Square Format

Carnegie Library
Originally uploaded by argusmaniac.

I love square format images. A couple of days ago we enjoyed glorious sunshine and spring-like conditons -- so I went out at noon and shot a roll of film with my just-acquired Ferrania Elioflex, a fairly simple TLR that was produced from 1950-1953 in Italy. I think I paid about $12 for it, and I was rewarded with some pretty decent images on some J&C Pro 100 film.

Here is the camera:


The image shown is from the Frieze Building at the Huron Street side, where you can see the vestiges of the old Carnegie Library. It's important to record this particular building, as the University is planning to tear it down this year to build a new dorm and student center there. I'm not particularly fond of most of the Frieze Building, which used to be known as Ann Arbor High School. A lot of it is really bad add-ons from the 1960s. The core building is actually pretty interesting, but has suffered from typical lack of upkeep.

One thing about using a cmera that takes square format images, is that you never have to worry about whether the shot will look better as a vertical or a horizontal image. What is there, is there in the viewfinder. Some people shoot with the intent to crop later. Not me, I am always thinking full frame when I shoot.