Week 29 – The Kodak Box Brownie No2
Why another Box Camera I hear you ask? Yes I know we only
did one 2 weeks ago. Jason Avery on twitter had come up with a bit of fun
#boxcamweek and it sounded fun. I had really enjoyed the Coronet cardboard
jobby so why not have a go at another. Russell let me rummage through his box
of boxes, all a bit rough and ready but I pulled a rusty mucky Kodak Brownie
number 2 out that needed a spruce. I took it home. I scrubbed away the rusty
edges with the back pad of a dry sponge, glued the curly leatherette covering
back down then polished all the exterior with balsam wax. I gave all the glass
bits a going over with white vinegar, the fixed lens came up well but the
bright viewers were not great. Inside got a good clean too, the rust removal on
rollers with a careful lube.
Camera now looking grand with an aged look we can go through
a couple of differences with the Coronet. The Kodak body is mean to be
aluminium but the rust says not! Shutter is faster at 1/50th and a
slide out plate with holes stamped in for aperture options of F11-16-22, which
is about it really.
Roll one – the usual FP4 was loaded and I did a few test
light evaluations, the loss of a stop of light with the faster shutter made it
hard to get a shot in with any filter for effect even at f11 so I decided to
have a crack at multiple exposures across the whole roll. In fact all were x3
accept the sundial which was x4! The one of the street scene looking at the pub
a meagre x2. To be honest I wasn't overly confident with my math re exposures
so a very tense time through developing, I need not have worried as they were
pretty damned good! I hadn't done too badly with composure either considering
the viewing glass, the tripod was a must!
Roll 2 – HP5 for a change of pace. At asa 400 it gave me a
couple of stops of light to play with so set about a day of single exposures. I
just wanted a day of taking photographs so jumped on the foot ferry to
neighbouring Cornwall and Mount Edgcumbe Country Park and just had fun. I thought
I had it all in hand. A great historical place set in lovely woodland, open parkland
and right on the Tamar River bank. I am going to pick out one picture in
particular – The Folly tower looking over Plymouth Sound with the city in the
background. I have taken this view in my digital time and really wanted it on
film. I was lucky in that stormy skies added some drama and I could just about
justify the light orange filter. Here is a fun fact. The folly was built from
the stones of a couple of ruined churches of Plymouth in 1747 by Baron Richard
Edgcumbe. It was built complete then the story goes he ordered it to be
distressed by using gunpowder. They over did it a tad and dropped it completely
so had to rebuild it again! Anyway back to the roll, I knew I had on a few
frames accepted slight under exposure so wasn't surprised with a few dark ones
after developing so a little post tweaking has been done. I am confident I
could print them so I won't be beating myself up. The folly shot is as though
and I am very proud of it indeed.
Summing up? Nothing but joy, good honest images with a look
of their own, not razor sharp but who cares! I am now looking for a nice box of
my own. I had to work the exposures a little but that is the fun part…loved it!
