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Previously captured on film: Analog (Film) Photography - Film Pinhole Photography - Winter Jinx - Seaside Pinhole Photography - Theatre District at Sunrise, Buffalo, NY - On Main Street, Buffalo, NY - On the Road around Buffalo - Lake Erie Lakeshore on Pinhole - Erie Basin Marina on Pinhole - From Ohio Street - As the Names Change - Buffalo Classic on Classic Medium - One More White while Appropriate - More Winter in Hamburg, NY - Palace in Winter - A Shed - The Chimney - Road Trip 2018 in a Page - Road Trip 2018: The First Few Darkroom Prints - First Roll of Infrared Film - Road Trip 2018: A New Darkroom Print - Analog Colors - Cheap Shots of Sunny 16

Pionýr CameraCheap Shots Challenge One way I learn more about analog photography is listening to podcasts. One such podcast full of learning opportunities and entertainment is the Sunny 16 Podcast. Just about every two months they run a "Cheap Shots" challenge with a set theme. The premise behind the challenge is taking photographs with cheap cameras. The very loose limit is about 20 pounds (yes, the hosts are from the UK).

I decided to extend that concept of cheap to taking pictures with a truly crappy camera. Solely for that purpose, I bought one such camera on my most recent trip to the Czech Republic. I was hoping that would not only get me a cheap and very crappy camera but also a unique one.

I splurged 150 Czech Crowns for it, or $6.50. Add 65 Czech Crowns, or $2.85, for a roll of 120 Fomapan, and my Cheap Shots investment stood at about $9.50. The camera features a single shutter speed, which is somewhere between 1/30 sec and 1/100 sec, and two aperture options, possibly f/11 and f/16. There is no focusing. The viewfinder shows about 25% of the center portion of the image, probably less.

Needless to say, a camera like this requires a different mindset when taking pictures. It's far from exact science, careful light metering, and other carefully learned skills and habits. It's all guesswork. That however makes for some wonderful freedom once you get over the complete lack of control. You can just focus on expressing yourself with the subject matter.

So what did I decide to shoot for the challenge? The two photos I selected from the roll of 12 pictures in the end were not what I had originally in mind. Since this was only my second roll of film through this camera it took me a while to realize what was and what was not realistic. That drove a change in my intentions as I got about half way through the roll. Here are the pictures:

SolitudeCheap Shots Challenge: A Double Exposure

Solitude - Cheap Shots Challenge: A Double Exposure

Nature's ChaosCheap Shots Challenge: Black & white color

Nature's Chaos - Cheap Shots Challenge: Black & White Color

The second photo really surprised me with how sharp it came out. And that played nicely into my intentions of depicting the wild roadside chaos. Originally, colors were what prompted me to stop the car. The various plants were illuminated by a low sun and the variety of warm colors was almost endless. It was as if a painter painted the ditch. And that is what gave me the idea. If it already felt chaotic even with colors, how would it all look with the colors removed?

Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy

Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more black and white photographs? Visit my World without Color photo collection or the Timeless Buffalo site, which is dedicated to black and white photography (digital, film, and pinhole). Please, let me know if you have any questions about any photo products offered, or not offered, I will be happy to help! For a quick reference to all photo galleries and collections as well as all photo products currently offered through my site, please, visit the Products page.

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