Tag Archives: kodaluv

Thinking Inside the Box

Thinking inside the box is one thing that George Eastman did not do, that became very clear after a visit to the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY. But in the case of this entry, the box is what I was thinking in. Using box cameras is not something new to me, having used my mom’s Agfa Box 50 in the past and loved the format. This is a basic of a camera as you can get without going to a pinhole. The camera is mostly cardboard, metal on the insides, a single lens, rolling shutting, fixed aperature. Meet the Kodak Brownie Model 2, the latest, and now oldest camera in my collection. Built in 1916 in Toronto, I got it in near mint condition. The viewfinder is foggy, and the film rolls up kinda funny, but it’s light tight and the shutter still works.

The Kodak Brownie was first introduced at the turn of the 20th century, it was the first camera to use a flexable roll film, rather than a plate, and cost a dollar, it was George Eastman’s dream given form, a camera and film that would bring photography to the masses.

So despite being 96 years old, I carefully loaded up a roll of Kodak Tmax 100 and took it to work with me, and over the course of the day shot the camera around campus, often getting asked “what is that” “a camera” many didn’t believe me, but some did. The results, four out of eight images exposed when I pulled the film out of the tank that night.

I was expecting a much softer results, but the images are surprisingly sharp (but Tmax 100 in D-76 1+1 is a very sharp film), no soft dreamy look, if hte camera wasn’t such a pain to load and shoot with I’d probably use it more, but I want to keep it in good shape, so that in 2016 I can take it out and shoot, and when asked I can say “Oh, this, it’s a 100 year old camera).

Kodak Brownie Model 2 – Kodak Tmax 100
Dev: Kodak D-76 1+1 7:00 @ 23C

World Photography Day

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Last week Sunday was August 19th, to most people it’s just another Sunday, but August 19th is World Photography Day…why the 19th, simple, it was on August 19th, 1839 that France gave the world a gift, the gift of Photography. You see earlier that year (January 9th) Joseph Nicèphore Nièpce and Louis Daguerre developed the photographic process and the French Academy of Sciences passed it along to the world. So after church that morning I loaded up a roll of Kodak Tmax 100 into my Rolleiflex and hit a local hiking trail, Mount Nemo.

World Photography Day was created in 2009 and launched in 2010 so it’s a fairly new movement, want to read more, check it out: www.worldphotoday.org. Also a HUGE thanks to Kodak, as the film I used was given to me as a gift from them. So this one is for my Kodak friend.

Rolleiflex 2.8F – Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 – Kodak Tmax 100 (100TMX)
Dev: Kodak D-76 (1+1) 9:30 @ 20C

Seven Miles

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My car wound it’s way along the dusty road deep in Ontario’s cottage country, I sort of knew where I was going, but it was based on probably outdated satellite imagery and information from someone whom I didn’t really trust. But as I was in the area I decided to take a chance. The gates to the old Seven Mile Island property were wide open inviting me come in, not a sign of life as I drove along the narrow track road along the shores of the lake. Oddly enough it began to remind me of the old children’s novel “Gone Away Lake” which was a favourite of mine. All it was missing was the overgrown Victorian homes and the kindly brother and sister.

Oddly enough there was an older gentleman who still tends the ground, he was more than happy to let me wander the grounds. The gardens and grounds remain in good shape, the buildings many are still there intact although time has taken it’s toll on the place having no one really living or using the place for over ten years now. The property showed use as far back as the 1880s when it was used as a hunting lodge and camp. Through the last half of the 19th and into the early 20th century the property earned it’s name as Seven Mile Island, and was transformed from a wild hunting lodge to a grand estate with manicured lawns, fountains, and gardens.

Through the mid-20th century the property was forgotten, but new owners once again took up the mantle and began to restore the site, the grand cottage was restored, more buildings, added. The property was opened to the public, a summer camp was operated. Families could enjoy picnics, and take boats out onto the lake. Dances were held as were garden parties.

Into the late 20th century the property was turned into a public restort, but that project failed along with several others…and artist colony lived there in the early 21st century, but since 2002 no efforts were made to restore or reopen the site. Only the kindly old gentleman who tends the grounds. THere’s no sign of the grand cottage that once occupied the site, there were two modern looking homes (which could be from the 1950s improvements) but they seemed occupied so I made a point to avoid them. I may have to go back there.