heqm Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>As I noted in a post some months ago, my <a href="/classic-cameras-forum/00dEgD?start=10">Brownie Hawkeye Flash</a> is the camera I take out in the snow. It's sturdy plastic, mostly, so it doesn't hurt if it gets a bit wet; there are no batteries to wimp out in the cold; and no light meter to make white snow into a medium gray. So the Brownie went out to play in the snow we had here (Washington DC area) in January.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heqm Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>It doesn't show when the pictures are on social media or most web pages, but blown up to do dust-spotting I can see some camera shake on a lot of them. The camera is lightweight and the shutter is slow, so even being careful you get some movement.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heqm Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>The next picture is a brutal thing to do to a Brownie: uncoated lens, one shutter speed and one aperture, shooting into the sun.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heqm Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>The above pictures were on FP4+. I shifted to Pan-F for the following ones, not for finer grain (which wouldn't be useful, given the limits of the lens) but for slower speed on a bright day.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heqm Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>The next one may be the most successful one of the day, taking advantage of the best focus of the Hawkeye.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heqm Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>The Jones Point lighthouse used to guide ships coming up the river, when Alexandria was a seaport (not all that long ago). It's part of a park now, often used by wedding and family photographers for a backdrop. </p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heqm Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>Snow shoes or skis would have been useful.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heqm Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>Sorry for the duplicate picture--here's the one I wanted.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heqm Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>Here's the path to get to the lighthouse.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heqm Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>That's the legendary Washington Beltway in the distance. Jones Point is outside the Beltway, so the normal laws of physics apply there. And last, the required picture of the camera itself.</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heqm Posted March 5, 2016 Author Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>Enjoy. I trust those of you in the Northern Hemisphere are now ready for Spring!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Vongries Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>Alan - Very nice workout for a memorable old camera. Had one, age 7 or 8. Still have a few negatives and drugstore prints. I seem to recall that the body on mine was dark brown. Thanks for sharing!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two23 Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>The Brownie Hawkeye was the first camera I bought when I got into classic cameras. It's sitting on a shelf next to me, with its detachable flash. I've had a lot of fun with it.</p> <p>Kent in SD</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Gammill Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Nice work and great snow coverage. I have one of these somewhere but the lens is very cloudy. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_drawbridge Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>Well, who would have expected such fine results from an old Hawkeye? Great work with an iconic old camera, <strong>Alan</strong>; considering the challenges of photography in the snow, I think your images are remarkable. Thanks for an eye-opener of a post!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glen_h Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>When I was younger, a friend had one. I had a 620 spool and backing paper, so used to use it as a play camera, pretending to take pictures.</p> <p>A few years ago, I bought two (for $10) from a goodwill auction, and sent one to the friend. She had almost forgotten about it. I believe it will take a 120 roll, as long as the take-up is 620. Saves the work of respooling, though I now have some VP620.</p> <p>I sent her a roll of TMY, which probably isn't the best choice for sunny days, but maybe not bad for cloudy days.</p> -- glen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig_shearman1 Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Proof that it's the photographer not the camera that makes a picture. Great work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Gammill Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>While users of the Brownie back in the day could count on the latitude of thick emulsion Verichrome film, today you could use an ISO 100 or even 400 and keep several strengths of neutral density filter handy for best daylight exposures. When I get around to exercising my Kodak Duoflex that's the approach I will take. </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomas_k. Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>Not a single selfie...?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_lockerbie Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>What wonderful pics, and of something that I can only imagine in the 30 degree Celsius heat over here! I'm really loving the tones that you have from a simple camera, and also impressed by your resilience!<br> Fine post, and just shows that you don't need sophisticated gear to turn in fine pics...the Brownie does look cool though.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Z Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>Alan, nice camerawork. I would not have expected such good results with the sun glaring off snow in several of the shots. There is some glare lightening the shadows that are near the snow, but that's expected. I too have noticed camera shake with the Brownie - it's hard to hold steady when the tension on the shutter button is released. I've had to press the camera down onto a tripod in order to keep it still.<br> <br />Glen and Mike, I shot TMX with my Brownie on a sunny day and thought that the negs were a bit thin. I'm going to try TMY next. Even overexposed a couple of stops, it should work.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_shriver Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>As Mike noted, it's a shame you can't load it with Verichrome Pan. But, TMY pulled a little might be good in terms of dynamic range.<br> Wonderful pictures. I grew up in that neck of the woods, that's a <em>lot</em> of snow for down there!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald_miller5 Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 <p>Remember their Christmas ads and packaging "open me first"/</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vernon_jenewein Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 My Mom took pictures of me growing up as a small child in the 50s and 60s. She would send the roll off to Scruttland (sp) photo, which I believe was either in Illinois or Wisconsin. A few weeks later she would get her pictures and negatives along with a fresh roll of film. She would keep that roll and load it when she got done with the other one that was now loaded in the camera. She did not have a lot of money, and the Brownie allowed her to make a album of me. Had it not been for her and her Kodak Hawkeye Brownie, there would probably never be any pictures of me at a young age. You did a FANTASTIC job with the camera, subject matter and composure. Truthfully, I don't think it would have had the impact in color as it did in these B&W photos. Never thought about the Brownie not being fooled by the snow. I know many camera wants to average the light to make a "perfect" exposure, which with that much snow will generally turn out "gray" snow. Besides any camera shake (I have not delved into looking into that, I know that the Hawkeye had a fixed focus lens. It is the "eye" not the camera that make the "picture". Ansel Adams could have used the same thing and gotten similar results. Great Job!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heqm Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 <p>Thanks, everyone, for the complements! Though I'm not at all sure I'd like to go head-to-head with Ansel Adams, even with a Brownie.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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