Friday, January 20, 2012

40th anniversary of OM system: Cologne, Germany

Previous post on the series "40th anniversary of the OM system":
Our next stop - Köln (Cologne), Germany

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One more pic @ Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof

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Analox

40th anniversary of OM system: Leverkusen, Germany

Previous post on the series "40th anniversary of the OM system":
Our next stop - Leverkusen, Germany

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Autumn

Autumn

Autumn
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40th anniversary of OM system: Europe on film

This year 2012 celebrates the 40th anniversary of the OM system. Rumor has it that Olympus will release a new line of digital OM system (OM-D) to mark this anniversary. Just like what happened to the EP-Pen series. But that is for the future. 

From Wikipedia
"The Olympus OM System was a line of 35mm single-lens reflex cameras, lenses and accessories sold by Olympus between 1972 and 2002 (some accessories were sold through early 2003). ... The range was designed by Yoshihisa Maitani, chief designer for Olympus, and his staff. ... The first model introduced was the all-mechanical M-1, which after pressure from Leica was renamed OM-1. ..."
I only start using OM camera since 2010 and really like it. Maitani's design is simply beautiful. The camera is compact and fits right in my hand. Using rings to control shutter speed and aperture so that you can keep your eyes on the viewfinder all the time. And OM lens has their own reputation, obviously. 

I'll start posting the photos that were taken using OM cameras during my 2 months of staying and traveling in Europe. Shooting about 24 rolls of negative films. Hope the series could demonstrate how the 40-year-old camera system is still capable of sketching the moments.
Camera: OM1 and OM2-MD
Lens: OM 28mm f2.8 / 35mm f2.8 and 50mm f1.4 (1million+ series)
Lightmeter: Sekonic L-308S Flashmate
Film: various brand of negative film, color & BW

Side note: Though the camera's metering is still quite accurate, I prefer using an external light meter to decide "correct" exposure. Not much slower though, since you're already slow when using a manual focus camera! 

So, our first stop - Paris:

Paris (2011)
Paris (2011)
Paris (2011)
Paris (2011)
Paris (2011)
Paris (2011)
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Monday, January 9, 2012

Family portraits

I planned to make some portraits of my parents during a home visit last week. I thought it would be on film, medium-format, and by an old TLR camera to hopefully create an old look.

Choosing a time when they are most relaxed, I let my mom and dad sit by the window. One big and soft light source. And the curtains were used to control the light on the face and on the background. Pretty simple setting, I guess.

The difficult part comes in the communication. It's not a procedure of "1...2...3... smile" - to create something memorable. It takes time and practice to learn how to communicate, and I'm still very much in the learning phase. Though the photos are much closer to what I want to tell about my mom and dad, I still think there is rooms for improvement... Maybe even closer. Maybe better communication. Maybe next time.

Family Portrait - Dad

Family Portrait - Mom
Film: Kodak Ektacolor Pro 160
Camera: Ricoh Diacord G 
Lens: 80mm f3.5
Analox