists)