For the past few years I’ve enjoyed making a series of portraits at Liverpool Pride. This year was no exception, even with the rain. I was equipped with a newly purchased Hasselblad 500cm and set to work. Due to the rain I shot 4 on my Fuji X100s as I was a bit over-protective of the Hasselblad, which when you think about it is silly. The Hasselblad has no electronics whereas the X100s is filled with them. Anyway. It was good fun and great to chat with people.
The X100 photos are the last 4. The rest are Hasselblad. There’s a bit of a light leak issue but I’ve got a kit on its way from Italy to correct that. Only about £6 and its an easy fix. Even at f/4 the depth of field is crazy. I thought these were all in focus but it seems that medium format is very unforgiving. You absolutely have to nail the focus, even at f/4. Tricky when the viewfinder is reversed so your natural instincts to correct the composition are the wrong way around. I was saying to my wife this morning that I think the blad is now my favourite camera. It just feels so mechanical. It’s a joy to use. The viewfinder is exceptional and the photos are very very nice. There’s an acceptance of film. Digital I always try and perfect in post. Film I try and perfect at the scene because when I see the print/scan thats the photo. With digital I’m always adjusting shadows, highlights, whites, blacks, clarity, exposure, white balance, etc in Lightroom. I love this camera and can’t wait to use it more. Anyway, less nerd talk more photos.
