musings

February 2014

So then, what do have we this month?We have 'A Year In Cameras' where ChrisDodkin explains the reasoning behindbuying a film camera per month in 2013.

We also feature Tracy Deakin who makesbeautiful jewellery by hand from old vinylrecords.

And of course it will all be intermingledwith photographs, quotes and ... well,Musings.

Davie

“I go tonature to besoothed andhealed, and tohave my sensesput in order.”-JohnBurroughs

He left a flower so she'd know he waited

Hcf

1 Da

How many worthwhile picturescan I take in one day... Well letsfind out.

ay Shoot

I left my home in Dundee, Scotland at 6am and headed for Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands with theplan to.... Wait, stop for a second!!! Who am I kidding, there was no plan, none at all.

After a fairly non-event of a drive I arrived in Glencoe at around 8.30 and to be honest it didn't lookgreat... raining, misty and just generally yucky, there was only one thing for it, to drive along the GlenEtive road.

Driving this road is always going to be a spirit lifter for me regardless of the weather as it is an allencompassing vision of Scotland, it has everything.... Waterfalls, Mountains, Forestry, Rivers,Lochs,Wildlife and AMAZING views all in 12 miles of heaven. Today however I was on a mission, I hadbought a new camera lens allowing me 300mm of scope, with that in mind I was looking for deer, deerthat roam freely along parts of the road, but on a day trip it's a hit and miss situation.

As you'll see on the forthcoming pages I got the deer, and to be honest one came close to getting me...well I say that, he was after a fight and frankly I wasn't.Quite often when I am in the highlands I just drive around and hope to find a shot or two and as you cansee I had a good day. In the course of driving around you see new things and new roads everytime andwhilst on my way to Oban (I wasn't actually going to Oban as I don't really rate the place forphotography) I drove to a little village called Appin which has a most intriguing 'beach' , intriguing dueto the rock formations, peat bog areas and crashing surf ; whilst on the beach I saw what looked like aCormorant standing on a rock surveying it's kingdom and luckily with the new lens I was able tosomewhat capture it .... A good day for wildlife.

It was at this point I started to head towards home on a road I wasn't overly familiar with and Iexpected to come out at Tyndrum which is a gateway to the Highlands for me in that once you get past itthe road starts going up and up and to be fair my mind was already there. Now referring back to myprevious statement about new roads it was about the time I spotted one leading to Glen Orchy andwhilst I knew where it took me to I'd never actually driven it. The road reminded me a lot of GlenEtiveRoad with the road running parallel to the river and being surrounded by hills but I wasn't stopping,

There was nothing wrong with this road but I was looking forward to getting home and editing what Ihad, it was going to take something special to make me stop. Something special is an understatementbecause when I stopped not only did I slam on the brakes but I swore a considerable bit when faced witha 'waterfall' that took my breath away, literally. The river bed just drops and the water fills theresulting hole from all angles... it was amazing and I will be back, possibly with ropes to get a bit closerbecause the rocks were very slippy and dangerous, and well, I was on my own. The drive home fromthere was almost a pleasure, my heart was happy, my camera was happy and I was planning when Icould come back.

The answer to the original question? Well I've included 14 here and could have included another 5-6easily.

My heart's in theHighlands, my heart isnot here,My heart's in theHighlands, a-chasing thedeer;Chasing the wild-deer,and following the roe,My heart's in theHighlands, wherever I go.

Robert Burns

A

All photographs by Davie Hudson

Is filmdead?Is filmdead?

Apparently not is the answer, ChrisDodkin an ex-pat living inCalifornia is one of many peoplewho still embrace the idea of usingfilm. His enjoyment of filmmanifested itself with the buying ofone film camera per month in2013 ... I asked him to describe thecameras and explain...why? What hegave me left me speechless, literally.It is so amazing that I have decidedto split it into 3 sections. It is withthe greatest of pleasure I give youPart 1

As 2013 dawned, I had a somewhatmadcap idea. One which would expand myphotographic horizons, and give me agreat deal of pleasure throughout the year.

I would buy an old (used) film cameraeach month, clean it up, and learn to shootwith it. So twelve cameras in twelvemonths - EBAY was going to love me! Ihad a sort of logic in my madness. Ifigured that no-one wanted old filmcameras anymore, so they should be easilyavailable, and relatively cheap. I alsofigured that many of the cameras I'didolized growing up, would now be withinreach.

