Concert Photography with a 1950s Folding Rangefinder
Most concert venues do not allow interchangeable lens cameras into shows without special permission. But this simple means of distinguishing unauthorized professional photography and unstoppable casual snapshooting can invite creative photographers to blur the boundaries between these types of photography with unlikely cameras.
Equipped with the 1950s Kodak Retina IIIC and a few rolls of Ilford Delta 3200, Yushta didn’t even raise eyebrows at Security. After all, what kind of photos can someone take with a dusty old antique?
The Kodak Retina IIIC is the newest in a long line of pocketable 35mm rangefinder cameras dating back to the 1930s. The word “newest” is pretty relative though since the IIIC was sold between 1957 and 1960 – well over 60 years ago!
The Retina IIIC is equipped with an uncoupled light meter, but because it is selenium-powered, it tops out at just 1300 ISO and it is impossible to see its match needle readings in low light — this camera offers little exposure aid to the concert photographer.
Additionally, though it doesn’t appear to be and is only marginally so, the Retina IIIC is TECHNICALLY an interchangeable lens camera!
Only the front elements of the lens can be removed from the body. The camera comes with a practical, reasonably high-performing 50mm f2 Xenon lens by German lens maker Schneider. But front elements for a 35mm f5.6 and 80mm f4 can also be fitted. You’ll be unable to fold the camera shut while they are installed, so most people just stick with that nifty fifty.
The rest of the Kodak Retina is a standard, all-manual, mechanical rangefinder camera with the usual complement of shutter speeds (Bulb to 500) and apertures (f/2 to f/22). While nothing to write home about, this is really all that a talented photographer needs to make a good photo.
Chris says that the sharpness and portability of the camera made bringing the Kodak Retina IIIC to a concert a “no brainer.”
“I am a bit of an old camera collector and have put a few rolls through the Retina,” he says. “I have always been impressed with its sharpness as well as its ease of use. It’s also worth mentioning that the Retina folded up, fits pretty easily in your pocket, so it was a no brainer.
“[In Flames] has been my favorite band for the better part of a decade. One way or another I wanted to mix the love of photography with the love of this band.”
Luckily for Chris, security at the event didn’t give him any problems at all.
“I was a little hesitant about bringing it as I wasn’t sure how it would be received,” the photographer says. “I splurged and did the meet-and-greet for In Flames. So they actually had us empty our pockets, and not a soul gave it a second glance. Folded up you might not even know it was a camera.
“Because of the meet-and-greet I was on the main floor before general admission, so I was able to secure a spot on the fence at the very front. So there was no question I was shooting with a camera. Security at the front actually tried to step out of my way when I would take a shot. I have to say my whole experience at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver was really top notch.”
As you might expect, using a vintage camera for concert photography presents something of a technical challenge.
“It was pretty tricky at first…” Chris says. “I used the first band, Unearth, to practice focusing in the low light. And by the time the 2nd band, Lacuna Coil came on, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on it and just trusted my gut.
“I really feel like my exposure was mostly luck, during Unearth, I took a general meter reading when the stage was moderately lit and that’s what I stayed with.
“My Retina currently has a 50 f/2 on and I felt f/2 would have been too shallow for my lack of experience in focusing this thing in low light. The rangefinder patch worked great for the most part, especially in low light. However, as you’ll see in some of the images there was very strong backlight which would make the rangefinder patch completely disappear [white-out].”
Metering with the camera to figure out the appropriate exposure settings is a slow process.
“Figuring out your exposure on a Retina lllC is not a fast process,’ Chris says. “You have to take a meter reading first [the meter is not mechanically coupled to the camera], which gives you [an exposure value or EV, numbering 2-18]. And you set that value on the lens and it gives you an aperture and shutter speed. Once your EV is set, you can use equivalent exposures to adjust your settings to how you want them.
“In this case, my shutter speed and apertures were 1/400 and f/4 and 1300iso (The Retina only goes to 1300iso and not 1600) I was shooting 3200 Ilford Delta and had planned on pulling it one stop. So 1/400 and f/4 seemed almost perfect for what I was doing.”
Chris was forced to be selective with his photography as he brought just a single roll of film to the event.
“My roll of Ilford Delta 3200 was 36 exposures and it was the only roll I brought,” the photographer says. “I considered bringing more but It seemed like trying to load film at a concert in low light might have been tough and I didn’t want to be disrespectful to the people around me. So I only opted for the one roll. Next time will be more!
“I have an acquaintance at Foto Lab No.7 in South Dakota, he pull-processed the film by one stop and scanned it for me. We unfortunately don’t have many lab options in South Dakota. Someday I would like to start developing my own film, but due to space and time constraints it’ll be a few years at least before I am at that point.”
The key to doing experimental photography like this is to lower your expectations and just enjoy the process.
“I went to the concert with zero expectations and thought it would be a fun challenge but wasn’t going to be bothered if it didn’t turn out, I knew full well there were a lot of obstacles to overcome,” Chris says. “Concert lighting is wildly all over the place, I used a camera that was probably not designed for this type of shooting, and I wasn’t all THAT familiar with it. I could not have been any more pleased with how they turned out!”
Chris says he hopes to shoot more concerts with the camera in the future, but the limiting factor is just finding one to shoot.
“If the situation arises I will definitely shoot more concerts with the Retina,” Chris says. “Unfortunately much like film Labs, good concerts are about as scarce in western South Dakota. The results from the concert have inspired me to take the Retina with us on our family vacation this month.
“Prior to this, I had planned on taking my Nikon Ftn. I am a firm believer in shooting what you have, and I say if you have a Retina it might just be the best concert camera you can bring. No one batted an eye about me shooting with it and the quality of the images far surpassed what I had hoped for. This time, the Retina lllC was the perfect camera for the job.”
Limits on the types of cameras that fans can bring to shows are put in place to respect the contracts between professional photographers and performers. It’s primarily a means of controlling the artists’ image and how that media is used. So it’s always best to seek permission from the band, promotor, or venue to photograph a concert.
But bringing an unlikely camera that (more or less) meets the rules of admission is a cool way to get some practice in and spread the word about your favorite musicians. It’s no different than the legions of fans taking photos and videos with their smartphones but is, arguably, more interesting.
Regardless of what type of of camera you use, when shooting concerts for fun, be sure and respect other audience members, and the bands themselves. Remember, the music comes first. Then get your cool rock shots in like Chris Yushta!
You can find more of Chris Yushta’s photography on Facebook at @YushtaPhoto, Instagram @Yushta_Photo, and Instagram @Yushta_Scapes.
About the author: Johnny Martyr is an East Coast film photographer. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. After an adventurous 20-year photographic journey, he now shoots exclusively on B&W 35mm film that he painstakingly hand-processes and digitizes. Choosing to work with only a select few clients per annum, Martyr’s uncommonly personalized process ensures unsurpassed quality as well as stylish, natural & timeless imagery that will endure for decades. You can find more of his work on his website, Flickr, Facebook, and Instagram.
