Alessandro Melillo's weblog

I shoot digital with a Nikon Coolpix 5700.
When I'm in need of introspection or just wanna have fun, I challenge myself with a Yashica FX-3 SLR, a medium format YashicaMat TLR and a 1959 Zorki 4 rangefinder camera. no light meter. much soul.

if you happen to like one of my pictures and you'd like to get a print, just send me an email and ask me. they're reasonably priced and carefully prepared.

RonJe. Get yours at bighugelabs.com/flickr

visit my flickr page!

Created with Paul's flickrSLiDR.

CAMERAS

YashicaMat

my beloved twin lens reflex. it's the first of the several Mats that were made by Yashica since the fifties. if you plan to enter the medium format world the YashicaMat is well wort a try, and this first model is definitely the one to look for; it stil has the metal winding lever and many other metallic parts that were later replaced by plastic gears. it's robust, it has a sharp lens (a Yashinon 75mm f/3.5), a sports viewfinder, a loupe and it's a cool object to show when you're shooting around. It brings up curiosity in many people who are attracted by the strange tool, and aware amateurs are naturally attracted by it, so they often step by to talk to you.

Zorki 4

This Zorki 4 dates back to 1959 as i can guess by looking at its serial number. it's a good rangefinder camera and in collectors' jargon is labeled as a "model A" that means the very first Zorki 4 model. it has nicely cured parts, engraved name on the front plate and engraved numbers on the dials, and a nice frame around the viewfinder window. an overall better look which reflects a better quality camera, with its bright and sharp Jupiter 8 50mm f/2 which, to be a cheap prime, is a clone of the Zeiss Sonnar and performs very well. You will notice that extra gear in low-light conditions!

FUN

I'm designing and writing a photographic pamphlet titled "Why I photograph" after Chris Weeks' "Why do we photograph?" trying to explain my personal engagement with photography and, eventually, not assuming to tell you why *you* shoot photographs. If you don't know Chris Weeks go and check him on www.deviantart.com, he's written many interesting books in a free pdf format, and he's a good photographer, so it's worth a look.

I founded for fun the Lost Photograph Club, which is an effort to make the photographers spread their work and share it with other people.
apart from that, i administrate the Zorki Cameras group, the Piombino group and another group i won't tell you about, feel free to investigate and know about it!

ARTICLES

none yet, sorry!

Copyright 2005 by Alessandro Melillo - GNU Free Documentation License - You'd be VERY kind if you clearly say these pictures are mine , if you are going to republish, print or otherwise distribute them. Thanks.