All Through a Lens: A Podcast About Film Photography

Episode 09: A Very Linty Vibe

 
We're easing into things with this first episode of the new year. Eric is a little mellow, while Vania gets chatty. Vania almost mentions her new portraits zine, and we're both pretty glad the holidays are over.
There's more Tasma Mikrat 200 testing and a leaky bulk loader to mix things up.
Moving to the answering machine message, we heard from a slew of folks about their film photographic resolutions for the new year. Zines are a big part of it, as is the idea of shooting more purposeful shots. Less is more!
Our own answers are much the same, though Eric's was thwarted by that Tasma Mikrat thing. Vania wants to unload. You'll see.
With all this talk of testing film, we gave a call to Aloy Anderson, a Lomography tester, rural explorer and all around sweet guy.
In this enchanting little interview, we talk those things, as well as his foray into in-camera cyanotypes.
In a new segment we're trying out, we talk about a couple of shots from our newish zine, F Yeah We Do.
Vania recalls her Angel's Landing shot from the great-for-hiking camera the Mamiya RB67, and the exhaustive hilarity that ensued.
Eric looks back to one of the first rolls he shot in the 1914 Brownie Box. He's tried to capture this 2012 shot over the years, but has never managed it. Vania discovers why.
With a basket full of zines to review, we take on four this episode!
Vania takes on zines by previous-guest Anne Hollond (@annehollond on IG). And Eric looks at Toni Skokovic's 07-26-19.
Together, they peruse two of Edward Conde's zines from the past couple of years.
As we parted, we told you about the new website/blog and new mini-episode-experiments called Dev Party.
See you next Tuesday!

Dev Party #1: What's a Dev Party?

While we take some holiday time off, we thought it would be fun (?) to try out a new idea. We've been kicking around the idea of mini-episodes for some time now, and here's our first attempt.
Basically we (Vania and Eric) each develop a couple of rolls of film. She does color, he does black & white. We talk a little about our own process and maybe you'd find this interesting. Who knows? This includes the emulsion that we're testing for a possible rebranding. What is it? Does it work? What's the what? Listen and find out!
IG: @allthroughalens.podcast
Sample Photos: https://wp.me/pbnS9e-17
 

Episode 08: Surf Pal Saves Christmas Camp

On a very special All Through a Lens, Eric bakes a cake and Vania "drops by". There's film photographic Holiday memories, some talk of the next "it" camera, gift giving and general revelry.
It's a short one so as to not take up too much of your holiday festivities. See you in the new year!
New Zine!
https://www.etsy.com/consofcart/listing/761480593/f-yeah-we-do-a-zine-by-all-through-a

Episode 07: This is Effing Clear... Where are the Pictures?

On this episode, Vania (@surfmartian) and Eric (@conspiracy.of.cartographers) dig into the listener messages. They also talk about Tasma Mikrat and rebranded film. Alexia Carroll (@alexia.evangeline) picks up her phone for a talk.
 
IG: @allthroughalens.podcast
 
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For this, our seventh episode, Vania (@surfmartian) starts things off with a bunch of new film and some chocolate from New Zealand. Eric (@conspiracy.of.cartographers) is jealous, but has some tips on Remjet.
 
This episode’s question was “What was your biggest film photographic failure, and how did you overcome it?” The answers came in droves, and we can’t thank you enough for the support.
 
We then talk film exchange. Eric sent Vania some 45 year old Tasma Mikrat 300 - a 6ISO Soviet microfilm which she used to photograph surfers. How do you think that turned out? You might be surprised.
 
For our call, we rang up Alexia Carroll (@alexia.evangeline - http://www.merelyobservations.com) for a talk on the pros and cons of art school, fine art photography, and women photographing women. 
 
Following Alexia, we talk about the bit of research we did concerning the hot button topic of rebranded film. We go through Kosmo, Silberra, JCH, and of course CatLabs. Who makes all this stuff, and is it okay? (yes, obviously it’s fine, come on).
 
