Bronica | Take 2

Over the last month or so, we’ve run a few more rolls through the Bronica 🙂 I can’t explain how much fun this camera is…. it’s kinda like having a silly disposable camera, that takes great photos, and you can reuse it over and over. The time between mailing off the film and waiting is kinda like the weeks before Christmas, you know something fun is coming but you aren’t quite sure what.

Side Note 1: I think everyone who is or wants to be a photographer should shoot a little film every now and then, even if it’s not something you regularly use with clients…. I truly think it forces you to be more precise with your shots, which carrys over to the digital world. I can safely say that before I started shooting film (again) I could easily shoot 2 entire 8 GB cards, sometimes more at a wedding. Now, if I am the primary photographer, I’ll shoot 1 8 GB and maybe 1/3 of another. Saves me card space and culling time later!! WIN.

Side Note 2: I think every pro photographer should listen to this guys’s podcasts. He puts them out once a week, and he focuses on making money. Which can sound really crass, but trust me…. he’s smart, successful and knows his stuff. He did a podcast with Kat Braman last week to chat about film, its place in the photography market, and the profitability of it…. It was really interesting to hear them agree & disagree on lots of topics.  Since I don’t shoot much film at this point, and rarely turn it over to clients, I don’t really think about the cost of it. ( 1 roll of 120 film costs roughly $5 to buy, and then it’s $18 to have developed and scanned by RPL …. and that’s just for 15 shots). Can you imagine spending $1k or more on every wedding you shoot? Think about that and multiply it by the number of weddings you shoot. Wowza. Talk about a serious profitability killer.

But… I get it. Film is pretty 🙂 It’s that feeling of Christmas when I get an email letting me know my scans are ready for download.

If you’re in the market for medium format camera, this one ROCKSMYSOCKS. I was really unsure about it, since it was a brand name I was familiar with, but with reassurance from Jon & Seth, I dove in. The little 75mm lens is so sharp!!! I was really hesitant to use a 100% manual focus camera, but the split-focus screen is like magic, making it very easy to get your shot in focus. I paid $250 for my entire kit (camera body, lens, grip, magazine back) at Biggs Camera in Charlotte.

On to the fun stuff 🙂

*All are Fuji 400H