kerry ould

Rolleiflex roll #1 - not bad for an antique

It's been a while since I've found the time to blog.  It's been a busy couple of months, but hopefully things are getting back on track.

After a successful bidding war on eBay, I finally received my Rolleiflex. Since it came from Germany, it took FOREVER to arrive, and without an English manual.  Google is a wonderful thing, and within a couple of minutes of searching I was able to download a PDF of the original manual in English.

I recently shot my first roll and I have to say that I miss film!  Part of the fun of photography is the anticipation of seeing what you got after it's developed.  Digital is great, but because it's so immediate, and the number of shots you can take are virtually unlimited, I have found myself falling out of love with it as it's becoming almost too much about the technology and less about the art.

Shooting just 12 frames of 120 film with my Rolleiflex easily took me over an hour as I was much more deliberate knowing I only had a few shots to work with.  I feel like there's a stronger connection to the artistic process for me with my new friend and that is making me very happy.

I have to admit that I was very afraid that the film would come back all black, but it didn't.  And in fact, the meter is bang on - I would even argue that it exposes better than my very fancy Canon. And there is a buttery richness to the images that just doesn't happen with film.

Here are a few of the test images I took using Kodak Ektar 100.  Other than converting the high resolution scan to B&W in Photoshop, I did not adjust them.  I am pretty impressed with the Rollei...can't wait to get out there and do some more shooting.  I bought a bunch of different types of film to try.  This could get expensive (which is about the only downside to film I can think of!).

 

Jake - a very uncooperative Golden Retriever

Cricket - getting into the catnip

Daisy - doing what she does best...plotting world domination.

My love affair with film

As anyone who follows me on facebook knows, I have been yearning to get back into shooting photography the old fashioned way - with film.  I was traditionally taught photography - darkroom style.  Including developing and printing my own images.  Despite how far digital has come, I still think there's something romantic about film.

Unfortunately, my old Minolta isn't up to the task so I began to research film cameras to find a camera that will give me the vintage feel I am looking for.  I knew I wanted to shoot medium format - which uses a much larger negative than 35mm, and in a square format. This helped narrow it down.

I have also been very moved by the work of Vivian Maier, and upon reading more about her, learned that she shot with Rolleiflex cameras.  She certainly wasn't the first to use these cameras.  In fact, Rolleis were used by a who's who of brilliant photographers such as Karsh, Robert Doisneau and Richard Avedon.  And even my dad knew what a Rollei was when I asked if anyone in the family might have one forgotten in an attic somewhere (he laughed at me).  I think my family was more of the Kodak Brownie type.

My mind made up, I turned to eBay.  And got confused.  Really confused.  Not only had I never used eBay, but I had no idea there were so many iterations of Rolleis.  And the more I read and researched them, the more confused I became.  And then there was the small issue with the prices.  A minty Rollei that was a favourable model was easily going for as much, and often more, than it would cost me to upgrade my Canon 5D to a 5D Mark II. 

After A LOT of reading, I finally narrowed it down to wanting a 2.8 E or 2.8 F - ideally with a Zeiss Planar lens.  Of course, so does everyone else it seems.

I bid on a few cameras, and kept getting outbid.  I have to say, eBay is a very stressful place.  I don't like losing.  And I was seriously getting obsessed watching and waiting for just the right camera.  And don't even get me started on the sellers who don't allow bids from people with 0 feedback...what's a girl to do?  I have to start somewhere.

This week, I finally found my Rollei.  It went into a hardcore, down to the wire bidding war.  Luckily I had figured out that maximum bid thing as I ended up winning by just $2 at the very last second.  Makes me wonder if the whole thing is a scam, but either way, my camera should be on it's way here from Germany as we speak.  I even picked up a couple of rolls of film today so I am ready when it gets here.

Next will be to figure out how to use it...

 

 

 

 

Collaboration | Equine photography

This past weekend, I worked on a different kind of project - one in which the tables were turned and I was in front of the lens.  It's usually something I avoid as I hate having my photo taken, but a very dear friend finally convinced me that I should have my own photos of me and Poppy.  True.

We've been planning this for a while and knew that I wanted the colour red to come out in the images, and that they had to be done in the snow.  Luckily last weekend we got one last (???) snowfall.  The perfect fluffy kind of snow that hangs in the trees.  My favourite shooting conditions. This put the plan in motion.

