Taxona and My Square Life

A great challenge for me is to shoot with this Zeiss Ikon Taxona, but it eventually turns out fine!

For me, it’s hard to imagine taking photos in 1:1 frame. Why? Views are smaller and it takes longer time to get the right angle. However, after shooting with this Zeiss Ikon Taxona, I actually find a better way to present my perspective.

I recently went to Taichung, the capital for central Taiwan, for a brief visit and I wanted to look for something cool and artistic. I heard from the Internet that Zhong Xing Market, a traditional market in recession, has become a magnet for cultural events, coffee shops, and independent galleries, so I went there. Before this spot, I hit Yizhong Street, Taichung Park and the National Museum of Fine Arts. Loaded with Kodak ProFoto XL 100, a rare film on the market, I shot several photos in 1:1 square frame of these places.

Unfortunately, most shops had closed when I got to the market. Days after, I was anxious about the results of this roll of film since I can’t really master the arrangement of shutter, aperture and focus of Taxona. I worried that they might be just a blur. Well, things turn out fine. I looked through the images that the shop had scanned for me. One image has two frames of photos! I was quite shocked, but after re-consideration, two fames in one image might actually tell a better story!

Now, I find a better way to represent my views, all thanks to this small, stable and sturdy 1:1 camera!

written by blowpufferfish on 2011-02-11 #gear #review #zeiss #taiwan #square #films #lomography #kodak #xl #taichung #profoto #1-1 #ikon #film-photography #user-review #taxona #24-24