Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Ebay buying tips updated
FYI - I've revised the eBay camera buying tips. Most of these tips can be applied to items besides cameras, but it should be particularly helpful for anyone buying vintage cameras on eBay.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
New photos on flickr
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Petri Book!
Thanks to a friendly Swede named Björn Fredén, I am now happily in the possession of the "Collectors Guide to Kuribayashi-Petri Cameras" by John Baird! This book explains the history and impact of what later became known as the Petri Camera Company, and in the process attempts to comprehensively document the history of the Japanese camera industry. Very cool! Thanks again Björn!
Thursday, April 02, 2009
All the Basic Photography Tips You'll Ever Need
A friend of mine recently asked me for some basic photography tips. It turned in to a mini-manifesto, and here it is:
Matt's Platform-agnostic Photography Tips.
One. Learn your camera.
It doesn't matter what type of camera you have, spend some time with it, get to know it well. Learn how long it takes to be ready to shoot once you turn it on. Learn the lag between pressing the shutter release and the actual taking of the picture. Learn the flash recycle time and the approximate battery life and how many pictures your card can hold at medium-high resolution. Read the manual and learn the advanced features like close (macro) focus, flash fill, face recognition, backlit scenes. The more you know about your camera the more quickly you'll be able to adjust to get the shot you want. And the more you practice, the less likely you'll miss that shot.
Two. Think like a camera.
Cameras don't think, they just see what's in front of them and do what they're told. You have the luxury of not one but two eyes and a brain that processes information at light speed. You can take in a panoramic scene in mixed light, focus on what's imnportant and give it meaning and emotionaly and historical context all in an instant. A camera with its one eye, narrow focus and limited range of light values it can capture (EV), needs to be told to capture specifically what you want it to see.
Three. See like a camera.
The camera can only capture so much. You need to be able to see what's in front of you the way a camera would capture it. Best way to begin: close one eye and make a rectangle out of your fingers to frame the scene. Is the light pefect the way it is? Turn off the flash and stand still. (I take most of my shots, even digital, without flash whenever possible). Are there shadows on the face that would be too dark? Use fill flash or move into the shade. Moving subject in a dark room? Full flash. Are the most important elements of your scene in the frame? If they're too small move in. Then move in more. Is your subject off-center (as it usually should be)? Focus on the subject and reframe while holding the shutter release halfway. Make the camera work for you. It's a tool. Become one with it.
Four. Study other photos.
You can't write without reading, can't play music without listening to music. Study photos and when you find ones that strike your fancy, try and figure out what it is you like about them. The tight cropping? The interplay of bold colors? The natural light? The hidden meaning in the juxtaposition of subject and background? The intersection of angles? Study your own photos as well. Which are more successful and why? Would tighter cropping help the less successful ones? Are the facial expressions true to what you remember about the scene? Think about these things when you frame your shots. The more you put these stylistic nuances into practice the more natural it becomes and the better your pictures as a result.
Five. Understand the difference between types of photos.
In general there are two types of photos: ones that are merely records of a scene, and ones that aspire to something higher. The ones that you like to see and like to take are the ones that aspire to impart more meaning than just a record, they want to give a sense of time, place, and of feeling. If you simply point a camera and shoot, likely as not you'll get the first type. If you learn to frame your photos, turn off the flash, and most importantly, know when to press the shutter release, you'll nearly always get the type of photo you always wanted to take. Think. Practice.
Last. Not all shots are worth taking, but sometimes any shot is better than none.
Sometimes the picture is not there in front of you, it's just in your imagination. Sometimes what you wanted to capture is gone before you can pull the camera out, or simply doesn't look like what you thought it did before you framed it or thought like a camera. It's ok not to press the shutter if the picture isn't there. Your best bet is generally to anticipate the shot that hasn't happened yet and be ready before it flits past. Know when the car is coming around the corner, know when the child is about to turn to you and smile, know when the dog is about to leap and grab the frisbee and be ready with that finger poised above the button. But sometimes a record is all you want or have time for, so go ahead. If it's not perfect you can crop it later, and there will often be other opportunities for similar photos. And sometimes you realize you'll never get a second chance to be there and a blurry hastily framed shot is all you get. And sometimes those turn out to be the most fun, original records of the scene.
