Analogue Lovers

[Amalthea]

Hello, folks! I'm not sure if anyone else of you kind lot shares my love and enthusiasm for analogue photography, but I decided to give it a shot anyway and create this thread entirely unrelated to Cohen (yet somehow related as well, if you read on!).

I have always been charmed by old-fashioned things, such as vintage clothing, style and techonology. Much thanks to my uncle, I quickly learnt to love physical music, especially vinyl records. I also love cassettes very much, but mostly thanks to my mom and dad. I still have an unrequitted love for VHS movies and classic game concoles, which I grew up with. Maybe not so surprisingly to some, I have loved analogue photography and everything related ever since I first got a taste of it as a young child with the so called single/one-use toy cameras.

Just a few days ago, I ordered my very first "proper" analogue camera through eBay, the Russian Smena Symbol, produced between 1973 and 1993. I'm still waiting for it to be dispatched (from the UK), but the seller has reassured me that he will post it this coming Monday (it is already Monday in my part of the world, but maybe not for all of you?). After my birthday, I plan to purchase yet another camera, a Ukrainian Fed 3 (produced from 1961-1973), a camera inspired by the classic Leicas. (I suppose they are also called "Leica copies", which is probably also true, however, they are still very beautiful, and I don't care if they are "copies".) The best part of it, is that the price range is very friendly to a "poor student" like me. I bought the Smena for £20 (about $32), and the Fed will go for £27 (about $43). I'm at least content with the deal! (I'm also going to buy a Super8 Nizo s126 video camera eventually, but that will be somewhere in the future, so for now it is only but a nice daydream.)

All that aside, I don't really have any experience using the cameras, but I will learn! I will bring one (or maybe both?) of the cameras to the Cohen gig I'm going to in August. My plan is to buy a roll of b&w film for the concert, I just personally think that the most beautiful and "classy" photos of Cohen are in b&w. But I might try a few colour shots as well, which is why I might bring along both cameras, so I can have one loaded with b&w film and the other with colour film. Clever, yeah? I will most certinaly post the photos from the coming concert here when I get them processed! (If the community wishes it, though.)


Anyway, I apologize, enough of my babbling. Now, please let me know if there are other analogue lovers here, and what are your experiences with analogue photography? Do you have any cameras yourselves, or do you just appreciate and admire it from afar?

[LisaLCFan]

I will most certinaly post the photos from the coming concert here when I get them processed! (If the community wishes it, though.)

I am certain that "the community" will wish it! You will find, once the tour commences, that many people around here have an insatiable appetite for reports, photos, and videos of Leonard Cohen's concerts!

As to your original subject matter, I sometimes miss the old analogue cameras. I have a lovely old 35mm camera (made by AGFA, circa 1960) that has this great flash contraption: it is metal and folds opens into a cup-shape, into which one had to put a blue bulb that got crazy-hot after it flashed--the glass would actually bubble. I do not know if the bulbs can be purchased anymore, but the camera still works. I haven't used it for years, though. I have several cheap 35mm cameras, too (mostly Kodak), but I have not used them for a long time, either.

I have grown too accustomed to the convenience of a digital camera: no film to replace, ability to delete the bad shots, etc. Digital cameras do take away the excitement of getting photos processed, though, since one can see one's pictures immediately, but then again, the disappointment over analogue photos that didn't turn out as hoped is avoided! (Batteries are a pain, though!)

Cheers!
Lisa

[Amalthea]

Oh, I see. Well, I hope you find the motivation to maybe use some of them again. And of course, I agree completely, there are a lot of adventages about digital photography. Naturally, I mostly use digital photography myself; more frequently after instagram was introduced for Android phones. (I don't know if you have heard about instagram, but instagram is a so-called "app" that essentially adds vintage photo effects to pictures you snap with you cellphone. It's wonderful!) But still, I can't completely let analogue photography go. Certainly, it's a lot more troublesome than digital in many ways, but I guess I yet somehow prefer analogue. It's also a nice way to "perfect" your photography skills, because you will want to try taking a good shot from the start, since you can't delete any shots and so on. And I still love the excitement about getting them processed, I don't really care so much for bad shots or not. Maybe I've just learnt to not expect much from my photographies, and in that way I will always get positively surprised when a shot turns out good or better than I had expected. But yes, indeed, both digital and analogue photography have their pros and cons, which is why I use both!

EDIT: For those interested, you can see my instagram feed here - http://www.gramfeed.com/tryllevegg. Just casual everyday-life pictures.

[MaryB]

I will most certinaly post the photos from the coming concert here when I get them processed! (If the community wishes it, though.)

Please do! Your photos are great Amalthea. Who is the lovely young girl in them? So nice to have you as a member of this forum.
Best regards,
Mary

[Amalthea]

I most certainly will! And I'm glad you like my photos. As for the "lovely girl" in them, that is me. (Not so sure about being "lovely", though, haha. )

[Cate]

I love these pictures, they are very good - thank you for sharing them.

[Amalthea]

Thanks, I'm glad you like them.

[MaryB]

I most certainly will! And I'm glad you like my photos. As for the "lovely girl" in them, that is me. (Not so sure about being "lovely", though, haha. )

OMG! I was waiting for you to say it was your daughter, neice, granddaughter.......... You are lovely!

[Amalthea]

Oh, really? Hehe. Well, I know I might be a bit younger than the average age here, but it is me, none the less. Again, thank you.

[Amalthea]

Hi! I just wanted to show what I got in the mail today:



I finally got my long awaited Smena Symbol, and it's a true pleasure to use for an analogue amateur like me. Naturally, I don't have any photos to show at this moment, and I'm (obviously) not sure how well any of the shots I've got so far will turn out, but only time will show. In any case, I'm extremely happy right now, I squealed of joy when I opened the package with my camera earlier. Oh, material happiness, you are dangerous.