Square format film photography

[@PictureSizeDoesMatter]

Excellent presentation

[@JamieMPhoto]

Thank you!

[@theoldcameraguy]

Another banger video man! Can’t pick a favorite, but images 10 and 13 are in the running. I don’t know how much instruction you were giving Gabby, but it seemed like she intuitively knew just the right pose for each situation and felt very comfortable, even when posing on a random couch haha. Great collaboration between 2 artists!

[@JamieMPhoto]

She's a pro! I did a little bit of guiding to do something like move her head more into the light, or when I told her to hold a pose. But otherwise, I was free to work on the shots. Thank you!

[@tjunglec]

Another important point, you are using shortish lens, which emphasises those perspective lines. A lot of TLRs have a pretty long standard lens. Beautiful photos !!!!

[@JamieMPhoto]

Thank you! Very true. I like the Mamiya TLRs because it makes it a bit easier to get different fields of view as opposed to the fixed lensed TLRs.

[@jillianbarker9236]

Hi Jamie, loved this video and loving how you are using flash. Your photos are looking so good! I love square format, I think it’s the easiest format to compose. You can compose subject centre, from the corner, top, bottom, rule of thirds, circles, triangles however you want, it’s brilliant! Thanks for another great video.

[@JamieMPhoto]

Thank you! Carrying a flash around again is a bit annoying, but it definitely pays off and allows more possibilities.

[@Martin_Siegel]

Most pics of as a child are square taken with a box like plastic Agfa camera by my mum. So I'm quite used to it. I neglected the format later but Instamatic was all around in my childhood and teen years - so the square was always hip for me and I have a special place in my sentiments for it. And I don't shoot it enough. Thanks for an interesting video, Jamie!

[@JamieMPhoto]

Nice! I have thought about getting one of those 126 cartridge converters to shoot squares on 35mm ... maybe if I find the right 126. :) There's also the "super slide" format, too, which is actually a wonderful format when shooting with original Dianas from the 1960s. You're welcome, and thank you for watching and commenting!

[@AnalogueDiaries]

It's hard to pick my favorite photos because all of them are so good! I'm new to square format but I enjoy it so much so far. Also your videos motivate me to start shooting with flash and direct sun because I never do this for some reason.

[@JamieMPhoto]

Aw, thank you!! It's a bit annoying to carry it around, but so rewarding to get cool dramatic shots and to make more lighting options possible. Totally worth at least practicing on digital, though the Hasselblad 1/500 sync speed is super useful. I look forward to seeing more of your square shots!

[@cecilsharps]

I enjoyed this content. I never thought to consider composition in multiple parts, but i've been shooting in an air conditioned studio going rube goldberg with lighting for over a decade. I started shooting film again and i started shooting outside in january. Doing both of those things really shakes it up, but nothing threw me for a loop more than shooting with a seagull tlr. Square is just such a different way of looking at the world.

[@JamieMPhoto]

Oh wow, yeah, a big change, but a lot of fun! And that lighting knowledge is great no matter where you shoot, too. Also, I've always wanted to try a Seagull TLR, even having played with Rolleiflex and stuff.

[@cecilsharps]

@@JamieMPhoto Seagull popped out 3 models of tlr around y2k. They were one of the few affordable options for new medium format that didn't break the bank. film advance was the major difference. Knob vs lever. I put mine in a closet 20 something years ago when used bronica's were cheap. Pulled it out in january. It was pristine but the shutter speed and f stop needed a few repetitions before it was easy to use. The film advance is now kinda crunchy. Hope it smooths out in a few more rolls.

[@JamieMPhoto]

@@cecilsharps Hmm, yeah, hopefully that gets better or at least stays functional. A friend I knew got one of those not long after it came out and it always seemed surprisingly capable.

[@cecilsharps]

@@JamieMPhoto I liked it at f8 or f11. It was really hard to tell the difference on a stopped down seagull shot vs a stopped down east german pentacon lens. I'm shooting my neglected camera collection this year. Next up is a meopta tlr, and etrsi.

[@Yosser70]

Great video mate. Good to see a film shooter talking about the photographs, rather than the film.

[@JamieMPhoto]

Thank you! I appreciate it, and KZbin really encourages advertising keywords, but it's nice when something can get through that.

[@photoprendie]

Great video! You really broke down the -- why -- of the square format!

[@JamieMPhoto]

Thank you!! And thank you for watching!

[@Eclectachrome]

gosh this video is good!! I'm not taking it out of my watch later list until I rewatch it a couple of times at least! Love all the photos and very cool tips on composing for square format, something I have struggled with in the past when shooting for the first time.

[@JamieMPhoto]

Aww, thank you! So glad it's useful and that you like it! I appreciate you watching and commenting, too. :)

[@geoffmphotography9444]

Very interesting and helpful. I love a square format but, as you say, you have to think about the composition. Nice set of images too!

[@JamieMPhoto]

Thank you! Another bonus is never having to rotate the camera. ha ha.

[@oxentielreadman]

My favorites from this episode are: 9 - 11 - 12 - 14 - 14 - 15 - 18 - 22 -30 & 33. I'm definitely going to practice this, because I'm not very used to this kind of composition.

