My dad has given me his dad's old camera, a Retina IIIS. My granddad bought it in the 40s. It's a beautiful old camera. It is in such good condition. My favourite bit is the light measurer - the Sixtomat, a lovely Bakelite thing that comes with its own little retractable brush and gold chain. I am in love with this camera.
In my usual do before you think approach, I stuck a film in the camera immediately and started snapping away. Except for I have no idea how cameras actually work. Digital? Yes. Manual? Nope.
So I studied the manual that my granddad luckily kept in pristine condition inside the camera's leather bag.
And now I know how to set shutter speed, aperture, ISO sensitivity, and which lens to choose. And I understand how photography actually works. I'm pretty sure that my own kids, once they are my age, won't know anything about photography. They will just snap digitally.
I think I am in fact a little bit in love with manual photography now that I understand how it works.
I snapped around the house, finished the film, manually wound it back into its little capsule and now it's being developed across the road.
Can't wait to see the pictures! I will show you!
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