Session 2; New and more organized Beginnings

With the end of first session leaving us with only three working cameras, the two day intersession proved a perfect time to get to grips with our three new Ebay purchased cameras ( a Minolta XGI, Minolta X300 and a Vivitar XV-3, adding to our Canon AE-1, Nikon FM10 and  three Vivitar XV-3).

In Fernwood Cove we love a  challenge and second hand cameras do love to provide one. 

Just like any second hand camera purchase, bearing in mind that most of these cameras are twenty plus years old, a lot of them come with a nearly broken this and a faulty that, and two of the new additions were no exception. Unfortunately both Minolta's came with broken winds , the X300 a semi automatic and slightly newer Minolta came with a common fault in the form of a broken capacitor, where according to the big wide web the only cure is to replace the electronics- which i'm sure is a more costly process than buying the camera itself. The XG-1 also had a broken wind as well as acid leak from the batteries (perhaps hinting that it probably wasn't in the good working condition that was implied in the purchase details). Although teaching a class of seven mixed aged and ability campers with only four working cameras isn't ideal (as it means on average one person per class has to share a camera)  four is better than three, and to be honest we don't have a choice about it so the show or rather focuses must go on. 

The Department itself is working incredibly well perhaps even faultlessly , the weather is behaving, the cameras that still work (touch wood) are all fully understandable and teachable to all ages (even if the Canon AE-1 with its pendant based light meter and the Vivitar XV-3 with its sensitive shutter release work better in the hands of the older campers) The kids are producing well exposed and composed images, that are unique - remember Fernwood Cove believes in Eagles not Ducks- and so far the printing is working well. Its a great compliment when a Photographer or person who works in a very similar industry compliments their childs printing skills  which you've set up and approved yourself. Processing the films has also come on a lot, film loading has become a painless and quick process - even in those annoying, sweaty and cramped bags- and the films are coming out both constantly and successfully and even with a shine, with thanks to the PhotoFlo wetting agent.

The department is a lot more organized, with thanks to the new ring binder, envelope and name tag system, In which each film once developed is hung on a named peg, then cut up and placed in plastic wallets inside the negative holder, prints are also hung up on said named pegs then placed in named wallets ready for collection and display on parents day, meaning we haven't lost a negative yet.

Sophia Chase's work 

2/3rd Grader Ginny Matsui

8th Grader Hailey Robinson

4th Grader Grace Miliken

Laura Holden

9th Grader Bella Godes

4th Grader Lila Mueller

9th Grader Genevieve Dunning

5th Grader Ava Eisendrath

5th Grader Anabella Katz

8th Grader Bella Young

ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT ELLIE HETEBRIJ PHOTOGRAPHY

Old Orchard Beach, Week 3

With Week three of the first session coming to a close, we've had one of our best weeks in the photography department, not only has it been smooth sailing with the girls, apart from a few language barriers (teaching photography to a french native teenager, in which your every other sentence seems to consist of you both not understanding each other, isnt the easiest or my favorite, but I love a good challenge) but I have also been able to develop and enlarge a few prints of my own, taken on both trip day to Ferry Beach National State Park and Old Orchard Beach, in Portland, Maine. 

Developing and Photographing these amusement parks and arcades has given me a idea for my second year S.D.A or even just a project of my own, photographing theme parks and amusement parks in Black and White film creating a retro and vintage inspired project. 

Palace Playland, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Maine. July 2014 

The Trip day girls at Ferry Beach and the Amusement Park, Palace Playland at  Old Orchard Beach, Maine, July 2014 

The Amusement Par, Palace Playland at Old Orchard Beach, Maine, July 2014

The Carousel, Palace Playland at Old Orchard Beach, Maine, July 2014

The Ferris Wheel, Old Orchard Beach, Maine, July 2014


ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT ELLIE HETEBRIJ PHOTOGRAPHY

Teaching Film Photography in the Extraordinary World of Camp: Session 1 Week 1 and 2

I am lucky enough to be spending my summer instructing Black and White Film Photography to campers at Fernwood Cove, Summer Camp for girls in Harrison, Maine.  As this will form part of my Placement I have decided to write about it and share it with my readers.

Week 1

Summer Camp is about growth and challenges, growth of a department, a team, a Counselor, a Camper and all be it a bit cheesy  growth of a unit - or in our case a family. Sometimes in the case of a troubled child three and a half weeks isn't long enough to create long term changes in behavioral habits but  can be enough to make a serious impact, on not only their behavior but  their hobbies, goals and desires as well. 

Throughout the first weeks of focuses working in the department was hard and to be honest uninteresting, it was a sweltering 90 degrees, the chemicals were unstable and therefore inconsistent, with the film developing but maintaining a layer of gelatin on it and the prints drying in shades of murky brown instead of grey scale.  This disheartening process meant that I lost not just faith but interest in being within the department however with the tail of hurricane Arthur passing and the weather cooling we were hoping that with the new week the Darkroom would open once again.

The Photography Studio. Fernwood Cove. Harrison, Maine, Summer 2014 

Fernwood Cove's Dark Room, equipped with six enlargers, Fernwood Cove. Harrison, Maine, Summer 2014

The Cameras, Fernwood Cove. Harrison, Maine, Summer 2014

Week 2 

As the weather became dull and grey and the Darkroom no longer resembled a sauna we decided to re open Film Photography. 

Teaching a second/third grader or even a Spanish speaking ninth grader what Aperture is, yet alone how to use it is somewhat of a challenge, especially when the girls are confused/haven't actually been informed that these images aren't available for instant playback and unfortunately can't be hashtaged or filtered on Instagram. Yet  spending my whole day inside under redlight when its glorious sunshine outside was becoming routine and to be honest enjoyable.

Due to last weeks technical difficulties class sizes have seen a quite visible reduction in size, which although is unfortunate it means that we can now participate and print alongside the girls, something I found helped to motivate them as they saw you repeating each stage to achieve the perfect print, and not just standing there being the cruel bitch, continuously making them do tests  when all they really want to do is enlarge a  full sized print.

Below is some examples of their work. 

All Images are copyright Ellie Hetebrij Photography