Weadmire.net Blog

Introduced in 1929, the Rolleiflex, Twin-Lens Reflex, was the first medium format roll film camera. The two lenses of a twin lens reflex camera deliver a crucially more simple exposure process than the single lens reflex – there is no mirror to move and no interruption of the view of the shot through the view finder. TLR users would not have it any other way. In terms of timing the system is flexible at both extremes of the photographic process. The view of the shot is not interrupted by the movement of a mirror, so shots requiring a long exposure can be taken with greater flexibility and adjustment, while for similar reasons shots requiring movement can be composed and exposed more quickly because a heavy mirror does not have to be accelerated and shutter lag is minimised.

In the hands of photographers such as Robert Doisneau, Robert Capa and Jane Brown, it would go on to play it's part in producing a catalogue of enduring photographs, from Richard Peter Sen's image of a post war Dresden. To the apparent spontaneity of 'Kiss by the Hotel de Ville' and the intensity of Jane Brown's portrait of Samuel Beckett.

It was important then, that any depiction of this camera reflect it's build quality and precision engineering and few illustrators are more equal to the task than Yukio Miyamoto. Created using 3D software, the materials and textures, taken from high resolution images of the camera itself, were mapped onto the surface of the 3D image. A departure from Yukio's previous illustrations built using Adobe Illustrator, he, nonetheless, maintains his usual high standards.

These incredible images are perfectly reproduced on our shirts, with no loss of resolution or detail, as all are printed at a minimum of 700 DPI, creating clean, crisp prints.

We presently have 5 Rolleiflex designs. Each taking advantage of a number of angles that creating a 3D model like this allows. We are confident that your expectations will be exceeded.  You can see some images of fully printed shirts in our video about Yukio's t shirts becoming available at The Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea.