Putting Low Tech Back Into the Love Story

By The Inside Source
February 11, 2010

“Even in dark

no artificial light

see what comes out

something might”

-Linda McCartney, Light from Within, Photojournals

Sure, the world of digital photography makes taking pictures easy for amateurs and professionals alike, but the romance of holding a real camera (not my phone) has begun to appeal to me. I want to take an honest-to-goodness photo. With a camera. There's something about the manual control that makes me feel so much more connected to the pictures and the memories they capture.

Husband and wife Chris and Alice Ross loved taking pictures. But their habit turned into something else when at their wedding when, on a whim, Chris handed his uncle a vintage super 8 and asked him to record the ceremony. The results of this after-thought were so moving, Alice and Chris began to film friends’ weddings and events using the same low-tech technique. Eventually, they started their own event photography business, alice + chris photography.

"Whenever we meet with prospective wedding clients, the Super 8 photography is what really opens their eyes... No interviews or long speeches ... Just beautiful blips from their special day artistically pieced together with the soundtrack of their choice (or sometimes ours)," explains Chris. (See an example from a recent wedding here.) "The colors, brightness and saturation are so different from anything you get with digital—like a Polaroid flip-book ... Sometimes people don’t want super-sharp images where they can see all their pores. With an old camera, we capture something simple, beautiful, and elegant. People don‘t realize how accessible this kind of documentation is.”

eBay is a brilliant resource for the image addict. Not only are there tons of cameras old and new, but you can also find manuals, cases, tripods, equipment and film. As far as vintage cameras go, there is a wistful, nostalgic feel to these camera "relics," whether you are working with toy cameras or something more serious. “It’s all about that feel, like the feel of an old car,” explains Alice. “We are currently experimenting with vintage still cameras [in addition to movie cameras]. It’s so much fun.”

If you want to capture the nostalgic feel of moments that will soon be memories, give it a try; but if you can’t be bothered, a battered collection of antique photography equipment will look amazing on your bookshelves nonetheless.

Vintage Cameras on eBay

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Beaulieu 4008 ZM2 Refurbished Camera (buy it now price, $680)
The Beaulieu 4008 Super 8 it's pretty much the Holy Grail of vintage Super 8 cameras," Chris says. Legend has it that NASA was behind the creation of its amazing lens.
Vintage Instant Polaroid 420 Pack Film Land Camera (buy it now price, $55.99)
The bulk of artist Robert Mapplethorp's photographic work was done with a land camera. Go out on a limb and create your own works of art.
New Minox Agent M DSC Digital Spy Camera (buy it now price, $199)
This tiny, modern day 35mm camera makes it easy to be your own secret agent and capture pictures on the sly. Now in digital.
Vintage First Bakelite Russian Lomo Camera (buy it now price, $15)
For the collector, this Russian veteran, known as the â??poor man's Leica, is super rare and super handsome. BTW, it gives gorgeous saturation and contrast.
Vintage Canon Super 8 Auto Zoom 518 (buy it now price, $99)
A budding cinematographer can't go wrong by starting out with this super 8 kit. "These cameras have never let us down," says Chris. "Research before making a purchase as there are specific things to look out for when buying used equipment (especially when what you're buying involves motors and exposure).
Rolleiflex Rolleimagic 11 6x6 TLR Camera (buy it now price, $538.20)
For the enthusiast, beginner or seasoned, the classic Rollei delivers that picture taking satisfaction mechanical wind mechanism, superior optics, high quality lens.
Elec Shutter Brass Lens 8x10 Field Camera Large Format (buy it now price, $99)
Feel like Ansel Adams capturing a desert landscape with this large format Polaroid camera. If the light holds and the subject can keep still long enough, the 8x10 field camera will deliver an amazing portrait.
Olympus Pen Zuiko 32MM F/1.9 Lens Half Frame (buy it now price, $174.95)
A 35mm that takes half-frame shots. Wow.