Film Camera

Imagine this. You’re a seventeen year old, amateur photographer who has a serious spending problem. The setting, an amazing antique store. The subject, a vintage film camera.

Shopping at antique stores is a favorite pastime for my mother and her friends, and I am always willing to tag along. The outings are fun and I like to pursue the stores vast collections of hidden gems. Most of the time I don’t come away with many (if any) items. But one day was very different. There was a hidden closet in the store with its door taken off. The shelves were chock full of old things. In particular, there was a whole shelf full of old cameras. My eyes picked out a Minolta XG 1 film camera and it was love at first sight. It had a 45 mm lens with a black leather case and also a price tag that read $65. To some that may not seem like a lot, but to a seventeen year old with $100 to her name, it was a tough decision. Unfortunately when I asked the owners of the store if the camera worked, she couldn’t guarantee that it did. So now I had to make a choice. Spend my money and cross my fingers, or not take the risk and never know the reward? Well, one debit card swipe later I now owned my first film camera. As soon as I could I brought it over to a photo store near me called Ace Photo. I held my breath as the employee looked over my camera, pressing buttons and opening the back. When she finally told me that the camera works just fine I wanted to burst into tears of happiness. Another $30 later I had my arms full of film, not really knowing how to even work the freaking camera. Thankfully, Youtube exists, and I quickly figured out the inner workings of my Minolta.

On a trip to D.C. I decided it was time to take my new camera out for a spin. I loaded the film just like I had seen on the videos and prepped the camera. Fast forward a few weeks, the developed photos arrived (Ace Photo did the developing work and did a great job), I loaded the CD onto my computer and prayed that I didn’t mess the whole thing up and please let there be at least one good photo! To my surprise, there were more than just one good photo. I had manage to capture some nice shots. Of course some of them came out horribly, due to my own error, but I took it as a learning curve. Now in the present, my film camera always has a place in my camera bag.

Sometimes, the basics will get the job done just right.

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Below you will find some of my favorite shots from that first outing with my film camera! (These photos are unedited because I think the film camera produced such a great effect on it’s own!)

If you have any tips or tricks to working with film cameras let me know!

What Am I Doing? (Quick Update)

It has been a while, something I regret very much. As my life became swamped with all of my responsibilities, I had to let something go. Unfortunately, it was the website that seemed to slip through my fingers. Once it did, something changed in my day to day life. I hadn’t realized until recently that I was missing my creative aspects in life. I have been taking photos here and there, and I even started a short story that I wish to finish really soon (maybe upload here?). I have always been thinking about starting a documentary as well. The point is that I’m still here and am now more committed than ever to continuing the pursuit of my artist practices. Please stay tuned for upcoming projects and please subscribe to my email list (found at the bottom of all the pages) to make sure you stay up to date. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment or email me (found in the contact section). Thank you all for your support.

Also, check out the store and order some prints!

Rosie Banks

Mobile Phone Photography

Photography used to be an art that required precision and extensive time. It still is in some cases but thanks to the advancement in technology, it has become much easier to express art through a camera lens. But has it become too easy? Smartphones have started to up their game when it comes to cameras. New innovations like portrait mode, optical image stabilization and telephoto lens have granted once unimaginable features so easily. My question is... are these smartphones ruining the creative art of photography? 

Well...yes and no

I believe that expression of art in any form is still expression of art. However you decide to tell your story or capture others in your world is your choice. But the two practices shouldn't be clumped together. I mean, you would never say that watercolor and pastel is the same, would you? (and if you did, i'm sure a mob of artists would eventually find their way to you). The same should apply to new age technology. Appreciate both sides, but recognize that they require different skills. 

My open thinking to this new art stems from the fact that around 1820, the first camera was probably seen as absurd and many couldn't have even conceived it as a new form of art. I am not one to stand in the way of progress, and who knows, maybe in 50 years smartphone photography will be the new norm and DSLR, Nikon, Canon (and many more) are outdated and forgotten. Who knows? It was John F. Kennedy who said, "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future," and I sure have no intention of missing that.

In the spirit of trying not to miss the future, I decided to add some photography captured with the device that also allows to me call others and update my twitter account. Hope you enjoy and remember to try to see in art wherever you go.

Wallops Island

About a month ago, I embarked on a marine biology school trip to Wallops Island. There we explored the complex parts of barrier islands, marshes and dunes. Each day was a new adventure and I woke up every morning with a smile on my face, ready to learn. Now, some of the days were unseasonably hot for October and I had bug bites on my body that looked like constellations in a starry night sky, but I wouldn't have done it any differently. I loved the sound of the fishing boats sailing through the water and the feel of the breeze on my face. The way the sand hugged my feet and how the grass bent and waved around me in the wind. It was heaven. 

One particular memory was our trip to the marshes. The marshes were covered in different types of grass and full of muddy ponds. As my classmates and I tried to navigate through it, following out guide, we would occasionally fall through the mud and find ourselves knee deep and unable to get out. Even with all the precautions we took, we still managed to find ourselves stuck in the mud. Before we even thought to lend a hand we all laughed at each others many falls. Even the person in the mud couldn't help but laugh and shriek. By the end, I was filthy, but so so happy.

Another favorite of mine was the NASA beach. We were allowed access that many don't get, which guaranteed a beach unlike many. This beach was untouched by the masses and was still very natural. Fully formed shells littered the sand and surrounding grass were untouched. It was beautifully silent. I walked along the beach with my camera and despite my classmates and teachers being a short distance away, I felt alone. It wasn't a sad alone, but more of a peaceful one. I only heard the crashing of the waves and felt the water on my feet and the sun on my face. If I could have I would have sat on that beach all day contemplating random things.

Overall, the trip enhanced my love of the earth and showed me more (of the countless) reasons why it needs to be protected. I saw things working together in ways I never would have imagined. I saw snails that came out of their shells when you whistled to them (now if it was the whistling or something else, no one knew) and I saw pieces of natural untouched beauty. And most importantly, I saw inspiration in the rawness of it. 

Lets just say...I had a great time.

Rosie Banks 

 

Click on the photos below to view them in a larger size.