Last Updated on 04/15/2019 by Mark Beckenbach
If you’re new to the Yashica Mat 124G and you’re still figuring out which genre to shoot with it, you might want to get an idea on how it fares with landscape photography.
Medium format has been pretty popular for portrait photography, but if you’d like to experiment with other genres first, we’ve found a nice video for you. It’s especially right up your alley if you tend to shoot a lot of landscapes. You’ll also find it helpful if you’re curious about the results of the popular Yashica Mat 124G! In his quick video, John Bradford takes us to Red Rock Canyon in Oklahoma where he shot landscapes using the Yashica Mat 124G to finish a roll of Kodak Portra 400. The combo tends to be more popular for portrait photography and even some trendy fashion portraits. But if you’re not really feeling that, this should give you ideas on other genres to experiment with using medium format film.
As expected with the Kodak Portra 400, Bradford’s results lean more towards the less saturated but contrasty look usually favored in portrait work. The muted colors gave his scenes a subdued, earthy palette, which may or may not work for you depending on your preferences for landscape work. Nevertheless, his shots show really impressive clarity and detail from the Yashica Mat 124G, especially for the close shots of the tree trunks.
It’s also great that Bradford shared the camera settings he used for each photo, and reminded us that a tripod is essential for shooting landscapes. You’ll want to use small apertures to get as much detail in your shots as possible, and a tripod will be necessary to keep your camera steady.
In case you’re wondering what he thinks of the Yashica Mat 124G in general, you might also want to check out his review video to see more sample photos.
Screenshot image from the video by John Bradford