mju ii — Blog — ijclark photography

As regular readers will know, I rediscovered my Olympus Mju II a few months back and I’ve been periodically buying a roll of film, working my way through it then getting the film developed and scanned. So far, the experience has been ok, but I’ve been frustrated by the lack of really good shots and rolls full of either average shots or out of focus ones. Now I’ve received my third roll of film back, I’m pleased to find some improvement and some decent shots (in amongst all the standard average ones).

My favourite shot of all the ones I have taken so far, from that first roll a few months ago was the kind of shot I like to get when I’m on the streets using my Fuji. And, surprisingly, it’s the first ever shot I’ve managed to get of this sort, looking directly into a bus. I had been hoping for such an opportunity for some time (I walk on a bus route to work) and on this occasion I got the look I was hoping for and a bus stopping in a convenient location. Happy days!

Person sitting on a bus behind a misty and rain covered window.

I was fortunate too, with this roll of film, to have it during a period of typical winter weather, with fog and rain thrown into the mix. This led to plenty of opportunities, particularly on one foggy morning in the city that presented the kind of conditions I’d dreamt of catching on my commute in the winter.

people walking across a bridge in the fog

two people walking in the fog with buildings obscured in the background

People walking in the street with fog obscuring the backgroun

There was also plenty of rain which was good for reflections, although it was tricky to get some decent compositions with the time I had and a lack of cloths to clean the lens. I just had to make do with what I could get.

person carrying an umbrella walking towards the camera in the rain.

person walking across a bridge in the rain carrying umbrellas.

Nothing too exciting there really. I need to work on this more with the time I have (around 40mins before work). It’s also difficult when there are so many other people around, but I’m sure there are shots to be had around that area on the way to work.

I said at the top that the bus shot was my favourite. There was another that is up there as a shot I’m pretty happy with all things considered, looking through a phonebox to a distant figure in the fog:

I’ve put all the hits and misses in the gallery below, will be interested to hear what you think as always!

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about rediscovering my Mju II and buying a roll of film to give it a run out after twenty years of it gathering dust in a cupboard. Having finished the film and taken it in for processing, I now have my first roll of film back from the developers. So…how did I get on with it?

Well, it was a mixed bag. It was interesting shooting with film again, particularly with a point and shoot that, whilst having some strong points, does have its flaws too. The thing that came to mind to me most when shooting with it, were the words of Henri Cartier-Bresson:

“When a photographer raises his camera at something that is taking place in front of him, there is one moment at which the elements in motion are in balance. Photography must seize upon this moment.”

That was what I struggled with most. Often I would find myself settling on a composition then waiting, but waiting just a little too long. I frequently found myself thinking “not yet…not yet…not yet” waiting for the perfect moment where everything was exactly placed. More often than not, I was not decisive. I struggled throughout the roll to identify the right moment. A few times I think I got it, but too often I was just too slow…too hesitant. Of course, with digital I’m used to shooting a whole load of shots, knowing that one will be the “right” shot. Obviously, shooting film you don’t have that luxury (certainly not with the current cost of film and film processing anyway!). You have to seize on the moment.

Of all the photos from this first roll of film, I think this one came closest to being the kind of shot I wanted to capture:

I really like the tones and I was pleased I was able to capture one person in shot on what is otherwise quite a busy thoroughfare. The image itself was created by using reflections from glass panels running along the bridge. There are parts of the bridge with a black panel that, when the light is right, casts a reflection of the people walking across the bridge. This was somewhat of an experiment as I wasn’t sure it would come out as I wanted, but I was pleasantly surprised when I got the film back from developing. It just had the kind of feel to it that I liked. A bit of atmosphere.

Another of my favourites, albeit a pretty straightforward shot, was this one:

person walking past a wall with Wonder Full written on it.

Not particularly original, but I like the background, the position of the subject and the leaves in the upper corners. I’ll take more interesting photos (I hope!), but I was pleased that this one was just…right. Composition was ok, focus was good, I caught the person at the right point in their stride. Nothing spectacular, but pleasing technically given I’d not shot with this camera for quite some time.

But it wasn’t all quite so pleasing. It clearly took me a while to get the focus right. Quite a few shots I missed focus as I tried to work out shooting with the Mju II. No biggie, I didn’t expect 36 bangers. And besides, you have to make mistakes to learn, right?

And there were times where I tried shooting without using the viewfinder and…well…

head of a person at the bottom of the frame with tudor framed building in the background

But overall, the roll wasn’t too bad. I’m currently working through a second roll of HP5 and I think I have learnt from this first roll. More shots in the gallery below. Let me know what you think!

The Best Roll Yet?

Shooting Ilford HP5 with the Olympus Mju II

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