Tuscany Photography Journal 3

Tuscany Photography Journal 2

I continue to show a couple of the Tuscany panoramas. I find the commonly known pictures from this region are getting too trivial, I have a hard time to select something off the beaten track.

With the Agfa Clack in Pisa

"Il torre pendente" (alias leaning tower) is for sure the most photo- graphed place in Pisa, you will see at any given time dozens of people snapping away with all types of cameras (I wonder how many pictures exist of it already). The favourite position is to somehow lean over and try to push or support the tower, its the best thing to observe this for a while! I realized there was no one in sight, for the 2 hours we hang out there, using a film camera (not to talk about a medium format camera). I tooks some shots with 617 and the xpan (people look like I come from a different planet with these ancient looking cameras) and found I dedicate the place to the most simple camera I own:

AGFA CLACK
The AgfaClack was produced from 1953 to 1965 and costed about 20.- SGD (19,50 DM at that time). With fix focus, fix aperture (2 settings, ~11,16) and fix shutter speed (1/30s) it exposes 120 film (6x9 cm). It was dedicated to use a Agfapan DIN 17 (25) film which is no longer available. It makes sense to use a lightmeter to give you a feeling how close you are to the F11-1/30s settings. I used an expired Agfa APX100 for these images (Scanned with Espon V700, minor touchup).

Other Clacks:

Tuscany Photography Journal 1

Tuscany must be one of the most visited places or areas in Italy. The famous landscapes, towns and cities are attracting millions of visitors each year. Most of the famous places are drowned in busloads of people. After this trip I throwed away my travel Guide telling me places like San Gimignano is a tip. Its not, if you go for some serious photography you should avoid places like this. But there is plenty to explore around and there more you get to the countryside the better, you still find places almost "off the beaten track".
My recommendation: Siena, Le Crete, Asciano (tourists but still ok), Go in September or better October.
I focused on my favourite topics: old buildings, details, landscape. The above panorama shows a farm around Le Crete, probably the most photographed place around there. You will find views like this on every second postcard and in every travel book, but not everything looks like that !

Return from Tuscany

Finally found our way back after one week Tuscany. It is a beautiful place and there are plenty of photo opportunities all over. But I didnt expect so many tourists, even end of september. We skipped Florence to focus on the less congested (less expensive) area around Siena and Le Crete. I brought back a number of 120 rolls (617) and 135 (XPan) and now busy scanning my treasures.
I put some images here in the next few days and also give more personal thoughts and tips about travelling to Tuscany.
I brought my 6x6 and even an Agfa Clack along that I purchase drecently for 2 Euro (Lets see what a camera from 1960's with fix aperture and time) can do.