Getting Back Into The Groove

A less talked about 6x7 Film Camera, Printing, and a YouTube update...

Hey everyone, hope you’re doing well.

Last week was a busy one for me as I dove back into the process of making some videos for the channel (and also planning a few other things). I can't wait to share them with you. They'll likely be up next month.

It’s been refreshing to take a break and slow things down a bit, and as a result, I’ve found the process way more enjoyable. Which is exactly what I was hoping for.

Being able to step back and reevaluate how I want to do things has led to new ideas and (what I’m hoping is) a solid plan for moving forward to keep things consistent and the energy up.

This time, the difference for YouTube will be building up a backlog of videos to avoid periods where I’m scrambling for ideas. Also, I want to scale back the amount I make overall. The plan right now is for a video every two weeks.

Another important thing moving forward is acting on ideas rather than overthinking them.

Embrace anything that interests me or could help people, and don’t obsess over its performance. This is important not just for something like YouTube but for the creative process in general.

There’s a time to plan and then a time to act.

What’s important is that you don’t get stuck in the cycle where you’re keeping yourself busy ‘getting ready’ and, as a result, never actually do the thing.

Professional Photo Printing On A Budget

One of the videos I worked on last week is about getting set back up with a way to print my work at home. I had previously done this for a long time, but I started outsourcing to labs a few years back after focusing less on print sales.

I have missed it, though, and recently decided I wanted to start printing at home again.

The only thing was, I didn’t want to spend £600+ on a brand-new printer. So, my goal was to find something on the used market and give it a second life.

I ended up with a very nice Canon Pro-10s printer. It needed some new ink, but otherwise, it worked flawlessly and cost less than half the price of a new setup.

The video I’m working on shares this experience, including advice on different models, risks, and things to consider when buying used. I hope it inspires some people to start printing at home. There’s nothing like a print to complete the image-making process.

The Bronica GS-1

I also spent some time last week getting to know and testing a new camera—the Bronica GS-1—which I’ve been curious about for a while.

Recently, I’ve been shooting my 6x7 work with a Mamiya 7, which has been amazing. However, I’m borrowing the camera from a friend, and as much as I love it, it’s more than I’d want to spend on a camera system right now.

I haven’t owned a dedicated 6x7 camera for some time now, and the Bronica seemed like a nice, affordable option.

I was also intrigued by its slightly smaller size and weight compared to the Pentax 6x7 or Mamiya RB67.

It arrived a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve been really impressed with it. Its build quality feels much more ‘premium’ than expected. My only experience with Bronica cameras in the past was an ETRSi, which felt a bit ‘clunky’.

Stripped down, without the handle, and with a WLF, it’s incredibly compact.

This package came with a Zenzanon PG 80mm f3.5 lens, which is the rarest lens for the system and the last one they released. It’s one of my favourite focal lengths for 6x7, so I was excited to get my hands on one. Unfortunately, it does have a bit of haze on the rear elements, so it’ll be sent off to be cleaned.

I’ve only shot one roll of film so far, purely to test the camera and check the impact of the haze, but I will say that the lens performed very well—it’s incredibly sharp! I’m excited to see how the others perform. I have the 65mm on order right now.

A test image & full-size crop

Breaks Are Important

As mentioned, it’s been nice to get back into a groove with things, and I’ve been having more fun making videos (and just with photography in general) than I have in a long time.

A big reminder from this past week, and something I need to tell myself often, is that things like creative burnout, a lack of ideas, frustration, or lack of interest are often signals that we need to take some time off—even a couple of days—to focus on something else and recharge.

Creative breaks are something that I need to make happen often, ideally before I run into a wall. They almost always solve whatever problem or issue I have, and I get back to things with a huge amount of enthusiasm.

I try to remind myself that it can’t be all output. There needs to be an equal amount of input as well. If the tank runs dry, you stop moving, and no matter how hard you try to push forward, you aren’t going anywhere without more fuel.

Lesson learned again (and again, and again, and again…)!

I have some exciting things on the go that I’ll discuss in more detail in upcoming issues. This break has finally opened up time to plan out some workshops. I have two ready to go; I'm just working on locking down locations, and then I’ll be announcing them.

That’s it for now. As always, thanks for taking the time to read this, and I’ll catch up with you soon!