Few photographs of a woman are as intimate as those made in her own bedroom. The very fact that such a level of trust has been established creates a relationship between artist and subject that allows the capture of images that transcend the voyeuristic; photographs that celebrate feminine sensuality and sexuality, rather than simply exploit it. Sensitive eroticism needn’t be an oxymoron.
If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then a lady’s boudoir is surely the antechamber.
I got my M3 back from Youxin Ye this morning. It was in for a shutter capping issue and he adjusted shutter speeds, shutter brake settings and curtain travel. Really great service too; only a week, including shipping time! Running a test roll through it soon.
**Edit** – ran a test film through the M3 this afternoon (01.27.12) and all signs of the shutter capping are gone. Even density right across the entire frame with no sign of the underexposed strip that was there before. Well chuffed!
Months ago, I posted about the new-to-me Rollei 35 that I’d got bundled with a bunch of other cameras I bought. I said that I was going to shoot with it and post the results. Well, that didn’t go exactly to plan, as I injured my back shortly after and was confined to the house for the next two months.
The diminuative Rollei 35, now with a working meter!
This is my second Automat (the first being a 1956 MX-EVS) and, apart from a few minor knocks and scrapes, it’s in very nice condition. I bought it from a retiring photographer who purchased it new in 1954. He had quite a successful career as a photographer, and used the Rolleiflex extensively for portraits, some of which were of quite famous people. He showed me some negatives of Eleanor Roosevelt, among others, that he shot with this camera.
I’ve been shooting a lot with my 1957 Leica M3 lately, but I’ve recently started noticing an underexposed area at the very edge of my negatives. After some research, this is most likely due to an issue called ‘shutter capping’, which is where the tension of the horizontal cloth shutter needs adjusting.
So, although I hate to be without it, I shipped it off yesterday to Youxin Ye, a renowned Leica repairman, in Canton, Massachusetts. I’ve used him before and have been very pleased with the work. Hopefully I’ll get it back soon!