Big Squeeze
I got the first roll back from the blackbird on Saturday, and I have to say, I was surprised by the results. I put a roll of Kodak BW400CN through it, and even with Costco quick processing, I like what came of it.
I started with a few attempts in the back yard, but both focus and exposure on them were way off. Apart from an interesting mistake, there was nothing worth posting. A trip to the Orange County fair gave me better opportunities with light and subjects I could play with. The camera drew a lot of attention and a couple of people asked about it.
For the first batch, I decided to go with the square mask. It’s pretty tough to frame up a shot properly, looking straight down at a small clear plastic box with the much smaller black box of the black frame outline printed on it. I started to get the hang of it near the end of the roll. Consequently, a lot of shots are too dead-center for my taste. Focusing became easier as I got my head around the process, and the small aperture makes for a forgiving depth-of-field anyway. I like the grain and contrast, and the square aspect adds something to the feel.
You can see a set of images here. There’s a roll of FujiColor Pro in it now with the rectangular mask, so we’ll see how that turns out.