We also let slip a couple of our own project ideas: rebranded film and a zine or two. 
 
More sorrow and woe now follows with the second batch of listener messages about failures. Since Eric spilled all of that in the previous episode, Vania spins her own tale of woe. It involves the RB67 and one hell of a lightleak.
 
Intro/outro music was provided by Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers (@lastregiment) -- http://www.lastregiment.com/
 

Episode 06: I Can't Say Failure

Vania (@surfmartian) and Eric (@conspiracy.of.cartographers) get a bit chatty talking about a catastrophic failure and surf photography. Also roller derby with Karen Freer (@fillingthetime). Zine reviews, listeners call-ins, and maybe a short rant.
 
IG: @allthroughalens.podcast
 
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After a bit of chit-chat, Vania (@surfmartian) and Eric (@conspiracy.of.cartographers) dig into a pretty major failure concerning Eric’s Nez Perce Trail large format project. The project took him through four states and nearly 2,000 miles. And after 80 shots, almost all of them were badly damaged. But why? How did this happen?
 
Without pointing fingers, we talk about the project, the original plans, the disaster and finally what to do to recover. Sad Eric.
 
With that out of our system, we turn to the answering machine and a question with a few more shades of gray than we figured. What did we lose in action and sports photography in the switch over to digital.
 
These brave souls attempted to tackle this (sort of): @elgatomagnifico, @kollimatorn and @space_critter. We also add our two bits, with Vania and Eric giving it a shot themselves. We try to be fair and nice.
 
We then roll on to roller derby. Eric has been a fan of women's flat track roller derby for years. A quick introduction takes us to a call with Karen Freer -- (@fillingthetime) a derby photographer from the UK who is in the middle of making the switch from digital to film. We talk derby, zines, and high speed emulsion.
 
In the last bit of the show, Vania talks about her surf photography . Eric is clueless, but plays along. David Lee Roth is mentioned. Being a surfer helps her along the way. But she doesn’t just sit on the beach with a long lens, she’s on a board, surfing while shooting. Eric is pretty impressed.
 
She also talks parking lots, diving, and uses words like: lineup, beach breaks, point breaks and cool surf things. Also buckets.
 
Onto three zine reviews, including Crude Zine (@crude.zine), Urbanism -- (@jayabhat), and 4xFourtography -- (@4xfourtography). And remember, we love to trade our own zines for yours! Contact us!
 
We leave with the question inspired by Eric’s fiasco: What was your biggest film photography failure and how did you overcome it?
 
After a brief fluff piece on the whole 120mm vs. 120 film nonsense, we sign off till next time.
Thanks for reading/listening!
 
Intro/outro music was provided by Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers (@lastregiment) -- 

Episode 05: No Ordinary Look - A Photographic Take on Rear Window

For our first movie night, Vania (@surfmartian) and Eric (@conspiracy.of.cartographers) watch Hitchcock’s Rear Window. But before getting into it, we catch up a bit with each other. Vania found herself on the other side of the camera, while Eric contemplates the end of the season as well as a parking garage.
 
This week’s answering machine was full with calls from @kino_pravda, @kollimatorn, @hannah.grace.photo, @space_critter, and @elgatomagnifico. We asked how cinematography and the movies have affected their photography, and we were not disappointed. Were Dziga Vertov, Napoleon Dynamite and the Cartoon Network all mentioned? Of course they were.
 
Vania shares a bit about Kubrick and Eric feels the need to defend Rashomon.
 
We then put down the cameras and plop ourselves in front of the screen for the main feature: Rear Window. After a brief introduction, we give Hannah Drew, actor and film photographer, a call. As a trained actor (and untrained photographer) she offers a perspective we couldn’t have.
 
The talks winds from her own influences to the pros and cons of being a voyeur. We talk about why Hitchcock made Jimmy Stewart’s character a photographer and how “Jeff” was kind of a dick to Lisa, played by Grace Kelly. We ask if it’s okay to watch others, and what we can learn about our own lives through it.
 
