Hasselblad 500cm: First Frames
Years before I ever knew what a Hasselblad was, I knew its images; a few are seared into the public consciousness: the photographs that documented the moon landing in 1969, the album cover of The Beatles’ Abbey Road. And then there are the various celebrity portraits taken with the Hasselblad.
Prior to September 2023, I had never held a Hasselblad, let alone shot with it. I had not yet fallen in love with the distinct sound of that shutter. I had never looked through a waist-level viewfinder. But then, I bought one: the iconic Hasselblad 500cm medium format camera. A splurge? Absolutely. Worth it? Based on my first few frames, absolutely.
A few weeks later, I took my Hasselblad and a roll of Portra 400 to the Maine coast. Having only 12 frames per roll is a bit daunting yet also oddly freeing. I took my time and framed my images. Even without a meter, I felt fairly confident. And damn, there’s just something about that square image. I think I might have fallen in love.
