low resolution photography by davin risk

surrogate

Nikon N80

This is my 300th entry here and I guess it feels like a milestone just because it’s a nice round number. Some people who post photos daily would have hit this marker long ago but I’m a little more slack than that.

I feel like I’m in a bit of a rut photographically and that’s partly do do with the fact that the last quite large batch of film I got back was underwhelming to me. But I have to keep reminding myself that it was 7 rolls from a new camera and that the results were a combination of learning it’s ways and also being a tad snap-happy — which a new toy always incites in me.

In the last week I’ve just started discussing a possible photo book project with a few people and that is getting me excited to push past these low feelings about my photos. Like the recent independently published Toy Camera book, the idea behind this book idea is to bring together a small group of photographers of somewhat varied styles. My hope is to produce a full colour book with 10 or less photographers represented.

Stay tuned for more on that in the coming months.

Wow, the sharpness of the bird is really striking. Especially around the breast it looks like it’s outlined somehow.

That’s a nice photo. I can’t help but worry the bird will cut itself on that bottle.

the book idea sounds cool davin, I am wanting to do a colour book myself, but its a case of finding a printer, and some spare cash of course!

I know what you mean about underwhelming photos back from the lab, I had that initially with my recent crete photos, but sometimes I need to go through them a few times before I start to notice things, I have found it a fairly steep learning curve with the bessa, it is easy to make mistakes, and also with the minimum distance on my lens being 90cm, I have had to think differently about composition (im used to going in real close!) still you cant beat that feeling of getting new prints/negs from the lab!

Which Bessa do you have Jim? What lenses? I’m really interested in the 12/5.6 or maybe the 15mm from Cosina/Voigtländer. I know Bessa T’s (and L’s) are cheapish, but I was thinking maybe my Fed5b could take those lenses. They use a separate finder anyway, which attaches to the hotshoe.

Davin, I can’t wait to hear more about the book. Sounds exciting.

The book is in the most fetal of stages right now. Jim, re: the book, I already had you in my head. I’ll let you know when there is more to know.

Dammit, Jonne, take that Bessa talk over to Jim’s site! ;)

Davin — reminds me of when I got my D-70 — I took about 500 photos — all which sucked, in my opinion — I just couldn’t get the hang of RAW — the hang of digital versus film — I felt horrible — I wanted to toss all my gear… So — I went out and shot the heck out of my little lomo — and did some artistic stuff (at least what I would deem artistic) — and it worked — eventually, I got the hang of the RAW thing — but I know what you mean… Get out there with the Yashica! :-) — Count me in for one book!

Sorry, didn’t mean to turn this into a messageboard.

300 is a nice milestone. One thing I really admire about your work is that there is a cohesiveness that most other sites don’t have (not that they need to). Even across various cameras and film the images complement each other. Inasmuch as each photo tells a story — there are at least a dozen that cause my jaw to drop, dozens more that leave me shaking my head in reverie — taken together there is a complete drama, a lively dialogue between unsuspecting characters.

Bob — Yeah, it’s a mixture of working with something new and also the amount of work stress I’ve been under lately.

Kemp — Thanks so much that’s really nice to hear. I have very loose goals for my pictures and to have you say that means that at the very least those goals are being met in someone else’s eyes as well.

Jonne — It’s okay I was only scolding in jest.

Congratulations on reaching the 300 mark davin!