A variety of things prevented me from an opportunity to shoot with the Brownie Hawkeye camera until just last December. Before loading, I tested that the shutter worked and got out the microfiber and lens cleaner. There are actually two lenses. The exterior of both cleaned well but I discovered decades of dust and humidity had fogged the inside of the lenses. I was unable to loosen the screws holding that assembly in place. Rather than risk damage I just loaded the camera with 620 b&w T-Max ISO 400 and shot a roll to see what happened.

You can see from the first image on the right from the December 2021 shooting that the cloudy, somewhat dark day was somewhat enhanced by the cloudy lens at a cost of clarity. Still, I like how the image turned out after a little work with Photoshop. Brownie points for the Hawkeye!

The second image was made with the original Brownie probably during the fall of 1972. It appears more clear in comparison.

I may reconsider trying to partially disassemble the camera in the future but for now I intend to use it to capture a particular mood when the shooting conditions are just right.

Anyone else have experience with these fun old cameras?

As a child I was fascinated by family photographs that were taken before I was born. Looking at the often grainy or blurry photographs in black and white - and lots of gray - fired my imagination and sparked a lifelong interest in photography.

When I was in high school, I commandeered my family’s mostly unused 1950s era Kodak Brownie Hawkeye box camera and began taking pictures. This activity was limited by the cost of buying film and having it processed into prints. By good fortune one of my high school friends lived in a big old house in which a former owner had built a light-tight darkroom - now empty of equipment but complete with a sink and plenty of counter space. A group of us formed an informal sort of co-operative club, FEAT Photos, and eventually we had the space, equipment, and supplies to develop black and white film and to make prints. That old Brownie made about 2 inch square film negatives and although the fixed focus lens was basic it took pretty nice pictures so I thought.

Not many pictures survive from that period, but I’ve included one taken of me showing the Brownie in my hand.

Later during my time at high school I took a Photography elective course and got to borrow a pretty nice 35mm camera, the brand and lenses of which I have long since forgotten. I remember being pretty impressed with the quality of the images I was able to get from it.

After graduating I had to get a job but I still didn't have extra money for film and processing costs let alone a newer and more capable camera. My interest in photography was rekindled when a couple of my work buddies got curious about photography and bought 35mm cameras. One Kind friend gave me a fixed focus Argus 35mm camera which allowed for limited control over aperture settings. I don’t remember how long that camera lasted, but competing interests combined with lack of funds and maybe the Argus breaking led me to drift away from active photography for several years.

In the early 1980s, my father bought himself an inexpensive Fujica 35mm camera. At first he was enthused and used it frequently, but eventually it ended up sitting on a shelf. I began to “borrow” it and for a time I got into exploring its settings. I shot some decent pictures during that era. In the mid-eighties, I went to college, studied art, and earned a degree in Graphic Design. In my college years, I elected to take a photography course and refreshed my picture-taking and darkroom skills. Alas, at some point the Fujica went belly up and I was again without a “good” camera.

I spent most of the 1990s behind a VHS camcorder instead of a 35mm camera while my daughter was growing up; her mom took most of the still shots during that time.

Around 2006, I purchased my first digital camera, a Kodak EasyShare Z650 with a Schneider-Kreuznach lens complete with autofocus, and a whopping 6.1 megapixels. I loved the freedom and quickness of digital imaging compared to film. Not only did I fall in love all over again with photography, I decided I would never again find myself without a decent camera and I would make the time to continue to learn about taking good pictures. I got a lot of use from that nice little camera and I captured some memorable images.

Eventually I felt that I had explored all that the Z650 had to offer and I wanted more. A couple of years ago, I purchased a Nikon D3500 digital camera with two Nikkor lenses, a standard 18-50 mm and a telephoto 70-300. This Nikon is going to keep me busy for a good while.

And so will Adobe Photoshop. Now that I am retired, I have the time and the means to pursue my lifelong interest in photography and merge it with digital and material elements to produce digital art in a modern version of the form known as mixed media.

That all said, during the summer of 2020 at an antique store I bought a circa 1956 Brownie Hawkeye box camera - just like the one I had when I first started taking photographs almost fifty years ago! I planned to wait until December when the natural world again offered a seasonal palette of whites, grays and browns - perfect for buying a few rolls of Tri X 400 film and taking some black and white snapshots with the Brownie.

I would enjoy hearing from other photographers and visual artists. I encourage comments, questions and feedback at kfdi900@gmail.com. Thanks for visiting!