Fisheye No. 2 Redscale Experimentation with Evan Purney

Evan Purney is a Canadian analogue photographer best known for his TikTok account where he experiments with different film stocks, cameras, and techniques. We recently sent him a Fisheye No. 2 camera to test out.

Let's take a look at some of his results and hear about his first impressions and experience!

Hi, Evan! Welcome to Lomography Magazine. Could you please tell us about yourself and your work?

Hi! Thanks for reaching out! I’m a software engineer and amateur film photographer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. My favorite thing about film in particular is how involved you can get with each step of the process and how small tweaks at each phase can drastically change the outcome. This definitely comes through in my work, which I like to classify as DIY/experimental film photography.

How did you discover Lomography?

Pretty early on into my journey with film photography I became interested in experimental films and processes. This naturally led me to Lomography and the associated movement, which really speaks to the way I approach photography in general!

What made you decide to try out the Fisheye No. 2 camera?

Fisheye lenses have always seemed really interesting to me, but I had been deterred from investing in one due to the price point. It’s probably cheaper with other camera brands, but since I usually shoot Minolta I’d be looking at $500+. That’s a bit out of my price range for a “fun lens.” The Fisheye No. 2 is a great way to try out and have fun with the format, at an affordable price point.

Can you tell us about what you shot with the camera?

For my first roll, I just took a walk around my neighborhood and played with some of the camera's features, as well as some different compositions. After getting an idea of what to expect I decided to get a bit creative with my second roll. I wanted to use up the borders of the frame as well as the center, so I decided to expose the roll in a regular camera, then in the fisheye camera. I shot the first pass as redscale and the second pass normally to separate the two exposures very clearly.

Do you think shooting with a fisheye gave you a new perspective to shooting?

Absolutely! Trying to come up with interesting compositions was a challenge, but definitely a fun one. It totally changed how I looked at the world.

After shooting a couple of rolls, do you think your approach to using the Fisheye No. 2 camera has changed at all?

Having the fisheye viewfinder helped me get used to the format A LOT faster, but I definitely think I’ve gotten more comfortable with how to compose shots as I’ve used the camera more.

Do you have a favorite photo that you've shot with the camera? Is there a story behind it?

It’s tough to say, I’d have to choose one of the expose both sides (EBS) ones. Maybe the image above. I really wanted to create a portal-y effect with these ones and I feel this one turned out pretty much perfect.

Any tips or tricks for using the Fisheye No.2 camera?

I would say to use a fast film. I shot a few rolls of motion picture film rated at 250 ISO, and definitely dealt with some underexposure because of it. 400 ISO is good, but I’ll be trying 800 speed next time to get better shadow detail. Another tip is to avoid shooting directly into bright light— this includes flash at close range. Because of the wide angle, if light is too direct you can actually capture the edges of the lens itself in the photo! It’s not a huge deal if you only want the circle image, but it did mess up a few shots on that second roll I shot!

Do you have any upcoming projects that you can share with us?

I just released my first zine! It’s an intimate look at my recent trip to Toronto and I’m super excited about it. I’m also going to be doing some 1/1 prints on vintage/handmade paper soon; I’ve done some test prints and they look so cool. You can find all that stuff as well as some regular prints on my website.

Anything else that you'd like to share?

Just want to say thanks again for the opportunity to try out this camera and for the interview!

If you're interested in seeing more of Evan's work don't forget to check out his Instagram, TikTok, and website!

written by eloffreno on 2022-10-17 #gear #people #experimental #canada #redscale #fisheye-no-2 #tiktok