Common photographic thinking tells us that we should use the right camera for the right job. So what do you do when you are bored out your mind and are in the middle of a pandemic?
It is a question that many of us have thought about in the wake of being limited by geography. The pandemic has hit us all in very different ways, generally for photographers specialising in the landscape or portrait photography beyond their immediate realm or home.
In a moment of absolute genius or sheer desperation, I thought why not experiment using the Texas Leica, officially known as the Fuji GSWiii to shoot some flowers indoors. For the measure, throw in some recently discontinued Fuji Pro400H. What could possibly go wrong?
It is impossible to know how the images would eventually come out and that’s the beauty of medium format film photography in itself. There’s no cheeky look at the view screen, no immediate feedback, so you can carry on in your own merry way. Having said that, there are many ways to mitigate any disastrous consequences; using a light meter and carefully composing the shot are just to name a few.
Eight minutes and eight frames later the shoot was done. So fast, you exclaim! No, alas the development would take many more weeks before I finally got to see the beautiful 6x9 negatives in their full glory.
In my excitement to get going, I initially put the roll on the wrong spool before realising the errors of my ways. On a side note, the little spool release buttons are great. Makes the whole job of putting the 120 rolls in a breeze.
The first shot, out of focus and misaligned. I immediately realised my mistake and measured the distance between the subject and the camera, changed the settings on the lens, reframed and shot again.
A little better for the second shot although the flowers laying across the table have been cut off. The viewfinder in the Fuji GSWiii is helpful but in my short time of using it can be a bit off. Always frame your image and then take a step back just to make sure your getting everything you want inside the frame.
The tulips came out quite well, the colours in particular came out strong. I was pleased with the next few shots. Although the idea of shooting the flowers from below the table and mirror, is something I probably will not be doing again any time soon.
The very last image was taken on a larger table and is my favourite image out of this set. The colours are all well balanced and the framing is just right for me.
What did you think of the selfie?