Cameras in fancy dress

[terse]

This is the start of a series, all shot with an iPhone 5s while I try to learn something about photographing single objects.

The background: Around 2009, I started shooting pictures again (after doing nothing since some desultory shooting in college), using some old 35mm rangefinders that I got very cheap. I like rangefinders, and while I had to do some tinkering to get some tuned up and working, it was fun. But these cameras were aging, and often the grips were cracked, torn, or peeling off. So I started recovering the ones that needed it.

One of my early attempts was this Yashica Lynx-1000 fixed lens rangefinder with a selenium light meter (no batteries!). The new covering came from a thrift store purse. It's a bit rough at the edges, but I guarantee that no one notices what you're shooting--they're too busy staring at the camera.

 

[wolf391]

What a great idea!! Love those old range finders, as well as the newer versions. Kurt

 

[lisamjw]

Very cool!!

 

[terse]

Next up, a Zorki-6 in red and black leather-made-to-look-like-snakeskin. The Zorki is a Soviet rangefinder, Leica screw mount style, currently with a Jupiter-8 50mm/f2 lens (Sonnar copy). It needs its trim paint attended to but works fine. (The "softie" button on the shutter release is a modern add-on.)

 

[wolf391]

Way cool Kurt

 

[Mmello]

Awesome recycling, they are really cool!

 

[terse]

A Minolta AL-s fixed lens rangefinder with a selenium light meter, recovered with pieces from a leather thrift store wallet.

 

[Lzed]

These are very neat, love the new coverings you have done!

 

[wolf391]

Do I see a book in the future? Theses are great on several levels. Kurt

 

[RoseCat]

These are just beautiful, and beautifully taken!! Can you tell us your set-up and how you created this series? Such great detail...

 

[terse]

Can you tell us your set-up and how you created this series?

So far, I've done all these in natural light, shooting from above (handheld), with several different materials for the white backdrop. The most successful backdrop so far has been a large sheet of white foam board -- the others required quite a lot of hand cleanup to remove wrinkles, shadows, etc., from the background.

Next up I'm planning to try a light tent with some artificial lights to see if that whips the background problem.

 

[RoseCat]

So far, I've done all these in natural light, shooting from above (handheld), with several different materials for the white backdrop. The most successful backdrop so far has been a large sheet of white foam board -- the others required quite a lot of hand cleanup to remove wrinkles, shadows, etc., from the background.

Next up I'm planning to try a light tent with some artificial lights to see if that whips the background problem.

They're just wonderful... and I L.O.V.E. the way you've repurposed the cameras and the materials you chose.

 

[terse]

Kiev 4a in red snakeskin, a Soviet rangefinder in the Contax style, here with a Jupiter-12 35mm f2.8 lens and Nikon variable viewfinder.

 

[Disastrous Wolf 7126]

These are amazing ..great details!
…Hipstamatic should buy your case designs ..I’d be a happy camper adding these to the case arsenal.

 

[terse]

Hipstamatic should buy your case designs

 

[RoseCat]

These are amazing ..great details!
…Hipstamatic should buy your case designs ..I’d be a happy camper adding these to the case arsenal.

Totally!