Film Photography

I recently picked up my old medium format film camera, it's a Bronica ETRSi. Some would describe it as a Hasselblad copy, but it was the long held dream of Mr Zenzaburo Yoshino who first attempted to build his dream camera in the early fifties. Alas due to financial troubles he fell into bankruptcy and went back to his original business of making ladies cosmetics and novelties.

Thanks to the financial success of his cosmetics business his "dream" began life at the end of 1952 he then formed the Bronica camera Co. Ltd in 1956 when the first prototype was produced.

It's an easy camera to handle, and feels good in the hand making it a useful camera for both studio and street photography.

I use Fuji Neopan 400 film among others, and when I see the results I still think digital cannot produce the same 'character' and the difference is visible in these shots I took of my daughter and of the town of Joigny in Burgundy, France.

I was also brought back to relearning how to frame the 6 x 4.5 cm image area, my errors are obvious with too much space left in the top of the frame. It was an enjoyable trip down memory lane, and the results have inspired me to take it out more often to take pictures of my daughter Clara Louna.

I don't think I'll be brave enough to shoot weddings in Paris with it though. I'm to used to my Canon 5D MK11 and it's fabulous ISO range.

Paris Photography Tours

Wednesday Dec 30 2010

I have the privilege of sharing my photographic experience with enthusiastic photographers from all over the world, and in one of the most photographed and photogenic cities in the world, Paris. Today was a perfect day albeit a little too cold, but the all important light served up a delight for both landscape and interior photography. The interior of Notre Dame is just magic when that Eastern sun shines through the stained glass illuminating the rustic stone pillars and blues of the arched ceilings that are otherwise hidden in the shadows. I explained to my group how in situations of low light as in most churches we can become human tripods. Firstly I suggested everyone select their two second timer from their camera's menu, then pre focus as most lenses struggle to fix a focal point in low light conditions, manually set the shutter speed and aperature, because camera meters cannot be trusted in mixed lighting scenarios. I also reccommend everyone shoot in RAW not jpeg. For those with cameras like the Canon 5D MKii I suggest ISO 1600-2000. With all this set they are ready, the last instruction is to hold your breath for that two seconds and to brace the camera firmly against the forehead to ensure little or no movement. With this method most peoples shots were sharp even at speeds as low as 15th of a second.

Outside the sun created sharp contrast with the raking light creating attractive highlights on the flying buttresses, and on the weather greened brass statues of the architects on the roof. On the route we visit the Greek catholic church of St Julian le Pauvre, The church of St Severin if it's open, Shakespêar & Co the oldest english book shop in Paris, which has been open every day since 1951. We walk around the back of the Il de Cité and visit the monument to the deportation of the Jews by the Vichy government during the 2nd world war.

From here we stroll along some of the small quaint streets of the Latin Quarter, crossing rue des Ecoles and taking the gently rising Rue de Calmes. Very soon thereafter arriving at my favourite church in Paris dedicated to Ste Genevieve. It's a must see church, and being situated right behind the Pantheon and a stones throw from the Luxembourg gardens there's no excuse not to see it. After the Pantheon we stroll down past the Place de la Sorbonne and the musée de moyenne age and back to our starting point at the fountain of St Michel.

Photography

I'm a professional photographer! I say that for myself, it's an affirmation reminding me that I am a photographer. I have the right to make art as I see fit. I just wish I could make it right now. The weather is cold and wet on this the 7th of December 2010. My daughter is sleeping. I've had the pleasure of her unbridled joy all day. She can sing in the rain, and not want to come home. She could sit on the carrousel all day, never feeling the ice on her fingers. Shouting and laughing at and with the other children, she is oblivious to any cold while I shiver and my nose runs.

Travels

Standing on my terrace at an ungodly hour of the night satisfying my nicotine addiction, the sound of a distant aircraft reminded me of what I used to say as a child. "I wish I was on that plane"! I quickly returned to the present and said to myself " I wish I was here"! I'm cursed or blessed by being nomadic by nature not by intention, and I now have an inkling, a desire, a thought perhaps to stop this habitual restlessness.

I came back to Paris from the UK via Dover on the new DFDS shipping line. The sky was great, clouds and fog mixed to create a water colour clouding the horizon from view.

I recalled my childhood once again. As a "family" we took many boat trips across the pond. My four sisters and myself would play chase, hide and seek. The boats weren't as safe then and I remember Catherine hanging on for dear life having slipped on the wet wooden decking. That ended our chasing.

PAINTING PARIS: SPRING HAS SPRUNG

PAINTING PARIS: SPRING HAS SPRUNG

Great writing as alway Mary.

And the art speaks for itself!!

Sharing Experience

It's been a long Winter everywhere it seems, and I've just seen the TV weather forecast and there's snow storms in Texas and the forecast is the same for Atlanta tomorrow. I'm in Atlanta for photography and learning, yes more learning. The Showcase school here in Atlanta has been a great discovery and source of information. It seems learning about photography is an ongoing process with which I can be fed up of sometimes, I think I know something and then realise I know very little.

And since I've crossed over into wedding photography there's yet more to learn. It's about marketing, finding those markets, niche or otherwise and having the neck to go and sell my art to these people. It was twenty five years since I shot my last wedding until last September, and I was nervous. I am a confident photographer yet the thought of doing this wedding sent shivers down my spine. Of course as usual I was projecting and fearing the worst but the day came and it was a blast, the bride and groom were lovely and very happy and not in the least bit nervous. The surroundings were magnificent, the village of Puycelsi is in the heart of France, a thirteenth century village where it seems time has stood still and the locals know each other and have time to pass the time of day with one another without feeling the need to run of to the next chore. The ceremony took place in the Chateau de Mauriac a well preserved chateau from the seventeenth century perched on top of a small hill over looking the vineyards of Gaillac. It is a family run chateau and Mr and Mrs Bistes have restored it with plenty of TLC and attention to detail and have managed to retain it's charm and character down to the finest detail, which can be seen throughout the chateau in the doorways, reliefs and corniches. It was a real privilege to be part of this wedding celebration so much so that I didn't want it to end.

The guests came from all over the globe, from as far away as Australia, Isreal, USA, Bahamas and all over Europe. Kate's dress was a rich deep purple and Deran was very elegant in an Italian design tuxedo.

The light was a challenge so for the must have shots I used flash, but as little as possible as it really destroys the romance of the scene. My canon 5D really struggled at 1600 ISO and this motivated me to buy the new 5D mkii. And since I have the 5D mkii I have no more low light worries. At 6400 ISO the mkii is super. So for 2010 I'm really looking forward to shooting more weddings. I will talk later about my last wedding in yet another beautiful location, that of the Abbey of Morienval 60kms North of Paris.