Category Archives: Family Photography

{Getting to Know You} Mamiya M645

This was an “oops, I did it again moment.”

Last year, I bought a Mamiya M645.

I once extolled the virtues of another 6×4.5 medium format SLR I owned- the Bronica Etrsi. I’d found The One! Then I let it slip through my fingers. I sold the Bronica to a friend on Twitter who had been eyeing one. I have to say that I regretted letting it go…

Maybe I should have righted the wrong and bought another Bronica, but I decided to go in a slightly different direction by getting a Mamiya M645.

Some differences and similarities between the Bronica and Mamiya:

  • Film backs: The Bronica allows you to change film backs (and, therefore, film types/speeds) mid-roll. A Mamiya M645 does not, though you can get extra film inserts to pre-roll with film so you can change film quickly once you finish a roll. I liked the idea of changing film backs, but, in reality, I didn’t really do it with the Bronica often. And carrying multiple film backs was just one more thing to keep up with.
  • Construction: The Bronica is largely constructed of plastic. Not so for the Mamiya M645, which means the latter is more hefty than the former (weight of camera gear is a significant factor for a lot of people.)
  • “Grip” options: I had a speed grip for my Etrsi, which allowed it to function almost like an overgrown 35mm SLR (you can see photos of that set up in the blog post I linked earlier in this one.) It allowed the shutter to be triggered with a button on the grip rather than the one on the camera, and film was advanced with an advance lever instead of a crank. All this is done on the right side of the camera. I do not have a grip for my Mamiya (yet?) I have been reluctant to try one for that camera, because its grips are left hand grips. I have felt dubious about that because I’ve felt that it might feel awkward to have the shutter button/film advance on the left side. I don’t know…it doesn’t appeal to me. I might try one eventually, because handling the camera without one is sort of like holding a cube!
  • The shutter types are also different between these two cameras (Bronica: leaf shutter in the lens, Mamiya: focal plane shutter.) I won’t go too much into the differences here, except to say that for my style of shooting, the differences really don’t matter all that much to me!
  • On the subject of shutter speeds, the ETRSi and M645 have the same shutter speed range: 1/500s – 8s, plus Bulb
  • Multiple exposures possible on both. I used this often on the Mamiya, not so much on the Bronica. (I wasn’t that into multiple exposures when I had the ETRSi)
  • Mirror lock-up on both (to reduce vibration during certain types of exposures.) Not that it was a feature I utilized often, but mirror lock-up on the ETRsi is more tricky than the M645 because, on the Bronica, putting the mirror back down fires the shutter. To avoid wasting a frame of film, you need to take the film back off, return the mirror to the down position (which fires the shutter,) flip the multiple exposure lever to activate that “mode,” then put the film back on again, take your next photo, flip the multiple exposure lever to exit, and finally advance the film. That’s A LOT. With the M645, you just flip the mirror lock-up lever to return the mirror to its down down position and move on with your life!

One reason I took the plunge and purchased the Mamiya M645 is that I got it for a song…seriously, it was a price that made the choice feel like it wasn’t much of a risk. I bought the body and lens (80mm f/2.8, the standard lens) then purchased the prism separately to complete the kit.

The format of this blog post is unlike most of my camera “reviews,” but it’s because I went about trying “new” cameras differently last year, so the posts I write about the cameras are different too! Side note: I only have limited photos from the first two rolls I took with the Mamiya, because most of those photos are allocated for different projects (which I keep alluding to on here…I’m promise all will be revealed as soon as possible!)

Roll #1: Fuji Provia 400F, expired in 2005, cross-processed (June 2017)

First frame! This is of a Russian wooden box I’d gotten at a thrift shop. 

Elderflowers

Roll #2: Ilford FP4+ (June/July 2017)

So I’d had those two rolls developed (though I have shot another that hasn’t been developed as of yet.) I decided I needed to go ahead and replace the badly deteriorated light seals. The following photos were from my post-light seal replacement test roll (looks like they worked!) I can share all of the results from this roll because, well, they were just for this blog!!!

