Collection

My accountant asked me to provide him with an overview of all the camera material I have in my possession. I complied with the list shown above as a result. On the left hand side is the darkroom stuff and the accessory material (tripods, exposure meters, ...). The rest is around 25 cameras and 50 separate lenses, neatly grouped according to format (pano, square, oblong, digital), size of negative (small, medium, large) and type of camera (slr, tlr, rangefinder).

I don't regard this as a collection proper. It's all there to be used. I believe Keith Richards possesses 89 guitars, 20 of which he takes on any given tour. I'm obviously not Keith Richards but it is not unusual to use four different cameras on an assignment. More important even is that each of these cameras works differently as a conduit to creativity. A camera has to fit a particular project. Sometimes the connection is haphazard and grows over time. In other cases, the project's creative thrust suggests a specific combination of format, size of negative and type of camera from its very inception.

It's hard to single out a favourite camera but if I had to do it, it would be the Rollei TLR. I love its versatility. It combines a sizeable negative with eminent portability. It has a standard lens with which you can do almost anything. The Rolleinars expand its applicability to the macro realm. For those fortunate enough to own Mutars, you can switch to wide angle or moderate tele. And, very important, the Beattie Intenscreen is a joy to behold ...