Photographically, the constraints imposed by the events of this year have lead me to explore new types of image making. I've taken an online workshop or two. And I have gone back through my archives of family photos with more care and attention than I otherwise would have.
Still, I am as keen as anyone to turn the page on 2020, and that is what the image of the fire represents to me.
Speaking of which, although I love film photography and shoot about a hundred rolls per year, digital imaging is also great, and in terms of shooting at night, I prefer it hands down to analog.
Another enjoyable application of digital imaging is adapting legacy lenses to modern cameras. For the image of the magnolia flower below, I mounted a Nikon 500 mm mirror lens to a micro four thirds camera and had a compact set-up with an effective field of view of 1000 mm! If you look carefully at the out of focus regions of the image of the magnolia flower you will see the telltale donut bokeh characteristic of mirror lenses. It was literally chucking it down with rain, as they say, when I made this image. But I was safe and dry in my house shooting through the window at the magnolia tree about 20 m away.
I wonder how we will assess the state of things in 2020 ten years hence? Do you remember what you were thinking in Y2K? Meanwhile, have a wonderful 2021.
