Testing testing

A couple months ago I got a great price on a used Bronica ETRS medium format system on eBay. Yeah, it's a film camera. Purists of the digital age normally ask "why do you want to be using a film camera?" "You can get the same results with a digital camera."

Well, I got into photography back in the late 80s, so in my case it was Minolta cameras with Kodak B & W and Fuji color reversal films. Color reversal? Huh? Just a fancy name for slide film. Remember those carrousel projectors? Some young folks probably don't understand a word I'm saying.

Anyway, I use digital cameras for 90% of my work nowadays, but still shoot film just for fun every so often (35mm and medium format), and honestly, film has a different "feel."

The picture above is from the first roll I ran through the Bronica. I really liked it, not really because of the subject, but because of the nice contrast and extremelly shallow depth of field. It really has a different look than what you normally get with a DSLR, or a 35mm camera for that matter.

You be the judge.

Picture taken with a Bronica ETRS with 50mm f/2.8 Zenzanon MC lens on Tri-X 320.

Vera's Veil at 4th & B

Vera's Veil recently played at 4th & B in downtown San Diego. This is one of my favorite pictures from that evening.

Vera's Vail at Kashtan European Bistro

I got together with a couple band members from Vera's Veil and their manager last Friday at Kashtan European Bistro. We did an informal shoot while they played some of their songs and some covers.

Their music is really good. Check them out at MySpace.

Flickr Tour to Ensenada

Last Saturday me and my wife joined the "Flickr Tour La Baja" folks for a one day trip down to Ensenada. This is a group of guys and gals who are very interested in photography, and who get together more or less regularly, meet at a predetermined town or area (mostly San Diego/Tijuana), and shoot it up (in the good sense of the word).

These tours are a lot of fun, but are definitely not for those who like to hop into the car and drive to the store around the corner. Aside from having some skill behind the camera, one needs to have enough stamina to walk non-stop for at least seven hours (ok, minus one hour for lunch). But time sure flies when you're having fun. You get to find a lot of interesting photo opportunities, and see how other people work behind the camera.

When you've got a small crowd of say, ten photographers, walking more or less together all over town, you kind of get the idea that the result will be ten copies of the same object. Well, it sometimes happens, to a certain degree. But the benefit here is that in the end you see a lot of variations of one single subject, be that different angles, exposure, depth of field, or postproduction work.

Most photographers are loners, so joining one of theses groups every so often is a refreshing experience. Hell, if nothing else, you get to talk about the latest lens you purchased without getting those blank stares.

I took the picture above while walking along Ensenada's black market. Despite the negative conotation the name gives it, this place is harmless. It's a long alley near the harbor, lined with fish stores, little stands selling all kinds of odds and ends, and the little restaurants that serve the fish tacos Ensenada is famous for. Rubio's just doesn't compare. Oh, and I don't own that chain.

Anyway, this little girl was sitting on a bench with her family. From her expression she's either extremely bored or extremely tired from walking allong the harbor. Either way she looked really cute.

Exhibit at The Marquee

Several of my pieces (including the one above from my "Zebra" series) are on display at this new art venue near downtown San Diego. The name of the place is The Marquee. It's an old church that has been turned into this hip, eclectic place, with lounge seats where the pews used to be, art lining the walls and a huge screen in the front where they show movies on certain evenings, and have rap artists and other musicians doing their stuff other nights. Pretty interesting place.

The Marque
835 25th street
San Diego, CA

Last Sunday (March 7th) I attended the 2009 Ocean Beach Kite Festival at, you guessed it, Ocean Beach. It was a first for me. I was expecting more creativity from the kite-making participants, but there were only a couple very unique kites. Still, it was a fun way to spend a sunny Saturday morning. Lots of color and photo opportunities.