Quick update with an image I was able to scan off of a glass negative acquired here in Sydney
They appear to be either miners or possibly railway worker posing in front a monument.
There is a date on it partially visible over the shoulder of the guy on the far right on the back row but I’m unable to make out the last digit, its reads either 1913 or 1918.
I went out to Sculptures by the Sea at Bondi and brought along an old Rolleiflex TLR that I had picked up about 8 months ago off a Canadian camera collector- I ran a couple rolls of Velvia 50 medium format through it just to get a feel for the handling.
The focus is much slower, the camera bulkier, the view finder is backwards (i.e. left is right) and the metering not as exact- even the square framing is a change- not to mention the 80mm focal length which feels telescopic compared to my usual wide angle lens.
When I switched from digital to film, I found that it forced me to think and plan ahead more in getting ready for a shot since I could no longer rely on auto-focus or a rapid fire shutter release- I’m willing to bet if I spent more time with the Rolleiflex I would find a similar gain in that it brings a new mode of working.
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