So being the photography nerd that I am, I bought two old vintage cameras…
The first one I bought was a No. 1A Autographic Kodak Jr. These were produced between 1914-1927 for the high-end price of $21.00. The body is made of wood with leather covering and leather bellows that fold out. The condition of this camera is amazing and all the part still work. I also was fortunate enough to find a copy of the original instruction manual so I have been learning how to use it.
Dialing in all the manual setting and hearing that “click” of the shutter is an amazing experience for a camera this old. I can’t imagine what images have past through its bellows over the last 90 years. My goal is to take at least one picture with it and develop the film myself. I spent a few years in college studying black and white film photography and working in a dark room so we will see if it works… Below is a picture I took of the camera. It was shipped inside its leather case (shown on the right). I set it up and extended the bellows for the picture.
The second one I bought was a Kodak No. 2A Brownie. These were produced between 1907 and 1924 and were sold as a low-end camera for a price of $3.00. The irony in this is that I found this little gem on ebay and my winning bid was… if you can believe it… $3.00. I guess I should take solace in the idea that they have not lost their value over the years. I felt bad when I received it in the mail because I noticed the postage was $6.50, so someone lost money selling it to me.
The camera is a box style body and is made of heavy card stock covered in leather. And to add to the nostolgia, it smells heavily of dust and cigars, a point that I only think adds to its personality. This camera is much more simple than the 1A, and again, my goal is to take at least one picture with it. If I can get it to work I will post pictures. Below is a picture I took of the camera once I got it.
What do I know about photographing models? Simply put… Nothing. An old friend of mine is an aspiring model and wanted some shots done to send out to potential agencies. I told her I’d help out and we met at the beach for about 30 minutes to see what we can do. In true San Diego fashion, it was a beautiful warm night with a beautiful sunset. The beach we went to was just down the street from my house. I spent most of the time trying to work around the bright light when I decided to embrace it instead and we started shooting some really neat backlit photography.
At one point, some tourists came over and asked if they could take their picture with the “models”. With 3 helpers, a big diffuser and me barking orders I guess we must have looked pretty legitimate.
A coworker of my roommates contacted me about doing a family portrait shoot. His wife has just given birth and they wanted some (dare I say) professional pictures to remember the event.
On the day of the shoot, the baby was only 12 days old! Eyes could barely open, unsure of the world, but completely at peace. I brought Bobby (my brother) along as a second shooter/ assistant. He did a great job and took many of the best shots of the day, including the first one you see here. We played around with lighting and backdrops in the house before moving outside for some family shots.
I love this next picture. They have a two-year old son who is just amazing and loved the camera. In this shot he is giving me his “and let me tell you another thing” speech.
So just to set the scene, in college I lived in an apartment with my buddy Zach. Living next to us were two girls by the name of Jenny and Chandra. We all became good friends and spent the year making dinners, watching movies, etc. Jenny met my friend Nate and they got married and are now in the process of popping out babies (good job Nate). Chandra got married to a great guy named Chris and also started popping out babies (good job Chris). Last year, I did a pregnancy shoot with Chandra and her husband when she was 8 months pregnant. It was a lot of fun and having pictures ended up being a great gift for Chris who was deployed before the baby was born.
Fast-forward over a year and what used to be a big bump is now a 12 month-old baby with beautiful eyes who is not shy of the camera. We did a little photo-shoot to celebrate her first of existence. Check them out.
This shot took a few tried before we got it right but the kid didn’t seem to mind. I just love this moment with the tongue sticking out. I wonder if I was so fearless at 1-year.
I love this next picture. I’m sure it is not one that Chandra will want to keep but the expression is priceless. I call this the “Aren’t you done taking pictures of me yet” look. Looks funny now, but when she’s an adult she’ll love it.
This last picture has Chandra calling me in tears to thank me. That is by far the best compliment you can give a photographer and I am very proud to have been a part of it. Thanks Chandra, don’t forget to call me when she’s 2.
The following pictures are from an engagement shoot I did for my friends Sarah and Sean. Sarah used to work with Nikole at the Navy training dolphins so I’ve known them for years. (dolphin huggers). When they got engaged, I was very honored and flattered that they wanted me to shoot their wedding.
The plan for the engagement shoot was to bum around Balboa Park for an hour and then drive down to Sunset Cliffs to catch the sunset. We got very lucky by having perfect weather. Did I mention I love San Diego.
The day was so much fun, we goofed around, talked about old times, and apparently took a few pictures too. Thanks guys, I can’t wait to shoot the wedding.
icon. If you have a password (friends and family only), you also have the option to download full picture albums in high-resolution (ooo, fancy). If you want to see some pictures from my wedding photography business, please click on the "JYP Website" link above.
by Jeremy
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