Half Frame, Lots of Frames

So, when its -1'c outside and I'm sat in my dressing gown, I am not going outside to look at the camera.

Ill just say, I'm not sure what model it is because I've look at loads of google images and wikipedia comparing to pictures on my Instagram and I can't find a camera that look s the same as mine; they all have different shutter buttons.

So mine looks like a PEN EE but has the shutter button of a PEN EE.S. If I braved the cold and gave the neighbours a fright id be able to figure it out, I'm sure by the maximum aperture. But right now I'm happy with just not knowing.  Stay warm!

Either way the camera comes from sometime between 1961 & 1981. It's half frame, fixed focus & fully automatic, meaning it does what it does when you point it at things.

I picked it up for something like a £1 from the Sunday market. At 1st I wasn't interested until I opened it and noticed that the frame mask was tiny and in my head alarm bells rang with a 'its a half frame camera, get it, shoot loads of exposures'

This half frame camera, shoots twice the amount of exposures on a roll of 35mm film. so 72 shots on a 36 roll etc.

But the negatives are small. So don't expect detail and large prints.

Ive only shot 1 roll, not including the few shots that were left on the roll in the camera when I purchased it. A lot of that roll was ruined when I opened the back of the camera not knowing there was a film in it. But who buys an old camera without checking it 1st.

The camera joined us on a weekend away in Norwich, December 2016, a roll of Fujicolor C200 in tow.

Point and shoot.

And sometimes you scratch your head and wonder how so much dust got on only 1 or 2 frames of the whole roll.

I like Anglia Square in Norwich. It's like the place that Norwich forgot. Once the big shopping centres were built there's no real reason to go there and so either shops sit empty or are used by discount chains but who doesn't like Poundland??

Theres a massive vacant office building, trust me I've looked round it for a way in, which is absolutely covered in graffiti.

A perfect subject to capture via a 20+ frame stitched image;

Richard; a Street Portrait

It's important to challenge yourself.

Force yourself into doing something your uncomfortable with.

Doing this will hopefully lower your inhibitions and make you grow as person and it should be easier next time.

Ive been really busy lately, by advertising myself. Ive released that not everyone is going to come to me just by word of mouth, though its proven very successful. So those local to me will no doubt have seen my adverts popping up on various Facebook pages. Result, more business.

Because I've been busy, I've let my blogging fall behind. Its not like i don't shoot regularly, i have a camera with me at all times, though today walking the dog in the hail i didn't feel like getting the camera out.

So, a mental note to keep blogging.

A time recently where I've challenged myself is to talk to a stranger and ask if i can take their portrait.

I spotted Richard sitting on a windowsill on St. Benedicts street, Norwich, nursing his cider. At 1st i thought about grabbing a candid shot of him. I walked away with my tail between my legs. After going in a shop looking for bargain CD's, i noticed that he was still sitting there, i just had to talk to him.

Go for it, whats the worst that could happen, he might just say no.

Very politely Richard, told me his name, told me that he lived just up the road , told me his story and agreed that i could take his photo.

I gave Richard my card and my details, to which he replied he doesn't have a phone or a computer and so wouldn't be able to see the photo. Now that i think about it, i should of took his address and sent him a small print as a way of saying thanks for his time.

Some people in a worse position than you, may still be willing to give you a hand, just for a little bit of time.

I want to shoot everyday

Im always eager to take a picture.

Eager to use my camera.

Its all I want to do.

I don't like to go anywhere without my camera.

I don't really enjoy going places that have no photography opportunities.

The new rule about plastic bags in the UK has given me a greater reason to carry a man bag, so now I can carry a camera around all the time.

Recent time spent in Norwich, its always Norwich, I like the place, it's proved fruitful for street photography and projects, i set myself the challenge of shooting with a manual lens adapted on the X-Pro 1. Sometimes this reaps good results, sometimes its a day of bin fodder!

This day, I hope you agree was successful.

The moment the person in the street that you want to look at you, looks at you!