Most importantly, we ask each other which of the neighbors we’re most like. Vania and Hannah answer with certainty while Eric just can’t decide. Classic Eric.
 
Following the call, Vania reviews Eric’s Exakta VX (the same camera used in the film). There is a bit of gear talk, but worry not.
 
We’re back to reviewing zines with Andrew D. McClees (@andrewdmcclees) Sneer and Self-Loathing being handled by Eric, while Vania takes on Film ‘n’ Hawaii by Mike Caputo (@aloha_bigmike).
 
We leave with the question: When it comes to action and sports photography, what have we lost in the conversion to digital?
 
Thanks for reading/listening!
 
Intro/outro music was provided by Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers (@lastregiment)

Episode 04: The Illusion That They Were Still Alive

On this extra-spooky episode - 004. The Illusion That They Were Still Alive - Vania (@surfmartian) and Eric (@conspiracy.of.cartographers) go a bit longer than usual, but we assure you it’s worth it (and still shorter than most podcasts).
 
Things start off in a fairly normal way as we say hello and have a quick chat about Ilford’s “new” Ortho 80. Are we excited? Sure. Are we incredibly excited? Listen and find out. We then check the answering machine, which is also a normal thing. 
 
This week’s messages are all about unexpectedly fruitful locations. We’ll hear from @elgatomagnifico @mike_on_film @ninlyone @jtheokauth and @space_critter. We also give some vague ideas about our locations.
 
Here’s where things get a bit spooky, so hold on. For this episode, Vania dug into the Victorian tradition of post-mortem photography. Get ready for some sad and interesting photos of dead people. But digging a bit deeper, she found some deathbed photography and even some pet photography (dead, of course).  It might seem weird now, but it was pretty normal then. Basically.
 
This led to a talk about old timey photos, which prompted us to give Jennifer Froula Weber (@jenniferfroulaweber) a call. She’s a tintype photographer who began her analog camera journey with tintypes (seriously). We talk not just tintypes, but history, the magic of 620 cameras, and how Swedish silent films have influenced her work. (Also, big shout out to Scout Finch.)
 
But then it’s back to the 1800s (though it’s not really like we left it with Jennifer) for Eric’s piece on William Mumler, Spirit Photographer. He claimed to have accidentally captured a spirit on a glass negative while taking a selfie. And there it is, clear as day - the ghost and Mr. Mumler. This “accident” was replicated hundreds of times and made him a whole slew of money. Was he arrested for fraud? Was P.T. Barnum involved? How about Mary Todd Lincoln? Find out!
 
We end the episode with a bit of a primer for the next episode, when we’ll have our first movie night and watch Hitchcock’s Rear Window, a film that stars the Exakta Verex VX (as well as Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly).
 
Music was provided by Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers (@lastregiment) 

Episode 03: Kinda Need to Go to Kansas

We talk weekend shooting (trains and surfing), check the answering machine, and gush over cheap film. Anne Hollond (@annehollond) stops by to talk old school zines, Polaroids and travel. Film swap and zine reviews!
IG: @allthroughalens.podcastMusic: Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers

Episode 02: If You Set It On Fire, Then It's Special

We talk about recent travels, check the answering machine, get frustrated by a camera that went to the moon (sort of), call up Brandy (IG: @film_diary_of_a_redhead) to talk about projects, and dig into Kodak's Colorama. Zine reviews and hopes/dreams round out the episode. 
IG: @allthroughalens.podcast
Music: Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers

Episode 01: A Very High Tech Battery

We check the answering machine, receive questionable advice from a dead guy, talk about what's to come. Meanwhile, Eric is uncertain about a Hasselblad, while Vania questions whether photos of piers are the same as photos of bridges.
We also call up Hannah Grace (@h.gracephoto - www.hgracephoto.com) to chat with her about solo hiking with a 4x5 Graflex... alone... in winter... in her second trimester. 
Music provided by Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers.
@allthroughalens.podcast on IG