Monday, February 20, 2012

This is what I saw in the Ensign


It's been quite a while since I worked with black and white, 12 years or so, and I'd forgotten how thoroughly satisfying it can be.   The little Ensign Greyhound has worked a kind of magic for me, spitting bits of its internal dust and whatnot onto the the film as it wound its way through the camera, the effects of time affecting the image during the making.  I'm intrigued by how it seems that the modern film used couldn't compete with an ethereal memory retained within the mechanical parts because the results look as though they could have been taken decades ago, perhaps at the time the camera was originally produced for the mass market.

Fortunately I know a brilliant person who very sensibly has retained all their darkroom kit, uses it regularly and very kindly developed the film for me since I'd forgotten how and had given away my kit years ago (thanks Alex Brattell).  Ironic really, since my storeroom is so full of stuff that it's barely possible to get into it.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Check out the viewfinder


Yes the whole thing looks kinda ugly, but trust me it's beautiful.  It's an Ensign Greyhound camera. I'm hoping that this gorgeous piece of engineering is going to reveal something interesting.  Strangely the above is already interesting because it's a scan and yet the only thing in focus is the viewfinder.  Perfect - in my mind.  The image in the viewfinder reminds me of the landscape I see every day.