General random tips.
Always have a camera with you, even if it's just the one in your phone. Know how to use it. Turn off the flash when you can. Remember - people don't always have to smile perfectly. If kids are being goofy make it a record of their personalities rather than a museum piece. Shoot in the morning, in the evening, on cloudy days, indoors near windows for best natural light. Flowers and people like the same diffuse light. If you're shooting a moving subject, pan the camera with the subject. Learn to stand still and pause your breath while firmly squeezing the shutter release. Experiment. Learn to use Photoshop or another image editing tool to crop, adjust contrast, eliminate redeye after the fact. Sometimes black and white is better. Learn what times of year have the best light in your part of the world (for me it's spring and fall). Don't be afraid to direct people, they want to look good in the picture. But don't be too bossy or they won't want to pose for you again. Make them laugh for real if you want them to smile, unless you want "cheese-y" smiles. Frame the photo, but watch the subjects over the camera so you can see whose eyes are closed before you press the release. Own a tripod, even a tabletop one, and use it for posed group shots, especially if you want to get in the shot during a timed release. Know the rule of thirds: compositions are most interesting if the subject is at an intersection of thirds of your frame. Don't try to capture too much, the eye wants a place to rest when looking at a photo. When in doubt, get closer. Shoot often. Don't be afraid to delete the bad ones, but get a second opinon on pictures of yourself before you do. Doesn't hurt to carry a pocket notebook and use it. If you're shooting towards the sun, hold a hand over the lens to keep the glare off. Sometimes vertical is better. Have extra batteries and an extra memory card or film on hand whenever possible. Above all, don't forget to enjoy the moments of your life in addition to documenting them. Sometimes a memory is better than a photo op.
© 2009 Matt Denton. Please include title and backlink if republishing.
Matt's Platform-agnostic Photography Tips.
One. Learn your camera.
It doesn't matter what type of camera you have, spend some time with it, get to know it well. Learn how long it takes to be ready to shoot once you turn it on. Learn the lag between pressing the shutter release and the actual taking of the picture. Learn the flash recycle time and the approximate battery life and how many pictures your card can hold at medium-high resolution. Read the manual and learn the advanced features like close (macro) focus, flash fill, face recognition, backlit scenes. The more you know about your camera the more quickly you'll be able to adjust to get the shot you want. And the more you practice, the less likely you'll miss that shot.
Two. Think like a camera.
Cameras don't think, they just see what's in front of them and do what they're told. You have the luxury of not one but two eyes and a brain that processes information at light speed. You can take in a panoramic scene in mixed light, focus on what's imnportant and give it meaning and emotionaly and historical context all in an instant. A camera with its one eye, narrow focus and limited range of light values it can capture (EV), needs to be told to capture specifically what you want it to see.
Three. See like a camera.
The camera can only capture so much. You need to be able to see what's in front of you the way a camera would capture it. Best way to begin: close one eye and make a rectangle out of your fingers to frame the scene. Is the light pefect the way it is? Turn off the flash and stand still. (I take most of my shots, even digital, without flash whenever possible). Are there shadows on the face that would be too dark? Use fill flash or move into the shade. Moving subject in a dark room? Full flash. Are the most important elements of your scene in the frame? If they're too small move in. Then move in more. Is your subject off-center (as it usually should be)? Focus on the subject and reframe while holding the shutter release halfway. Make the camera work for you. It's a tool. Become one with it.
Four. Study other photos.
