A single frame: Lockdown memory

Voigtlander Bessa R, 35mm Skopar F/2.5. December 2020
Voigtlander Bessa R, 35mm Skopar F/2.5. December 2020

A photowalk during the Covid lockdown in december 2020. I took some pictures in my neighbourhood with the Voigtlander Bessa R. I have many camera’s, mostly SLR and I have to get used to a rangefinder. I like this image. People and businesses had to find ways to get around during the lockdown and here you can see what they came up with.

Finding my mojo in photography again

A holiday, 2008. Nikon F50, AF Nikkor 35-80mm F/1.4-5.6D. Fujifilm Superia 200.
A holiday, 2008. Nikon F50, AF Nikkor 35-80mm F/1.4-5.6D. Fujifilm Superia 200.

When I was young I didn’t have a camera. My father had a camera but I didn’t dare to touch it and he never let me try it. I remember a Olympus half frame and a small Rollei. In the mid seventies I got a 126 cassette film camera but I can’t remember the brand, I think Agfa. That summer we traveled for the first time to Spain and I did feel like a real photographer. Proudly showing my camera that I carried in a small etui fastened at my belt I felt great!

After that I visit every camera store I did see and I looked at the camera’s in the shop window and get inside for all the leaflets of brands as Hasselblad, Nikon, Pentax etc. With the little money that I had as a 14 year old kid far out of reach!

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52 Rolls project, one roll of film for 52 weeks

So I’m commiting myself to a not as easy film project, 52 rolls of film for 52 weeks. I’ve collected a stock of films, chose a number of cameras that I have owned for a while and trust to work and plan to start november 1th, 2019.

So my project for 52 rolls is very simple: take at least one roll of film per week with a 35mm film camera. I should be able to scan and develop at least two rolls every two weeks, and post at least one image from each roll.

I enjoy photographing here in my hometown Rotterdam so the project looks doable. I also planning to travel to France, Belgium etc. A topiclist is in the making…

A roll of film in a Nikon F50 starting in 2018, ending in 2019

Hole in one, tree nill. Pompenburg park, Rotterdam. Nikon F50, AF Nikkor 35-80mm F/1.4-5.6D
Hole in one, tree nill. Pompenburg park, Rotterdam. Nikon F50, AF Nikkor 35-80mm F/1.4-5.6D

I bought this camera in 2008 while camping. During a visit to a pittoresk town I always scan for camerashops. Most camerashops nowadays sell only digital but this one had a few old film cameras among which this Nikon F50. A quick buy for about 15 Euro with a battery in good working order.

I photographed during this holiday with the F50 and was very happy with it. But years passed by and it was only in 2018(!) that I picked up the F50 again. These are a few examples of the film I did shoot during 2018 – 2019…

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First roll with my Leica M4-2

The moustache lady. Bergweg Rotterdam. Leica M4-2 with 35mm Voigtlander Skopar.
The moustache lady. Bergweg Rotterdam. Leica M4-2 with 35mm Voigtlander Skopar.

After many books, websites, blogs and museum visits I wanted to be a credited and famous photographer. And a Leica is the camera for the ‘real’ photographer so I bought a very nice Leica M4-2. This is the first and testroll I shot with the M4-2. Guessing the light conditions is not so hard and using my Voigtlander 35mm thread lens with a adapter on the Leica worked great!

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On my way with the half frame Olympus Pen EE-2

Rotterdam Centraal station. Panorama made with several half frames of this Olympus EE-2

Bought me a old Olympus Pen EE-2 and took it with me at walks and some military events. It performs as new. It handles all kind of light easy and I like the grainy images…

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City steps with the first camera I owned, the Praktica B200

Find your way in cameraland! I found Praktica!

Taken with the first camera I ever owned, a Praktica B200 with a Prakticar 50mm F/2.4 lens, loaded with Kodak Portra 400. Awaken after almost 15 years and working flawlessly. I decided to walk towards the river and back to home, city center. Early morning, nice light and a bit hazy.

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Neighbourhood steps with the Voigtlander Bessa R

The Voigtlander Bessa R and 35mm Skopar stayed safe outside the (former) prison walls while making this picture. Noordsingel prison, Rotterdam.
The Voigtlander Bessa R and 35mm Skopar stayed safe outside the (former) prison walls while making this picture. Noordsingel prison, Rotterdam.

I bought the Voigtlander Bessa R with the 35mm Skopar because it is an affordable and comparable rangefinder a la Leica in terms of image quality. The purists will say that these cameras are not comparable, but everyone has their own opinion! Using the SLR camera for years and now getting used to a rangefinder is quite difficult in the beginning.

Loading it with Ilford XP2 and fresh batteries was easy enough. Taking pictures another…

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