View From a Damaged House

A number of years ago, some friends of ours lived in a pretty fabulous home designed by a well known local architect and situated on a wooded multi-acre lot just outside of town. The home had not been well cared for or maintained over the years, but the beauty of the place won out over all the leaks and creaks. Once these folks relocated, though, the property was bought up by a local developer. The old place was what they call a tear down, and we knew we had to act quickly, so one cold morning, my wife and I spent a couple of hours photographing there.

Tasting notes: Nikon D200 digital camera.  

What Lenses are You Bringing On Your Final Photowalk?

Whether film or digital, CCD or CMOS, Foveon or X-Trans, the recording medium in photography helps impart the flatness of the image, one of the defining characteristics of a photograph. Together with the lens, it also sets the field of view. And the color response of the sensor or film can literally set the tone of an image. The lens projects an image onto the sensor, and, crucially, also defines a unique plane of focus. In reality, the factors that characterize a photographic image are pretty difficult to cleanly disentangle. Yet, when you shoot with a great lens, it is hard not to come to the conclusion that the glass is the most important aspect of photographic imaging. So much so that I already have a few of my faves set aside for my final photowalk.

Tasting notes: Canon 5D, Canon 135mm f/2 L lens. 

Welcome to the Funhouse

I love me a good greenhouse. Always have. There used to be a nursery in our area where a photographically inclined person could wander around at length taking pictures with no hassles. The owner really didn't care as long as you bought a couple of plants before you drove off. Being married to a gardener, that was what the folks in suits would call a win-win. The old place is long gone and the new generation of nurseries are typically surrounded by chain link fences. While I generally make a conscious effort to line up my shots, in the heat of the moment, part of the fence can sometimes creep into the composition. Kind of like how your finger can wander into a cell phone shot, if ya dig. These days, it is pretty easy to photoshop those kinds of distractions out of the shot and end up with something useable in spite of your, er, sloppiness.

Tasting notes: Leica Q.

Sometimes You *Can* Get Some Satisfaction

I am not quite sure what to make of the plethora of boutique films that are available these days. Of course, it is a great 'problem' to have. On the one hand, although quite fun to experiment with, many of these emulsions are not what I would want to shoot everyday. And on the other hand, if a special film is useful for a particular application, I seem never to have it with me at the appropriate time. Oh well. What I tend to do is grab a roll of the unique film du jour and go out shooting for fun. Recently, I reached for some Washi Z film. Due to its near IR sensitivity I needed to shoot with a red filter on the lens, and the only lens I have that would accommodate the single red filter in my possession was was the old Canon FD 35 mm f/2.8 TSE. So, I mounted it onto the Canon EF and hit the road. Overall, I was very pleased with the results, even though the red filter cost 3 stops of light (EI = 50). Owing to the contrast of the light on that day, I tended to prefer the look of the images with a split tone treatment applied. 

Good light, NIR or visible, this weekend.

Tasting notes: Canon EF camera, Canon FD 35mm f/2.8 TSE lens, Washi Z film, toned in Ps.

Window to the Soul

I made this photograph in 2019, which, in hindsight, seems like an entirely different era from the one we are living through now. Were we looking out at the world with unseeing, statue eyes? Actually, I think we were just going about our lives, but in hindsight… we always think we should have seen it coming.

Tasting notes: Sony digital camera, Zeiss 35 mm f/2.8 lens.

Super Slow Nature Photography with a 60 Year Old Film Camera

When I first saw this negative, I was just a little disappointed that part of the mantis was slightly out of focus due to the shallow depth of field on medium format film. On the other hand, I was also pretty pleased with the image, considering I was hand holding a sixty year old Rolleiflex SL66 to get the shot. Luckily, I had a modern digital camera at hand to capture a tack sharp image of the scene. At the end of the day, though, the film image was my favorite photograph. You just can't beat the pentagonal bokeh of the old Rollei lenses.

Tasting notes: Rolleiflex SL66, Zeiss 120 mm f/5.6 S-Planar lens, Tri-X. 

