04 February 2019

66/365

five

cameras I have loved:

a polaroid one step, which I don't remember actually owning, just loving, loving to bits and pieces

a pentax K-1000, which I also didn't own, but used while learning the basics of photography in a high school art class-- the numbers and settings thoroughly overwhelmed and confused me but I never forgot how good and heavy and solid and right it felt in my hands

a little black plastic 110, which was the first camera I remember actually owning, and it was a crap camera that took crap pictures but I loved it anyway because it was mine, because it was all I had, and because it went with me on my first trip overseas 

a fairly unremarkable (though trusty) nikon 35mm film point and shoot, which I used to document my angsty city life in the nineties

a canon AE-1 35mm film SLR, which belonged to ward, who occasionally let me shoot with it and every time, all the old high school art class feelings came rushing back, every time

a canon rebel 35mm film SLR, which ward and I bought together and then took turns shooting with on a trip to italy in 1999, and I didn't know it then but this would be the beginning of a legit return to photography and the camera with which I would shoot all of ava and ezra's sweet early childhood days

a canon powershot point and shoot, my first digital camera and the one I used for my very first 365 project back in 2006-2007

a polaroid SX-70, which I fell head over heels crazy in love with the minute it spit out that first dreamy polaroid and surely I have made some of my very best work with this lovely, miraculous piece of machinery

a holga 120N medium format, which I received nearly fifteen years ago and throw in my bag every once in a while because hoo boy when you get it right with the holga, you really get it right and I will never not love this boxy, plastic girl

a nikon D90 35mm DSLR, which was my first digital SLR and she saw me through some pretty monumental personal growth and I will always be grateful for her 

a polaroid automatic 100, which is a lovely beast of a camera that uses the inimitable peel apart film which is just like nothing else in this world, nothing

a canon FTb 35mm film SLR, which I miraculously thrifted ten years ago and wow wow wow this camera makes beautiful photographs and just feels like a big beautiful tank in my hands

a yashica-D medium format TLR, which was generously gifted to me by a workshop student a few years ago and the first time I loaded it with film and shot with it, it felt like home

a canon EOS 5D mark iii, my first full frame camera, which I bought used and immediately tricked out with gorgeous old glass (a nikon 50mm 1.4 lens, originally meant for a nikon film camera) and this camera, this camera is my workhorse, I tell you, my ride or die

a fujifilm X100 original, aka the poor mans leica, which I recently found used and fell instantly, madly in love with as it so beautifully fuses digital with analog and is small and light and perfect for street work and holy wow, the sensor, like none other, she is destined for greatness, I tell you, I feel it, I feel it in my bones

2 comments:

  1. What a beautiful love letter... xx

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    1. thank you, friend-- it was fun for me to look back at all the cameras I have known and loved (and still love!)-- would love to read a list of cameras you've known and loved! xo

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