Lesson from My Fuji Fail /  by Christina Varvis

In short: use the flash, kids.

When taking photos, especially for assignments, I make mistakes all the time - some minor, some major - but I always try and learn from them, during the shoot and after the shoot. Particularly in photography, I think mistakes are absolutely necessary. Aside from allowing your skills to improve, they sometimes result in unexpected images that you love. Unfortunately, that was not the case with these photos. Although, fifty years from now, maybe I will feel differently? Maybe underexposed, grainy, barely visible scenes will be the next trend?

About this disposable experience, I have to rewind a touch. Soon after the new year hullabaloo had subsided, I met up with two awesome friends of mine - Tyler (@tylerbiard) and Carlo (@generalanesthetics) - for a very-well needed chill session. Our agenda for the day was simple: hot dogs, coffee, Fujis, and the funicular. The Fujis were specifically the Fujifilm Smile and Snap Single Use Cameras with Flash 400, which Carlo ordered from Amazon. (If you want to buy a pack of them, it's best to order them online to save money, but if you want to buy just one, then you can find them locally at London Drugs.) We used the Fujis throughout the day, but mostly towards the end when we explored the funicular. The funicular is Edmonton's newest connection to the river valley, which is definitely worth experiencing, especially once it's complete! It boasts beautiful lookout points and plenty of seating to really enjoy the surrounding views. And the best part: it is accessible to everyone.

If I were to guess, I hadn't held a disposable camera in my hands since I was in Grade 7 or 8. I remember using them so much as a kid, specifically at birthdays and the New Year's Eve parties at the Hellenic-Canadian Community Centre. (Good times, those were.) When I began shooting with this one, I loved it just as much as I did back then, and it satisfied my feelings of nostalgia.

Something that just didn't click as I was taking my photos, though, was how much I actually needed the flash! I overestimated the amount of ambient light in my scenes, especially indoors, because when I looked at my developed exposures...well, you can see for yourself above. I only triggered the flash twice, and not once while capturing those evening scenes from the funicular. (Don't ask why.) Although, by that hour, it would have been too dark for it anyway. Some frames I didn't even get back, because they were so underexposed. I still feel disappointed and embarrassed, but happy to have them - not just as a reminder to use the flash, but as token of the good times shared in every frame, (even though I can't see them...haha).

Thank you so much, Carlo, for ordering them for Tyler and I!

Playing with the Photographer's Playbook /  by Christina Varvis

I walked north with my camera for 36 minutes, because Lewis Chaplin sort of told me to.

Okay, so he didn't, but he indirectly did through this book that my brother-in-law gave to me.

The book is called The Photographer's Playbook and it features 307 "photography assignments, ideas, stories, and anecdotes from many of the world's most talented photographers and photography professionals." I have not read every single exercise or piece of advice, but from what I have seen so far, I think it makes a great resource for both students and teachers of photography. Browsing the collection is useful for when you experience photographer's block or when you feel camera shy. (I know the latter phrase is used for subjects, but I think photographers can feel shy behind the camera too.) Whether I am trying to capture street scenes or portraits, I find that I fall down this hole often where I lose confidence, motivation, and engagement. I'll likely talk about it again in a future post, because it's something that I'm trying to be better at dealing with, and I'm sure many creatives out there have felt this way too.

Back to the book; there are a number of assignments in it that I'm thinking of trying once I finish school, but many of them require a bigger time commitment or more deliberation, which is why I decided to give this simple one a shot first. The assignment is contributed by Lewis Chaplin, who is an artist, publisher, and book designer based in London, England. Here are his instructions:

  1. Find the camera that you have owned the longest (your first ever, preferably). Put a roll of film in it.

  2. Tape your watch to the camera and walk out of the house.

  3. Head north.

  4. Every time the second hand of your watch reaches the top, take a photograph.

  5. Do not put the camera up to your eye.

  6. Walk for thirty-six minutes (or twenty-four). 

I undertook this assignment just yesterday actually, and I confess that I didn't quite complete it! However, I think that may have been the point of it. I walked out of my house with my Canon Rebel in hand at about 7:00 pm, and as directed, I headed north. I kept one eye on the time and the other on my surroundings, which was slightly stressful, but beneficial too. I found that the time limit encouraged me to survey ahead and premeditate many of my scenes, but at the same time, it restricted me from some that I either passed before the next minute arrived or were too far away. What took away stress, surprisingly, was not looking through the viewfinder! In an odd way, it was liberating. Plus, it once again pushed me to visualize my image before pushing the shutter. 

About halfway through, I started paying less and less attention to the time, because I was becoming too engaged with my surroundings, especially when I reached an area I had never explored before on foot. (I loved it so much, I've already planned to go back.) Before I knew it, I abandoned the exercise altogether, and it felt so rewarding. All in all, I recommend trying this exercise when you have time, because you can practice how well you focus on a task, work with a time limit, visualize an image before capture, and look ahead for approaching scenes. Lastly, you may get the chance to explore a place that's new to you, which I personally think is the biggest gift from this exercise.

I decided to share a mix of my images in the gallery: some shots I took while on the clock, and the latter are from when I did my own thing. I'm not sure if Lewis Chaplin would have wanted them edited, but I did for the sake of my OCD.

P.S.
 

The last two images are actually the same! I just rotated it, because I liked both perspectives and wanted to show the two cuties in the pizza box. If you look closely, there's even a third! Hehe. (If you don't know what I mean by cuties, look for faces! Here is an example of an old one on my personal Instagram account.)