Three Discoveries

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Several months back I bought a large quantiy of 120 type film for my Holgas. I never really got those cameras calibrated to my liking, and those of you who have worked with them know that it is a hit or miss when it comes to using “toy” cameras. Anyway, with all this film at hand, I have been looking for a medium format camera. You either use it, or loose it. And I am not referring to film which can degrade over time, but just the ability to make consistently good images.

I settled for a Rolleiflex; known for its superior optics and solid construction. While that's in transit, however, I have been trying to find as much as possible about Rolleiflexes. There is a sense of community, camaraderie and pleasant banter at Photo.net. I haven't become a full member yet, but I am leaning towards it. One is able to upload images and receive feedback about them. The advice you receive is usually honest and sometimes witty. There are photographers from all walks, levels and experiences of life in there who will (and can) answer your most mundane questions about every aspect of photography. Do be sure to post your question in the right forum, though!

By sheer coincidence, Sandeep, a friend of mine in Seattle (who recently acquired a medium format camera as well) went looking for information on that same site and ran across my posts. He sent me an email and we caught up on our lives and hope to meet him and his family in late July, on the East coast. There are other desis too on the site and I urge you all to check it out.

Peter Marshall's Photography At About is a real gem. Sign up for his newsletter. It's a worthy read. And there are links to take you off on to other photo tangents. Want to know who was called the Prince of Indian Photographers? Hint here. Marshall's series on Indian Photography is also fascinating.

The next “discovery” isn't to my credit. Shahidul Alam, of Drik (picture agency in Dhaka) sent a note out recently about “Month of Photography,” in Tokyo. I back-tracked the URL and found a rich resource in PhotoGuide Japan. Lots to learn!