I was 16 years old, walking around our beautiful city Veliko Tarnovo. In that moment i saw one friend, who told me about some competition of photography. We went to that place, it was just a room with 10 people and one guy standing there and explain something about one camera and macro… I sat down and listening, understanding nothing. The lady was kind, gave us tea and paper to write down our names. After 30 minutes of talking they gave us Digital Cameras and told us to go around the city and shoot, and second thing, to think what name should we put to our expression. Nothing seriously for me, i did this for fun of course. And we went just to shoot.. Here we can shoot everything, the city is so nice, i’ll show it to you
I really enjoy this day, i made some really nice shots for my opinion. So sorry that i can’t show now some of the photos. We went back to our lets say First Teachers of photography. We gave the cameras back, with title on two photos, because this ones would have been at the exhibition. After one month they call us to say that me and 2 more guys (not my friend..) we win the competition. I was happy! My award was one digital camera Olympus (waterproof) haha, i really enjoy this.
Let’s talk about now, because i’m excited! I‘m involve in Workshop Analog Photography. Actually my first touch of Analog Photography. And starts like this: Person who have really big love to photography give us chance to touch this magic, the magic of Analog Photography. Do you know how nice is to make mistakes and to learn from them, because this is how i see now Analog Photography, and i will tell you why for me it’s like this. I started 3 weeks ago, i mean to touch my first analog camera, to feel how heavy is , to cock it without film inside just to listen the shooting. It is amazing! One more important thing! That night was different, i went out with some nice people, and she wrote me in chat: I have surprise for you :)… I did not know what to think, i just smiled. One hour later she comes with beautiful smile and told me – Do you want to see my grandfather old cameras if you like something you can use it.. Amazing, she came at the right moment, at the same day was my first watching of Stand Development. This is how i met the magic of ZENIT E:
I got the camera and went to our Analog Photography Developer. He sat right away that the lens and ZENIT E are fine and clean. He told me that i need to learn about the camera first before we put the film inside, in fact i need to learn everything because i knew nothing. All night surfing in internet, watching our blog neverland.bg. I started to read it from down, and follow the links, it was crazy, all night, i could not wait to wake up and to try it. This is what i did. Wake up, got ready, took the camera and go go. This all happened before even the Analog Workshop start, it starts tomorrow. I put the first film inside FUJIFILM ACROS 100 Neopan Professional and i start to shoot from the morning, making compositions at home, shooting at the bus, people on the street, dogs, buildings, i really had joy to do it, to feel it. It was done fast, 36 shoots. I was at work, until our Analog Photography Developer tries to develop the film from the ZENIT E. I was behind the bar and waiting for the results, i was so exciting, freaking almost, they came to me and sat, OK, now you need to open your first film and too see if there is information on it, i did and guess, nothing, nothing on the FUJIFILM ACROS 100 Neopan Professional, absolutely white, even the Fuji sign were not there.. Honestly, disappointed! I really enjoy the ZENIT E, but nothing came out. After talking what can be the reason for this disaster, we probably did something wrong with the chemicals, and its gone…. Next day, we put another FUJIFILM ACROS 100 Neopan Professional and i start to shoot again, everybody, everything, just to find out where is the mistake, in the camera, in me, or some chemicals, or beer instead chemical who knows? I shot 36 shots for two hours, crazy shooting haha. I gave the film again to be develop and i started to work, we had Social party that night , it was really nice party . They came and again, we washed the film with water and…. there is information, nice, finally, i’m happy, it is working, don’t know what is it, or is there focus or what ever, there is information, ZENIT E working! Most of the photos was overexpose or dark or double exposure, i had one really nice shot one perfect golden cut, looks like hundred years old. Really success for me now in this moment. Now we put ROLLEI RETRO 80S so we can see what we will get from it, i will let you know when i shoot this ROLLEI RETRO 80S.
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P.S. If you have chance to shoot with Zenit E with lens Hellios 44-2, 58mm, take it, it’s really joyful!
Here I will give you the best manual for The Zenit E.
The funny thing here is that this is my first article, and i like it 🙂