The Pentax Auto 110

110 film is a much maligned format among serious photographers, myself included, but I have always had a soft spot for this little gem. The Pentax Auto 110, is not just a camera, it is a "system." An inter-changable lens SLR that just happens to use 110 film. The flash is detachable and there is a motor drive available. Pentax made 5 different lens for the system, an 18mm f2.8 wide angle, a 24mm f2.8 "normal" lens, 50 and 70mm f2.8 telephoto lenses and even a 20~40mm f2.8 zoom lens.

The camera is tiny, as you can see by the Nikon FE2 in the background, but is extremely well made. The body is metal and plastic with a solid metal frame. The lenses have a mix of metal and plastic housings, but all have high quality multi-coated glass optics. The images from the Auto 110 squeeze every possible ounce of quality out the tiny 110 negative format, and though the do not quite rival 35mm, they do blow away what you would normally expect from a 110 camera.

More on the Pentax Auto 110 can be found here here.

Another Caffeinated Box Camera

Ansco Shur Shot FujiFilm Neopan Acros 100 Caffenol-C-M - Caffenol and Box cameras are a match made in heaven. This is the view from Monument Terrace looking down towards the the James River in Lynchburg Virginia. Remove the modern cars and your could almost believe this was 1950 not 2012...

The Ansco Shur Shot

A simple, straight forward 6x9 Box Camera... The Ansco Shur Shot is the definition of "Point and Shot." One shutter Speed, no flash no accessories, the only real frill here is the dual waist level view finders. One for vertical and one for horizontal viewing. Not the feature rich Ansco Shur Shot B2, by any means.

"The Dough Boy" Monument Terrace, Lynchburg, Va.

Start Twin Lens Reflex Euktar 75mm f4.0 FujiFilm Neopan Acros Arista 76 1:1 - A little in town site seeing, The Dough Boy guards the landing of Lynchburg Virginia's Monument Terrace. Shot with my Start Twin Lens Reflex, the upper right had corner shows a focusing issue with the camera, I believe, I have now corrected. We will see on the next roll I shoot.

The Polish Start Twin Lens Reflex

I have always loved Twin Len Reflex Cameras and their waste level finders. There is just something about focusing directly on ground glass that is appealing. Looking down to focus, instead of directly at the subject also seems less intrusive, almost more polite.

This Start was manufactures by Warszawskie Zakłady Fotooptyczne (WZFO) of Warsaw, Poland. The camera has a Euktar 75mm f4.0 taking lens and a Euktar 75mm f3.5 focusing lens. The Leaf shutter is unbranded,  and has speeds for 1/10th to /200th and of course B and f stops from 4 to 22 There is no frame counter, the tried and true "red window" in the camera's back is used. Overall design is typical of Eastern Block cameras of the 50's and 60's with an almost Art Deco look. The Body has a crackle finish accented by brushed metal. The lens face and camera back have a leather or pleather overlay. The Start does not feel as robust as the Japanese Yashicas of the same era, but the craftsmanship solid, if spartan.Shutter operation is manual cock and fire via 2 levels on the lens itself. The Start does have a pc flash port and syncs with Modern electronic flash units.

From the Archive - Passions of Youth

Nikon FE2 Sigma 16mm f2.8 Kodak Plus-X in Kodak HC-110 Dil. B - I have had 2 primary passions in my life and in this experimental self portrait I attempted to combine them both. Shot sometime in 1984 or 1985 at a time when I could not decide whether I wanted to be the next John Lennon or Helmet Newton, obviously neither plan quite worked out. In the end, photography, or at least related fields, won out as my career and my cameras see more use these days than my guitars.  Photography and music are linked for many people. Most of the people I have worked with over the years have played at least one instrument and many played in bands as I did. Maybe it is because the are both arts the have an underlying process or structure that must be observed. They both have their own math that must be honored. You can deconstruct, rebel against or try to rewritten the rules, but the structural underpinnings, never go completely away. This is both limiting and liberating, as it means the canvas is never completely blank, but the starting point allows for greater mental focus.

Columbian 376 "Tanks for The World" exposure no. 10

Kiev 60 Arsat 80mm f2.8 Efke R100 Adonal (Rodinal) 1:50 - More from the Piedmont Flour Mill in  Lynchburg Virginia. "Tanks for The World," proclaims the lettering on the hatch cover. A lofty goal for the Columbian Steel Tank Co. of Kansas City MO.

The New Resident exposure no. 1

Kiev 60 Arsat 250mm f3.5 Efke R100 Adonal 1:50 - A new resident peers from a window in the abandoned Piedmont Flour Mill in Lynchburg VA.. This building is awaiting renovation as Lynchburg revitalizes its waterfront on the James River. Adonal (Rodinal) and Efke R100 are a match made in Monochrome Heaven.

Shooter's Block

Heat me lazy. Life gets in the way. I work too much. The Dog ate my Neopan and the Cat drank my Rodinal. All valid excuses for the fact my shooting mind looks like the image above. Ok, so the dog and cat think is not true, but the others are dead on. In the end, they are just excuses. I just need to clear my mind and move forward. The Virginia heat has chased me out of my attic studio for the summer, but the sun is shining, my flashes work and the flowers are blooming, so that is still just an excuse...

I think shooter's, as with writer's block, is just a problem with motivation. Ideas come, but are dismissed with little thought. Squelched for being unoriginal, too simplistic or any other number of lame excuses artists and creative types come up with for not doing the work the love. We blame muses, society, the man, anything to cover our lack of motivation. Any excuse not to take the simple, unoriginal idea and turn it into something simple but original, or fail trying.... Failure, the greatest excuse of all. The main reason not to try at all....

Bullshit.

Above image - Agfa Ansco B2 Shur-Shot Regular FujFilm Neopan Acros 100 Caffenol-C-M - What happens when you forget to advance the film on a box camera.

From the Archive - The New American Theatre 1988

Yashica 12 Yashinon 80mm f3.5 Kodak Tri-X Professional HC-110 Dil. B - A place of many great nights and fond memories, the New American Theatre is Phoebus VA., has had a long and varied history. It started life as a Vaudeville Theatre, The American Theatre,  in 1908 and declined over the years to the imfamous Lee Adult Theatre, and X-Rated right of passage for the young man of Hampton and Phoebus VA, in the 70's and early 80's. The picture above shows the the revived New American Theatre of the late 80's. A Movie Theatre/Restaurant, that hosted live bands on weekend nights. I was a frequent guest of the New America Theatre as both a customer and a musician. The building has now been restored resemble its original 1908 incarnation and has reverted back to the original American Theatre name.

From the Archive - Fist with Ring 1987ish

Nikon FE2 Uknown Lens Kodak Tri-X 400 Developer Unknown - Another from the archive, shot on vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I believe the intent was to use this image for a Band Flyer, as that is the lead singer of the band behind the fist. I am not sure if the image ever made it to a flyer, but now the world can see it here... Anyone interested can check out the band here.

From the Archive - Sunset on The Chesapeake 1985

Nikon FE2 Nikkor 35-105 F3.5-45 Kodak Ektachrome 100 - One of my all time favorite shots. Captured during a sailing trip from Hampton VA. to Annapolis MD. in the summer of 1985. The Sun was just beginning to set and the sweet light was in full effect. The FE2 used for this shot met its end during the trip, the victim of a leaking compartment. I still have its salt water damaged hulk to this day.