Two's Day, Ha Ha

 

A pair of of photographs showing a pair of leeks and a pair of artichokes for this Tuesday :).

Tasting notes: Rolleiflex SL66, Rollei 120 mm f/5.6, Washi Z film.

The Planes, the Planes

One of the upsides of minimal urban planning is that willy nilly construction is often more photographically interesting than its highly choreographed alternatives. At any rate, I was parking the car when I noticed these planes interacting in an interesting way. The only missing ingredient is some directional light. 

Tasting notes: Canon digital camera.  

Quote of the Day VIII. Kandinsky on Abstraction.

There are many disconcerting events unfolding in the world these days. We surround ourselves with art and friends, and some of us with cameras, too -- those things certainly add to our sense of stability. Is there a tendency for artists to turn inward in such times? Kandinsky, who grew up in what is now Ukraine, had a few words of wisdom to offer on the topic: “The more frightening the world becomes … the more art becomes abstract”.

Tasting notes: Olympus E-500 digital camera (2005), 35 mm f/3.5 lens.

Learning From Audiophiles

An acquaintance of mine is an audiophile who is able to reliably perceive differences in sound between various types of speaker cables. The fact that I can’t hear these things has likely saved me a good deal of money over the years. I’m plenty happy with my shit cables. Are there discernible differences in images captured using various sensor technologies? An art historian I once knew was a connoisseur of the Foveon sensor. Me? I’m still deciding whether the sensor matters enough to care about, but I have no doubt that there are photographers out there who can reliably spot a photograph captured using a CCD sensor from one made using CMOS technology the way some folks can accurately identify an image shot on film. What I do know is that my teenaged CCD camera did a phenomenal job of rendering these tulip magnolia flowers.

Tasting notes: Olympus E-500 camera, Zuiko Digital 35mm f/3.5 macro lens.

Sun, surface, black and white

The angle of the sun is inching higher in the sky each day as Spring gets closer. We've had some cold temperatures, hopefully with enough time below freezing to kill off some of the bugs that will pester us later in the year. Although most of the trees still look like they have all Winter, the tulip magnolias are in bloom, and it got up to 70 degrees the other day. Soon, the air masses from the Gulf of Mexico will come to dominate the weather, and the humidity will start to rise along with the temperatures. 

Good light to you this weekend.

Tasting notes: Fujifilm X30 digital camera.

Long Live Ded Tech

To me, one of the defining characteristics of photography is that its practice is so intertwined with technology. Indeed, there is a well-respected history of photography textbook that uses innovations in technology as one of its main organizational principles. I think this relationship has much to do with why many photographers, myself included, collect cameras in some manner, and why we like to play around with old cameras from time to time. For example, today's image was made with about a hundred dollars worth of 'dead' technology. Dead this, dead that, cringe. Anyway, in this case, it is a teenaged Olympus E-500 digicam with a 35mm f/3.5 Olympus 4/3 macro lens mounted. Now, that is a combo you won't see very often on your Instagram feed.

Tasting notes: Olympus E-500, 35mm Macro, Photoshop.

Good Genes

I don't often get my hands on fresh fractal food, so when a gorgeous Romanesco makes its way to my fridge, the sequence of events is always shoot, cook, eat. According to the most recent research, the Romanesco arises from the interaction of genetics and mathematics, so to speak. A number of plant species are known to develop as spirals (dahlias, for example). Even a conventional cauliflower has spirals of florets. If certain gene mutations occur during flower formation, however, the Romanesco cauliflower is the result. Yum.

Tasting notes: Canon digital camera. See: " Cauliflower fractal forms arise from perturbations of floral gene network". Science. 373 (6551): 192–197, 2021.

Green Scene

Calm down, we're talking about photography. During the day, this is a pretty mundane scene -- downright ugly, even. The vinyl siding certainly is nothing special to look at. But in the mixed light of the evening, everything is transformed. It could be a movie set, or an old album cover from many years ago...

Tasting notes: Sony full frame digital camera, Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 lens.

