|
To make good hand job, use good tools... I don't if I can say that I am a good photographer, but I am going to introduce you my equipment. However, equipment is not the key of everything. Always remember that photograph is not "designed" by your camera, but only by your sight !
First photographs of htis website (shot before 2004) were taken with my dad's SLR (thnak you again, Dad, for giving me your camera). It is a 30 year old Canon AE1 SLR, manual, with shutter priority. Unfirtunately, it is not working well by now, so I almost don't use it anymore (it is slowing going into my SLR collection, to enjoy a deserved retirement...)
Other photographs were shot with the SLR I bought on june 2004. It is a Nikon FM3a. It is a very special camera into this time of all-electronic and digital cameras. Except to measure light, it can work without any battery ! It is a mechanical camera that can shoot photographs by high humidity level, or very cold weather withtout any trouble. To find more pieces of information about this wonderful camera, please read this article at the address http://www.apogeephoto.com/june2001/nikon_fm3a.shtml.
Starting with a manual camera, I wanted to keep this kind of SLR. This is why I bought a camera that could be seen as out-of-fashion. However, thanks to these cameras, I am able to focus on the construction of my photographs, without being disturbed by outside facts...
In 2007, Bernard, my uncle, gave me its SLR because he bought a new digital one. Bernard was a photograph for Région Ile-de-France, which is a a kind of governement for Paris area (Paris and its whole suburb). He had worked for several years with this trustable camera. Unfortunately, Bernard has passed his way since this time. When he gave me his camera, I felt it like a transfer. Now that he is gone, it is like he is a little part of every photograph I take with this camera...
This camera is a Nikon F90X, made during 90's. This a whole automatic SLR. Of course, autofocus is available. I try to often use it, to "tame" it because, for me, it is a new way to shoot photographs (especially about the autofocus mode...). This is the camera I use for color pictures.
To people who think to start photography and want to shoot photographs in an old-school way, I would like to say : Do not buy very expensive modern cameras. You can buy an "old" SLR, second hand, all manual. Buying this, you can afford scond hand high quality lenses, which is the most important part to take pictures. Start with a 50mm lens and do not use autofocus mode. You will need some time tu understand all parameters, but once il will be done, each photograph will be a piece of pleasure.
Having a UV filter mounted on each lens is a careful thing.
First, it will stop UV-rays from the sun (no big news here ;o) ), and it will protect your lens from
hits and scratchs !
Sometimes, I use a circular polarizing filter. It is very useful to avoid reflects and to amplify color contrasts. But do not use it too often !
I am glad to keep on finding interesting films, with quite interesting prices in Paris. I hope it will go this way for a long time !
Using a low number of types of film is good thing. Indeed, you can try to know all possibilities of these films, and find the better way to use them ! I did so with black and white films, but not with color films because I started too young... Il est bon de se concentrer sur un type de pellicule afin de bien connaître ses possibilités.
For color photographs, I know use only slide films because for me this is the only to have a whole control on every steps of taking a picture, from the shooting to the final result. Furthermore, slide films are great to test cameras and lenses... and photographers ! ;-)
I was introduced to laboratory several years ago, and I love it ! There is a magical time when photograph appears from the white sheet, one special moment, frozen forever, sharing a shight...
Of course, on this website, it is only digital photographs, no paper photographs... There is a big gap of quality between these two formats, especially for B&W pictures...
This is the major quality issue of my website. For a long time, I did it with an "optimized" scanner for pictures. But I quickly understood that it was only a marketing name... Gap between reality and digital photograph was wide, especially with B&W pictures !
A big numbr of photographs on this website were digitised from films, but quality is not as good as reality. If you meet me, please ask me to show you "real" photographs, you will see the difference !
In 2008, I bought a new scanner. It is a Nikon Coolscan V. Quality is finally here ! I still have to use it to understand every parameter and find the best way to scan photographs. All new scans are obviously done with it.
To finish, I hope good things for digital pictures which are now in the everyday life as never before, and allow a wider spread of pictures. I especially hope the best things to silver photographs which give me an uncommon pleasure. So load your films and see you !