Friday, June 13, 2008

Found Friday - Vintage Cameras.



For the past 5 years or so, I've gotten into collecting vintage cameras — of all kinds, really. Toy cameras, plastic cameras, medium formats, you name it. I found this guy's collection on flickr, after a long evening of researching some new cameras to add to my collection. I just love how he shot them front, sideways, and back — so you could see all they different ways they are unique, yet similar. All amazing pieces of machinery.



This is my growing collection. Some are buy broken and I'll fix 'em up — and yes, I do use them. Some I just collect because they were either found in the box, all protected like a piece from a museum, so I just couldn't pass them up. Some I've had for over 15 years, and use weekly.



They really are nonchalantly placed on top of those bookshelves. I'd love to place them more specially somewhere — maybe a different kind of shelf or open box thing — a place that would showcase how important they are to me.

I was given my first real camera when I graduated from highschool (a graduation gift from my parents, so perfect). A vintage Nikkormat. I loved it from the moment I laid my eyes on it and I depend on it today to take my most important photos. It is more than reliable — it is a workhorse. It made me want to collect other vintage cameras, mainly because no other piece of glass could take photos like it. I adore the artifact of film cameras. I think when you work for hours and hours in a darkroom and have that closeness to the film that you're working with, it's just hard to give up that control. The science and art just mix and it is infectious.

So I just added a new one to my collection, via an Ebay win yesterday — a Kodak Duaflex I. I'll tell you more about it when I get it. I can't wait.