Beginnings with Photography
It was just over 20 years ago when I started taking photography more seriously. One of the influences was a website called Fotolog, which was all the rage back in 2003. I’m grateful that my mom embraced this newfound hobby of mine, leading to me being gifted a Canon EOS 300D. This was probably one of the first affordable dSLRs, with its silver plastic body and 6MP APS-C sensor. It truly was a revolution. From that point on, I spent a significant part of my free time on photo walks, photographing everything around me… just like anyone with a new hobby would.
Some of the first images that I made that I really liked in 2004
Not long after, while living in Santa Catarina, I became part of “Seis”—a group of six friends who all met through Fotolog and were eager to improve their photography techniques. We participated yearly in the “Maratona Fotográfica” in Florianópolis—a photographic scavenger hunt that lasted 48 hours over the weekend. It was a fun exercise, though I never achieved much in it.
I had my first, short-lived job as a photo retoucher in a run-of-the-mill photo studio in Balneário Camboriú — I lasted only two weeks. Shortly after, I met Guilherme Meneghelli, who shared amazing tales about photojournalism, film photography, and his passion for Leica. He introduced me to Sebastião Salgado and Bresson. That is how I first got into range finders.
Some typical snapshots from those days and evenings, Guilherme in Balneário, Fabricio and Frank during our first D-76 and Black&White development trials, me at my second job, Guilherme with his Summicron-R in a Canon 20D, Diogo retouching, Diogo. Guilherme with his Rollei and a "Posse do Lula" t-shirt. The last four were taken with my Kiev 4a.
Kiev 4a with a Jupiter-8 50mm f2.0
Behold the Kiev 4a—a Soviet clone of the Contax II rangefinder camera. Mine, built in 1960, featured a functional light meter that used a selenium cell. Its shutter mechanism was perhaps one of the most frustrating I’ve ever encountered. Changing the speed before advancing the film risked completely breaking the springs and shutter mechanism—which eventually happened to mine. I only managed to shoot a couple of rolls with it.
Snapshots
Rabih and Vecks introduced me to the likes of Terry Richardson and point-and-shoot cameras. I couldn’t justify investing in a Yashica T4/T5 or a Contax T2/T3, so I ended up with a collection of Olympus Stylus and Stylus Epic cameras. They were fun, compact, and allowed me to shoot through roll after roll of film effortlessly. It also helped that Veck's grandfather was the Gilberto from Foto Gilberto. We spent some Saturdays there developing and scanning with the Frontier scanner. I learned with point-and-shoot cameras the importance of always having a camera with you.
Vecks at Foto Gilberto, on the day he bought his T5D, and with his Photo Portfolio. My first Point'n'shoot
Some of the first rolls shot with the Stylus in São Paulo and Balneário. Guilherme with a 20D and Summicron-R 50mm, Bronko with his Contax TVS, Camera Severo under the MASP, Trash80s, Trash80s with Pixelman, Rabih.
I learned to keep a visual journal with these Stylus cameras.
Some snapshots between 2004 and 2008
… to be continued.
Arthur Soares
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