Great colour and font

Rectangle brick, round hole

A cold Sunday in Norwich is good for business

I made another trip to Norwich on Sunday for 3 reasons; 1st to get a new battery fitted to my phone, 2nd to have a look at a camera and 3rd to chat Wedding photography with potential clients.

It was a very successful day;
New battery.
New Camera
Another wedding booked.

As im sure you've read before and usually it takes place in Norwich, I love street photography, Mostly because its an excuse to carry my camera around.

Sorry, I already bought it

 

A missus putting up with her photographer fella

Locked

The beauty of walking around built up places is finding odd things like random clothing in random places. I was just waiting for a streaker to run by.

Biddys; the tea shop I met Fiona and Tom to talk weddings, a cool looking tea shop and a nice couple, Tom had the biggest slice of cake ive ever seen...........seriously it was massive

Keeping an eye on things

and pay silly prices for someone else's junk

A wall of windows

I wonder if they got wet painting that?

Ive been urbexing recently with a good friend so ill begin to post the shots from that soon, there are loads as the location is BIG!

Im beginning to look forward to 2015, should be a great year for photography.

I hope you, reading this, like what I do and take the time to look at my other posts.

Ive had over 11,000 hits now to this blog, so my photography is getting around.

Thanks for looking.

Never Despair; Street Photography and Street Art, Norwich, December.

Another day, another month, another trip to Norwich, another blog post.

I continue to love street art and Norwich is full of it from Tags to stickers galore.

It was a shopping trip so there wasn't much time to go looking for it but these are some of my favourite pieces from the day just because they were simple and in good locations for including people in the shots.

 

Hello

We had time to stop for food though, never had complimentary popcorn before dinner but it was good!

 

Thanks for looking.

From the streets of Norwich and Great Yarmouth. Yeah on the streets!

This is the 2nd instalment of photos from my few days away out in Norfolk; Norwich and Yarmouth.

These ones are ; Street Photography and Street Art.

Street Photography, on Wikipedia, is described as; "Street photography is photography that features the human condition within public places and does not necessitate the presence of a street or even the urban environment. The subject of the photograph might be absent of people and can be an object or environment where the image projects a decidedly human character in facsimile or aesthetic."

Everyone knows what Street Art is, think Banksy, think posh graffiti.

The Bicycle Shop, Norwich, doesn't sell bicycles......crazy!

 



Say no more

Something worth looking at



Tune in next time.

Street art with the newest camera in my collection

Why oh why oh why did I want another camera when I already own so many, including some that are cool and one; the 5D which is amazing.

Well for a little while now I have coveted a smaller retro looking camera; the Fujifilm X20.

12MP, manual control, viewfinder, shoots RAW.....yes please!

Photo of the new toy, taken on my IPhone

 

I purchased the camera from WEX in Norwich on the way to Great Yarmouth, where we were staying for the weekend on good ol' British caravan holiday.

 

I chose to use this camera all weekend during my travels and walk abouts so I could get a good feel for it.

 

The images taken are not comparable to my 5D but I never expected them to be anyway. RAW images require sharpening and noise reduction to get the best of them.

 

For portability and ease of use thought this camera is awesome. There are 2 command dials and buttons to control everything you need such as focus point, white balance etc and a nice exposure compensation dial on the top.

 

The usual family holiday snaps were taken but otherwise I have enjoyed using this camera to capture buildings, signs and street art and a bit of street photography.

 

There's some good detail on the buildings along the sea front of Gt Yarmouth

 





The name of this place gets me every time

 



Artificial decay

 

On the way home from Yarmouth on Monday we stopped off in Norwich again for dinner. Obviously I had the camera hanging around my neck.

 

Ive noticed street art around Norwich before on previous shopping trips, once you start looking for it you find that it is all over the place. These pieces were on the way to our chosen eatery.

 

 

Street art can be found in your home towns.

 

At the beach

 

Even found in Wisbech, yesterday after my mortgage appointment.

 

 Yes its a camera and im taking a photo.

 This penguin was just up the road from the other.

One very cramped alley way

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Ben