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  • Zorki 1

    Zorki 1No longer with me – in a moment of weakness I sold it (possibly in a moment of weakness I brought it!) – My old Zorki 1.

    The ‘poor mans Leica III’, and competent rangefinder camera in its own right, we dont see too many of them down here in NZ. I’ve imported a few Zorki and Fed’s (Soviet Rangefinders similar to the old Leica) over the years. The above being the best copy of a Zorki 1 I have ever had – complete with box and manual!

    With its collapsable M39 screw mount 50mm lens, its really a very small, fully manual camera. Great for those with a light meter in their eyes, or at least to practice the sunny 16 rule.

    Being over 50 years old now, its amazing how many are still available to buy – lets see any of the current digitals being sold fully working in 50 years!

    For the tinkerers among us, these are great cameras to get to learn about CLA (clean lube adjust). And done right may go on for another half century. The shutter curtains are often the first to go – getting pinholes in them. One can use a little thinned down silicone painted on, or simply replace (simply probably an understatement as thats the biggest job one would do on such a camera).

    Might just have to go on the hunt for another copy. My sunny 16 skills are fairly junior. I have a light meter. I just wish it had a built in one. Fantastic vintage 35mm camera for the coin!

     

  • Ends of Land

    Ends of LandShot in New Zealands Coromandel.

    Unknown camera.

     

  • Snowflakes Come Down

    Snow FlakesA shot from the archives today. Ohakune Ski Field.

    Shot on my old Samsung Galaxy 3, I recall we were getting a bite to eat after I had managed to tumble ski my first time down the mountain. As we sat the clouds came in and the snow began falling. Some ran inside for shelter, the rest of us donned our hoods and continued on with what we were doing.

    I still remember my first time in the snow – well into my teens, it was somewhere we never when whilst I was a child. The soft crunch under my feet was somehow very familiar.

    I’ve still only been a good handful of times, which is a shame being its a half day trip in the car to get to. I guess one of the problems is finding reasonably priced accommodation thats not miles away from the ski fields.

    Still, last season was my first go at skis…next time I will try a snowboard – possibly a more skateboard familiar option!

     

  • Fast 4s…and Economy

    Car MagOnce, when I was training to be a mechanic, a lot of my youth was spent in, under and around cars. Numerous project cars (and bikes), its no surprise I brought the monthly car mags. Reading over tips, projects and general car stuff, I never really used them as inspiration for my own projects, but enjoyed them none the less.

    One thing I always liked in the photos they featured in magazines like Fast Fours and Rotaries, or Performance Car was the shot of a car with the ‘see through bonnet ‘ (or hood for you alternate naming lot). Seeing the lines of the car, but also that beautifully detailed engine always made for a interesting and technical looking photo.

    Years later after my transition from film to digital I had a play around in Photoshop and learnt how easy (and quick) it is to make a basic copy of this.

    I’ve been trying to finish off a film these last few days, so short on recent images, I quickly caught the last of todays light to shoot my ‘performance car’.

    Sony Nex and 16mm lens on a tripod I positioned the camera to where I wanted the shot. First I took a frame of the car with the bonnet closed. I then opened the hood and took a shot, still in the same fixed place on the tripod. Being a little dark I adjusted exposure and essentially took an over exposed image to get a little more engine bay detail.

    Back inside I opened Gimp (Photoshop will do the same, but as discussed in the past, I generally favour Gimp to use). Discarding that first shot with the hood opened, I pasted the shot of the car with hood closed over the shot with over exposed hood open. I then selected the bonnet and reduced opacity to a level that we can still see the bonnet lines, but can also start to see ‘whats under the hood’ (nothing powerful I’m afraid).

    So there we go. How to make a quick and simple version of the performance car shoot…with a economy focused car 🙂

  • Plans to follow Hibernation

    My beautiful picture

    Cutting firewood in my workshop, I glanced over at my poor bike. Sitting neglected, it dawned on me it must have been a season since I took it out on the road. I have a mate coming over from Australia in a week or so, so all going to plan I will get it out then.

    Linked to this got me thinking about exercise and fitness. Between having several colds and now being mid winter, I must admit to practicing my bear like hibernation regime of doing very little fitness wise.

    With tickets already purchased for this years Auckland Marathon, I know its only time till I need to push myself into gear…but for today, a film shot from the archives, and back to the warm fireplace!

    Shot on the Pentax MG and scanned to digital.