You can't write without reading, can't play music without listening to music. Study photos and when you find ones that strike your fancy, try and figure out what it is you like about them. The tight cropping? The interplay of bold colors? The natural light? The hidden meaning in the juxtaposition of subject and background? The intersection of angles? Study your own photos as well. Which are more successful and why? Would tighter cropping help the less successful ones? Are the facial expressions true to what you remember about the scene? Think about these things when you frame your shots. The more you put these stylistic nuances into practice the more natural it becomes and the better your pictures as a result.
Five. Understand the difference between types of photos.
In general there are two types of photos: ones that are merely records of a scene, and ones that aspire to something higher. The ones that you like to see and like to take are the ones that aspire to impart more meaning than just a record, they want to give a sense of time, place, and of feeling. If you simply point a camera and shoot, likely as not you'll get the first type. If you learn to frame your photos, turn off the flash, and most importantly, know when to press the shutter release, you'll nearly always get the type of photo you always wanted to take. Think. Practice.
Last. Not all shots are worth taking, but sometimes any shot is better than none.
Sometimes the picture is not there in front of you, it's just in your imagination. Sometimes what you wanted to capture is gone before you can pull the camera out, or simply doesn't look like what you thought it did before you framed it or thought like a camera. It's ok not to press the shutter if the picture isn't there. Your best bet is generally to anticipate the shot that hasn't happened yet and be ready before it flits past. Know when the car is coming around the corner, know when the child is about to turn to you and smile, know when the dog is about to leap and grab the frisbee and be ready with that finger poised above the button. But sometimes a record is all you want or have time for, so go ahead. If it's not perfect you can crop it later, and there will often be other opportunities for similar photos. And sometimes you realize you'll never get a second chance to be there and a blurry hastily framed shot is all you get. And sometimes those turn out to be the most fun, original records of the scene.
General random tips.
Always have a camera with you, even if it's just the one in your phone. Know how to use it. Turn off the flash when you can. Remember - people don't always have to smile perfectly. If kids are being goofy make it a record of their personalities rather than a museum piece. Shoot in the morning, in the evening, on cloudy days, indoors near windows for best natural light. Flowers and people like the same diffuse light. If you're shooting a moving subject, pan the camera with the subject. Learn to stand still and pause your breath while firmly squeezing the shutter release. Experiment. Learn to use Photoshop or another image editing tool to crop, adjust contrast, eliminate redeye after the fact. Sometimes black and white is better. Learn what times of year have the best light in your part of the world (for me it's spring and fall). Don't be afraid to direct people, they want to look good in the picture. But don't be too bossy or they won't want to pose for you again. Make them laugh for real if you want them to smile, unless you want "cheese-y" smiles. Frame the photo, but watch the subjects over the camera so you can see whose eyes are closed before you press the release. Own a tripod, even a tabletop one, and use it for posed group shots, especially if you want to get in the shot during a timed release. Know the rule of thirds: compositions are most interesting if the subject is at an intersection of thirds of your frame. Don't try to capture too much, the eye wants a place to rest when looking at a photo. When in doubt, get closer. Shoot often. Don't be afraid to delete the bad ones, but get a second opinon on pictures of yourself before you do. Doesn't hurt to carry a pocket notebook and use it. If you're shooting towards the sun, hold a hand over the lens to keep the glare off. Sometimes vertical is better. Have extra batteries and an extra memory card or film on hand whenever possible. Above all, don't forget to enjoy the moments of your life in addition to documenting them. Sometimes a memory is better than a photo op.
© 2009 Matt Denton. Please include title and backlink if republishing.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Matt Denton is now on Facebook!
Yes, it's true... I finally signed up for FB.
You know I like to be fashionably late to the party.... now, where's the beer?
PS I should mention that if you want to friend me, please include a personal note so I know who you are and why you're making the request....
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
And it's been awhile....
(someone's going to get that, I just know it)
Hey-ho, what's up everyone? I know I haven't blogged here in a while, clearly I haven't been shooting much, though I've been thinking about it more and more lately. I miss my little metal friends! Time just keeps getting away from me somehow....