Finally, I figured that film and processingwere still available, and at a reasonablecost, but recognized that this situationwas in flux, and that I couldn't count onthat position holding indefinitely.Also, Ilove researching, buying, and usingcameras, so my GAS (Gear AcquisitionSyndrome) would be well taken careof.Having made my decision, I went towork. EBAY was a great resource, as wereonline used camera dealers like KEH. Ispread my net far and wide, from localgarage sales to used camera specialists inJapan - the world's a small place thesedays, you can buy a camera from the otherside of the planet, and have it in yourhands the same week - amazing!

January-Rollei 35

The meter in the camera was amazingly accurate - but that was theonly automation in this little marvel.I had to really think aboutsetting zone focus and using aperture to provide a suitable depth offield for my subject and composition - this is a technique I'dneglected with my modern digital cameras - I was re-learning anessential skill.

Image quality was amazing - Zeiss glass really does count forsomething, and that set me thinking for additional cameras later inthe year.January was a big success. The Rollei 35 is a stunningcamera - and a blast to use.

I spotted this camera on a '50 Best Cameras OfAll Time' list - I was completely unaware of itbefore then, but the online reviews looked excellentand it came with a real pedigree.To say this camera is small is an understatement -it was the smallest 35mm camera in the worldwhen it was launched in 1966. (Ilford 35mm filmpack included for scale) It's a deceptive 370 grams,and measures just 97x32x60mm. It just doesn'tlook big enough to expose a full 35mm frame!Lovely bit of kit though - super build quality, heftyfor it's size - lots of metal.It's pocketable size made it easy to carry around, soI took it with me everywhere. Shooting photos outof office windows in LA before a meeting, and shotsout of an airplane window on a trip to Denver,things I'd never have done with my digital camera.

February - Werra 1a

My Werra 1a purchase from an EBAY seller in Bulgaria, and arrived here iand had never been used - there was no dust anywhere, no marks or scratchstrap had never been worn.So somewhere in Bulgaria there appears to be a

The design is really clean, there's no obvious film winder, leaving the top plgreen textured ring at the base of the lens - you rotate this to advance the fto either use a hand-held meter, or use rules of thumb such as the Sunny 16show how modern metering has fooled us all into thinking we have to have

This is the camera model that mydad purchased in the mid 50s - hehad just come pack from Canadawhere he'd seen the Kodak 35mmcameras in common use, and hewanted something similar forhimself.

He'd spotted this cameraadvertised in a British Sundaynewspaper, and was attracted tothe Zeiss Tessar lens - he'd neverheard of Werra, but he'd certainlyheard of Zeiss!

Dad remembered paying about 20quid for the camera, which wouldbe over 400 quid in todays money- so not cheap.

in the US in mint condition.In fact, I'm pretty sure it was brand newhes, no base plate marks - nothing - the leather case was mint and thestockpile of 50s Werra cameras that are brand new!

late featureless apart from the shutter release.The film advance is thefilm.The camera is really basic, no metering of any kind - so I was forced6 Rule. Both methods seemed to produce good exposures, which goes toe it in order to get a decent exposure.

The Zeiss Tessar lens did a good job - It'scertainly of a higher quality than the rest ofthe camera, which is a little tinny.

I did however enjoy the quirky film advance,twisting the lens base between each frame -very cool, and it works well.

It surprised me that such a basic cameracould produce such consistently good results- so I learned a thing or two about metering,and how to rely on my brain and gut-feel, asmuch as my modern camera's computerizedexposure system.

March - Yashica Electro 35 GT

After stripping thingsdown to the basics withthe Werra 1a, I wantedmy next camera toprovide more of the'modern' luxuries suchas automated exposure.I also wanted to getsome fast glass,something where I couldtry shallow DOFshooting without thesupport structure ofmodern auto focus.

The Yashica Electro 35GT fit the bill - It's aclassic rangefindermodel from the 70s,over eight million ofthem were produced, sothey're easy to find andrelatively cheap.

The Yashica is a 'full size' camera, very similar in dimensions to a modernFuji X-Pro1 - with a fixed 45mm f/1.7 Lens and rangefinder focusing.Mine is the black GT model.

As was common during the 70s, the lens has 'idiot proof' markings fordaylight, cloudy etc, as well as the more normal F stops - an attempt bycamera manufacturers to simplify exposure. This is augmented with anunder/over exposure indication - with lights on the top of the camera, andin the viewfinder - telling the user if the automatic shutter speed is tooslow for handheld use, or out of range at the top end.So camera use is simplified, you set your aperture (and ISO), the camerasets shutter speed based on a very accurate electronic meter.