[@JamieMPhoto]

Thank you for the feedback!! I am so glad I spent time practicing seeing in squares, because it's easily become one of my favorite ways to compose.

[@mikegutterman3427]

Thanks as always Jamie!

[@JamieMPhoto]

And you're welcome, as always!

[@kevinkubi1]

Wow such a great video! Love your breakdown of the images. I have a mamiya 6 and sometimes struggle to think of good compositions. This video is a tremendous help for me. Truly thank you 📸

[@JamieMPhoto]

Great! I think I tried to reply to this, but the connection I was on was terrible, so here it is again just in case. Thank you! And I'm so glad it was useful ... I've been eying a Mamiya 6MF, but can't quite justify it yet. ha ha. Just the compactness is so appealing. And the incredible optics.

[@kevinkubi1]

@@JamieMPhoto Yes the compactness is great. I wanted to try square format and I like the grip design. Definitely subscribed and tuned in to the channel 👍

[@JamieMPhoto]

@@kevinkubi1 Awesome, I appreciate it! I'm definitely keep an eye out for a 6. ha ha.

[@AI-Hallucination]

Top bloke

[@JamieMPhoto]

Thank you!

[@jimmycanuck5340]

I used Mamiya 330fs and then a Hasselblad to shoot professional weddings back in the 80s. It's been a long time since I shot square film, so I bought myself a Mamiya C330f outfit and a few dozen rolls of film to get back into it. BTW - I'm in love with Shelby. I really like your delivery. The pacing is good and your voice is very soothing. You meter every shot like a pro. That being said - If you are going to use models, then make it about the models. After checking out a couple of your videos, my impression is that you are shooting landscapes with a model stuck in front. The "background" has too much detail in focus for a model shoot. The utility poles and overhead wires do nothing to add to the shot. They are, in fact, a distraction. When I saw the wall with the painted murals I thought that surely you would use that as a background for some shots. Imagine my disappointment.

[@ilesjazz]

Brilliant photographs.

[@JamieMPhoto]

Thank you!

[@pitmanra]

I had to laugh at 09:35, the religious yard sign and the garbage can...

[@JamieMPhoto]

Haha, mission accomplished! I couldn't pass up the juxtaposition.

[@rf8221]

Excellent video Jamie, great tips. Really love the focal length you're using.

[@JamieMPhoto]

Thank you! I love that lens so much. The lack of distortion really helps me get close without it looking too obvious, and it's so stupidly sharp that I can step back and use a lot the environment without sacrificing detail. Definitely one of the "you get what you pay for" cases ... though a drastically cheaper Nikon 28mm 2.8 AI-S has really served me well in 35mm lately.

[@iironic]

Same! Love it. What lens is this?

[@JamieMPhoto]

@@iironic Oh yeah! Zeiss Distagon 40mm CF FLE. A pain to find filters for, but it's amazing.

[@rf8221]

@@JamieMPhoto Ah yes, that 40 reminds me of my HC 35mm f3.5 on my Hasselblad H1. Somewhere along a 24-28mm 35mm equivalent as well.

[@rf8221]

@@JamieMPhoto And expensive my HC 35mm uses a 95mm filter thread and filter prices are always super expensive.

[@scotthullinger4684]

I had a square format camera, a Mamiya 6. I loved the camera, but I hardly appreciated the square format, simply because cropping is always necessary unless the final goal is a square print, which is very rarely the case. I might have done better with a 6x7 camera, maybe a Pentax.

[@JamieMPhoto]

Makes sense! I've grown to love square prints, but can definitely see how the world isn't necessarily set up for it as far as frames and paper go. 6x7s are nice to me in that they scrape the edge of what makes 4x5 so appealing, and they fit the frame/magazine ratio that's otherwise hardwired into my brain. Thank you for the comment!

[@EdwardIglesias]

I really prefer the square format. I only have square in medium format because I like it. No better reason I'm afraid.

[@JamieMPhoto]

That's a good enough reason! Also, no having to rotate the camera awkwardly. haha

[@seanemilian3697]

When are you taking out the caloric thing, the white head on the lightmeter? ​​ Sometimes it was in and sometimes it was out. Btw did you meter for boxspeed or how is your process?

[@JamieMPhoto]

I will extend the dome when I am reading broader light, but keep it in when I want a more specific flash-only reading and there's a lot of sun coming in. So I'm using it basically as a shade so I know the reading is flash-only. The sun is bright enough that it can read on the meter sometimes. I usually meter any film for box these days, except I'll shoot Portra 800 at 400 and Cinestill 800 at 400 unless I really need that speed, or unless the film is very expired.

[@bernardkelly235]

Was that KG 200 at 3:05 and following? Colours are really nice.

[@JamieMPhoto]

Hello! The images between 3 and 4 minutes were on E100 developed with Cinestill's warmtone process (photos 10-15 or 16 I think), and everything else was on Gold for the video. Thank you, and I hope that helps!

[@bernardkelly235]

@@JamieMPhoto Thanks, Jamie. That would explain the exceptional colour,s particularly the blues.