The Plastic Lens ~ Words » Video http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog Talking Photography, Plastic Cameras & Stuff Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:27:09 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Dinosaurs of the Film Age http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2011/dinosaurs-of-the-film-age/ http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2011/dinosaurs-of-the-film-age/#comments Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:22:49 +0000 Cameron http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/?p=1213 I saw an article today which I found interesting, hope you do too: Photo Enlargers Loom Like Dinosaurs of the Film Age

If you want to cut to the chase and see the project that prompted the piece of journalism in Wired however, go here!

edit: Since posting this I have found a video featuring Richard Nicholson (the chap who started this project) and one of his darkroom subject’s operators Roy Snell…

]]> http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2011/dinosaurs-of-the-film-age/feed/ 0 BBF under the ‘Big Sticks’ http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/bbf-under-the-big-sticks/ http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/bbf-under-the-big-sticks/#comments Tue, 28 Dec 2010 02:08:14 +0000 Cameron http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/?p=1199

It is completely inexcusable of course, but I haven’t had a chance to do anything much except fulfil work & family responsibilities lately, so my apologies for any lack of content here. I hope everyone has had a very safe & happy festive season and wish you all a incredible New Year!
Here is a small edited snippet of some 8mm film I shot for Powershovel/Superheadz featuring my favourite plastic Twin Lens Reflex Camera, the blackbird,fly – http://www.superheadz.com/bbf
Thanks to my nephew who filmed most of this clip (on a Fujica ‘Single-8′ P2) whilst I wandered around with my bbf. Many, many thanks to Nick and all at Powershovel/Superheadz.
I have edited the footage in iMovie ’09 the backing music is ‘comfortable mystery’ by Kevin MacLeod – http://incompetech.com

]]> http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/bbf-under-the-big-sticks/feed/ 0 T-Tab Unboxing http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/t-tab-unboxing/ http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/t-tab-unboxing/#comments Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:41:45 +0000 Cameron http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/?p=1175 Last week Telstra provided me with a T-Touch Tablet to review. I shot a quick video unboxing the pack before I got down to using it (as ‘unboxing’ videos seem to be popular) I’ve only just had time to upload it as I’ve been a bit busy (in between playing with the T-Touch Tab) A fuller review if this 7″ Tablet will be along shortly, but I can let you know so far I’ve listened to music, drawn pictures, browsed the web, downloaded apps from the android ‘market’, watched videos, listened to podcasts, played games and taken photos and videos with it!

The backing music is ‘April Elsewhere’ by THE ORCHESTRAL MOVEMENT OF 1932 found on opsound.

]]> http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/t-tab-unboxing/feed/ 2 The Kitchen Darkroom http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/the-kitchen-darkroom/ http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/the-kitchen-darkroom/#comments Fri, 13 Aug 2010 23:20:55 +0000 Cameron http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/?p=1170 One Saturday a group of friends with a common passion for analogue photography got together to convert Paul’s kitchen into a darkroom for the afternoon for the purposes of making some traditional photographic ‘wet’ prints. Those of us not experienced in this art (Lea, Sophie & I) watched & learnt from our friends Paul & Jock. I captured this time-lapse of some of the process, not really expecting it to come out as well as it did.
I hope this can inspire others to delve more into the fantastic world of traditional photographic techniques.

]]> http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/the-kitchen-darkroom/feed/ 2 Mark Skorj on the Minjonju Show http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/mark-skorj-on-the-minjonju-show/ http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/mark-skorj-on-the-minjonju-show/#comments Thu, 06 May 2010 03:48:24 +0000 Cameron http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/mark-skorj-on-the-minjonju-show/ Mark Skorj is an ex-pat Australian living and working in Tokyo. I have been fortunate to know him for many years through our mutual love of toy cameras, but he is also a great Polaroid photographer. We mainly interact online from time to time but I remember one memorable day we wandered around Melbourne (with another friend Mike) taking photographs of anything that grabbed our interest (see thumbnail attached to this post of Skorj ‘rückenfigur style’ taking a shot in a Melbourne alley). Skorj’s Polaroid 600SE camera can be seen in this video interview Mijonju has made, talking about photographing people amongst other things. His gentle sense of humour is evident in the video. You can see a sample of his excellent photographs on flickr and check out the website he manages with a few other analogue photographic luminaries: Filmwasters

]]> http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/mark-skorj-on-the-minjonju-show/feed/ 0 More D.I.Y. Pinhole Fun! http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/more-d-i-y-pinhole-fun/ http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/more-d-i-y-pinhole-fun/#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:36:47 +0000 Cameron http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/?p=1084 For the 2010 World Pinhole Photography Day, I decided to make a new pinhole camera, similar to the pinhole blender cameras that merge several pinhole images onto one long exposure.
In 2007 at the Daylesford Foto Biennale, I first saw some amazing pinhole images taken by an Australian photographer Steph Tout – Steph Tout Photography
Again in 2009, this time at the Ballarat International Foto Biennale, I saw more of her work and was inspired again. Her beautiful images are all captured on a home made pinhole camera, similar to the one I have constructed here. Since 2007 I had plans to make a similar camera to the one Steph Tout had, but it has taken until this year to finally get around to it. Mine is my first try and I am still ironing out some issues. note: the name ‘pinhole blender’ belongs to the excellent commercial products you can buy here: pinholeblender.com

