Before I get into the images from the Yashica with Kodak film, I feel I need to talk about how I got to this point with analog film. I hope it inspires my readers to explore their own creativity process. Please comment or question at the end of post, always happy to hear feedback and what you’re doing too.
The Unexpected, The Explained
Sometimes in the life the unexpected and even the unexplained are the treasures we keep. For too long a time I had not regarded this or at least forgotten, especially in the realm of photography. And frankly not in digital colour, I guess it must be why I love to work in black & white so much. It seems the communication of the message is more straight and tuned in. Certainly for texture and form, it speaks louder than colour.
However the journey and toying around with color film is opening my mind to new notions. Somehow it most definitely shares the particular bewilderment that I often find in the mono of photography. Whether it maybe down to the blend of film emulsion, old camera glass and developing film at home. The feeling that everything is physical and chemical. Like breathing and being human… Maybe I’m on a digital rant or hate for the last while. Either way I can’t see too much harm in that – a electronic detox if you will, and sure isn’t Polaroid amazing and silly at the same time ? There needs to be fun and analog offer this in terms of a surprise that everything went well or not when developing.
In fact, I think it’s always back to restriction to find creation. Restriction is a kind of religion, a mantra, a routine to follow that leads to clarity of an idea and ultimately to a freedom of that idea. Dangerous stuff, in the wrong context ? Of course this is a strange paradox. But are lives are as such. Even if we take our own society values and its laws. They often have this concept as their basis. These restrictions protect precious freedoms. But to form new ideas we must have freedom to do so. Otherwise there is no progression. It’s a constant circle with many u-turns and repetition too. Then we can also add hope and trust into this journey too.
So if as a way of exploring for new trues we apply laws and rules to our art. Won’t it set us free ? The joy to be had from this is in the process and the fruit of development at the end too. Then when its finish, the process starts once again. Maybe refining the rules, to correct the pitfalls, the mistakes. All in the purpose of making the vision and forming of the image. This is the journey of the artist. The elements of the tools such as the film and lens, the place and selection of the view in its setting, the time of day, the light of the season, each and every piece plays its role momentously to be finally completed in a permanent image aka the artwork. This is the process. The process of image making.
So this is my thinking and philosophy, now onto the images which were taken with the Yashica Mat 124. This is a medium format film camera. The images were developed at home using ColorTec C41 kit and then scanned with an Canon 9000F.
Winter Landscape in Medium Format
So onwards into the deep landscape of Austria. This time in the Lungau in Salzburgerland. On frosty super cold day at -15 C degrees the sky is pale and clean blue. The snow is bling bling white. Such a perfect day to make pictures. I have to note that gloves are essential when operating a metal analog camera! Definitely recommended indeed.
The Yashica is easy to work with gloves on. There’s of course the large focusing wheel on the side. While on the front has two smaller wheels for aperture and speed. That’s all you need!
The one of the railway bridge on a very cold morning in Tamsweg, Austria. Wow super chilly my hands were quite red with the icy wind. When I forgotten to put back on my gloves after changing the roll of film. But I’m relieved the results are crisp like the day it was.
This image of the Lungauer Taurach River and the rest of them, was result of exploring off a slippery road and crossing a bridge. Goodness of the light on this day was quite a pristine.