As a fan of the film Iron Man and pretty much everyone in it, and a fan of the outstanding documentary photography of actor Jeff Bridges, I thought some of you would enjoy checking out this well-put-together virtual book documenting the making of Iron Man on jeffbridges.com. All black and white panoramic shots as he likes to do, with insightful handwritten notes scattered throughout. I particularly enjoyed the angsty haircut shots (how did he frame those, I wonder?) and the workshop shots. Check it out!
Happy shooting! And happy Holidays!
Matt
Hey-ho, what's up everyone? I know I haven't blogged here in a while, clearly I haven't been shooting much, though I've been thinking about it more and more lately. I miss my little metal friends! Time just keeps getting away from me somehow....
As a fan of the film Iron Man and pretty much everyone in it, and a fan of the outstanding documentary photography of actor Jeff Bridges, I thought some of you would enjoy checking out this well-put-together virtual book documenting the making of Iron Man on jeffbridges.com. All black and white panoramic shots as he likes to do, with insightful handwritten notes scattered throughout. I particularly enjoyed the angsty haircut shots (how did he frame those, I wonder?) and the workshop shots. Check it out!
Happy shooting! And happy Holidays!
Matt
Friday, July 18, 2008
Back from Vacation
Ah Vacation.... Yes we just got back from the kind of vacation you need a vacation to recover from when you get back. Good times though, and I took a lot more pictures than I planned. Big question as always before we left, what camera to take? The short list was Vivitar 35ES, Ricoh 500G, Fed 2e w/35mm, Konica TC or Minolta XD-5. But I didn't leave myself much time to decide so took what has become a common companion, the Minolta with 45mm 2.0, Sears 28mm, and a 2x extender. Great versatile kit. Got heavy after a while though, tramping around Boston with my little man-purse of camera gear, and I ended up wishing I had what I should have taken but forgot about, the Canon Sure Shot 120. Rats. Next time!
Haven't developed the film yet but will soon. Also, loving the versatility of that little Canon Powershot A750is. Seems like everyone I know has a Powershot of some kind now! Still not the same as holding that solid SLR up to your eye and dialing in the perfect composition.
Sidebar - has anyone come up with a name for that thing people do with digicams where they hold them out with two hands and look at the screen with big eyes? Seems like it should have a name. How about 'four finger death pinch'? Comment with your thoughts.
Haven't developed the film yet but will soon. Also, loving the versatility of that little Canon Powershot A750is. Seems like everyone I know has a Powershot of some kind now! Still not the same as holding that solid SLR up to your eye and dialing in the perfect composition.
Sidebar - has anyone come up with a name for that thing people do with digicams where they hold them out with two hands and look at the screen with big eyes? Seems like it should have a name. How about 'four finger death pinch'? Comment with your thoughts.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Seawood Photo
I won't say why but over the weekend I had to make an emergency paper developer run and my usual - I should say former - sources were not holding. So I took a drive to the legendary Seawood Photo in San Anselmo, a trip I'd been putting off for years, and had a series of mostly pleasant surprises. The first surprise was that it was so close. San Anselmo had always seemed so far away in my head, and maybe this is a holdover of when we lived in the City and it would have been a good 45 min to an hour. But it's 5 minutes out of San Rafael, putting it about 15-20 minutes from my house. And anyone who lives the Bay Area knows that this is essentially the equivalent of walking across the street.
The second surprise was the camera collection lining the shelves of the store, a treasure trove that puts mine to shame three times over. Cameras I've only read about, cameras I've seen pictures of but not seen in person, and yes several that I own and have used. I just gaped for a bit. Eventually I had to just get my developer and go before I got way sidetracked and filled up the trunk. To be sure, this place is a traditional photographer's dream, between the collection of classics and everything else under the sun, including bins of manual camera lenses, filters and miscellaneous doodads. View cameras. Film! Ha.