Cap'n Crunch

In general, I am not much of a dumpster diver, trash picker, or thrifter, but these metal chairs were too awesome to resist. So they went straight from a neighbor's curb to our back yard. These rescued beauties have since been repainted a deep dark black and are ready for our asses just as soon as it gets a tad warmer outside. The other afternoon, I engaged in another enjoyable activity: crushing space with a camera. I set the LX-3 to 'Contrasty B/W' and let the camera do all the heavy lifting. As an older piece of gear, it produces some pretty crunchy files by today's standards, and find that I like that about it.

Tasting notes: Panasonic Lumix LX-3.

Los Angeles and Portra, a match made in heaven...

The combination of the light in Southern California and the color palette of Kodak Portra 400 film seems like a match made in heaven to me. And, if on a given visit I could only visit one location, it would definitely be the Getty. I always seem to be able to find interesting subject matter both inside the galleries and outside on the grounds. On this day in January a couple of years ago, I could see clearly from Catalina Island to the snow capped inland mountain ranges. The Leica R8 I was carrying was fitted with the 35mm f/2 Summicron. You can't see it here but the lens has a real tendency to flare when pointed toward the light, and that is really the only thing I don't care for about the lens.

Tasting notes: Leica R8, Summicron-R 35mm (newest version), Portra 400 overexposed by a stop.

The Cemetery Behind My House

Cemeteries can be pleasant locations to walk, or even do a little photography. Of course, you can get freaked out once in a while, too, given the nature of what goes on there. On one walk a couple of years ago, I unexpectedly came across the final resting place of someone I used to work with, a gentleman who had smoked like a chimney in his office and who passed away from emphysema. A person with, as fate would have it, the same first name as me. On this particular day, thankfully, I departed under my own power and of my own volition, with a couple of decent photographs.

Tasting notes: Sony digital camera. I like the little green can in the gutter on this image.

Particle In A Box

A decade or so ago, I went through a serious 'wall period'. Capturing abstract photographs of walls was at the center of my photographic endeavors for a time. This phase corresponded to the height of my engagement with the Flickr social network. The early days of Flickr were really fun. Hard to imagine, but I had never shared anything online before. Other people from around the world would actually spend a few nanoseconds to comment on your work. I remember being a member of several 'Wall' groups, even one that had something to do with images of walls that looked like Motherwell paintings. Heady times! Concentrating on walls helped me think about composing on the picture plane without having to deal with the volume of three dimensional space. Which reminds me, I remember studying the particle-in-a-box problem when I took a Physical Chemistry course. It was a way to ease into the strange concepts of quantum mechanics using mostly high school math. Kind of like shooting walls in a way.

Good light this weekend.

Tasting notes: Olympus digital camera.

Ripe When Soft

I tried to pick some close-to-ripe avocados for guacamole this weekend, but they were all basically as hard as river stones. At this point, we just hope for the best. I was going to take off the stickers, but then thought, why? This is what food looks like these days.

Enjoy!

Tasting notes: Pentax Q10, Standard Zoom lens.

Early Spring Colors, Morning Light and the Pentax Q10

It is fixing to be Spring here in the Southeast, so I had no problem parting with a little of my hard earned cash this morning for these wonderful potted tulips. Although I'm not sure how to describe the color, it was the most appealing on offer. We will enjoy these in the house for a while, before transplanting them outdoors to enjoy for years to come. These blooms were illuminated by a shaft of harsh morning light. I underexposed just a bit to preserve the highlights. The files from this decade old little digicam were plenty malleable and held up just fine.

Tasting notes: Pentax Q10, Standard Zoom lens.

A Room Without a View

A number of years ago, I traveled to San Francisco for a conference. I scoured the internet for a reasonably priced room, and the most reasonable accommodation I could find was still about $300 per night. At that price, you'd think there would be a decent view out the window, but alas, that was not the case. At least the bed was decent and comfortable and my back was happy about that the next morning. I went for a walk in the morning and this was the best I could do on that day. After the passage of so much time, it's a memory I'm glad to have captured.  

Tasting notes: Fujifilm X-100S digital camera.

