Unfinished project idea. Take a 6x6 medium format camera and shoot slide film with it. Take pictures of brightly coloured objects and scenes. Then arrange the slides in a pleasing order and hang the resulting display in a high up sunny window.
Get the 120 film processed unmounted, usually this will be cut into strips of 3. Then buy clearfile pockets to hold the cut frames. You'll need a steel ruler and a sharp knife (scalpel) to cut the film into single frames.
I think this is a fun project to capture memories of summer and makes you use something that you'd normally not think of using. A manual medium format camera and slide film is radically different from most peoples' experience of 35mm point and shoot, or a SLR, or the digital equivalent. You'll probably also need to buy or borrow an ambient light meter too, so that you can set the camera to take properly exposed pictures. Slide film is much less forgiving of under or expecially over exposure.
For the camera and film, costs do not need to be high, you'll not need a hasselbald to make pretty coloured pictures, even a holga will do the job. I'd recommend velvia 100 for intense colours and a bright, but not too sunny day. Velvia 100 costs about 3 pounds a roll mail order and processing is about the same. Buy 5-6 rolls and the costs will be less than fifty quid. For the camera, buy a holga, or borrow a friends medium format camera, personally I think 6x6 is the right shape for this project. Failing that, you could buy a second hand rolliflex or a yashica 124 or a mamiya 330 for 150-200 pounds, or a seagull on ebay for 50-80 pounds.
If you are serious about medium format after this, then a Bronica SQAi or a Hasselblad are the cameras to choose, but the lenses are expensive beyond the normal 75 or 80 standard lens, which is roughly equivalent to the 40-50mm prime on a 35mm camera.
medium format stained glass
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Fantastic idea. My MF cameras of choice are the Agfa Click and Agfa Clack (one of which does 6x6, other 9x6), or even some of the later Box Brownies, which take 120 film rather than 620. There cost about 10 pounds on Ebay.
Hey there,
I saw your post on an RSS aggregator, and thought I'd drop by to leave a comment:
This is a nice idea - but I'm afraid it won't work. The sunlight will bleach out your film very, very quickly. :-/
Good sharp scissors will be fine to cut film by the way, no need for a scalpel and steel rule.
Maybe it'll bleach out, but it was not intended to be a permanent exhibit, just a bit of fun to last over the winter. I think you'd get bored of the same images after a while anyway. thanks for the point about scissors though.
I think it's a lovely idea, even if it is ephemeral. One of those mobile kits which you're supposed to put postcards or photos on might also work
Lucy