Retirement offers lots of freedoms. Our careers take twists and turns driven by the opportunities out there, but once the pressures of earning a living are taken away, we can follow the talents that we never exploited in our day job.
For me, one such interest is photography. I’ve always had a camera, from a Kodak box to digital to i-phones. My first experiences in the photographic process were in my dad’s darkroom when he showed me how to print a black and white image from a negative. I stayed with it and progressed to become very competent at ‘old school photography’.
My photography skills upped a pace when I decided to document the Apollo moon landings by photographing the t.v. set. I was ironically using a Soviet built camera with very basic controls but a very good lens. (1201 alarm). My photography continued in the 1970s when I got a summer job at a photo processing lab. Later to become their production manager, Greenstreet Photographic processed films from shops and chemist outlet. Back in the day when photo sharing meant taking a processed pack of photos to the pub and sharing holiday photos with friends.
Fast forward 40 plus and I’ve decided to share and teach my analogue photography skills on a Patreon subscription site. I’m calling it Mid-Century Photography partly because I’m mid-century (born 1952), many of the cameras and processes come from that era, but also because of my love of mid-century technology and architecture.
On offer, I’ll have:
Videos about ‘old school’ photo processing.
How to develop your own films.
How to get the best out of vintage cameras.
Equipment reviews.
A regular Zoom event.
Physically I’ll be sending out ‘crib cards’ on technique, processes and films. I’ll also be offering photos from my own archive loosely based on mid-century architecture, art and technology.
Right now I’m looking for feedback and setting up a pre Patreon launch mailing list. If you are interested in taking a hobby to the next level please leave your email.
Mark Wrigley 