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Argosy III - Napoleon Cepriaso

Stop No. 2
Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Photographer: Napoleon Cepriaso
Date: March 2006



Argosy Journal:

As my office colleagues are aware of this Argosy-3 camera, everybody is anxious to see the results. I exposed 4 rolls of film (Kodak Gold 100 and Fujicolor 100) starting from the time I got the camera and over the weekend here (Thursday and Friday). Approximate total driving distance from the camp, around the city and back to the camp is 250 km. There are some restrictions here on photographing in public. Photographing Arab women is totally not allowed. I was cautious when I did my shooting in the city. Hence, some of my shoots were candidly done. I tried it with electronic flash inside my office and my room, and took a shoot of my Egyptian colleague who is so excited as this is the first time he is photographed by a camera older than him. The photo turned out a bit off-focused though (my eyesight problem). While taking some outdoor shoots of our camp, my friends were asking me why I am still using it instead of digital. I told them I love the challenge of using it. And they were impressed of the results I showed them.At a seminar I attended at Sofitel Hotel with the same Egyptian colleague, at our lunch table he was telling one Arab participant (in Arabic language) about the Argosy 3. Unfortunately, I did not bring the C4 with me to show them.I spent my weekend with the WA-3 C4, Thursday afternoon and whole day of Friday and skipped doing my laundry this time. It was all fun. I was invited during the launching of Western Union Money Transfer to the Filipino community, and the topic of discussion shifted (a bit) to camera and photography when some members of the group noticed the WA-3 C4 camera. This is where I took the shoot of McDonald's by the Fountain; at the window of Spears Restaurant, Hotel Intercontinental Jeddah. I visited a camera shop downtown in which the Yemeni shopkeeper is a friend of mine. He was in that business for 35 years and used to sell Argus CR series during that time. He tried using the C4 and was impressed of the Argosy-3 concept when I told him. We had a photo together taken by his shop assistant using the C4 with flash attachment (a bit off-focused though). In conclusion, the camera did not show any malfunction. The lens is very clean and the shutter work just fine. I used a bracket with the electronic flash on it via an extended cable from the camera's hot shoe and it worked well except for some off-focused shoots.

The Photographs:



Photo No. 1:
McDonald's by the Fountain
ŠNapoleon M. Cepriaso

The subject of this photo has some relationship with the current and past companies I worked with. McDonald's franchise holder in Jeddah is the food division of my past company, while I worked in the environmental engineering division. My current company built the fountain more than 25 years ago. Up to now, a unit in our company is operating and maintaining this fountain while I am with the new projects unit. The fountain shots the water up to 853 feet (260meters) from the tip of the nozzle. This is probably the tallest in the world. Somebody may correct me on this.

Technical details
Film : Kodak Gold 100
Shutter speed : B
Aperture : 11
Distance : infinity
Comment : No tripod was used (I forgot to bring one) but rested on the windowsill and firmly held during the 12-second exposure. To avoid reflection, the lens was placed touching against the window glass.



Photo No. 2:
“Downtown”
ŠNapoleon M. Cepriaso

The tall building used to be a bank and has been the sometime. The building on the right is a shopping center expatriates from all over Jeddah and nearby cities visit Jeddah, the tall building was my guide if am lost while a bit to the right, but the small brown monument on the perpendicular to the picture frame (I believe).

Technical details
Film : Kodak Gold 100
Shutter speed : 50
Aperture : 16
Distance : infinity
Comment : This was handheld. I took the shoot while people seeing me doing it. I positioned on the opposite of the building in the water. It was around 5 PM.

About the photographer:

I'm a mechanical engineer from Philippines working here during the last 15 years in the field of water and wastewater treatment. One of my hobbies is photography and has not shifted to digital yet. I was once a member of the Filipino photographers group but it did not prosper and we plan to revive it soon. My photos were mostly for personal use and has never sold any photo commercially. Although I am a regular photographer of the Phil. Society of Mechanical Engineers here, I get minimal fee for my service, as I am one of the group's directors. I got my interest on Argus and became ACG member after I got my Matchmatic from ebay. Since then, I became active with the group and it's an exciting experience. I got a few Argus cameras at the moment and I look forward to visit Martinsville if time, finance and circumstance allow.