Foxton locals left their houses, shops and schools to watch the parade - it is a rare sight to see an armed military company marching down your main street. Despite the weapons on display, however, the only shots taken were by photographers, with one local photographer using some rather unusual cameras to do so.
Foxton photographer Jacob Brookie is a volunteer at the MAVtech Museum and a keen user of vintage cameras which take photographs for the Focus on Volunteers articles.
He took the photographs of the parade using a 1966 Marshal Press and a 1990s Seagull 4A. The Seagull is not as old as the other cameras Jacob usually uses but it was made and used the same way as 1960s cameras. Neither camera allows the photographer to be ‘snap-happy’. The Seagull takes 12 photographs per roll of film, and the Marshal only takes eight.
The vintage Seagull 4A camera Jacob Brookie used to take some of the photographs of the parade in Foxton. Photo / Jacob Brookie
That is not the only difference compared with today’s cameras, the vintage models lack a zoom lens so getting a close-up is difficult, said Brookie.
“I knew I wouldn’t be able to take photos of individual soldiers, and most photographers would be taking those types of photos, so I decided to take a wider view and include some of the crowd. After all, the point of a parade is to be seen.”
The vintage 1966 Marshal Press camera Jacob Brookie used to take some of the photographs of the parade in Foxton. Photo / Jacob Brookie
Brookie’s favourite photo of the day shows a line of children with the parade in the background. Before telephoto lenses became popular, newspapers had another way of getting close-ups, cropping the large negative in the darkroom so it just showed the main subject, said Brookie.
One of Brookie's favourite shots of the day is this one, capturing what he calls a child's eye view of the parade with a 1990s Seagull 4A Camera. Photo / Jacon Brookie
The Seagull is focused by looking down into its viewing hood, but photographers taking photographs through crowds would hold the camera above their heads and look up into it to focus like you can do with a digital camera’s screen today. Brookie used this method to photograph the parade standing at attention.
The 21st Supply Company forms ranks in front of the War Memorial Hall.Photo taken with a 1966 Marshal Press camera. Photo / Jacob Brookie
He said he knew of one photographer who had an even better way of dealing with crowds.
“When Larry Burrows, an internationally renowned photojournalist, covered the Queen’s 1963 New Zealand tour he brought along an assistant. If the crowds built up, Burrows was carried around on his assistant’s shoulders.”
Brookie said the black and white film he used to photograph the parade in Foxton is the same type of film that photographers used as far back as the 1930s.
“Photographers kept with the same film type to avoid any mistakes. I’ve heard about one New Zealand photographer who knew his developing times so well he timed it by how many pies he ate while waiting.”
A ceremonial stand off between the local police and the 21st Supply Company. Photographed with a 1966 Marshal Press camera. Photo / Jacob Brookie
The old cameras attract plenty of attention normally but Brookie said when it came to the parade, the soldiers stood to attention, paying him no attention at all.
“I knelt by the roadside with the antique-looking Marshal Press to take a photo of the parade. Every single soldier kept their eyes straight ahead, nobody looked twice!”
Something the parade-master will no doubt be pleased to read.
More photographs taken with vintage cameras can be seen online at www.mavtech.org.nz.
