#wide frame

Wow, you are right!

Wider Frame of Mind

This was my first shot taken with my Polaroid Spectra QPS camera. I’d gotten it after finding out that it has a more powerful flash and that it’ll be able to give me more control over various factors when taking my shots. Factors such as auto or manual flash, auto or manual focus, lighter or darker saturation, and a timer if I wanted to set it down in place and get in on the photo myself. 

There weren’t any color spectra film packs in stock at the time, so I had to settle for a black and white film pack for my first go at this camera. I will admit, my first go at this camera was a little bit challenging for two reasons; 1) the framing of a Polaroid spectra camera model is a wider frame compared to my previous cameras, which both produced square framed photos, and 2) I’m usually better at capturing interesting shots in color compared to black and white shots.

Because I was so used to the square frame, it took me a little while to get used to framing things in a wider frame. It did give me a little more freedom in capturing scenery, as I was able to capture more of it with the wide from. However, when it came to specific subjects, I had to take a little extra time to try this angle and that to settle on what I’d think to be an ideal way to frame that subject. 

The challenge with the black and white film definitely was something I needed to face and overcome, because I felt that I shouldn’t be limited to something as trivial as color or black and white film. The reason I found taking shots in black and white challenging was because I felt that in black and white, I needed an interesting silhouette or shape to work off of to make the shot work. 

So I definitely had a little bit of walking around to do to try to find an interesting shape, silhouette or shadow to work with when I was giving this new camera a whirl for the first time.  Now this shot, definitely wasn’t what I was looking for or what I was expecting to end up with. It was a scenery shot that I so delighted in taking on my square frames on a regular basis. 

But when I came across this, I just couldn’t help but feel that a wide frame would be just perfect for a shot, color film or not. In fact, I thought that black and white would actually make the shot even more powerful. So I went ahead and started trying out various angles until I found one that I was satisfied with. 

The feeling of waiting for that first shot to develop when using a new camera is absolutely exhilarating and something I can’t easily replace with another experience or feeling.  I’ve noticed that this black and white spectra film had a shorter developing time, as I watched the image appear from a grey blue mist of the film. 

When it finished developing, I was so glad I went out of my element and chose to do this scenery shot with this mural instead of a interesting silhouette or shape as a subject. The message of the mural “The Earth is but ONE COUNTRY and mankind its CITIZENS,” felt all the more powerful with the black and white. Looking back, I don’t think a square frame nor having this shot done in color would’ve done it justice nor as powerful. 

This shot is what convinced me that what I shoot in black and white doesn’t always have to be interesting shapes or silhouette or shadows. It can be of scenery, it can be of subjects that lack interesting shape or silhouette.  I definitely don’t regret exploring this avenue, and glad I faced a personal limitation and turned it into something else. I still definitely prefer taking my shots in color, and that’s alright. But the experience of taking this shot definitely widened my frame of mind when it came to black and white photography.