Gold Rush Building

Gold Rush Building, originally uploaded by mhall209.

I am not sure, but it looks like this building was built around 1863. For California, that's a pretty old building. I love these old buildings. We come across them often as we walk around the old gold rush towns here in northern California. This one is in Jackson, California where my wife and I frequently stroll.

For this shot I used a borrowed Yashica medium format film camera. On the up side, using this camera really makes you slow down and look at the photo you are taking. Looking through the viewfinder means you are looking through a mirror, so everything is backwards. There are two zoom tools; your left foot and your right foot. These features mean it is a lot of work framing your shot. Which means you slow down and really think about it. Ditto for the aperture and shutter speed.

On the down side, I figure it costs about two dollars each time I click the shutter, between film and processing costs. That makes me really think about the shot in the viewfinder. Do I like this shot $2 worth? I notice that when the film comes back from the lab (A whole other issue) I am happy with a much higher percentage of shots than when I use the digital camera.

So I think I will keep using the Yashica as long as I can afford it. Or until my brother takes it back!