When out-and-about, a pocket point-and-shoot could always be found on me. The habit of carrying a camera with me at all times faded as cellphones became more capable. However, these days, I find myself wanting to return to having a standalone camera to take out with me. Pulling out my phone to snap a picture with baked-in over processing does not have the same je ne sais quoi of a tried-and-true camera.
Luckily, old tech is not hard to come by, or all that expensive. In a matter of months, I was able to build a small collection of old cameras – both film and digital. Yard sales have been great shopping avenues for these finds.
Nearly all the cameras required some cleaning and maintenance from neglect over the years, especially from battery corrosion. However, once the lenses were polished and the gunk removed, they all functioned well. It was great to have the feeling of holding a device with two hands and pressing the shutter button.
Taking time to learn how to use the various models has been fun too. Shifting between different brands can be a bit of a challenge due to different setups and functions. Even models within the same brands can have key differences. Prior to this new endeavor, my brand experience had been limited to Sony and Canon.
Returning to retro tech has the added benefit of keeping it out of the landfill. Eco art!
Currently, I’ve been playing around with an Olympus C740UZ and experimenting with the different modes – including auto mode. So far, I have found the capabilities to be more limited than what I have become accustomed too. However, I am finding those parameters to be enjoyable, as they force me to be creative with composition and editing. The initial photos taken using the Olympus C740UZ, had a noticeable grain that I leaned into while editing. I used colour toning to compliment the grain and give some of the images a retro-vintage vibe. A few of the pictures were edited as monochrome, with excellent results. The image quality added a moody and ethereal feel to the black and white edits. Scroll through the gallery of images at the end of this blog! :]
I look forward to taking this camera out in the world and snapping both personal pics and fine art photos with it. Playing into its limitations as a conscious artistic choice is a challenge I am excited to undertake. In a way, I think this is also a slightly conscience way of showing off my skills with photography and editing. My least favourite compliment to receive regarding my photography is, “you must have a really nice camera”. Stepping backwards, in a way, with these older point-and-shoots is a good reminder that a camera is only as good as the photographer behind it.
My camera collecting has slowed down, but I think I will continue to pick up new-to-me models as I come across them. As with my drawing and painting, I just love trying out and learning different things – I am forever striving to be a jack-of-trades.