This metering system drives a fully electronic shutter - which is veryadvanced for the time - allowing accurate exposures in low light of manytens of seconds or even minutes.Shooting shallow DOF with a rangefinder is a challenge - you have anoffset viewfinder with a dim focus patch, and that's all the help you haveto achieve critical focus.

Having said that, it did seem to work amazingly well, and I was able toadjust to using the RF patch to align the focus, and even wide open thisappeared to be accurate and repeatable.

The electronic metering was amazingly accurate in a wide range of lightingconditions, although issues with discontinued batteries and flakyelectronics do make this a challenge for this model of camera - so bewarned.

Image quality from the lens is contrasty and sharp - a real gem in fact -and given the low low prices on these cameras, is a bit of a steal.

The camera/lens combo shoots very much like a modern camera - I wasused to shooting aperture priority with my Fuji, so the Yashica fitted right

April - Ricoh 500 GX

First thing I noticed was a cracked viewfinder - which was odd because I couldn'tsee a cracked viewfinder in the images on the EBAY auction!

I contacted the seller, and they blamed the postman - but the camera was wellpackaged and there was no packaging damage that would indicate an impact.

I checked further and found that the images the seller has used were someone else'scamera - so I had been bidding based on shots of a nice mint camera - and not theone for sale.

I definitely caught the rangefinder bug with the Yashica, so mynext purchase was a mini RF model, the Ricoh 500 GX.

I spotted the Ricoh on EBAY, and was immediately taken with it'srather stylish looks - It reminded me of the famous Canonetrangefinders, and that red GX and detailing really made it pop.It's the deluxe version of the 500G.

I hit the BUY IT NOW button, as it wasn't expensive at all.

Reality hit when the camera arrived in the post - things were notquite as advertised!

So a cautionary note - EBAY shopping has it's challenges. But having said that, thiswas the only real issue I had all year.

The camera worked ok, so I decided to just move on - if it had been more expensive, Imight have returned it.

The 500 GX is a small rangefinder, (111×71×56 mm), with battery powered metering. Texposure system offers manual shutter speed selection, with the aperture controlled by the

The battery is a 1.35 volt mercury battery PX675 - so a retrofit cell from Wein is required40mm, so a little wider than the 'standard' 50mm, which I like - and is a moderately fast fthen automatically adjusts for any filter you place on the lens.

In use, the rangefinder patch is rather small, so focus takes some care and concentration -and shutter release are smooth and quiet.

The shutter speed maxes out at 1/500 which is typical for this era of camera, and thee built-in CdS-meter or manually.

d, as the modern 1.5v cells will mess with the metering accuracy.The Rikenon lens isf/2.8.The light meter cell is located in the front of the lens - which is a great feature as it

the exposure meter display in the viewfinder is good, and easy to read - the film advance

I did have multiple frames spoiled by light leaks when shooting with Ilford XP2, but giventhe state of the foam light-seals on the camera, it wasn't unexpected. If I liked the cameramore, I'd go through the exercise of removing the old foam, and cutting some new customseals.

All in all it's a competent snap-shot camera, although the lack of aperture priority is a dealkiller for me. I don't think it's in the same league as a Canonet or Yashica model, but it costssubstantially less, so maybe that's to be expected.

The f/2.8 lens is not fast enough for my tastes, as it limits both low-light use and narrowDOF photography - this has become a key issue for me when selecting cameras/lenses, andseparates cameras into desirable and less desirable categories when searching online.

It's got a place on my shelf - but not in my camera bag.

All Photographs and words by Chris Dodkin

Waldeinsamkeit: (German) The fe

eeling of being alone in the woods.

Vinyl JusticeWhat happens when old vinyl records get tooworn to play? Tracy Deakin takes them andlike a caterpillar turning into a butterfly sheturns them into something beautiful andgives them a fabulous new life.

(DH) It's clear to me looking at your creations that you have a deep lovefor vinyl, so why vinyl? what does it have that inspires you?

(TD) I have always loved vinyl, that feel of taking a record out of it'ssleeve, placing it lovingly on the turntable & gently placing the needledown, just a beautiful feeling. I feel that the crackles on a record are likethe best part of roast pork, the crackling makes it extra special. Also, afew years ago a best friend gave me a solid black plastic gun shapednecklace for my birthday, I wore it loads & it got a lot of comments so Iwanted to see if I could make a .45 out of a 45. It took about a year ofpractice with a handsaw to cut one good enough & plently of snappedsaw blades & bleeding knuckles, but eventually as I decided to trydifferent designs & maybe turn it into a business,I was happy to findsomething which my stubborn streak was useful for too.

