My Ermanox Journey

I got a notification earlier this week from the Curator of Photography & Cinema at the Dresden Technical Museum (Technische Sammlungen Dresden) that my prints and glass plate negatives arrived safe and sound! I sent them six glass plates and seven prints, so hopefully they’ll be incorporated into their museum display.

2023 will mark the 100th anniversary of the Ernemann building and its famous tower — might be a good time to pay them a visit!
 
At least they confirmed receipt. That's better than being ignored in disgust or outright dismissal.
Perhaps an RFF field trip is in order.... let's find out!
 
Vince Lupo said:
I got a notification earlier this week from the Curator of Photography & Cinema at the Dresden Technical Museum (Technische Sammlungen Dresden) that my prints and glass plate negatives arrived safe and sound! I sent them six glass plates and seven prints, so hopefully they’ll be incorporated into their museum display.

2023 will mark the 100th anniversary of the Ernemann building and its famous tower — might be a good time to pay them a visit!
Click to expand...

Now you're inspiring me to go to Dresden for a visit... 😀
Great stuff, Vince!

G
 
rfaspen said:
At least they confirmed receipt. That's better than being ignored in disgust or outright dismissal.
Perhaps an RFF field trip is in order.... let's find out!
Click to expand...

And they were very happy to now have new glass plates and prints! Actually “excited” was the word that was used — hopefully an indication that the plates and prints won’t end up in the round file.

Yes a Dresden trip is in the works for my wife and I (we were last there in 2015) but likely not until at least 2023. Have to see what’s going to happen with the international travel situation over the next little while.
 
Well, my wife and I have been all around Germany, flown over Germany, but never visited. I've been hounding her for a visit to Wetzlar (yeah, call me a Leica fanboy if you want), but also Berlin which I hear is a phenomenal city to visit or live in. Why not add Dresden to the list?

However, we do need to consider that darned virus and all of its implications. We felt guilty and risky travelling to southern California about 1-2 months ago, but time sensitive matters with relatives and failing health made it compelling. I really do hope everything settles by 2023 🙂. So, maybe we have time to plan that RFF trip after all 😎.
 
rfaspen said:
Well, my wife and I have been all around Germany, flown over Germany, but never visited. I've been hounding her for a visit to Wetzlar (yeah, call me a Leica fanboy if you want), but also Berlin which I hear is a phenomenal city to visit or live in. Why not add Dresden to the list?

However, we do need to consider that darned virus and all of its implications. We felt guilty and risky travelling to southern California about 1-2 months ago, but time sensitive matters with relatives and failing health made it compelling. I really do hope everything settles by 2023 🙂. So, maybe we have time to plan that RFF trip after all 😎.
Click to expand...

We visited Wetzlar back in 2007 -- nice town, in general the few views that Oskar Barnack took with the Ur-Leica back in 1914 still exist. Dresden (at least the 'Centrum') is very nice, though it had gotten a bit more touristy for our liking when we visited in 2015 (we had been there previously in 2007 when tourism didn't seem quite as intense). I think a lot of it had to do with the reconstruction and subsequent reopening of the Frauenkirche. The Ernemann building /Technical Museum is on the same side of the Elbe river, and it's a nice walk from the Centrum to there (it's east of the Centrum). Lots of interesting things to see in that town. We prefer Görlitz to Dresden (as it's not nearly as touristy yet as interesting), but being that Dresden is rightly still known as 'Florence on the Elbe' it's definitely worth the visit.

My hope is that when we do go to Europe next that I'll be able to take the Ermanox along, in addition to some 127 film (I have to find out about those new CT airport scanners though). If that's not feasible or possible, then the 907x it is.

Me in Wetzlar back in 2007 -- black Leica III with a VIDOM and a ‘Fat’ Elmar in tow.

Me and Oskar by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
 
Another 'found' plate in a recently purchased plate holder! This was in a Zeiss Ikon 666 holder (seemingly hard to find). Probably 1940's I'd think.

On our little Girl Guide -- 'Dancing Brownie' on her left, the 'trefoil' brooch in the middle, perhaps a 'Venture Proficiency' patch on her right.

This plate was in a holder that had 'FP3' written in pencil on the darkslide, so it could possibly be Ilford FP3.


Zeiss Ikon Found Glass Plate by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
 
Godfrey said:
These last two photos are quite lovely, Vince! 🙂

G
Click to expand...

Many thanks Godfrey - I’m still not a fan of this film (Rerapan 100), but I have to admit it’s easier to use than to cut down Pan F in 120 format. I think what I need to do is set a day aside for nothing but cutting down 120 film to build up an ‘inventory’ of better film.
 
Love the shots of Lee! Your vision and style come through regardless of the camera you use. I'm curious; do you find your interactions with your subjects (and the results) differing significantly when you shoot with the Ermanox? It's undoubtedly a strange and unfamiliar contraption for most people. I've found that some cameras (like the Texas Leica) are so over-the-top that I'm working extra hard to overcome the curiosity or, sometimes, suspicion they engender. Perhaps some cameras just seem a bit "threatening", and the suspicion is more than a bit warranted these days when everything gets posted online.
Ultimately, the trust and connection with the subject is of course a function of the photographer's personality, and you seem very adept at achieving that. But the equipment is a factor. Overall, do you find the Ermanox generally an asset or a liability in that regard?
 
Retro-Grouch said:
Love the shots of Lee! Your vision and style come through regardless of the camera you use. I'm curious; do you find your interactions with your subjects (and the results) differing significantly when you shoot with the Ermanox? It's undoubtedly a strange and unfamiliar contraption for most people. I've found that some cameras (like the Texas Leica) are so over-the-top that I'm working extra hard to overcome the curiosity or, sometimes, suspicion they engender. Perhaps some cameras just seem a bit "threatening", and the suspicion is more than a bit warranted these days when everything gets posted online.
Ultimately, the trust and connection with the subject is of course a function of the photographer's personality, and you seem very adept at achieving that. But the equipment is a factor. Overall, do you find the Ermanox generally an asset or a liability in that regard?
Click to expand...

Many thanks indeed! As far as my ‘interactions’ with people goes, usually they’re really intrigued with the camera and its story, which then makes them all the more eager to be photographed with it. The thing that can be a bit of an issue is all the things I have to remember to do in order to take the picture, even using the 127 roll film backs: Figure out how/where I’m going to photograph the person, make sure the shutter is wound, measure the light and set the speed and aperture, estimate and set the focus, pull the dark slide, take the picture, replace the dark slide, remove the little red window cover, advance the film, replace the red window cover, and then repeat the process for the next shot. With glass plates it’s much the same thing, except using individual plate holders, and you have to remind the person to be relatively still. So for me, it’s not a ‘speed’ camera at all, and that would be the only real drawback, particularly when people are used to having their picture taken quickly with a phone. But honestly this could apply to any number of cameras.

To my knowledge I’ve never ever had an issue with the ‘threatening’ nature of any of my cameras, be they my Nikons, Hasselblads, Leicas or creaky old cameras like the Ermanox. I just try to be my cheerful self, no matter the recording device.
 
Regarding 127 film, rather than Rerapan (which I also don't much care for) have you considered the bulk 46mm HP5+ that Ilford still sell? If you have spools and backing paper already it's much easier than cutting down 120 rolls, and HP5+ is more resistant to scratching as well as being a nice flexible film. I go through lots of it feeding a pre-war baby Rolleiflex and usually expose it at 200, and I imagine even 100 isn't out of the question. Ilford provide it in 50 foot by 46mm rolls which have to be ordered during a short period annually, but various dealers buy extra and can supply it at will.
 
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