Yesteryear

By Ken Parks, January 5, 2013

After more than 40 years, I remember the way things used to be. My Dad had instilled in me that Germans made the best photographic camera equipment and the Japanese were inferior. My Dad was more of a gadget guy than photographic artist with bias toward the German's superior technology and design. He taught me all the intricate and technical aspects of photography, but he was weak in the areas of composition, lighting, and theme.

This is an early morning shot taken in Florence Italy of the Giotti Tower and the Duamo. My photographic endeavors have taken me to Italy and several areas of the U.S. and Canada  Although, I have no formal training or degree in the arts or photography, I have learned and graduated from the university of hard knocks.

My first 35mm camera was a Voigtlander Bessamatic. My Dad and I had visited his favorite stomping grounds, Groton Camera, a store in the Groton Long Point shopping mall. And it was business as usual – buy some film and chat with the owner. I was on the opposite side of the store and noticed my Dad was eyeing a German camera under the glass counter. I paid no attention as he and the owner talked and handled the newly discovered camera. 

In my formal years of learning photography with my Voigtlander Bessamatic, my Dad and I used to peruse through the Popular Photography magazine and Modern Photography. My Dad always had his eye on the Hasselblad 500 C/M. But in those days, early 1970's, the model with a standard 80mm lens, one backpack, and a waistline viewer cost about the same as an average new car.  Ironically, the Hasselblad that I purchased was made the same year as when my Dad passed away.

He called me over. And then the conversation centered on the purchase of this camera. Being 15 years old and having very little money, the likelihood that I would have my own camera was slim to none. Then the questioned was posed, “Would you like to see it?” With the camera in hand, I was winding the unloaded camera and releasing the shutter. I was impressed in the solid metal construction and weight of the camera. But, I did not want to get my hopes up.

My Dad asked, “How much is it?” At first I was surprised that he was going to buy it. When the response was $65.00, I knew there was little hope. My Dad could not afford it. This was equivalent to $650.00 in today's economy. My Dad placed $10.00 on the counter and asked, “Can you put it on lay-away?” Then he turned to me and said, “You'll have to save up and pay for it, then the camera is yours.” I was surprised that he had placed enough confidence in me and that I would be determined to go through with the purchase.”

Wedding photography is my forte.  One of my recent weddings was done at a fantastic venue, and the bride & groom were wonderful.  Everyone had a great time, and this was one of my best shoots.

I was determined to keep my word, to work toward the goal of owning this camera. It was my first major expense and I had to find a way to make the weekly payments. I set up an enterprise of lawn care and mowing lawns. The subdivision that we resided, Fieldcrest, had about 200 homes. I had canvassed the subdivision and the immediate area, and I was able to land several weekly customers. It was a long and arduous Summer. No sooner had I received $5 for mowing someone's yard, I made a payment to Groton Camera. When the new school year started, I was the proud owner of a Voigtlander Bessamatic.

My Dad had bought two Voigtlander Ultramatics and we shared the lenses. He also found out that the Retina Reflex lens mounts could be modified to fit both our cameras. I learned how to develop film and produce prints in our home darkroom. I shot for the school newspaper and the yearbook. I sold photographs to realtors. For the next three years, I was his protege. When he passed away, I lost my photographic mentor. There was no local photography clubs and David Genders, my 9^th grade teacher and yearbook counselor, had moved to California. My Dad left behind his articles that he wrote for the Sub-Base newspaper and the Time-Life Photography book set. 

I included photography during my studies at Thames Valley.  In a manner of speaking I was considered a professional photographer after the approval went through as a paying position at the college.

It was not until I went to college that I felt that my photographic endeavors could be used for the college yearbook. The first year I was disappointed. The photographic editor was disorganized and ignored my abilities. It was apparent that his photos were the primary selections and that this was “his” yearbook. The following year, I was chosen to be photographic editor. I organized our shoots, assigned my team of photographers to events, and selected Steve Bovia, a longtime classmate, to be the darkroom organizer. I was both a manager and photographer. Chamberlain made my position a paying job with the state of Connecticut. I set up parameters as to the quality of photos and the yearbook was the best ever produced.

During my college years, I made a dramatic change. The time had come. I had bought into a Japanese camera system. This was against anything my Dad had wanted. All of his cameras were German. There was the Speed Graphics with Linhoff lens, the Rolleiflex, the Voigtlanders, and the Braun flash units... nothing Japanese.

It was my habit of having a camera with me most of the time.  The reason - you never know.  This was a photograph of a dancer preparing for her tryout in Orlando, Florida.  I used a 1200mm lens on a Olympus digital camera. 

Times were changing. Time and Life magazines had replaced all the their Nikons with the Olympus system. It was smaller, weighed less, and produced the same quality of photographs. After reading the reviews, I was hooked, and had my eyes were set on an Olympus OM-2 and a Vivitar Series 1 zoom lens.

The check from Social Security had come in, and I was able to pay off the Mustang II and had more than enough for the purchase of the OM-2 and a few lenses. Instead of the standard 50mm f/1.8 lens, I ordered one of Olympus best lens, the Zuiko 55mm, f/1.2 lens. It was one of the fastest lenses available in the 35mm market.

For the next 30 years, this was my primary camera. I had built up the system to include another OM-2 body, motor drives, and several lenses. Yes, I still have the Voigtlander Bessamatic and a few lenses, my pride and joy. 

This is one of the first film photography images in more than 10 years.  My last film photography was during my Italy trip in 2002.

After 10 yeas of shooting only digital, I recently started to shoot film again. I had to dust off the Voigtlander, the OM-2's and the medium format cameras. This included the Hasselblad 500 C/M, the Rolleiflex 2.8C, and the Bronica ETRSi. The Epson V600 scanner was finally installed after sitting in the box for nearly 3 years. I had put it off for several years until Joe Hoyle, a local photography friend re-introduced film photography. We performed a shoot at Southeastern Railway Museum. We had a blast. Afterwords, we met again at the Camera Doctor store where the film was processed.

  I reflect back to the yesteryear when my Dad and I photographed weddings. Had he not a short life (died 51 years old), he would not have approved of my Japanese camera purchase. But, I was driven by the changes in the photographic industry. Today, I still have in possession both German and Japanese cameras. The photographic industry continues to evolve. The Canon EOS 7D is my professional DSLR system. 

 Ken Parks is the owner and senior photographer at WeddingsThruTheLens.com