Arran Salerno | Photography – Blog

The Olympus OM3. One of the most advanced mechanical shutter cameras ever made. It is also one of the rarest OM series cameras around as it was only produced for 3 years (1983-1986). As a result, it is often horded by collectors who sit them in glass display cases whilst watching the market value gradually increase.
It’s a shame, as this is a truly amazing camera which was designed from the ground up by Yoshihisa Maitani to take full advantage of the OM system as a modern professional camera body. It deserves to be used.

The OM3 was released along side the OM4 and OM2SP, so as a result shares some similarities. However, you could probably say it’s in many ways closer related to the OM1 which was also built with a mechanical shutter.  As a result, this is one of the main reasons why the OM3 was only produced for such a short period of time. In 1983, if people wanted a mechanical shutter body they had 2 choices in the OM system- the OM1n which was an older but tried and tested model, or the OM3 which was brand new and considerably more expensive. Most people chose the OM1n which was built until 1987.
The OM3 had alot going for it though. With it came an increased max shutter speed of 1/2000, iso settings from 6 to 3200, and a brand new very advanced metering which included the new multi-spot system (in addition to the regular single spot), which allowed the user to take a reading in the shadows and highlights then combine them both for an ideal exposure. All of this was displayed in a new Viewfinder that featured LCD display and a light (helpful for night shooting) which displayed detailed information on light readings and shutter speed etc. Besides all of this new technology, there remained the greatest advantage of all; that by using a mechanical shutter the camera could be operated at all shutter speeds without the need of batteries.

Of course, it must be said that with this new metering technology also came issues that worked against the cameras reputation. One of the biggest was battery life. Like the OM2SP and OM4, there were alot of cameras (not all) that chewed through batteries like they were candy. You can usually tell right away if your particular camera falls into this category by the need to replace the batteries after a weeks use. There is a common misconception that all of these models suffered from this problem which is completely false. I know people who have been using them for years without needed to replace batteries. I myself have been shooting an OM2SP for well over 8 months now with used batteries and it still functions perfectly. I haven’t had enough time to test the OM3 fully yet, but after shooting a roll (on yet again used batteries) and repeated use of the VF lights etc, it’s still holding up perfectly. On the odd chance of the batteries draining though i still can make use of the OM3’s biggest advantage – it’s mechanical shutter.

Getting hung up on the technicalities of these cameras can be a waste of time; almost as much as collecting them without the intention to take photos.
At the end of the day, It’s all about how good the camera is to use, and the OM3 carries on and in some ways improves the biggest advantages of the OM’s that proceeded it. This includes the gloriously large and bright viewfinder, compact body and user friendly function, attractive finish, looks, and construction, and the ability to use some of the greatest lenses ever created.
I have quite a few cameras now, and the OM3 is already amongst my all time favourites. However, i have to say that as good as it is, i think they’re overpriced, especially as a user camera. I’d actually have a had time justifying paying even half of the current market price for one of these. If you’re just looking for something to get into the wonderful OM system, there’s probably better options available to you. But, if you’re like me and find one for a fraction of the market value, snap it up and use it!
The OM3 is a great cameras to use, but i think mine will restricted to indoor use only and kept away from the street.. It’s just too pretty

For further reading you can can check out these links.
I’ve also tracked down the hard to find OM3 instruction manual that i have available for download here

This style of photo is a new aesthetic for me.
I recently shot some 100iso Fuji Reala Superia on my half frame and it produced some impressive prints. However, my scanner seems to hate C41, and anything i scan looks flat and dull. That means im not going to bother trying to post them up for the time being. However, there were some shots i took in very low light that interested me even though they lacked the vibrancy of a proper exposed negative (i had to trick the camera into thinking that i had the flash on otherwise it wouldn’t let me take the shot). They’re dark,  grainy and soft, but as an experiment I think they turned out nice, and create a sense of atmosphere or feeling for me. I hope to develop the concept a little further and get a whole set inspired by the shot/s below.
As usual, it’s probably best to click on the image to see it at full resolution.

