Leica M6 | Voigtlander 35mm f/2.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400

Leica M6 | Voigtlander 35mm f/2.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400

Leica M6 | Voigtlander 35mm f/2.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400

Street portraiture, takes balls. Street photography is already risky enough, without interfering with the natural order of things. I’m comfortable just observing. But for me this isn’t about being comfortable. Thus the reason, I started dabbling in film again. I grew to comfortable relying on the digital crutch. For the record, I love that crutch. It’s about stretching myself, getting out of my comfort zone learning something new while honing technique. When you cross that line, and assert yourself to approach a complete stranger and ask to take their photo who the hell knows what’s going to happen. It’s that very thing, the fear of the unknown, rejection, acceptance…perhaps a decent portrait. All they can really do is say no, or take your camera and beat you in the face with it.

Hasselblad 503cx | Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm F/2.8 | Kodak Portra 400

The Hasselblad is a perfect tool for portraiture and I hoped to do it justice during the Chinese New Year festivities in Seattle.  Here’s my first shot, I took a deep breath and approached this young lady and asked for a portrait. She seemed friendly enough, she’s holding a puppy after all.  Told her I was shooting film and it would take just a moment (buying time) as I took a light reading. She gladly obliged, and the sweet thud of the Hasselblad shutter released my nervous energy and we parted ways. What seemed like forever, only took seconds. More street portraits to come.

Shout out to my photographer friends who have given me some inspiration, they have big balls.

We Are All Strangers by Greg S.

100 Strangers Project by Jim D.

Portraits of Strangers by Yonas H.

ENTER

THE

DRAGON

Leica M6 | Voigtlander 35mm f/2.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400

I’ve always admired medium format film photography but I’ve never given a spool of 120 a go. Well all that changed late last year when I acquired a Hasselblad 503cx, a Christmas/birthday gift to myself.  I’ve recently fallen back in love with film. Am I a film shooter exclusively now? Certainly not. There’s room for both mediums — digital and analogue for every photographer if they choose. I won’t bore you debating the two. There are plenty of photoblogs out there should you be jonesin’ for such. I do find it pretty cool the resurgence of analogue photography. Whether it’s the skinny jeans crew with Polaroids, old heads with Leica’s, or the teenager discovering his father’s Canon AE-1 it’s all analogue love to me. I just want to fire off as many rolls as I can before the photo labs close shop and the cost of shooting film is no longer affordable. Man, I’m getting all sad and shit just thinking about it, ha. Anyway, here are some of the first frames I burned on my Hassey using Kodak Portra 400. I can’t wait to make street portraits with my new toy, if only the Seattle weather would cooperate.  Stay shootin’ folk.

More photos after the jump.

Leica M6 | Voigtlander 35mm f/2.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400

Leica M6 | Voigtlander 35mm f/2.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400

Leica M6 | Voigtlander 35mm f/2.5 | Kodak Tri-X 400