(DH) How does the process work, from sourcing vinyl to finishedproduct?

(TD) I source my vinyl from car boot sales, charity shops, ebay forcertain labels & colours of vinyl & sometimes have some donated fromfriends or people that meet me at markets. Different labels lendthemselves towards different things. Firstly I do a rough pencil markingon the vinyl of the shape I want to cut, don my apron & glasses, sit onmy doorstep ( as natural light is best & vinyl dust is messy) and cut theshape. Then I sand the piece down & normally drill any holes needed foradding chain if it is going to be a necklace, then varnish the labels toprotect them from damp such as light rain, beer spillage perhaps on cufflinks! When I make bags I firstly varnish the labels, give them a fewdays in a toast rack to fully dry, then drill holes all around the edge ofthe records. sand any edges of half size bags, file down the holes so thethread does not snap when stitching the fabric bases to the vinyl. I userecycled materials as much as I can for the bags, such as old tweed suitjacket sleeves, car seat belts for the straps when I can find some & Ialways use kilt pins for attaching the straps as then the strap length canbe altered to suit it's user or even changed to match a different outfit &the kilt pins also give it a touch of being made in Scotland.

It was obvious to me that these creations are totthrowaway pieces of plastic... These records werecompletely by hand. It is the by hand nature tha

tally Tracy, they aren't mass producede lovingly crafted into beautiful items by hand,at makes them special, very very special.

(TD) I cut on my doorstep whatever the weather unless it gets to aroundminus 5 degree, then it is a pointless effort best left as the vinyl justcracks when the blades touch it. Like 78's made of shellac, they justexplode! Temperatures & vinyl are important. I do remind my customerson hot days via my facebook page to remember that dogs die in hot cars,so does good vinyl. The more I buy to cut, the more my personalcollection grows as I often get home, put a record on my old ITTKBtuntable & find it is just too good to cut & into the keep plie it goes, Youcan never stop expanding on your knowledge of music & I tell anyonewho thinks they only like one genre of musicthey are not telling thewhole truth!

Ah, a good vinyl justice story.......... A couple of years ago a nicebarmaid in Sofi's bar in Edinburgh asked me if I would like to put asmall display of some necklaces on the wall of the back room. That Iglady did, then when I popped in a week or so later the barmaid said "Oh, I'm really sorry Tracy!"..." Why?". She then told me that theyrecieved a letter by post with 2 necklaces in it & a note from 2 girlsadmitting they were a bit drunk a couple of nights ago & stole 2 of thenecklaces! They returned them with a letter of apology & a £5 note!Vinyl Justice indeed, ethical thieves. I was actually happy at the timethat someone would want to steal one!

(DH) The one thing i noticed was the range of products, is thatexpanding all the time?

(TD) Yes, absolutely. I am finding labels I have never seen all the time,so yes, my product range is constantly expanding. Always somethingnew to excite me. I can often be found pencil marking vinyl at 3 or 4 am& looking forward to daylight when I can get outside & get cutting.Luckily there has been a lot of not so very good music pressed on somereally pretty labels, so there is always enough to justifiably chop.

(TD) Of course everyone's opinion of what is a good record differs & I canonly go by my own tastes & judgement. I will only cut what is a greatrecord if....a) It is a special request custom orderb) It is damaged beyond being able to play orc) If there have been so many presses of it that there are enough copies togo round for those who wish to spin, not wear the vinyl.

(DH) Seeing as you use a saw to cut the vinyl there must have beenaccidents?

(TD) The answer to that would be yes, butonly slight! Obviously a few bleeds fromcut fingers, but sometimes small injuriesare important as they prevent bad ones.One sunny day last summer I was sitting inmy usual spot cutting away. The sawblades are very, very fine & snap often( less now though as I have had hundredsof hours of practice). One blade snapped,flew up & got embedded in my lip & I couldonly pull it out with a pair of tweezers.From that moment on I always wear someform of eye protection as the damage thatcould have caused is just not worth takingthe risk.

I'd like to thank Tracy from the bottom ofmy heart for allowing me to photographher products and for allowing me to includeit in this magazine, there really is blood,sweat and no doubt tears shed in themaking of these beautiful creations and itwas an honour to talk to Tracy about it.

To see more of Tracy's remarkable work please go

o to .... www.vinyljustice.comwww.facebook.com/vinyljusticerecordsor email direct .... tracy@vinyljustice.com

www.vinyljustice.com