Absolutely a must visit for any collector or photographer in the area. Nice folks too, and parking on the side. Watch out for dogs and bicycles once you turn off Sir Francis Drake though. San Anselmo appears to be a conclave of dogs, families and bicycles, all in the street at the same time... at least on the weekend...
The second surprise was the camera collection lining the shelves of the store, a treasure trove that puts mine to shame three times over. Cameras I've only read about, cameras I've seen pictures of but not seen in person, and yes several that I own and have used. I just gaped for a bit. Eventually I had to just get my developer and go before I got way sidetracked and filled up the trunk. To be sure, this place is a traditional photographer's dream, between the collection of classics and everything else under the sun, including bins of manual camera lenses, filters and miscellaneous doodads. View cameras. Film! Ha.
Absolutely a must visit for any collector or photographer in the area. Nice folks too, and parking on the side. Watch out for dogs and bicycles once you turn off Sir Francis Drake though. San Anselmo appears to be a conclave of dogs, families and bicycles, all in the street at the same time... at least on the weekend...
Friday, April 04, 2008
New Pics from Sacto
Went on a field trip this week with Casey's class to Sacramento and the state Capitol, haven't been there since I was in fourth grade! And yes I took a (gasp) film camera with me. I almost took the Konica TC but I didn't trust myself not to have a working light meter, but didn't have the batteries for that one (see previous post). Plus I wasn't sure that 40mm would be wide enough for interiors and architecture. The Minolta XD5 with Sears 28mm worked out perfectly. I shot Assemblyman Huffman in his office, portions of the Capitol, and the California Museum and a bit of Sutter's Fort, all on Kodak 400 CN so I could get it on CD at Costco. I also shot with our little Canon A570IS. See my flickr for selected pics.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Second First Impressions
So I had some free time this weekend and decided to use it to revisit my old friends in the closet, my camera collection. I went through as many as I could, removing stale batteries and exercising the lenses and shutters. In the process I discovered a few things, and was struck with what I can only call 'second first impressions' of some cameras that I haven't used for a while:
Discovery #1 -- old hearing aid batteries (1.3v replacements) can leak and leave a crystalline residue in your battery chamber. Easily cleaned with a damp cloth but good to know.
Discovery #2 -- it's a good idea to exercise the shutter of any old camera before loading it with film and taking it out for a spin, just to make sure it's in shape and up to speed. There were a few that were sluggish for the first few frames and got better quickly.
Discovery #3 -- there's simply never enough space. Shocker, I know!
Some quick standout impressions of some of my neglected friends:
Konica Autoreflex AC, light and impressively compact, the compact 40mm makes this a great package.
Konica Autoreflex T3, a solid picture taking machine.
GAF Memo, super-compact dark horse of a shooter.
Kiev 4, just f'n cool, so silent and smooth and stylish.
FED 2e quirky and cool, heavy.
Minolta SRT101, maybe the smoothest shutter release of the mechanical cameras.
Vivitar 400/SL ah what memories we made together. Nice solid workhorse.
Sears/Ricoh TLS, slightly primitive classic classic. Heavy!
Prakticas, KA-CHUNK.
Olympus Trip 35, so cute, understated easy shooter.
Ricoh 500G, Vivitar 35ES, Canonet GIII, Olympus 35RC (forgot I had that one!) what can I say, all great tight little packages, all good shooters.
Konica Auto S2, the Cadillac of rangefinders, almost too nice to use. Big.
Yashica Electro 35, which I have too many of, you wouldn't know to look at it that it could take the pictures it does.
Agfa Isolette, Franka Solida, Moskva-5, solid shutters (especially the M-5) and classy well engineered packages.
Kodak Retina 1a, a thing of beauty and a true marvel of engineering. Jaw dropping precision action.
Walz Walzflex, very nice action for a relative unknown.
and Argus A, who couldn't like that little art deco classic.
That's the off-the-top-of the head standout list, I have other ones around that I didn't touch but I was so impressed at some of these I just had to give them a little shout out.
