A couple of years back, there was a TV photography program that would send three different amateur enthusiast photographers on a mission, all using the same camera. For example, I remember one program that sent to capture the spirit of the horse races. They were all given a plastic Holga type camera with film. This was really a challenge to test their fundamental knowledge, with no assistance from technology. (That is not a comment against technology, anymore than a bicycle race is a condemnation of the motorcycle industry. I loved the idea of; here is a plastic camera, and your assignment is......Now, how am I going to do this, becomes the challenge.
This had got me thinking back to my first camera, a Kodak Retinette 1A, 50mm / f3.5 (no light meter or range finder) with four shutter speeds: 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250 and of course manual guesstimate focus.
Would there be an interest in a challenge to show what can be done within the limits of these cameras?
Suggested rules:
1) Any lens 35 to 55mm as long as it is focused manually (points given if no focus aid used)
2) Any camera as long as it is used strictly in manual mode. Film or Digital (points for Sunny 16)
3) Shutter speeds limited to 1/30, 1/60, 1/125 and 1/250 manually selected.
4) ISO 800 maximum
5) No PP, see what you can do before PP.
Let me hear your thoughts, and suggestions on rules, bearing in mind the object of the exercise. Each few weeks we could assign a different mission, for example a photo to promote a national park, or a car show etc.
Edit:
As far as lenses go, the original "full frame" lenses ranged from about 38 to 55 mm. (allowance for APS-C equivalent field of view would be 24 to 38 approximately) Fixed lens cameras by their nature restrict one's opportunities, so the whole idea of this exercise is to see how well we can do as photographers if we don't have all sorts of technical marvels at our disposal. It will be the picture that will be the object, not the gear used to obtain it.
Last edited by arnold; 04-26-2015 at 03:14 PM.