some photos I took with a SEVENTY year old camera - johnny

Whilst on holiday with my parents in Bridgnorth a few years ago, we went to an Antiques Centre where I spotted an old Kodak Box Brownie in really good condition. You usually see these things dotted around in varying levels of condition and sometimes for ridiculous prices cos people think they're crazy valuable just cos they're old. But this one was both cheap and in good condition so I added it to the collection!

My Kodak Box Brownie Six-20 looking good for a seventy year old.

My Six-20 Model D, as the name might suggest, took 620 roll film. Similar to 120 Medium Format, but different enough that you can't just put regular 120 film through it. But thanks to the folks at Film Photography Project I was able to source a roll of colour and black and white film to test it with. I took it away on a long weekend with Chloé in Suffolk to test it!

Chloé on the beach at Southwold shot with a seventy year old Kodak Box Brownie Six-20

I had zero expectations going in, and fully expected to just get 8 photos of dust and noise, but I was really happy with how my photos turned out! It took some getting used to, having to look through and line up shots using the little window at the top but once you got used to it, it was a cool little camera to use.

The beach at Felixstowe shot on 620 film with a Kodak Box Brownie Six-20

There's a bit of light leakage going on, but I'm OK with that, and I'm mostly just surprised by how sharp the photos are! There isn't much that can go wrong with these cameras, but even so, for a seventy year old camera not to be fogged with dust, mould or UV damage, it was a bargain!

A war memorial in Felixstowe shot with 620 film using a Kodak Box Brownie Six-20

Knowing that the camera now worked OK, I also took it with me around Birmingham to shoot a few photos on colour film this time.

A building covered in graffiti shot on Film Photography Project 620 film

And although the colour photos turned out just fine, I feel like the camera really shines when paired with black and white film. The light leaks and definition you get with the photos, I think, just looks better in black and white, but sometimes, specific compositions just don't work in black and white! So I tried to shoot stuff that suited being shot in colour.

Graffiti in Digbeth, Birmingham shot on Film Photography Project 620 film.

And Digbeth in Birmingham is perfect for that if you like shooting cool graffiti and street art! I was really happy with the photos I got out of this camera, although the cost of the film and of then getting it processed, because it's not the same as regular 35mm film, is expensive! But I'd still like to use it again sometime!

Ozzy the Bull in Birmingham Grand Central station shot on Film Photography Project 620 film.

I wrote a more detailed post with a few more photos shot with this camera on my website blog that you can find here.