… not exactly how I imagined it

There are all these sayings like “follow the light” or “where there is light, there is shadow.” Most of it is pretty cheesy and honestly not worth the breath. Still, I’ve got one more: “the unexpected happens often” - and that was definitely the case this time.

First, a package arrived from my colleague Sven Sindt with two cameras inside. Completely out of the blue. One of them was a Minox 35 PL. At one point, it was the smallest mass-produced 35mm camera in the world. Nice!

I took it out recently, once early in the morning and again in the evening. After the third or fourth shot, I realized I had stumbled upon a few spots where the harsh sunlight actually looked good, and my process became a bit more intentional. I tried to find more places where light and shadow were in sharp contrast. Or where the light was just … special. By the end of the day and the roll, I felt pretty good about what I’d caught.

Now, just develop, scan, and so on - done. Nope. This story wasn’t over yet.

RTFM - I didn’t do that thoroughly enough, and here’s what happened: While rewinding the film, I opened the back too early. That’s definitely not the amount of light I wanted hitting the film. Grrr. So I closed it real quick and hoped not too much was ruined.

Here’s the damage report:

• Most of the images turned out intact or usable.
• I lost about 6 frames completely.
• A few shots came out foggy.
• On some, you can see how the light ate its way in around the sprocket holes.

So much for light, shadow, and unforeseen events. (Note to self: Always watch your back.)

Best, Rob

View Searching for the light, but … (Can 018)

Notes (for those who like the details):
Camera: Minox 35 PL
Film: Ilford FP4+
Developer: Adox XT-3 (1+3)