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Archives for January 2003

Archives for January 2003



January 28, 2003

Just a quickie update before I leave for my trip to the Barranca del Cobre:

Woca/Holga users with the flash-feature - listen up! Yesterday, one of the batteries used to power the flash became loose inside my camera. As there is no separate access to those batteries and they are also right up against the emulsion-side of the film, I had no choice but to forward the film to the end (so in essence forfeiting the rest of the shots on the roll) and removing it in order to fix the battery situation.

The main reason for the toil is of course (as fellow flash version users probably already know) the insane arrangement of the battery contact points. The left battery side works ok, with the plus and minus points connecting properly to the coiled spring on the bottom and metal duhdahd on the top. But on the right side, you have to flip the battery upside down to get the flash to work - in essence akwardly connecting the smaller plus side with the coiled spring. I should have known that this was a recipe for trouble.

The solution I found is actually pretty darn simple (yet also too obvious as to have entered my brain in the "forethought" rather than the "afterthought" department): Simply affix the loose battery (or in my case, both batteries for good measure) lengthwise with a two-inch piece of gaffer's tape - and check to make sure that the battery is in its proper place and tied down right by vigorously shaking the camera (of course all within reason, folks) and flipping the flash-power-up button before you load another roll of film. If you hear the tell-tale whine of the "1960s sci-fi movie sound effect", you're in business.

OR: kick out the batteries altogether, and forget about the flash feature - which is what my instinct tells me I might end up doing anyway.

Also - a quick nod of appreciation in the general direction of Chicago and Toronto for the kind words of Jackie Huba and Kerry Liles regarding my photographs. I couldn't have asked for a more encouraging nudge before my trip to photograph the Copper Canyon. Thanks, guys.



January 24, 2003

The other day I ordered a Woca from Freestyle Photographic Supplies, and to my delight, it arrived today.

Mostly spurred by a recent Washington Post article about this cheap plastic medium-format(!) camera and its even more primitive sister, the Holga, my burning curiousity about its capabilities, or lack thereof, led me to order one.

Upon first sight, it looked better than the US$ 28.99 pricetag led on. Of course I already knew that it was going to be super-light, but I was pleasantly surprised nonetheless. The plastic construction seems sturdy, and all the very simple functions were working flawlessly.

As recommended by anybody who has ever worked with a Holga/Woca, I immediately kicked out the 6x4.5 mask, turning it into a 6x6, and threw away the lens cap.

Loading the first roll of Ilford XP2 turned out to be a pain in the you-all-know-where, and I had to stick little pieces of cardboard under both the right and the left spool to keep the film tightly wound. I'm sure I'll get better at it though as time progresses and I get more comfortable with the camera's quirks.

Foolishly though, I ordered the flash version. It requires two AA batteries to operate the flash, which is not only an added thing to keep track of while travelling, but since the 6x4.5 mask seperated the chamber with the batteries from the emulsion-side of the film, I'm a bit worried now that a leaking battery or some gawd-knows-what toxic fume from the batteries will screw with the film.

Also, I decided to shot the first roll of film without any gaffer's tape around the various seams to see where and how bad the famous light leaks really are. And btw - can't find gaffer's tape anywhere? Filmtools.com has it. They're not cheap, but the order was here in no-time, and the tape is definitely the right stuff for taping up the camera. I can't imagine having to do it with messy electrical tape.

I shall report on my experience with the Woca and more after I return from my trip to Mexico's Copper Canyon around the 11th of next month.



January 26, 2003

I uploaded a few more pictures to the Baja Gallery and the Sonoma County Gallery:

Blowfish, forced by a wave head-first into the sand, Palm Beach, Todos Santos

Punta Lobos Beach with Pelicans, Todos Santos

Tree with purple sky

Enjoy!



January 23, 2003

My new photo gallery is up!

This time the theme is "graffiti" - an artform I've long admired and have found to be quite prolific in my hometown of Basle, Switzerland.