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Over the years, I’ve somehow acquired quite a few Brownie cameras. One of my favorite things about being a photographer is that people just (literally) drop old cameras off at my doorstep because they don’t know what to do with them. My camera collection is so large now that I’m contemplating building shelves in every room in my house just to display them!
Specifically, the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash Model has always stood out to me because the one I received is in great condition. It almost looked like a new camera, even though it’s from the 1950s! So for years, it was calling my name to try it out. I’m not going to lie though, it was intimidating. I thought there was no way I’d be able to figure out how to use it. It turns out, it’s one of the EASIEST cameras to use EVER. It’s essentially a pinhole camera mixed with a Holga. There aren’t any crazy settings or knobs and buttons to deal with. You just look down into the viewfinder, compose your shot, hold as still as possible and click the shutter. It’s that easy. However, there is a lever that you can pull up if you’d like to use the “bulb” setting. Personally, I don’t feel there is a reason to use the bulb setting because the shutter is already quite slow, around 1/30th to 1/60th of a second. That’s why it’s so important to hold the camera as still as possible when taking your photo - to avoid motion blur. If you’re interested in shooting in lower light situations, you could always add the flash, which I haven’t tried yet but plan to!
The first time I used my Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, I was headed to Kauai for vacation and decided to just toss it in my bag and try it out when I got there. I purchased two rolls of 620 on our 2-day stopover in Portland, Oregon from Blue Moon Camera. I watched a quick YouTube video on how to load the film and then just went for it. The film was actually surprisingly easy to load because the inside of the camera has guide-marks for loading. I nervously shot my first roll of film, feeling like there was NO way the images were turning out because of how easy it seemed to just point and shoot. After I returned home, I mailed my film off to Citizens Photo and was SO EXCITED when my film came back, perfectly exposed and beautiful. There is truly no better feeling than getting my film back in the mail.
Recently, I purchased a few more rolls of 620 film from The Film Photography Project and Film For Classics (it’s not cheap, just FYI) and took the film with me to Italy and France! I’m obsessed with the vintage, foggy style of the images. Lately, I’ve been craving images that are less perfect and the Hawkeye helps to quench that thirst. If you have a Hawkeye lying around, try it out! It’s so fun. I definitely plan on trying it out with the flash next. :)
Purchase a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye on eBay!
Purchase a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye on Amazon!
I’ve included some of my favorite images I’ve taken with the Hawkeye so far. You can also check out my YouTube video about the camera!
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Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to leave any questions or comments below. Have a lovely day!
<3 Myles Katherine
