If there is a question that photographers ask one another the most, it would be "What camera do you use?" I've definitely acquired a few more since using film cameras for my primary work for the past two years. I am so grateful when people think to give me an old camera they have lying around, knowing that I will use it.
I'll list them from oldest to newest in order of when I first acquired them. I have a few others I’m going to leave out because they don’t work.
My first (relatively) functional camera was a FED-5, a Russian (currently Ukrainian) model produced in Kharkov from 1977 to 1990. Let's just say that it was a very difficult camera to master for 35mm film. Even though I consider myself to be fairly competent, this camera confused me and a few of my colleagues. Even after watching videos on YouTube, it remained a mystery. I did, however, use it to take pictures! This image shows the top plate.
The photos I took with it are shown below, along with one of me using it on the day I took the photo of the mountains. The light meter didn't work, so I had to guess what I was doing, which I think was advantageous in the long run because I don’t need one when I shoot film.
I appreciate the history of this camera, but regrettably, I didn't consider bringing it until after I had already left for Lviv when the invasion of Ukraine began. I believe using this camera to document a story about Ukraine would have been intriguing. maybe There might still be time.
my next film camera was my first medium format, a richoflex. I still remember being taught how to load the film, it’s one of my favorite memories with that person. and when i got my first rolls of film developed, i was very excited. I like to keep things as simple as possible in both my life and my photography, and medium format is just that. Even the process of licking the film shut after use is interesting. This richoflex is light and simple, I always get people stopping me on the street when I use it and as a photographer of people, they love their photo being taken with it! Win-win situation.
The pictures I've taken with it over the years are shown below. When I feel like I need new inspiration for photography or when everything seems too complicated, I always turn to this camera. This camera reminds me of why I first fell in love with photography.
For a variety of reasons, I place a lot of importance on this upcoming film camera. It's an Olympus OM-10, but it's not your typical one... it’s pink! And you already know how much I love pink if you know me. The Russian camera is much more difficult to use than this 35mm camera. It was the film camera i shot my work from afghanistan and ukraine on. I've had some issues with this camera in terms of loading the film and it failing to catch occasionally, but that was probably my fault. This camera also documented my mother's wedding, served as the inspiration for my "home" photo project, and recorded some of the most significant firsts in my life. I use photography to make sense of my life when I'm unable to process what's happening and am doubting everything. this camera has served as more than just a way to take a photo but also gave me permission to take the photographs i was always scared no one would like. it was the camera that saw the most pertinent shift in my photography style. When I was photographing the young boy I really connected with in Afghanistan, Elyas, he added a butterfly sticker to the back of the camera. Since then, I've kept it, and every time I take a photo, I remember him. It's especially meaningful for me because my mother calls me "butterfly."
In delicate circumstances, it's essential to put people at ease while taking pictures of what's happening. A pink camera is really helpful for that. It also aids in the distinction between raising a gun and a camera for children with ptsd caused by gun violence. no military guns are pink (that i know of). You've already seen photos I've taken with the camera on my website, but the pictures below were taken while the camera was having trouble feeding the film. They’re some of my favorites. Bohdan Chychkevych, a local film and olympus enthusiast whom I met while traveling in Ukraine, very kindly gave me a 52 mm lens from his personal collection. so it’s also brought me to know new people I would’ve otherwise not reached out to.
The mamiya c330 came next to further fuel my love for medium format, a Japanese camera that is a bit more professional than the richoflex. I had a hard time using it and actually hated it for a while because it was so much more sophisticated. Although it is significantly bigger and heavier than the Richoflex, the focus was more accurate. Despite the fact that my last two rolls of film didn't turn out, I'm still getting the hang of the camera and have managed to capture some interesting images. i’m excited to see what photos i take in the future.
If you follow me on Substack, you have already read my post about this camera. it’s an olympus mju zoom 35mm camera, and it was given to me by the previous owner of the house I just bought. He had little use for his father's camera, which he had inherited. I like this camera's hard flash and how small it is. I also appreciate the fact that it automatically rolls the film, so there’s less of a chance I’m shooting blanks. as i was beginning to photograph the place and people where I live now, i was using my olympus om-10 but since given this camera, i thought it would make more sense that the pictures I take of my new home should be on something with a story like this behind it. I was greatly inspired by the work of photographer Daido Moriyama when I visited the M.E.P. in Paris and I wanted to capture this aesthetic in my photography. it wasn’t until i saw this camera that i felt like i could try this style out now. Here are a few images that will eventually appear in my "home" photo essay.
that concludes my little collection of film cameras! I hope you enjoyed, thank you for reading!