About Camera Eccentric!!!
This business began as a hobby many years ago. I started collecting and using classic camera equipment after my first purchase of a 35 year old camera from an antique store. The joy and statisfaction has only grown since I cleaned and photographed with my first piece of vintage photographic equipment. My interests have evolved to older lenses and even larger cameras. As my passions grew the space in my tiny studio began to shrink. Wooden view cameras, brass lenses, and heavy tripods found their way into every nook and cranny $500 on South Beach could get you.
With the realization that this "hobby" had filled up so much of my life, I began selling some of my prized possessions to other photographers and stores who also enjoyed these unique pieces of photographic history. In time photography began to give back to my life in an unepected way. It feels really good to help other photographers in their quest for creative photography and personal expression. Unlike many other artistic fields, photography equipment is intrinsic to a photographers pursuit of their craft. I now take great pride in matching up unique lenses and cameras with photographers looking for that certain quality in order to get their ideas across. This site is not only a place of business for me to make a living with one of my greatest passions, but also a place for me to inform, aid, and encourage other photographers in their quest for their own photographic experience. Below is a more detailed description of my introduciton to vintage camera equipment and some examples of the photos I've been able to find along the way!
Sincerely,
Seth Broder
This photograph, A Bunch of Daises, was one of my first attempts at expressing an emotional state with a camera. I recognized this while taking the photograph because of the amount of exhaustive thought and mental consideration taking place while trying to get the subject, lighting, etc., just right. This photograph of Daises is not necessarily a great work of art, but it was an important step in my creative process and maturity, none the less. I photographed these flowers in 1994 after changing my life direction and my interests. I am setting up this page in chronological order to help show the connection between my creative progression and the equipment I am using. There is a lot of debate over which brands of camera, lenses, and film/digital equipment to use. I truly believe that large format cameras are best suited for new photographers and artists.
This photograph was taken with a 35mm SLR. 35mm was the recommended format for beginners at the time. In hindsight, I don’t understand this philosophy of giving aspiring new photographers and artists the 35mm. The camera is ill suited for learning the principles behind photography. In my humble opinion, there is reverse logic taking place in the photographic education system. My 35mm cameras quickly went the way of used equipment as I learned the beauty and quality of photographs taken with medium and large format equipment.
As my interest in photography grew it quickly became an obsession! This photograph, Beetle, was taken in 1999. I had moved to a very interesting enclave in Miami called Coconut Grove after returning from Seattle, Washington, where I had lived for a year. Living in Seattle opened my eyes to what Terry Pindell referred to as a “Sense of Place”, in his book A Great Place to Live. I was consistently amazed at the difference in attitude, culture, and environment that permeated throughout the cities of the West. I think Tom Waits put it best in one of his songs, “I never saw the East until I moved to the West…” Upon moving back to Miami, I found new fervor to explore the city that I grew up in. With a new camera in hand I biked, walked and bused around Miami and was surprised to find new areas that I had not seen in my hometown. The camera that I used to take this photograph was a medium format Minolta Autocord TLR made between the 1960’s and 1970’s.
This was the first older camera that I used for any extensive period of time.The camera used rolls of 120mm Medium format film, which equated to negatives 2 1/4" by 2 1/4". The photograph to the right is of yours truly with a few friends I met behind a cuban restaurant near Coconut Grove. It was also taken with the Minolta Autocord and attests to the camera's ability to render find detail, even in color! This camera's quality was so superb and surprising when compared to 35mm cameras that I started on the road to using ever larger and older photographic equipment. Shortly after using the Minolta Autocord, I experimented for many years with cameras made by the Graflex Company.Shortly after using the Minolta Autocord, I experimented for many years with cameras made by the Graflex Company. The photograph below, SUVA, was photographed using an early Graflex model called a Pre-Anniversary Speed Graphic. It took sheets of 4”x 5” film, and could utilize a Polaroid film holder, which allowed me to see immediate results. I shot this photograph in 2002, while I explored my new home in South Beach, Florida.
Over the years I became fascinated with buildings and surroundings that make up different cities and communities. There seems to be endless potential for pictorial scenes to photograph, each containing their own message and feeling. After learning the tremendous potential older photographic equipment contains, I started to research the photographers that used these cameras and lenses. These photographers are as varied, if not more so, than these vintage lenses. I learned that there were some photographers that went on to design their own lenses, feeling they needed a specific quality of lens to evoke their desired imagery and emotions. An example of a photographer who did this is Carl Struss, who designed soft focus lenses for his own photography. He was part of a flourishing community of photographers that called themselves Pictorialists.
One might ask, “Where does that leave me now?” For a number of years I have been collecting and using vintage lenses and cameras, with ever more frequency. It feels great finding classic lenses, some being made before 1900, and putting them back into use. I have accumulated a lot of photographic equipment and sell/trade them with other photographers. I will be placing most of these photographic items on the equipment for sale page for you to view.
Over the past ten years, I have realized that my passion centers on vintage large format cameras and lenses. Not only do I find great beauty in using these pieces of art, I also find a great amount of joy collecting and repairing these items. My greatest satisfaction, however, is providing these gems to other photographers who will continue to use them and create beautiful photographs for future generations to see.