A Selfie from the Clack

Last time I used the Agfa Clack 6×9 camera, I got some decent shots with B&W Delta Ilford film, but burned two rolls of other stock.  Apparently the only decent shots I can get with this camera is if they’re long-distance shots and I use a tripod.

Okay… so let’s hook a tripod mount to the Clack and take it shooting.

July 4th.  A roll of Kodak Ektar in the camera, and off to the North Country I go.  I have to make the Ektar work in the Clack; I can’t have a camera that only takes one brand of film.  All my cameras HAVE to be multi-useful.  Temperamental cameras get a one-way ticket to the shelf.

First up – a couple of photos of the Lincoln Baths along the Avenue of the Pines.

Nice. Looks like a postcard back.

I moved in closer, so as to crop out the flagpoles.

Now that works. Okay. It’s official. The Clack MUST have a tripod in order to get nice, steady images. Success!

Okay, next stop – a trip down Route 9N in Saratoga County, and a visit to the Rustic Barn campsite.  They have a small lake on the property; I parked the Blackbird and took a few shots.

Yeah. With Kodak Ektar on a sunny day, this Agfa Clack can produce pictures that look like old-timey linen photographs. And it picked up the reflections in the water nicely. This is good.

Next up… a trip over to downtown Corinth – yeah, just saying the words “Downtown Corinth” is kinda weird – and I got these pictures of the waters that separate Corinth and Hadley.

Okay, I couldn’t resist.  “Scuse me?” I called to some park-bench picnickers.

“Yes?”

“Can I ask one of you to please come over and take my picture?”

“Sure,” one woman replied.  She walked over.

“Thanks,” I said.  “I’m just going to stand by the lifeguard chair here.”

“Okay,” she said, looking at my tripodded Agfa Clack camera.  “Where … um … ”

“The shutter is on the side here,” I pointed, “right on the lens.”

“Okay,” she said, still looking at my camera as if it was some alien piece of equipment.  “Where’s the little screen on the back?”

Okay, I could have spent 20 minutes trying to explain why this camera doesn’t have an LCD screen or an SD port or a CompactFlash port… but I figure at some point in time, she’ll find my blog post and read all about what I’m doing.  “The screen’s broken,” I smiled.

After a few moments, she finally took my picture.

And here it is.  Besides, how many other people can take a “selfie” with an Agfa Clack camera?  That’s right, I said “selfie.” I know there are other bloggers out there who detest that word, but I don’t care. Let them try to take a “selfie” with a camera that’s older than they are. Yeah.  Selfie selfie selfie selfie selfie.  La la la la la.

Besides… I’m almost thinking I want to climb up into that patrol chair… hardly any clothes… sand between my toes… white stuff on my nose…

Hey… any excuse to play Blotto in my blog is a good excuse to play Blotto in my blog.