In out first post on the four organisers we’d like to introduce you to Paula Smith.
Why did you want to be involved organising WWHFPD?
I’ve always enjoyed taking part in themed film photography events — things like Holga Week or Worldwide Pinhole Day — so when Yant suggested creating something similar for half-frame, I was immediately on board. It felt like a fun way to contribute to the community, and it gave me even more reason to pick up my little half-frame camera with a bit more purpose. Helping out is a chance to celebrate a format I enjoy and to encourage others to shoot, share, and connect through it.
What made you want to try half frame, and what was your first camera?
Initially, my interest was in the vertical orientation it uses to see when you look through the viewfinder. I was so programmed to seeing images in a 3:2 landscape that I wanted to push myself to view and compose differently. So, I got an old Zeiss Ikonta medium format camera which gives a vertical format (unless you turn it on its side of course) and 16 frames on a roll of 120. Not exactly ‘half-frame’ as we think of it in 35mm terms, but it was my stepping stone to purchasing an Olympus Pen EEs 35mm half frame camera and really embracing what the format has to offer.
What is it you like most about Half-frame?
What I love most about half-frame photography is the freedom it gives. The economy is a joy – 72 pictures on a typical roll of 36 exposure film frees up my click rate without worrying about the expense of it. I don’t second guess so much… ‘Should I take this picture and risk ‘wasting’ the film?’ I just take the picture! And for personal pictures, family days out, visual notes its a great addition to carry around. And because half-frame cameras are often small and discreet, they’re easy to carry anywhere.
Favourite subject and/or Half-frame photo
Looking through my half-frame images, a definite theme emerges: street-level observations. The camera has clearly been my companion on everyday A-to-B trips — it comes out when something catches my eye or when I want to remember a fleeting moment. I’ve ended up with a collection of seemingly random shots: buildings, textured walls, and gritty streetscapes. They’re not conventionally ‘pretty’, but there’s something in them — the way the light falls, an unexpected shape or composition — that gives them their own quiet merit. It’s less about creating a perfect image and more about capturing the unnoticed details that I really enjoy.
Your top tip/s for shooting half frame photos?
Something I’m keen to explore with much more purpose is using half frame photography to take more diptychs and triptychs. It’s the ideal tool as the natural vertical orientation offers a great way to compose several frames together. Thinking in pairs or triplets can completely change how you shoot — it encourages you to see connections between moments rather than just single shots.
Paula Smith
London based freelance photographer working to capture life’s moments. Still crazy for #filmphotography and vintage cameras.
