Those of you who follow my work will know how much I dread summers in Qatar. As a result, with August being the peak in daily temperatures and unbearable humidity, my photographic life has been rather uneventful over the past few months. All of this is thankfully about to change! In a few days, I'll be off to Croatia for a few weeks of summer holidays, and I'm more than ready and hungry to explore the streets of many of Croatia's finest cities and towns.
I intend posting a few updates here along the way, but am hoping to spend more time outside in the streets than editing photos and blogging. Apart from my current favorites, my Leica Q and Fuji X100s (nope, still can't put it away), I'm also planning to try my hand at film photography again. I'll be taking along an old Rolleiflex I picked up in an antique shop in Aleppo (Syria) some years back. After consulting a few YouTube videos to understand how it works, as far as I can now tell, it is in some form of working order. The old lenses appear to be a bit stained, or perhaps the protective coating is perishing, but what the hell - can only add to the character of the shot ... I hope. Have also made sure to download a light meter app just to make sure I don't mess up too many frames due to my own rusty experience with film photography. The only place I could find film for it was in Dubai some time back, and with the current political situation in the Gulf, these few rolls are worth gold to me. Luckily, I have color and black & white film to play with.
A shot of my Rolleiflex, which will be out capturing some light again for the first time in many years ...
Once back in Qatar, I suspect that it will be a difficult task to get my film professionally processed, as Qatar has long since moved on and is definitely not known for offering the greatest variety and options when it comes to photography. Will have to cross my fingers!
Another first will be using my Fujifilm Instax Wide 300, last years's birthday gift from the family. I haven't been using it much to date, but am hoping to make sense of it's capabilities and virtues by using it as often as appropriate. Perhaps this will not be my choice for experimenting with any candid street photography, as it really is not a very discreet machine, but documenting family times together and a few well considered static shots could be an interesting new photographic experience.
As I'm used to travelling with as little kit possible, I'll be carrying quite a load this time, but I fully intend making the most of this trip and the visual treats I expect to find in Croatia.
Meanwhile, I've been editing some of my night images that I took during the first few months after arriving in Qatar some three and a half years back. I don't often get the chance to shoot at night anymore, but used to love to do it. Under cover of darkness, one tends to have an extra layer of anonymity, people seem less rushed and subjects can be nicely isolated depending on the available light.
"Till next time from somewhere in Croatia ...
