the difference between light and shadow . . .

I've discovered that the images I consider most successful in my through the viewfinder series are the ones where glare comes directly into the lens. The subsequent ghosting (which I've concluded from the image prior to this one, and the one prior to that, is attributable to the lack of lens coating technology that existed in the earlier cameras) creates a beautiful, almost dream-like effect.

latest image

Just when you think there cannot possibly be any additional images, Voila! It's interesting how inspiration ebbs and flows in spite of your best efforts to maintain a high level of creativity. During one of my many bouts of insomnia, I had the inspiration for this photo. It did not turn out quite like I had envisioned, but nonetheless I am pleased with the result. I intend to do a re-shoot to more closely approximate my original vision, but this does not negate the fact that sometimes happy accidents occur. In this case, the glare of light on the old (uncoated?) lens added to the overall ambiance. I'm still thinking of the perfect title for this image. I've come up with "incognito" or "an unidentified woman" or "secrets." Your suggestions are welcome.

and yet another image

This is essentially a straight through the viewfinder image. The blurring and ghosting are direct results of the Kodak Duaflex viewfinder. As in toy camera photography, through the viewfinder photography often yields unexpected, unplanned images with their own inherent beauty.

abstract image

This is one of the first images taken with my new (old) Kodak Duaflex camera purchased on eBay. As you can see, it's an abstract image composed primarily of light, shadow and texture. I'm very pleased with this photo. I considered revealing the nature of the object captured in this image, but it detracts from the aesthetics of the image if you know how it was derived. Let's just agree to call it "art" and leave it at that. (Actually, if you're really curious, check out my flickr site).

more images

What can I say? I can't stop posting my latest ttv images. I'm very pleased with the results. I received my Kodak Dualex on Friday, THE ttv camera of choice. It is a beautiful camera, very light, very compact, elegant in its simplicity. Today I received my Argus Seventy-five. It is in very good shape and my mask photo is the first one taken through its viewfinder. I've entitled the photo of the horse, "horse dreams" and the photo of the mask, "I seek the light in my disembodied dreams . . . "

prevarication

I know I promised to refrain from posting any more ttv images, but I shot this image today and it's my favorite one thus far. It was extremely difficult to take in the dim light of the old sink. I had to focus my camera manually since I knew the autofocus would by virtually useless in the darkness. Additionally, I had to perch the tripod-mounted camera precariously on the edge of the sink counter as I stood on a chair to get the right angle. The exposure was a full ten seconds at f/6.7 (to try to coax a little depth of field out of the "guessed" focus) at 200 ISO. Even with aggressive software sharpening, the image is still largely unfocused except for the lower portion of the drain stopper. As far as happy accidents go, the final image looks drastically different from the image I saw in the viewfinder at the moment of exposure; it is far more complex, textural and mysterious.

through the viewfinder is too much fun

I'll refrain from posting anymore through the viewfinder images on this blog unless they're really noteworthy. Henceforth, if you're interested in seeing my latest photos, you can access them via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10639969@N05/ and searching under "sgseko" for my photostream. I'm including this photo primarily because of the nice blurring on the upper third of the frame. This was totally unexpected and unnoticed during the time of exposure and is just the sort of happy accident that used to delight me with my toy camera photography. I've yet to receive the Kodak Duaflex I won over eBay, but I'm looking forward to seeing how the resulting images will look compared to the Argus Seventy-five.