Sunday, April 22, 2012

Wordpress blog and what I have been doing

Since my last blog post ages ago, I bought two Bronicas, an elegant, classic totally mechanical 6x6 square shooter, the Bronica S2a with 75mm f/2.8 lens and a Bronica ETR SI 6x4.5. I could not pass them up, these gorgeous medium format cameras can be had so cheaply these days as folks embrace digital photography en masse. I am looking to add another Bronica S2a if a good one comes along. I absolutely love the look and feel of the 6x6, it gives me such pleasure to shoot with it, not mentioning everyone stops to ask me what kind of camera that is:) No biggie that it is not metered, that is where my vintage Weston IV and a Sekonic zoom meter come in handy.

The last time I wrote, my Wordpress blog was still work in progress. I wanted to let everyone know that is coming along well and below is a snapshot of the blog, love to hear your comments. My Wordpress blog


I have also added a few precious books to my collection:

An Aperture hardcover book on Lola Alvarez Bravo by Elizabeth Ferrer. Lola Alvarez was the first woman photographer in Mexico. When asked how she managed to photograph painful subjects, she replied that she approached them "por el camino de la luz" - through the path of light. Well said indeed.

Vision of a Vanishing Race by Florence Curtis Graybill and Victor Boesen on the pioneering works of Edward Sheriff Curtis who recorded the faces and lifestyles of Native Americans with an unwavering passion and dedication. This book contains 175 pictures of Curtis's greatest works, selected by his daughter Florence Graybill Curtis.

The Hasselblad Manual, second edition, by Ernst Wildi. No doubt the definitive guide to the cult Hasselblad camera. I do not own a Hassy, but this 302 page hardcover book is more than a getting to know your camera manual. It is full of excellent technical information on cameras, lenses, lighting and more, that I found out after I started reading. It is a wonderful book to own and read. This book is ten times more precious than other photography knowledge books I own.

A book that I have ordered and will be arriving soon: Tina Modotti, Photographer and Revolutionary, by Margaret Hooks. Tina Modotti was an Italian actress who lived in Los Angeles who later became a model for Edward Weston and his assistant. She learned her craft from Weston and perfected it. Lola Alvarez and her then photographer husband Manuel Alvarez later acquired Tina Modotti's view camera when Tina Modotti fled Mexico. (and I shall keep you in suspense here)

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