I did take an Electro 35 out for a spin down to Ghirardelli Square, we'll see how those pics come out. You know, 'cause I'm rusty and all.
Discovery #1 -- old hearing aid batteries (1.3v replacements) can leak and leave a crystalline residue in your battery chamber. Easily cleaned with a damp cloth but good to know.
Discovery #2 -- it's a good idea to exercise the shutter of any old camera before loading it with film and taking it out for a spin, just to make sure it's in shape and up to speed. There were a few that were sluggish for the first few frames and got better quickly.
Discovery #3 -- there's simply never enough space. Shocker, I know!
Some quick standout impressions of some of my neglected friends:
Konica Autoreflex AC, light and impressively compact, the compact 40mm makes this a great package.
Konica Autoreflex T3, a solid picture taking machine.
GAF Memo, super-compact dark horse of a shooter.
Kiev 4, just f'n cool, so silent and smooth and stylish.
FED 2e quirky and cool, heavy.
Minolta SRT101, maybe the smoothest shutter release of the mechanical cameras.
Vivitar 400/SL ah what memories we made together. Nice solid workhorse.
Sears/Ricoh TLS, slightly primitive classic classic. Heavy!
Prakticas, KA-CHUNK.
Olympus Trip 35, so cute, understated easy shooter.
Ricoh 500G, Vivitar 35ES, Canonet GIII, Olympus 35RC (forgot I had that one!) what can I say, all great tight little packages, all good shooters.
Konica Auto S2, the Cadillac of rangefinders, almost too nice to use. Big.
Yashica Electro 35, which I have too many of, you wouldn't know to look at it that it could take the pictures it does.
Agfa Isolette, Franka Solida, Moskva-5, solid shutters (especially the M-5) and classy well engineered packages.
Kodak Retina 1a, a thing of beauty and a true marvel of engineering. Jaw dropping precision action.
Walz Walzflex, very nice action for a relative unknown.
and Argus A, who couldn't like that little art deco classic.
That's the off-the-top-of the head standout list, I have other ones around that I didn't touch but I was so impressed at some of these I just had to give them a little shout out.
I did take an Electro 35 out for a spin down to Ghirardelli Square, we'll see how those pics come out. You know, 'cause I'm rusty and all.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
How could I forget?
As most featured museum exhibits will, the Annie Leibovitz exhibit ended in the Legion of Honor gift shop. Where, much to my surprise, amongst the photography books and clever albums were a flock of Diana and Holga cameras for sale! Lomo apparently has taken over manufacture (and marketing) of these cameras. I remember when you couldn't find a Diana anywere, and here was a stack for $36 apiece. The Holgas (flash model) were way too expensive for some reason, $67? What? For that price I'd go get the extra special White Stripes edition. Still fun to see that they're still out there!
/m
/m
Monday, March 10, 2008
Inspired
Last week a friend and I went to the Legion of Honor to see the new exhibit by one of my all-time favorite portrait/fashion photographers, Annie Leibovitz. It was an extremely well curated exhibit, which is not something I'm used to noticing or saying, and of course the photos were phenomenal. I forgot that Annie has mad photojournalism skillz in addition to being one of the great portrait photographers. Her private candids show another side to that insight you glimpse through the portraits. The end of the exhibit that chronicles the death of her longtime companion Susan Sontag, then the death of her father, then the birth of her second and third children, one of whom she named Susan, was particularly moving. And of course the portraits are amazing to see up close and in person. If you're in the area I highly recommend a trip.
I knew but had forgotten that the Legion of Honor itself is not only by far the best museum in San Francisco, it's on par with the great museums of the world. The collection of Rodin sculptures are better displayed there than even the Rodin museum in Paris. Walking through the courtyard was the first time in a while I wished I had a camera with me, but I hadn't known ahead of time that we were going to be able to go. Another day!
