Panoramas - finally

I have a strange feeling that history is about to repeat itself...

Actually, I *know* that history HAS repeated itself, sort of, in a personal kindof way...

OK - I shall no longer be mysterious and just get on with the topic of my post: Panoramic photos

I first got into photography after my father convinced me that it would be a good idea to carry a camera in Bangladesh, as arriving in that strange country would mean that I would see unfamiliar and strange things, a perfect opportunity to take pictures. I was initally reluctant, but eneded up packing an old Canon T70 with a manual lens and the rest is history.

This time John Novis, Head of Photography at Greenpeace International is to blame, as it was his suggestion that I take a Linhof Technorama 6x17 panoramic camera with me to the Southern Ocean. Initally I was sceptical as it's a large, fully manual bulky piece of kit, needs an external light meter, takes rollfilm and most importantly lives on a tripod if you want a straight horizon line. Now all these aspects made me cringe, as I knew I'd be working on a ship and inflatables with neither lab facilities nor any solid ground to put the camera onto. Moreover, a roll of 120 film is good for just 4 exposures, so pick your frame wisely, bracket and hope for the best.

Admittedly, I didn't use it much on the Esperanza: by the time the camera was set up, the picture opportunities were gone, and most of the time the ship rolled too much to get a steady frame anyway. But far from becoming a doorstop, I then decided to drag this thing on my three-week trip across Australia where the Technorama finally came into its own. It was there, on dry land, with an abundance of time and solid ground (and rolls of film, I should add) that I truly learned to appreciate this camera. It was like - real photography. No, really, this thing made me feel like I'm taking photographs again, and not 'shots', or 'frames', or worse still, 'files'. Instead, the Technorama exposes film, needs winding on, cocking the shutter, a double-check on aperture, speed and focus settings and then it's all over in a fraction of a second. I loved it. And I love the perspective of the resultant pictures.

Rather than boring you with lots of detail on technique and settings, I'll simply attach a few of those panoramics which I have finally managed to scan and retouch. There is more to come, probably in its own section in the portfolio, so watch this space...