Trigger Warning...

... I converted this Cinestill 800T film photograph to black-and-white in software. :) I never much liked the color balance in the original scanned image, but I do love the shadows cast by the stairs. I resisted the temptation to toss out the color information, but finally just went ahead and did it because frankly the image just works better for me in monochrome, with the heavy grain and halation adding to the overall vibe.

Tasting notes: Taken with the amazing Fujifilm GA645Zi, one of my favorite cameras of all time.

Chilly Scenes of Winter

In general, I think most folks prefer going to the beach in the summer. When it comes to the Gulf Coast, though, the decision to visit can be a tad more complicated. For you see, in the summer, the heat, humidity, and bugs can combine to make being outside so oppressive that you dare not venture from the comfort of your air conditioned room. Stepping into the water can be like taking a warm bath. As far as I am concerned, the Fall and Winter are the best times to visit, with daytime temperatures often reaching the 70s, as they did on this day, after the rain blew over.

Tasting notes: Fujifilm GA645Zi, HP5+. Love its little fill flash.

Shoot local

While I certainly miss traveling to new locations to make photographs, I think there is also something to be said about really getting to know your local environment. For one thing, you almost certainly will come away with some unique images. For another, you never know when you might decide to relocate. Life can be funny that way, and you'll probably want a few photographs to remember your favorite old haunts by. Too, every once in a while, you get an image that really pleases you, that is just as good as anything you could have gotten in an exotic location. I shot this image the other day using the Fujifilm GA645Zi, which is a camera I've enjoyed using over many years. I find that I really enjoy the 4:3 aspect ratio. The autofocus is from the 90's so you always have to be mindful of that. The camera has a zoom lens with a very short range of 55-90 mm. The way I've come to think about this is that it is a slightly adjustable 70 mm lens, which is a 'standard' field of view for the 6x4.5 cm format. The ability to slightly change your framing can be a real godsend, but if you truly want a different perspective you're going to actually have to physically move your ass a little bit.

Photography as therapy

Today was the day I had to face the music about our taxes. The bill was somewhat higher than I would have liked, so after picking up the paperwork, and bitterly making the payment, I drove over to one of our local woodlands for a casual hike. The weather was just about perfect, and I did not see another human being on my visit. I brought along the Pentax KP, the 35mm f/2.8 macro lens, a Fujifilm GA645Zi medium format point-and-shoot film camera, and a roll of Tri-X. These cameras are pretty different from each other, but they do both come equipped with a small, built-in flash. Fill flash is actually an incredibly useful feature to have on a walk in the forest, where the lighting can be quite tricky at times. If you set the flash exposure compensation to –2/3 stop, you'll get nice balance with the ambient light. And, you will be the only one who ever knows that the flash fired during the exposure.