Mar 14, 2013

Once Upon a Time in Old Heidelberg, Germany (1986)

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Shot with Hasselblad 500 EL/M + 500 C/M + Carl Zeiss lenses on Kodak film
 
 
 
 
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Mar 13, 2013

Once Upon a Time in Old Heidelberg, Germany (1981-1986)

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Looking at these photographs, don’t search for perfection.
Color film in those days, particularly slide film, could be a pain in the neck!
Kodachrome 25 and 64 were really wonderful, showing sometimes breathtaking results, but by the time you loaded your camera with Ektachrome 100 troubles began to surface.
Going beyond, or above that - say Ektachrome 400, or other film with even higher ISO/ASA -, you felt like committing suicide.
Fun, for sure, but highly unpredictable!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Scanning those old pieces of film is not a simple task: what was already bad, just gets worse, you soon begin to shiver with hallucination, your unassuming photograph may well turn out a surrealistic masterpiece…
 
Don’t understand me wrong, nothing compares to a beautiful Kodachrome reflecting back from the projection screen.
Yes, slide film was intended to be projected – not scanned -, and there it genuinely shone!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Photographs made with Leica cameras on Kodak film.
 
 
Heidelberg is a very nice town, and I am glad that I had the chance to live there.
Three of my four kids were born in this friendly place, and that is where my long-lasting love affair with Leica cameras began.
I have not cut ties with Heidelberg: my son Luís and some good friends live nearby, so I am longing to go back there.
I won’t forget to bring the Leica along!
 
 
Technical Data:
Cameras - Leica M (M2 + M4 + M4-2 + M5)
Lenses - various Leitz/Leica, some with Visoflex III
Films - Kodak Kodachrome + Kodak Ektachrome
Date - between 1981 and 1986
Location - Heidelberg, Germany
Scanner - Epson 4990
 
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