Getting back to Something Different

Well, here I am... the lone delinquent member... the last of the mohicans to post! I wouldn't say that I'm generally tardy with my work - in fact, I think most people would say the opposite!

And now that I'm here, I'm going to continue on with what Duncan was saying in an earlier post: "And Now for Something Completely Different". I too, recently found that I needed a little mix-it-up in the photography world. And for me, it had to be something FUN. See, I think I am a little too "particluar" at times. I don't like the word anal to describe my attention to detail! (In school we had to do a metaphorical self-portrait, and I submitted an image of my sock drawer - 4 rows of socks sorted by type, colour and preference. Yep, I needed a little more fun in my life!) Just kidding, I like my socks like that. And I think I am pretty fun. But I needed creative outlet to make some of my shooting especially fun!

In the fall I got two new toys: a lomo diana and fisheye. Oh yes, it was so very exciting. But I found that after the first roll on each toy, I didn't shoot any more. Was it that I didn't know what I was doing, or the fact that only half of my shots came out halfway decent (actually only 4 out of 12 negatives on my diana were even exposed!)... I don't know. But I recently re-loaded both cameras and headed out with them. My new method was to experiment, expect nothing and laugh at the results. Well, laugh I did!

See, part of my renewed enthusiasm was due to my new idea to use my on-camera flash (off my camera and in my hand) to get a better exposure with my fisheye. I thought this was genius and wanted to try out a whole roll of exerimental shots...

Here we have a series of hilarious attempts to use my flash as a main light (synched to the very low powered flash on my fisheye)...

We see my model - nicely lit - and my flash and entire arm clearly in the frame!

Whoops! I forgot just how exremely wide angle that fisheye lens is!







Of course you don't realize your errors right away when working with film, so...

When my model (the lovely Ailsa) offered to hold the flash and dump all that light into her own face, I took her up on it!

Low and behold, now she is clearly holding the flash within the frame! Haahaha...





I was pretty confident that my flash would adequately light the model from a close distance as above. But, I wanted to experiment with the range of the flash and the subsequent exposure with my fisheye.

Here you see me - backed up quite a bit... clearly shining the flash right into the barrel of my lens, rather than on the model! Yet again - whoops!






Apparently my second attept was much better, in that I actually lit the scene... and got a good exposure on my model.

Of course, there is my nemisis... the hand again!

So much for keeping lighting techniques a secret!









Hey, look at this... no arm! Well, not mine anyway!

I guess I got so excited about getting that flash to fire, that I clearly did not wait for my model to be ready.

Wow, there is just way too much to think about when holding a toy camera in one hand and a flash in the other!





Alright, enough with this single model stuff... I was ready for the big times.

Here you see me trying to capture a scene: Gabrielle working her magic with studio lights. What I was trying to find out was if the little flash on my fisheye would trigger the studio lights - and yes, it worked!!

Too bad about... the hand!






No hand!!! Yes!!!

Cool scene too... I love the fisheye effect on this one!









Now I'm getting confident... surpising my new unsuspecting model, Duncan, with a huge flash in the eyes - and a neat play on perspective with the tiny girl beside his face.

Plus, no hand!

No, I didn't get the best images... but I definately laughed my butt off when I saw the negatives!

So in sum... the heck with knowing what you are doing!

Think up something to experiment with and go for it!


Go LOMO!



Posted by Dallas Ludwick, f/action member