Untethered

You never know what you are going to see when you walk out the door, even if it is just for a quick turn around the block. So, I am glad I had a well-worn Panasonic Lumix LX-3 with me when I came across two FedEx trucks in a docking configuration. The LX-3 is an old digicam from the late aughts, a period of time when many of us humans were still somewhat sanguine about the role of technology in our lives. At any rate, the camera made quite a splash, and was pretty expensive, too, retailing for between $400-$500 according to the internet. I think it was one of the first digicams to have a super wide lens (24mm equivalent). Of course, that is roughly the field of view of many phone cameras these days. It gives the beloved 'real estate' stretch toward the edges of the frame, but also makes your face look thinner in selfie mode, so there's that. These days you can find these little cameras for under $50 if you look around. Honestly, it still takes pretty decent images and is a fun little snap shooter. And, you can just leave your phone at home for a change.

Tasting notes: Shot in RAW and converted to black and white later.

Crazy AF

It can be pretty annoying when your technology is not up to the task at hand. Auto focus, for example, has always been a bit of a mixed blessing. Mostly amazing, to be sure, let's be honest. But the fails sure can be frustrating. Absurd to the point of hilarity. The missed focus here was so ridiculous, in fact, that over time I came to actually grow fond of this photograph. Shot a decade ago when technology was evolving so fast.

Tasting notes: Olympus digital camera.

Still Life with Coffee

With the latest front blowing through our area, we had another forty degree swing in temperatures. So, after reaching 70 degrees on Thursday, the 30 degrees this morning seemed especially bone chilling. Time for a hot cup of coffee to take the edge off. I really liked the way the morning light created a shadow from last night's wine glass. 

I hope you find pleasing shadows this weekend, wherever you may be.

Tasting notes: Canon 5D, 135mm f/2 lens.

Capturing my mood

We spent some time in Austin in 2009 and I remember taking the little LX-3 with me to the campus of the University of Texas, my alma mater. I also remember walking all over the main campus trying to remember my old haunts from the time I was there as a student. At some point I made this diptych, which I had completely forgotten about. The buildings have no particular meaning to me now, but the color of the morning light in winter and the tones of the bricks sure do resonate.

Tasting notes: Panasonic Lumix LX-3, circa 2009.

Digicam Dreams...

This year, I surpassed twenty years of digital photographs to manage. I try to go through my archive fairly regularly in order to keep the total number of files from blowing up. It definitely feels good to toss out the dogs, the duplicates, and the meaningless crap shots. Of course, there are some haircuts that are not worth remembering either. It's interesting, too, which cameras you end up thinking of most fondly as time passes. Way back in 2009, it looks like I was shooting with the Nikon D300 and the Panasonic LX-3. My Nikon FM2N would sit unused on a shelf for a few more years. But how I loved that bloody LX-3! It took pretty decent images, but certainly nothing approaching what the Nikon could do. It seems I have always had a soft spot for these little all-in-one cameras. Kinda still do. My phone is my wallet, my map, my damn life. It is too important to use to make snapshots. It might make sense to start taking photographs with a dedicated camera again. You can pick up a LX-3 for $50 today.

Tasting notes: Panasonic Lumix LX-3, circa 2009.

The World Does Not Share Your Impeccable Taste

This week my trip to the Publix was rewarded with a very nice bouquet of flowers, a grouping we'll be able to enjoy for many days, I think. But, you never know what you'll be presented with when you enter the store. In general, the world does not share your taste - a sometimes bitter truth we must learn to endure. But anyway, I don't know for certain how the sometimes fluorescent colors available are created, a case of better living through chemistry, I suppose. We'll leave it at that for now.

Tasting notes: Fujifilm X30 digicam, shot in jpg using the black and white 'film' profile. I have to say, I continue to really enjoying shooting with this little guy.

Me, Myself, and I

Just channeling my inner Vivian Maier, I suppose, on this exposure. Or perhaps Lee Friedlander. Speaking of exposure, I was relieved to discover that my shadow's proportions were not grotesque on this negative, despite the low angle of the sun. Chalk one up for daily walks and intermittent fasting! 

Tasting notes: Konica Hexar AF, Pan F Plus.