I knew but had forgotten that the Legion of Honor itself is not only by far the best museum in San Francisco, it's on par with the great museums of the world. The collection of Rodin sculptures are better displayed there than even the Rodin museum in Paris. Walking through the courtyard was the first time in a while I wished I had a camera with me, but I hadn't known ahead of time that we were going to be able to go. Another day!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Chip off the old block(head)
Well I can't say I've been shooting all that much but someone has! Another prodigy in the works, see this link to the SF Chronicle Online
"Young Photographers Go Snap Happy"
Taken with one of our Canon digital cameras, the older one I think. I bought Ellen a new one for Christmas, an A570is, one of the most fun cameras I've ever used. If you want a high quality pocket digital I highly recommend it.
"Young Photographers Go Snap Happy"
Taken with one of our Canon digital cameras, the older one I think. I bought Ellen a new one for Christmas, an A570is, one of the most fun cameras I've ever used. If you want a high quality pocket digital I highly recommend it.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Happy New Year
Well it's been interesting so far, what with the storms and power outages and all. Still, it's been a nice few weeks spending extra time at home with the family, watching way too much football and of course happily overindulging on way too much holiday food and drink.
Now, I don't make New Year's resolutions per se, but I do take the opportunity to check the direction things are going and if necessary make plans to tweak them. Maybe get some goals in mind for the coming year, making sure they're reasonable and things to do not necessarily things not to do which rarely seems to work. This year I'm feeling like I'm on a good path, things in general are going very well.
One area I've obviously neglected is my photo site, which though still popular (thanks to all of you!) is sadly looking creaky in the Web 2.0 world. So one thing I'll be working on is systematically posting all of my orphaned pictures into my flickr photostream. I've got many pictures that are no longer on the main site or that you've never seen that I think deserve to have their day in the digital sun. So look for that in the nearish future.
I hope the New Year finds you all happy and well!
Now, I don't make New Year's resolutions per se, but I do take the opportunity to check the direction things are going and if necessary make plans to tweak them. Maybe get some goals in mind for the coming year, making sure they're reasonable and things to do not necessarily things not to do which rarely seems to work. This year I'm feeling like I'm on a good path, things in general are going very well.
One area I've obviously neglected is my photo site, which though still popular (thanks to all of you!) is sadly looking creaky in the Web 2.0 world. So one thing I'll be working on is systematically posting all of my orphaned pictures into my flickr photostream. I've got many pictures that are no longer on the main site or that you've never seen that I think deserve to have their day in the digital sun. So look for that in the nearish future.
I hope the New Year finds you all happy and well!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Happy Holidays
Well it's that time of year again, the chill is in the air, the ants are marching in from the cold, and the darkroom is beginning to fill with Christmas presents. That's ok, it's far too cold to be out there anyway, even with my nice space heater. I did develop another roll of film yesterday -- in the kitchen, of course -- some old TMax 400 I shot in the N2000 of the kids helping to bake cookies. Actually I think I shot it two weeks ago or so but only yesterday got around to developing it. I used a tip someone sent me and did the final rinse in distilled water and skipped the Foto-Flo, it worked great! I hadn't thought about the hard water being the issue with mineral deposits. Duh.
You probably noticed I started posting more pics to my flickr photostream. Boy, there are an amazing amount of excellent photos out there. What a great way to waste a few hours, clicking away on flickr. I'm starting to wonder why anyone has a 'regular' old skool website anymore, as all the important content seems to be migrating to social networking sites like myspace, facebook, blogspot, wordpress, and flickr.
One photographer I'm really excited to have chanced upon in my clicktour is the amazing Miss Aniela, who is talented as a model, photographer, and also as a Photoshop artist. Normally I don't dig obviously reworked photographs but hers are primarily what I would call stylized in a way that still allows them to speak as photographs, and not as digital paintings or illustrations (though some do go that far). Take a peek. Note - some are marginally NSFW.
