getting ready for the 6th

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Robert

my uncle joins the army of WW2. He was 15.

Toronto. When war was declared in September 1939, my uncle was too young and lied about his age to sign up. He trained in Canada and then embarked for England and more training. Being young, he was assigned less dangerous missions, including eventually the liberation of  Holland and Belgium. He never joined the gang of brave men who tackled Normandy those many years ago.

Years later, he told me stories about his war time escapades. He said he signed up because he thought it was the only way he would ever see Europe. He never expected to survive the war. He had his first taste of beer as a soldier in England. He left for Europe a kid and returned home five years later as a young man of 21.

My grandmother had this black and white photo of him in uniform coloured – a proven way to obtain coloured prints in those days.

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miner 49er

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Robert

c1850 Daguerreotype of an American Gold Miner

Toronto. The Daguerreian Society is a scholarly organization more dedicated to the first photographic process than even France, the home of Louis Daguerre!

This is obvious from the effort expended in its Symposiums, Annuals, and Quarterlies (the 28 page DSQ 31–2 quarterly for April-June 2019 has just been issued to members). While I would be delighted to publish a copy here, its Mission Statement clearly states “… Quarterly for its members …”

If you are a member, you have already received this quarterly via  email or will shortly via snail mail. Want to join, or learn more? Visit their web site.

The above image is featured on the cover of DSQ 31-2 and is a fine example of a hand coloured Daguerreotype. Processes well into the 20th century were monochromatic. Colour was possible using special processes. And slides like the c1900 Autochromes and their competition did capture colour – sort of. Around the beginning of the second world war, and after, colour processes of far higher quality – like the 1935 Kodachrome –  came to market.

Today, modern smartphones and other digital cameras make the creation of colour images so simple a child can shoot them (my granddaughter, all of eight years old, told me quietly  this week that she is saving up at least $500 dollars for a good camera that will work with her iPad).

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a closer look

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Robert

The AUTO-UP lens attachment for a Leica to allow close-ups down to a 1/2 metre

Toronto. For many years the convention for mini-cams was infinity down to one metre (1m). Many normal lenses for the Leica followed this standard leading to a variety of means to frame and focus in the macro range – closer to the subject than a metre.

This led to a number of third party devices that let Leica owners and others use their normal lenses at distances closer than the engraved 1m mark. An example shown here is the AUTO-UP device that fit many different 35 mm cameras.

The one shown is for the Leica with a non-rotating Summitar normal lens. A one diopter auxiliary lens allows the camera to focus from the regular 1 m down to a half metre. Above the lens is a rectangular lens that adjusts the position of the viewfinder and rangefinder accordingly.

Owners of other cameras could buy a similar device designed to fit their camera and lens. The little screw at the bottom connected the device to the lens like a filter or lens hood.

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with a little help from my friends

Posted on June 1, 2019 by Robert

San Francesco Mural – by JR

Toronto. My good friend George Dunbar unearthed this digital montage in the Guardian as reported in a column by Glen Helfand entitled, “Tech bros, socialites and Metallica: the mural capturing San Francisco in 2019“. Only part is shown here – see the Halfand article for more of the mural and its video and animated GIF components.

Montages have been around for at least a century. The best known in photographic circles are perhaps those of William Notman. In the days before high speed wide angle lenses and fast media, it was impossible to get everyone in position and still for a shot (group action shots are still tenuous). Notman’s solution was to design the scene first, then shoot each person in the appropriate position and size. Each person was printed and carefully cutout and positioned on the original design. The montage was re-photographed and then copies were sold.

In 1967, the Beatles‘ famous album, “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was released (I have both LP and CD versions). The cover shot was a montage of celebrities with their location and names listed. Just another example of the use of montages. Today, with computers and digital technology, the result is far more life-like than the old cut and paste efforts of days gone by.

Note: the title of this post is the name of the second song on the album.

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elephants have them too

Posted on May 31, 2019 by Robert

Toronto. Be sure to visit our 9th TRUNK SALE this coming July 14th at our usual location – Trident Hall, 145 Evans Ave, Toronto. It will be held outdoors in rain or shine.

