meijer
Olympus Trip 35
Agfa Vista 200
2018
For those of you not in the midwestern United States, Meijer is a big-box store offering groceries, health-and-beauty items, clothing, housewares, office supplies, and home electronics.
When I test cameras I like to photograph familiar subjects. One of them was an office building in which I worked, at least until I no longer worked in it anymore. Another was the shed in my back yard, at least until I moved away.
Since I moved to Zionsville, I’ve been trying to find new common subjects. One is clearly the sign at Black Dog Books in the village; I was photographing it regularly even before I moved here. But I’ve photographed this giant wall three times now, which makes me think it’s becoming a common subject for me. I like the giant, colorful letters.
Jim, I’m curious, when you approach a scene like this that you know you photographed before, are you thinking “how can I capture it in a different way this time?” or “I wonder how the same kind of composition will look with this different camera/lens/film combo?” Or something else?
It’s the latter. Also, when testing cameras sometimes I just want a reliable subject.
I have taken several test shots of my local Meijer, but my real go-to is the Ingham Co. Courthouse. It is attractive, close to home, has lots of detailing for checking sharpness, and a four sided clock tower so you can get a variety of lighting conditions at any time of day.
Wow, sounds like a perfect test subject! I tend to choose mine because they’re easy.