I have to say that I really enjoyed my relaxed and travel free Christmas this year. Normally Christmas always turns into a lot of stress thanks to crowded airports and last minute Christmas shopping woes. However, this year we decided to take things easy and skip all the madness. Early in the day we went for a walk to see what the Christmas tradition is like in these parts and then we just enjoyed a rather lovely dinner and all the lovely presents we got. I couldn’t have been happier, I got some very interesting books – including some photography related ones – and finally I have a half-case for my Leica!

In general I’ve also been making a number of interesting photography related purchases these days. I finally took the plunge and bought a Rick Oleson focusing screen for my Rolleicord and it’s just so much brighter and better! I especially like the split screen in the centre which takes some of the guesswork out of the focusing. I also got a couple of books on Japanese photography and an Agfa Clack for conversion into a 6×9 pinhole camera (In case you ever read the Moonstone: Her name will be Miss Clack, of course).

In the meantime I shot many rolls of Kodak Vision 3 500T after dark, photographed one of the local festivals that included some axe-swinging women – always fun – and finally tested my mum’s old fungus infested Lubitel 2. As long as it’s not pointed directly at a light source it actually produces very decent images and is definitely worth cleaning. Since the lomography society is putting out remakes of those I thought this was merely a toy camera, but in fact the original is a rather good camera in its own right. Maybe a little cumbersome to use, like most soviet cameras, but the image quality is rather good actually, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s unlikely that this particular copy will recover completely from the fungus – there is just so much in there that coating damage is more than likely – but I will definitely try to repair it already for nostalgic reasons. After all, my mum used to shoot with this camera and my grandma used to develop the film! It does sound like a proud tradition, doesn’t it?

For now, let’s get on with some photography though. Finally I get to show you some pictures from our Argentina trip this year. It was a difficult trip this time and lots of things went wrong, but after getting the prints in the mail the other day it became obvious that it was definitely all worth it. It marked the start of a promising new project and several of my favourite pictures this year were taken on this trip. And with 53 rolls shot over there you can bet that I still have quite a few posts with pictures from the journey lined up.

Pictures taken with: Leica M6 with Zeiss ZM C-Biogon 35mm f/2.8 and Voigtländer Nokton 50mm f/1.1.

Starting with: Biogon / Kodak Gold 200.

Enjoying the sunshine.

Studying, with a t-shirt that says “Don’t panic”. I suspect impending exams.

Exercise in public places is very popular over there.

Watching … nothing.

Biker on the football pitch.

Left outside.

Yellow toy car.

I can’t resist shots like these.

Learning how to ride a bike!

It’s a good place to take pictures of cars. In fact, it’s the only place where I take pictures of cars.

My husband needed a haircut and this hairdresser happened to be open.

I just had to photograph the decoration.

I just love how this turned out!

Mad puppy biting everything.

The only time I take sunrise pictures is when I’m jetlagged.

Amelie stunt waiting to happen.

Fascination with water. On the next trip to Argentina I’m going back to Fuji I think. I don’t like how Gold 200 deals with overexposure.

Empty billboards.

Secretly observing the scene and plotting his escape.

Love the tree shadows in this one.

Oh hello!

Find Jesus.

Couldn’t leave this unphotographed.

Nokton / Kodak Gold 200.

Taken through the safety net around the balcony. Boy playing football on another balcony.

Cat in the garbage – not exactly Paris style.

Slight size discrepancy.

There are so many wonderful old houses in the most unexpected places.

And I was getting barked at a lot. These are real guard dogs.

Made me laugh.

Old car and telephone directory.

We stumbled over this one by chance.

Love how this one turned out!

Normally I’m quick to make new friends with the soft pawed folk, but I do keep a safe distance from strays. 50mm distance.

Proof of the schizophrenic weather. Temperatures kept fluctuating and it was too damn hot one day, and chilly torrential downpours the next. No wonder that we all caught a bad cold.

I was bored that day. When it rains over there, it really rains. You can’t get to the next street corner without getting soaked to the bone.

Biogon / Kodak Gold 200.

Pensive.

On another one of those endless bus rides. Everyone was slightly bored.

Apparently the new fashion is to dance naked.

No mail today.

Granted, focus is off, but still cute.

What nightmares are made of.

Selfportrait with … stuff.

San Telmo market hall.

We had a nice little chat with a guy selling old cameras. Prices were about the same as in Europe and the only thing I found mildly interesting was a Rolleiflex. I was surprised to see that it actually had a Xenar lens like my Rolleicord. The only difference between them is the slightly more convenient handling of the Rolleiflex. In any case, I was on the lookout for a 6×9 folding camera, but didn’t find anything worth my while that day.

Mildly disturbing cat.

Extremely disturbing bookshop decoration.

As always I had some time to kill while waiting for my husband to have a look around. That’s how I always end up with bookshop pictures.

Stormtroopers recruiting again. When will it end?

Mafalda!

Kodak Farbwelt 400.

Private piety. Seriously, it says that …!

Obligatory shoes on wire picture.

Such an amazing building!

Those eyes!

Some street art.

It was a bit quiet, so more street art.

Politically appropriate dark clouds.

Veterans camping out.