Oh yeah, one more thing.. I’m waiting on something very special that’ll be coming in the mail soon

Ok, i never really used to be into photo books that much. I mean, they were nice and everything, but i never understood the big attraction.
However, over the last year I’ve developed bit of an appreciation for them. Especially when I’m in need of some inspiration, or just want to look at some damn good photographs that aren’t displayed on a computer screen (that’s a whole other issue).
I’ve been in bit of a photographic “rut” the last couple of months. Over Christmas, by pure chance i was bought Europeans by Henri Cartier Bresson, and found a very good deal on Araki by Araki: The Photographer’s Personal Selection. Now if you cant find any inspiration in these books you have serious issues.
Both books have an amazing collection of photographs. HCB is a master, there’s not much more than can be said about him, i love his street and figurative work. The book features some of his most famous works and quite a few I’ve never seen before. A real treat to look through.
Then there’s Araki’s book. I’ve only been looking at his work for a year or so now, but in that time I’ve noticed that people either love or hate his stuff (as opposed to HCB who just about everyone likes). I think you need to have bit of a sense of humour that is quite hard to explain when looking at his work, especially his more erotic pieces. I find all of his work interesting and so far like his early stuff the most. I also enjoyed reading about his thoughts looking back on the photos he has in the book, what he was into at the time, what prompted him to try a particular technique out, etc. It was a nice insight.
Here are a couple photos of the books and some pages. If you see them around, i recommend checking them out, but be warned, Araki’s book probably isn’t for the feint hearted.

Several months ago, a friend of mine started work on a photographic project based around a simple premise – “For each portrait I take, I donate one dollar to a charity”.

The basic idea itself has been done before, and donating to charity is nothing new, but mixing a passion that is quite often a self centred pursuit and using it to give back to the community is really great in my opinion, and like anyone contributing to a charity/community should be supported.

Armed with a medium format camera, and his newly acquired Letter of Authority from the Cancer Council (his chosen charity), George now roams the streets looking for people willing to contribute to his project. So if you see him hunting around with his Bronica asking for a portrait, don’t knock him back, let him take it, and consider atleast matching his donation.

You can read more about the project and the man behind it on his website : dollar portraits.
I know have my own goal, and that is to get a portrait of George. He’s not a fan of being in front of the camera. Watch out…

Well, i’ve finally go it up and running.
My new website which will display some of my design and photography work is now officially online.
The first thing you’ll probably notice is that im not a web developer! So the finished product was always going to be limited by my basic ability with css and java etc. Regardless, im still reasonably happy with it. It serves its basic purpose which is a platform to display work, not my web development skills.
Anyway, feel free to check it out, and keep visiting every now and then to see my updates.
www.arransalerno.com

P.S- I hope you’ve all had a good time over this Christmas period, and you have a great New Year.
Cheers

Ok, i think i managed to get this blog transferred to another server.
Things got a bit “iffy” for a few hours there, im not a fan of going into databases and editing values, but i think its all working now. Just in time for Christmas too, arent you lucky?
Anyway, don’t have much to say besides being relieved that i got the blog transferred over and didnt loose any posts/pictures in the process (i dont think).

On another topic. Heres a picture i shot the other day. First time i’d picked up the DSLR in a while. There were some really interesting storm clouds i could see form the back of my house so thought i’d get a few photos. It looked pretty dramatic. I would of loved being in that plane

I’ll be updating wordpress and transferring my newly built website to a different host over the week. Hopefully all goes to plan. I’m not the best at these sort of things. So if my site doesn’t load up, you know why…
Wish me luck!

Just really busy.
Sorry there hasn’t been many updates recently. Work has been pretty hectic, and my other time has gone into building my new website. That means i haven’t taken many photos in the last few weeks. I have 2 rolls to develop, but that’s it! Pretty disappointing i agree.
Anyway, not much to say now, but hopefully i finish everything before Christmas, as i intend to take quite a few shots over New Years.

P.S- Here’s a shot of the sunset a couple of nights ago from my house.