I will still use film, I promise...

...however, after shelling out for a Nikon DSLR today, it might not be all that frequently.

I have to admit, though - as nice as it is to get instant feedback and the ability to "get rid of the crap ones" then and there, I think there's something missing from the digital experience. So I will keep going with film as well when the mood takes me.

Return of the D-I-Y Guy

On a whim, I decided that the MURK's lens needed to be fixed. The issue being that the aperture is stuck wide open - not overly useful unless all I want to do is shoot at f4. I've known for a while that is the little aperture-trigger-knob on the back of the lens that is the problem: something rattles. However, you can sometimes "fix" the lens temporarily by shaking vigorously - not practical and not a good luck.

So my solution? Wrap a whole lot of that horrible pink plastic twine around the aperture-trigger-knob-thingy (what do you actually call that?)  so it's permanently "out", and now the aperture responds accordingly. All that's needed now is to make allowances for this in the viewer - very difficult to accurately focus inside - but otherwise it works like a charm. It may even get a run at uni this summer...

Holga 120GN

It arrived today: A Holga with a glass lens (AKA Holga 120GN, Woca). Why? For uni. I've decided that it's important to use this particular camera for whatever project I decide to run with.

Now, all I need is some Shanghai GP3 and I'm set...although my heart tells me to spend a bit extra and get Ilford Delta 400 or HP5, or even some Fomapan.

Willow Court

Part of the derelict Willow Court complex at New Norfolk. 

There are a lot of different styles going on around Willow Court and the adjacent Royal Derwent complex, including this (quite obvious) art deco building which I believe was an administration centre. Some parts of Willow Court date back to 1827, which is about as old as it gets in Tasmania. It's a rather bleak and depressing site, much of it fenced off from the public until it's decided what to do with it*, and I am glad that I and other members of my family and friends never had the misfortune to require its service.

There was a superb example of what I, in my own lack of architectural wisdom, call "Soviet-bloc/Eastern Europe circa 1980), but unfortunately I didn't get a decent photo with the Holga.


* I've just read that parts of Willow Court are being converted to high and low end holiday accommodation.

...And here I am.

I have been quiet of late with the film. Partly because it was somewhat disheartening to go from 80c per scan from 120 to $3.50, which means using medium format is now so prohibitively expensive that I may as well give up on it. Or I could just fork out for a scanner of my own.

Last week, I enrolled in the local university's summer school program, undertaking the decoratively-titled "Dialogues in Black & White". It's a 10 day course in January on B&W film photography. This includes access to the university's wet darkroom. Nice.

In preparation, I am going to order myself a Holga GFN (aka 'Woca') and a bunch of film.

I'm excited.