Allison, my photographer-for-the-day happens to be a very talented creative director with a Toronto ad agency.  She has also been supporting and encouraging my work since the early days so she knows my style, and to top it off, she is a horse person too.  In other words, she was the perfect person for me to collaborate with.  Oh, and she knows Poppy too.

The morning started with getting Poppy glammed up - which meant whisker trims, scrubbing her white markings and really grooming her coat.  Her tail also got a trim and deep conditioning.  I think she thought she was going to a show.  Next my bridle and saddle got a deep cleaning.  And then came the wardrobe consult for me. 

We settled on traditional breeches - though in navy rather than beige (better to hide any...err...flaws).  I also polished up my boots and added spurs.  Luckily Allison brought a bag full of options for the top - including the red coat we settled on using.

Next was a quick session with Allison on how to use my camera and with everything in place, we headed out into the snow.

 

After the session, I did all of the usual post-session uploading, sorting, archiving and editing - making it a true collaborative exercise.

At the end of it all, I got some really great images of Poppy and I.  And I have to say, it wasn't so bad being in front of the camera - though I still prefer to be the one behind it.

Thanks for convincing me Allison!

Polaroid pin | Cool photography stuff

I am really on a kick right now for vintage photography.  I have become addicted to ebay waiting for the perfect Rolleiflex to come up at the right price, and I've been increasingly stumbling on some really fun sites that relate to different types of vintage photography.  I hope this is a sign that vintage is here to stay.

One of the most iconic is Polaroid, and here's a really interesting homage in the form of a customizable pin.  Very clever.  Not sure you would find me wearing it, but it is kitschy. 

Buy the Instant Photo Frame Pins at the Photojojo Store!

Skye (continued) | Oakville dog photography

I finished up Skye's session and she is one very photogenic golden.  As promised, here are some more images from her session.  You can see from these why I love snow sessions.

If you are still hoping to get in a snow session, it's not too late - we've likely got another few weeks to squeeze something in.  Drop me a line if you'd like to schedule something.

 

Paris | Advertising and inspiriation

This advertisement for EF Language Schools has been making the rounds in blog-land lately.  I love everything about it - the typography, the cinematography, and most of all - the fact that it's Paris. There are several different versions which you can see here.

 

EF - Live The Language - Paris from Albin Holmqvist on Vimeo.

Happy Valentine's Day

Sneak peek: Storiline Skye Knight | Dog photography

Today was a perfect day for a winter snow session, and just in the nick of time as it looks like the snow may be gone by next weekend.  My session was with Storiline Skye Knight, a beautiful golden retriever - and it was a very special session for me as Skye is Jake's full sister (Celeste x Bentley, September 2009).  It was fun to see the differences and similarities between then - for example, Skye is much calmer than Jake, yet I think they have a very similar expression.  They are also both lovely dogs.  If only I were home more to take care of a dog! 

Skye is just about 18 months old now and I think she looks very Hollywood in her photos.

Stay tuned for more from Skye's session...

Collages | Photo displays

One of the hardest things for many of my clients is figuring out which images to order, and then how to display them on their walls.  To help with this process, I recently added the option of doing image collage photo canvases.  I custom design the canvas from a favourite group of images and can even add text if desired.

The results are fabulous, and really make an impression.  I can't say enough how much I am loving photo canvases.  They are super easy to hang as they come ready to go.  And you don't have to worry about framing which takes a step out of the process so you can get your images on the wall even faster.

Here's one example of the design I used for a 10x20 gallery canvas.  The final product has just been delivered to my client and was even more impressive in person.

And here's another example of how a collage can be created.  This one is 20x20 and includes some text and graphics.

If you'd like more information on photo collages, drop me a line.

 

Photographic dream destination | Iceland

One of the places on my to-see-before-I-die list is Iceland.  The landscape looks absolutely awe-inspiring and while it's not at the top of most people's travel destinations, it has me intrigued. 

I came across this quirkly little video which features Iceland...have a look and enjoy (but pay special attention to the gorgeous scenery and just think what amazing photos would be possible!).

 

Inspired by Iceland Video from Inspired By Iceland on Vimeo.