Some of you have no doubt had opportunity to click on the pictures that appear on the right hand column of my blog site. These picture links take you to my photo page on Flickr, where I post a small sampling of the photos I’ve taken. Some of these photos are a bit peculiar, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to explain.
Though I appreciate that new digital technology allows people like me (read mediocre photographers) the chance to take multiple shots without penalty, and to adjust various settings with relative ease, there is a certain amount of character that existed in cameras of old which is lost with modern cameras. It is with this in mind that I discovered a new facet of what I guess could be called casual art photography. This is known as Through the Viewfinder.
You see, by getting a hold of an antique camera, you can actually take pictures that have that old-timey quality to them. Most of us use antique TLR (twin lens reflex) cameras, such as the Kodak Duaflex’s, or the Argus 75 like I use. These old cameras have large square viewfinders on the top of the camera. One only has to take a picture of the viewfinder on the camera, and the resulting photograph has a strange alluring quality to it. At least to me.
In most cases, a “contraption” is built to fit around the camera in order to block out ambient light. Any extra light that hits the camera usually shows up as glare on the view finder. My contraption is just an old shoe box, with some duct tape and a sock. It’s strange looking to be sure. I get a lot of questions and strange looks when I’m out and about with it.
I’ve only started doing this just yet. Some people are able to do much better, and post processing in software is able to make some images even better. But alas, I am sadly deficient in this area. It’s something I’m still learning. But it’s something that I’m thoroughly enjoying thus far, and you can be sure that you’ll continue to see “TTV” images appearing regularly at a Flickr site near you.
