Firefly Girl - Magic Happens with a Fed 3

The first roll I exposed through my Fed 3 was a long way coming. I'd been in possession of the camera for 2,5 years before I decided to give it a go.

I'd adjusted the focusing after a while, having stalled since being unsure if I could do it myself. Eventually when I'd searched the topic nothing seemed more easily done.

As a way to celebrate a sort of ease of the pandemic, late spring, I loaded the camera with a roll of regular 200 ASA colour film. I never do regular colour film these days, but this was a special occasion - having an outdoor meet-up and picnic with my parents in-law. We hadn't met since February and this was late May.

As you can see the fireflies were quite persistent. Well, it's actually nothing from the animal kingdom haunting these photos. There were holes in the shutter curtain which let light onto the film. Actually the part that had holes in it was the one that was in position when I'd cocked the shutter.

Today I received the developed negatives and discovered the 'fireflies'. I'd read somewhere that to mend holes in shutter curtains made of cloth you can use 'vulk', or glue for mending bike tyres. It solidifys into a rubbery material which doesn't make the curtain too stiff. So that's what I used. I also used a black marker to sort of fill the material with black pigment once it'd gone solid.

I can't wait to use the Fed 3 again. It really is a comfortable and trustworthy seeming camera, despite its flaws.

I hope you got something out of this. Don't hesitate to comment here or at my Instagram. Visit the photography shop getOBphoto that I run at Etsy.

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