*time-lapse captured on my iPhone
*music by Orb Gettarr – Orb Gettar at OPSOUND

]]> http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2010/more-d-i-y-pinhole-fun/feed/ 2 Scanning For Sprockets [Revisited] http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2009/scanning-for-sprockets-revisited/ http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2009/scanning-for-sprockets-revisited/#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:16:14 +0000 Cameron http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/?p=1007 A while back I tried to explain how to get sprockets holes from your toy camera negatives scanned to a digital file correctly. My text and images where not entirely the best method to explain it so now finally I have produced a long overdue tutorial on how to use your scanner software to scan in 35mm negative film to include the sprocket holes. This is relevant when you are using toy cameras like the blackbird,fly or have a Holga or Diana modified to take 35mm film (or if you have a 35mm back to fit these cameras) for example.
I’m using a Canoscan 8400f to scan my negatives, but hopefully there will be some common points of reference if you are using a different scanner and/or different software. *note: You may be able to see what I’m doing better by going to the full screen view.

]]> http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2009/scanning-for-sprockets-revisited/feed/ 5 Unsensored [Coda] & Upcoming Events http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2009/unsensored-coda-upcoming-events/ http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2009/unsensored-coda-upcoming-events/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:23:40 +0000 Cameron http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/?p=979 bifb09logo_2It’s been a busy year and it’s not over yet. Coming up in September is something I’ve been looking forward to for oh, 2 years now, since the last one! The Ballarat International Foto Biennale is about to kick off and anyone who is even vaguely interested in Photography would find more than enough to entertain and enlighten them in the month of September in the beautiful country Victorian town of Ballarat and it’s surroundings. Comprising 20 Core exhibitions, 60 Fringe shows, workshops, seminars, portfolio reviews, affiliate events, artist floor talks, camera market, special events…and much more it should be a fantastic start to Spring!
Then if that wasn’t enough, before we know it the next World Toy Camera Day will be upon us! That’s right, not long now, October 17, 2009 to be precise. There are other very funky thangs like HolgaPalooza happening at the moment, but perhaps I’ll get a chance to talk about that in my next post.

Finally I’ll leave you with a short movie filmed on the digital harinezumi. Wrapping up the last day of the Unsensored 09 exhibition at the Collingwood Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria on 19th August 2009. Covering the work of 43 artists using film in their photographic expression. Thanks to the committee and all who participated, exhibited, helped and attended. It was great!
Music: tiny beats by twoth – Lost films vol. 1 Powershovel Audio Allstars – www.powershovelaudio.com

]]> http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2009/unsensored-coda-upcoming-events/feed/ 0 Melbourne in Winter http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2009/melbourne-in-winter/ http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2009/melbourne-in-winter/#comments Sat, 13 Jun 2009 13:25:41 +0000 Cameron http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/?p=963 This post is not about photography or toy cameras per se, but about Melbourne at night this Winter. I went to the excellent Dali – Liquid Desires exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria late night and afterwards wandered around with my BBF attached to a tripod, shutter set on “B” for some night exposures. In Federation Square they had this great installation set up called VOLUME. It’s an audio visual installation made up of LED embedded pillars which respond with light and audio to people walking around them. It’s absolutely facinating and has to be experienced to truly appreciate it. This short video captures some of the ambience of thi audio-visual installation, which currently at Federation Square in Melbourne as part of The Light in Winter 2009 events. Some of the video is captured with the Digital Harinezumi by Superheadz and some on a more conventional Kodak M1093S camera. All audio is actual sound from the installation (and ambient surrounding noise)

VOLUME from artpunk on Vimeo.

]]> http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2009/melbourne-in-winter/feed/ 0 Harinezumi! http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2009/harinezumi/ http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/2009/harinezumi/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:44:08 +0000 Cameron http://www.theplasticlens.com/blog/?p=907
harinezumi ambulance - a frame grab from the digital harinezumi movie

harinezumi ambulance -a frame grab from the digital harinezumi movie


OK, here are my first takes with the super cool & groovy Digital Harinezumi from Superheadz in Japan, the footage here was captured in very poor light conditions, mainly due to:
1. The first shots being shot at night in subdued lighting (as I was on night shift at the time) &
2. the rest of the shots being taken in very overcast conditions (which have been present since I got the camera)
Despite these factors, I am very pleased with the results so far. I really can’t wait to take this camera out in the sunshine to see more of what it can do.
Post production was in iMovie ’09 and most of the video footage is ‘as is’ the only filter is put on a 2 second segment at the ‘Ambulance Only’ doors where it goes B&W and static-like – some footage has been reversed, but that is about all as far as post production trickery goes…
The great backing music is ‘post’ by oco, from the ‘Lost Films’ compilation from www.powershovelaudio.com
I truly think that in this camera, Superheadz have created the first true digital ‘toy camera’ but also one that takes movies a well! A fantastic analogue-digital hybrid concept!


HARINEZUMI! from artpunk on Vimeo.

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