Photosynthesis No 04 - Hasselblad 500 ELM x Mesembryanthemum nofifloru

Photosynthesis No 04 - Hasselblad 500 ELM x Mesembryanthemum nofiflorum

The studio work horse of many professionals. It has a motor drive which makes continuous shooting very easy. Manufactured by Victor Hasselblad Aktiebolag, Göteborg, Sweden, and produced between 1971-84. It’s the most donated camera-type to our Photosynthesis project, as these motorized Hasselblads are the least popular – and most prone to be defective – today.

Grouped into a genus of popular succulent plants known as ice p...

Photosynthesis No 27 - Kodak Instamatic 155X x Galanthus nivalis - SQU

Photosynthesis No 27 - Kodak Instamatic 155X x Galanthus nivalis

A primitive camera where the only adjustment possible was by rotating the lens ring between symbols for Sunny and Cloudy/Flash, which changed the shutter speed. The coolest thing about it was that it used the single-use Magicubes flash.

Snowdrops are one of the first blooms to grace us in the late winter season, before spring officially arrives. The genus Galanthus - characterised by their white and greenish flowers and sepals, a...

Photosynthesis No 25 - Kodak Duaflex II x Haworthiopsis attenuata - SQ

Photosynthesis No 25 - Kodak Duaflex II x Haworthiopsis attenuata

The various Dualflexes had Bakelite bodies (identified by Kodak as "Kodadur") with metal fittings and trim, and were available with either a simple fixed focus 75 mm f/15 Kodet lens, or with a 72 mm f/8 Kodar triplet lens. It’s one of our favourite camera flowers and has been installed next to the authors’ OLED LG 55” television since early 2016.

Native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa, this relative of the aloes is called th...

Photosynthesis No 07 - Contax II x Tulipa biflora - SQUARE

Photosynthesis No 07 - Contax II x Tulipa biflora

This legendary German rangefinder by Zeiss Ikon probably saw some action on the Eastern Front (WWII) since most of its inner parts were missing when the camera was donated to the Photosynthesis project.

We are all so familiar with tulips - they come in all colours and shapes, and we look forward to seeing them every spring. However, some of the most beautiful tulips are the delicate, and often multi-headed, species tulips, like the one we’ve s...

Photosynthesis No 49 - Polaroid Land Camera 340 x Echeveria purpusorum

Photosynthesis No 49 - Polaroid Land Camera 340 x Echeveria purpusorum

Not the most beautiful of the golden age Polaroid cameras, but when Natalie showed me the succulent I knew it was a match made in heaven.

A native to Mexico, this very slow growing plant is a popular succulent both indoors and also outdoors in the summer months.