Choice locations on first come, first choice basis.

If you enjoyed the fair – or missed the fair – come on along to our Outdoor Photographic Trunk Sale!

Click the icon at left for full details.

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a day to remember

Posted on May 30, 2019 by Robert

5×7 Press Graflex at Spring Fair – Photo by Bob Lansdale

Toronto. This past Sunday was a warm, sunny, and cheerful day. It was also our annual spring fair and for the first time in a long time I missed it (my wife is recovering from surgery). Fortunately, my good friend, photographer, photo historian,  and journal editor, Bob Lansdale, was there with his camera and generously offered me his images.

If you missed this show too, you can catch up with our Trunk show this summer on July 14th at the same place, but outdoors come rain or shine (the odds for shine in July are excellent in this city).

Meantime, here are just a few of the photos by Bob Lansdale:

 

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be wise, digitize

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Robert

Old Minolta Digital Camera

Toronto. No need for such a slogan today – EVERYBODY went digital (there are still some niche players that insist on  the beauty of the old film technique). In the film era every photo was carefully framed and shot. A roll of 36 exposures lasted a few days or weeks and would offer up one or two decent shots, if any.

Using digital, it is  easy to knock off a hundred or more shots in an outing and get instant feed back on every one rather than taking a night or weeks with film. Riding the subway today, everybody seems to have a smartphone and every smartphone has a built-in camera! IF you want to try your hand at the old film technology, our fairs, shows and auctions are full of old film gear for you. Not a niche person? Nowadays even digital gear is offered!

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Voigtlander, my Voigtlander

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Robert

Voigtlander ad in LIFE magazine March 12, 1956

Toronto. 1956 was a land mark year for many. In the case of the oldest photography company in the world, It was its 200th anniversary – born years before photography itself!

One of its remarkable offerings was the Vito B 35mm camera featuring a Voigtlander lens. This advertisement in the March 12, 1956  issue of LIFE magazine celebrates both the anniversary of Voigtlander and its model VITO B camera,  a 35mm camera featuring many of the popular bells and whistles of the day – except interchangeable lenses and rangefinder focus.

The resulting cheap price was intended to attract the less sophisticated amateur using a more primitive folder or box camera. Or introduce photography to the new budding amateur with some money in his (her) pocket.

The camera was marked as made in Western Germany since the post-war country was split with half to the West and half to the East (Russian). Since Berlin was in the Eastern block, the city too was divided with the infamous Berlin Wall to keep the East Germans and Soviets out of Western Berlin.

 

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belly-button school of photography

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Robert

A waist level shot of me by my dad in c1942 using a Kodak Folder

Toronto. Camera makers tried to categorize their products as having a better way to make photos. Using a waist level finder was one way – introducing the “belly-button school of photography” – a term of which I had never heard until Don Douglas and I embarked on a talk and slide show circuit for the PHSC. I talked about processes while Don used his Ansco camera collection to talk hardware. Some of his cameras were held at waist level to frame and focus, hence his expression for that kind of photo.

I realize now that my dad used this technique with his Kodak Brownie folder. He held the camera at waist level and shielded the little bright line finder from sunlight with his hand. The early SLRs like the Exakta used waist level viewers too. What was perhaps the best known version of waist level camera was the twin lens reflex cameras like the Rolleiflex.

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shine a light on me 2

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Robert
    M2 PowerMite flash bulb ad in LIFE magazine

Toronto. In the 1950s one big opportunity was assisting amateurs to make night or indoor shots. General Electric (GE) was well respected at the time for manufacturing light bulbs. They saw two problems to be resolved to stand out in the flash bulb business: making each bulb smaller; and making each bulb brighter with a wider light dispersion.

This 1956 ad in the March 19 issue of LIFE magazine shows how GE succeeded with its PowerMite M2 flash bulb. With electronic flash and LEDs the whole concept of flash guns and flash bulbs has faded into history – and collections.

Another great find by my good friend George Dunbar of how we solved photographic issues over a half century ago.

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