Film: Lomography Color Negative 400 (April 2018)

I will say that I don’t feel as if I bonded with the M645 as quickly as I did my Bronica ETRSi, but I also have had my {camera} attentions divided this last year, so I haven’t invested as much time getting to know the Mamiya as I should have. When I do pick it up to use, I really enjoy the experience though! I mentioned that handling the camera without a grip attached is like holding a cube, but it’s not been as awkward in practice as it sounds.  I hope that, with time, I will also get to add another lens or two to my M645 kit – there’s a drool-worthy 80mm f/1.9 available for it that I’d LOVE to try! Not to mention a wide angle lens would be nice too.

{Mini Family Session} Shields Family

While I was photographing Julie and Mark’s rehearsal dinner, I also managed to get in a few shots of the Shields family. I have photographed Lisa, Rob, and their children several times over the years, so I wanted to get a few photos of their latest addition, Julian. I was especially pleased to do this, because I’d taken photos of Julian’s older brothers Ezra and Lionel when they were babies too.

Rob, Ezra, Lisa, Julian, and Lionel 🙂

{Senior Sessions} Wall Doxey

Last month, I had the pleasure of photographing a young woman named Rebeccah at Wall Doxey state park. She particularly wanted to take her photos there because the dogwoods were in bloom. This was a casual “senior photo” session for Rebeccah, as she was graduating high school this spring (with honors!) She brought her friend, her younger sister, and her cousin along, so they got in on the photos as well!

Rebeccah, her sister Emelie, and cousin Kayla

 

FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY: THE JOBE-SHIELDS FAMILY, Christmas 2013

I’d like to welcome the Jobe-Shields family  back to the Shoot With Personality blog!

(Well, I sort of already did when I posted the instant photos from this photo session…)

A few years ago, I had multiple photo sessions with Lisa, Rob, and baby Ezra. They moved to North Carolina after that, and I had not had the opportunity to see them since their move. The last photo session I did with them was one with Lisa’s mom and siblings for Christmas 2010, when Ezra was about 7 months old.

Look at Ezra in 2010 – OH MY GOOOODNESSS

Fast-forward to 2013, and little Ezra is a rambunctious 3 1/2 old with a wildly awesome  awesomely wild head of hair.  Oh, and one more thing has changed since 2010: Rob and Lisa have a new addition to their little family: baby Lionel was born in August.  And, lucky for me, I was called in to do a photo shoot with Lionel when he and his family were in Memphis for Christmas!

Meet Lionel!

Big brother and baby brother. So sweet!

Lionel, on the prettiest, most colorful blanket

Fay, showing me her Christmas ribbon headband

Everyone!

What happens when you pile a bunch of children on top of Uncle Mark

Lora and her children  – Sarah, Mark, and Lisa

Sweetness between Rob and Ezra

Baby boy

Cheesin’

Brothers

Mommy and her first baby boy

Ezra was the “X” and Lisa was the “O” xoxo

The look of love

Naomi and Fay were being sweet by Mimi’s fireplace 

Sarah, Dan, Fay, and Naomi

I remembered from our 2010 photo shoot that the girls like to take silly in photos, so I let ’em go for it

Matchy-matchy sisters Naomi and Fay

Mimi and her grands! 

Their reward for making it through so many photos: chocolate fudge!

Naomi’s justifiably happy to have her reward

I just COULD. NOT. STOP. with these pictures of Mimi and Lionel!

Oh, what’s that little hand on the back of the chaise lounge?

SOMEONE was being mischievous and making his way into the photos of his Mimi and his brother!

Ezra got a little photo time with Mimi too

Someone’s up to mischief again…

Ezra looks like he’s boogieing 

I’m so glad I (and my camera!) had the chance to see this awesome family again. Lionel was sooooooo sweet, and I couldn’t believe how big Ezra, Naomi, and Fay had gotten since I’d last seen them!

♥♥♥

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