My pictures for the last week of 2006 span three countries: Netherlands, Denmark and Poland. All were made with my “new” Bronica 645 rangefinder. Digital is great, but sometimes medium format film is funner.
The first image is from the island of Alrø, in eastern Jutland:
(Bronica 645, 45mm lens, Tri-X)
The second one is from the harbour in the small town of Hov, also in eastern Jutland. The photographer in the picture is my best friend, Lars:
(Bronica 645, 45mm lens, Tri-X)
Then a flashback to earlier in the week, when I was still in the Netherlands. A rare posed image, of a vendor in Zaltbommel who sells warm waffles on the main square of the town:
(Bronica 645, 65mm lens, Rollei IR)
Now back to Denmark. Almost every time I am there, I have to drive across the Great Belt bridge, and almost always, I stop at the rest area on the Zealand side:
(Bronica 645, 45mm lens, Tri-X)
During my visit, Lars and I went out to take pictures on Christmas Day, at a rather empty local train station:
(Bronica 645, 45mm lens, Rollei IR)
Lars lives in the village called MÃ¥rslet. I went for a walk one day and happened on this house, where the inhabitants put up their own sign protesting the absence of winter. It says, “we want snow, otherwise we will move to Greenland”.
(Bronica 645, 45mm lens, Tri-X)
The last three images are from Poland. In a small town, Sobotka, the local bakery is famous for the quality of its bread. People from the surrounding towns come to buy bread there:
(Bronica 645, 65mm lens, Tri-X)
I had brought some infrared film with me, but winter in northern Europe is not exactly conducive to IR photography. There was one sunny day during the entire two-week vacation, so I made some attempts. This is Plac Grunwaldzki in Wroclaw, seen from my sister’s balcony:
(Bronica 645, 65mm lens, Rollei IR)
And this is a bridge across the Odra river in Wroclaw, Most Grunwaldzki:
(Bronica 645, 45mm lens, Rollei IR)
Yes, film has a quality all of it own. If only I had a 6×4.5cm scanner! And medium format I have found produces lovely detail which is rare to find in digital.
Comment by jeff — 14 January 2007 @ 10:10
Hello
Once again I was pointed toward your latest images by a friend. I’m not into B&W but appreciate seeing these, and after examining them I remembered a funny story from long ago.
My wife at the time was German – we had been married in Germany, and at work one day (in California) my wife had a conversation with another lady with whom she worked. Now, this is just after the time when the Orson Wells movie “The Third Man Them” came out, which was filmed in Black & White. Also old wartime newsreels were always in B&W. That lady asked my wife “You’re from Europe, so how do you like being here where we live in color?” My wife said “Huh?” It turned out that this stupid person had the idea that everybody lives in a black and white world in Europe, and only lucky Americans could see things in color!
Well, I think of that story from time to time. I’m sure that lady eventually saw “Sound of Music”, in color!
Best to you and I look forward to your PAW 2007.
Campy
Comment by "Campy" Camphausen — 15 January 2007 @ 20:04
Hi Nathan,
There’s a railway station shot in this series that is classical. I think you do your best work with film and B&W.
Best,
Bob
Comment by Bob Rosen — 6 April 2007 @ 04:38