‘Spread’ in Australian Photography with ‘AFP400TX’ …

Excellent article in the current ‘Australian Photography’ magazine … and a luverly use of one of my images across a double page spread on the title pages … on Renato Repetto‘s wonderful ongoing ‘AFP400TX’ project.

The read entitled ‘Film Noir’, written by photography journalist Sam Edmonds, tells the story of Renato’s idea of passing a vintage 70’s Nikon F2 around to a host of Australia’s top photographers to each shoot one 36 frame roll of Tri-X black and white film. The resulting images will form the basis of eventual exhibitions and a book.

Singing the praises (rightly) of Renato’s idea, the article also delves into the reactions and the resulting project work of several legendary … and … uuummm … older ‘AFP400TX’ practioners … in Tim Page, Michael Coyne and Robert McFarlane. I also get a par or two and a couple of accompanying images in the article. (Sometimes it’s nice to be ‘the youngest’.)

Although the exhibitions and book may still be some little time in the future … the Nikon F2 is still traversing Australia in the hands of celebrated and not so celebrated photographer’s … it’s great to see Renato’s excellent project already gaining the respect it deserves. (My earlier comments on ‘AFP400TX’ can be found at  … https://www.briancasseyphotographer.com/blog/publications/2017/08/final-frame-nikon-f2-afp400tx/ … and … https://www.briancasseyphotographer.com/blog/2017/07/nikon-f2-roll-tri-x-36-pics/

My double page spread image (below) … shot on just the last frame 36 on my roll of Tri-X  …  is of musician Geoff Tozer who has been diagnosed with several forms of terminal cancer. My second image accompanying the article was a portrait of Aurukun ‘Camp Dog’ artist Lex Namponan.

Image © Brian Cassey & publication by Australian Photography

Australian Photography - Film Noir - AFP400TX project - Geoff Tozer image by Brian Cassey

The Final Frame … Nikon F2 and AFP400TX …

Well that brought back memories …

Back when shooting film and you have one frame left on your roll of thirty six … and something too good to miss presents itself.

Thanks to Renato Repetto‘s excellent AFP400TX project (#AFP400TX, @AFP400TX – see my earlier post) I recently got to revisit that long forgotten scenario. As explained earlier the project aims to get a manual everything Nikon F2 loaded with just one 36 frame roll of Tri-X film into the hands of selected photographers around Australia … and from the resulting images compile capital city exhibitions and a book.

An admirable project that I’m very pleased to be a part of.

I took my turn with the beautiful F2 a couple of weeks ago. Renato has just received my processed images back from the project sponsors Rewind Photo Lab in NSW … and has allowed me to use one image to show you guys what’s going on. (The rest are a secret until the project culmination.)

Prior to making this particular image I had already shot a variety of scenarios and carefully used 35 of the precious 36 frames on the roll. Then I met Geoff …

… and Geoff had a story to tell.

An accomplished musician, Geoff Tozer has been told he is dying. He has been diagnosed with bowel, bladder, bone and advanced spinal cancer. But … he says … “I’m too busy to die”. Geoff told me he’s a friend of Rolling Stones Bill Wyman and accomplished in Wyman’s musicality. He is set to work on the soundtrack of a new movie on the short life of Stones member Brian Jones … possibly alongside musician legends Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Mick Fleetwood.

So … with just that one frame left on my project roll of film I was feeling a bit of pressure when I lined up the image and pressed the shutter to make Geoff’s portrait.

It was with some relief that I received the scanned image (below) from Renato last eve !

The AFP400TX Nikon F2 camera is now winging it’s way down to Victoria for Melbourne photographers Michael Coyne, Jesse Marlow, Tracey Nearmy, Barat Ali Batoor and Andrew Chapman to make their contribution.

Image © Brian Cassey

AFP400TX Project - "Too Busy To Die" by Brian Cassey Cairns Australia