film friday (except it's monday): hasselblad shots of santa fe

I've written before that using my Hasselblad, a camera which is completely, absolutely and 100% manual (the thing doesn't even take a battery) is an act in mindfulness. It takes a moment of full concentration to load the camera with film properly. The light has to be read, and the camera metered correctly. When you're ready to take the shot, because you look through the viewfinder from the top of the camera, rather than through the back, it takes a moment to make sure you're holding the camera correctly to compose the shot with a straight horizon (not to mention that the image is reversed when you look through the camera). Once you've squeezed the shutter, the film has to be manually wound to the next frame. And then, of course, you have to wait until the film is finished and processed before you can ever even see if you got the shot in the first place.

If a digital SLR camera is a Ducati motorcycle, then a film camera is a kick scooter.

Not that I'm complaining, mind. It's an incredibly peaceful experience, shooting with the Hasselblad. But I'm finding that the occasions when I would whip out my Nikon are not the same as when I wish my Hasselblad with me.

My Nikon is all about shots on the fly.

The Hassie is all about shots on the quiet.

For this reason, the Hassie is perfect for vacations -- particularly the ones where I'm supposed to be taking some down time, and really resting. Because it's bulky and heavy, when I'm preparing for a holiday I'm often tempted to leave it behind; however, when I do bring it, then I feel guilty if I don't use it. Happily, since using it requires a certain amount of stillness and slowing down, shooting with it guarantees that at the very least, I'm quiet and restful at some point on my vacation. It's always worth the extra weight, in the end.

So here are the photographs that I took with the Hassie while in Santa Fe. They are the result of a couple of solo hikes near the home where we stayed -- hikes that I initially resisted doing, because I don't like the cold, and Santa Fe in December and January isn't warm -- but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't go out and grab some shots.

I'm very happy I did. Because taking them reminded me to breathe -- and then reliving those moments as I look at these shots reminds me to breathe all over again.