Tom’s Welding Signs in Barstow, Shot on a 1950s Kodak Brownie

Tom’s Welding in Barstow, California has an amazing collection of signs from gas stations, tire shops and more. It is a must photo stop if you do a Route 66 trip in the area.

Thanks to @real_ken_rockwell and @davewyman for the Route 66 photo workshop that showed us this spot. I used a 1950s Kodak camera with black and white film to match the vintage feel.

Shared on X for the Daily Picture Theme challenge ‘Old Advertisements’

if you care*

The camera used was a 1950s Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash. A small Bakelite box camera produced from 1950 to 1961.

They are super cheap to buy and easy to take apart and clean with simple tools. You will probably need to do that.

I love the results. The photos have a sharp middle and soft focus fade to the edges. As Ken (jokingly?) said “who looks at the edges of a photo anyway?!” 👏😂

It captures 12 exposures of 6x6cm images on 620 film. Designed by Arthur H. Crapsey Jr., (famous Kodak designer) it features a fixed-focus f/15 lens and a shutter speed of approximately 1/30 second.

Point and shoot simplicity on a sunny day outdoors. It can use a flash with the old “POP” exploding flash bulbs :)

With the slow shutter a tripod helps but there is no tripod mount on the bottom. I hold it on the tripod plate while I take a photo.

*I know... you don’t care! :)

Originally posted on Instagram