"I want the viewers...

...to be moved into the lives of the people that they are looking at, the visual experience is incredibly emotional."

Paul Fusco

"emancipate yourself from mental slavery", brasil, 2010

Impressions of a workhorse.

These days I've used plenty of times my Praktica LTL3, for example for the series "1camera + 19lenses = 19pictures".
The LTL3 is a wonderful camera and I enjoy to photograph with her.
You know that I built a handgrip for her, which facilitated the work with the Praktica.

Of course, the LTL3 has got TTL, but certainly you need a battery for that and I was too lazy to buy one. For that reason I've glued little exposure charts, which are on the packages of Kodak- and Fuji-films, on the camera bottom.


It's very easy to use them. That way I've exposed almost the whole "1camera + 19lenses = 19pictures"-series. Okay, it seems a little bit dilettante, but who cares?

Also I've glued a kind of insulating tape on the edges of the handgrip, the hatch and the film advance lever to make it a bit safer. The tape is in fact for table tennis bats and is from Schöler&Micke.




And I've glued a piece of a film package on the back to know what film is in the camera.
I think that the yellow and red of Kodak harmonize with the brown of the camera cover.


I love this Thai letters!

Yeah, my Praktica LTL3 isn't a beauty queen, but she is designed to be a workhorse!

Ilford Multigrade Filter Kit.

In fact the Ilford Multigrade Filter Kit is just a darkroom equipment for the black&white printing.
I've got two kits:
_ one kit is numbered 00-5 in 1/2 steps
_ the other kit is numbered 1-5 in 1 steps

But like you can read at the Ilford website: "However, there are very good reasons why you should still [...] use MULTIGRADE filters."

And before I will use them in the darkroom, I've used them as normal filters.

First I've used the 3 1/2 filter in combination with the Metz Mecablitz 20BC6 at my Praktica LTL3:




It's very easy to use, here a picture:

"zenit in pink", brasil, 2010


After that I've used the other kit. Here I've used the filters 4 and 5 together at the Praktica LTL3 and the Exaktar SFX 35:






Because of the filters I've exposed the ISO 200 film like an ISO 100 film.
Here a picture:

"confusity", brasil, 2010

And yes, Ilford is right! There are very good reasons why you should use MULTIGRADE filters in the darkroom and at your camera and flash!

1 camera + 19lenses = 19pictures

The project is:
1 camera: Praktica LTL3
19 lenses: all my M42-lenses

Praktica LTL3 plus 19 lenses

Here come the 19 pictures:

"structure of an orchid I":  Praktica LTL3 - Porst MC auto 1.7/50mm (made by Cosina) - Kodak Color Plus 200 - Metz Mecablitz 20BC6 - Photoshop CS: sandwich of 2 pictures

"never ever trust an escape vehicle 2010":  Praktica LTL3 - Isco Göttingen Westanar 2.8/50mm - Kodak Color Plus 200

"my view 2010":  Praktica LTL3 - Helios 44M-4 2/58mm - Kodak Color Plus 200

"animal kitchen 03":  Praktica LTL3 - Paximat 4.5/80-200mm - Fuji Pro Value II 200

"fern - version s.":  Praktica LTL3 - Revuenon MC alias Enna München Tele-Ennalyt MC 2.8/135mm - Kodak Color Plus 200 - Metz Mecablitz 20BC6

"coloriertes ambiente 2010":  Praktica LTL3 - Porst Color Reflex Auto 2.8/55mm - Kodak Ultra Max 400

 "ich will mein leben zurueck 2010":  Praktica LTL3 - Porst Tele alias Enna München Tele-Ennalyt 3.5/135mm - Kodak Ultra Max 400

"hidden orchid":  Praktica LTL3 - Porst Weitwinkel alias Enna München Lithagon 3.5/35mm - Kodak Ultra Max 400

"walk the line 2010":  Praktica LTL3 - Revuenon Special 2.8/135mm - Kodak Ultra Max 400 - Photoshop CS

"guten abend ich bin das böse 2010":  Praktica LTL3 - Helios 44M-6 MC 2/58mm - Fuji Superia XTRA 400

"emancipate yourself from mental slavery":  Praktica LTL3 - Porst Tele 3.5/135mm - Fuji Superia XTRA 400

 "the great beyond": Praktica LTL3 - Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar 2.8/50mm - Fuji Superia XTRA 400 - Photoshop CS

"this was a media war":  Praktica LTL3 - Rikenon 1.7/50mm - Fuji Superia XTRA 400

"light accident":  Praktica LTL3 - Meyer-Optik Görlitz Domiplan 2.8/50mm - Fuji Superia XTRA 400 - Photoshop CS

"confusity":  Praktica LTL3 - Exaktar SFX 35 - Ilford Multigrade Filter 4 + 5 - Kodak Color Plus 200

"eat my shorts":  Praktica LTL3 - Exaktar SFX 135 - Kodak Color Plus 200

"studie 9989":  Praktica LTL3 - Pinhole 1:176/55mm - Kodak Color Plus 200

"it's dark now 2010":  Praktica LTL3 - Pinhole 1:205/75mm - Kodak Color Plus 200

"santa catarina 2010":  Praktica LTL3 - Helios 44M-7 MC 2/58mm - Fuji Superia XTRA 400  Photomontage inspired by the photomontage "Illinois, 1979" by Ken Josephson

You can also watch the pictures here!



pictures by Fabricio Schmidt
music: Incubus - Drive

"I walk the line"

"I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time.
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine,
I walk the line

I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine,
I walk the line

As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves that it's right
Because you're mine,
I walk the line

You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine,
I walk the line"

Johnny Cash

"walk the line 2010", brasil, 2010

"The picture…

…is but a succession or variety of stronger lights thrown upon one part of the paper, and of deeper shadows on another. Now Light, where it exists, can exert an action."

William Henry Fox Talbot

"I wanna be a photo, please", brasil, 2010