So this week I decided to try something a little different. I wanted to shoot 120 or medium format film. 120 differs from 35 in that it is a larger picture, and is perfectly square.
There are tons of reason people prefer 35mm to 120 or vice versa. Despite being less portable than 35mm, the biggest difference seems to be resolution. The larger film allows for more fine details in images.
However, none of this was really my motivation. I found out my grandfather had a Yaschica Mat LM when he was stationed on Midway island in the 1950’s. Not only that, but this particular camera was seemingly the only camera he used to capture memories of my father and his brothers and sisters, until the the 80’s or 90’s.
I happened to find one on Craigslist and took a gamble. Mine did not work 100 percent. However, in the strangest bought of luck, I found a man named Mark Hama.
Mark Hama worked in a Yashica factory in Japan building Mat cameras and now resides in Marietta, Georgia. Mark took my camera, cleaned it up, fixed it and made it look brand new. It was incredible. If you need your cameras worked on, he is unbelievably talented, kind and passionate.
Moving on, being that I am new to film, much less 120, I scoured the internet to learn how to shoot 120 and what types of film to start with.
Naturally I went to the trusty Phoblographer, and found an amazing resource. I figured this would be a cool opportunity to compare my shots on a 35mm with my new 120 shot on the same film.
The photos are staggered 120/35 and so on.
This was taken on Driftwood Beach on Jekyll island. Seeing the way the film deals out color is one of my favorite things about it. It just feels a little muted, giving it an older feel. Which I really enjoy.
This was shot on 35mm. Something about it feels awfully smooth. Almost like it had been touched up in a way. But this was shot indoors, and I feel like the muted coloring is stronger in this setting.
Another soft, smooth look through Portra 400. This was somewhere in the middle of the beach on Jekyll, a few miles south of Driftwood. The way I exposed it, which was less than intentional, makes the horizon kind of blend together.
This is probably the most odd-ball photo from my 35mm roll. It was shot at dusk on a mostly clear day. The colors are very cool and have a lot of blue on them. I was not expecting that at all.
My favorite 120 shot. It reminds me of photos my grandfather took on Midway. I have a similar picture from a roll of HD 400 I posted about a few weeks back. I really love the smoothness of this though. It almost looks silky.
All in all. I really love Portra. It is probably one of my favorite films to shoot, I have another roll ready to shoot soon! I enjoy the cool look it has. I love how it has a sort of blueish tint throughout. I think this is because i reminds me of old family pictures. Which is certainly an inspiration and source of nostalgia for me and my film journey.
Life on 35mm 