In the likely chance that I'm too busy to check in before the holidays are all done, I wish you all the best for the holiday season and in the coming year!
You probably noticed I started posting more pics to my flickr photostream. Boy, there are an amazing amount of excellent photos out there. What a great way to waste a few hours, clicking away on flickr. I'm starting to wonder why anyone has a 'regular' old skool website anymore, as all the important content seems to be migrating to social networking sites like myspace, facebook, blogspot, wordpress, and flickr.
One photographer I'm really excited to have chanced upon in my clicktour is the amazing Miss Aniela, who is talented as a model, photographer, and also as a Photoshop artist. Normally I don't dig obviously reworked photographs but hers are primarily what I would call stylized in a way that still allows them to speak as photographs, and not as digital paintings or illustrations (though some do go that far). Take a peek. Note - some are marginally NSFW.
In the likely chance that I'm too busy to check in before the holidays are all done, I wish you all the best for the holiday season and in the coming year!
Friday, November 30, 2007
New Toy, New Pics
Not my toy exactly -- I recently got to play with a friend's Pentax DSLR and just put a couple of the more interesting snaps I took with it up on flickr. The cool thing about it -- an older *ist and yes, that's the name -- is that it will use just about any K mount lens, meaning not just the latest AF Pentax lens but also my old manual K mount lenses as well! Apparently with an adapter it will even use universal screw-mount lenses too. Hard not to like that selling point!
Note on the pics - the black and white self portrait is with the included zoom, I cropped it, turned it black and white, and added film grain in Photoshop. The other two are with the Sears 1.4 / 50mm that came with my KS2. Note the shallow depth of field in the available kitchen light.
Sidebar -- Ponti Rosso sweet vermouth is a tasty aperitif.
MD
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Old Friends, New Friends
New photo posts on flickr, from a roll I just finished in my Ricoh 500G, what a great little picture taker that is. Lightweight and easy to use, with a really sharp lens and good meter. I think I paid less than $10 for it a few years ago. Half the roll is of the Rock 'n Blues Festival where Sammy Hagar and the Wabos played. Those two pics of Sammy are heavily cropped as a 38mm lens doesn't do justice from where I was standing, but I did get some cool photos of a local band called Weslester who put on a throbbing, headbanging, kick ass live show that the kids were really getting into.
The other half are some fun action photos of my kids shooting hoops at a local school, gearing up for basketball season, I'm still sorting those but will have them up shortly.
I also just finished a roll in the Nikon N2000, I had forgotten what a fun camera that is! Not much bigger than a regular manual SLR but with a pretty fast motordrive. Manual rewind, which took me a few minutes to figure out, I thought with the motor it would rewind itself like the N6006 but not so much. Doh!
So for some reason, getting reacquainted with these old 'friends' got me thinking about how different my life is now from when I first picked up these cameras, and about all the new people I've met since then. I have to say I feel pretty lucky for having the life I do, and to know the amount of great people I do. Thanks to all of you for keeping the flame alive, keep on writing and keep on shooting!
M
The other half are some fun action photos of my kids shooting hoops at a local school, gearing up for basketball season, I'm still sorting those but will have them up shortly.
I also just finished a roll in the Nikon N2000, I had forgotten what a fun camera that is! Not much bigger than a regular manual SLR but with a pretty fast motordrive. Manual rewind, which took me a few minutes to figure out, I thought with the motor it would rewind itself like the N6006 but not so much. Doh!
So for some reason, getting reacquainted with these old 'friends' got me thinking about how different my life is now from when I first picked up these cameras, and about all the new people I've met since then. I have to say I feel pretty lucky for having the life I do, and to know the amount of great people I do. Thanks to all of you for keeping the flame alive, keep on writing and keep on shooting!
M
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Done Deed
I uploaded photos to flickr and changed my new work page to display the latest photos I have there. Unfortunately I can't seem to figure out how to get those linked images to launch in a new window, so clicking on them takes you to my flickr page and away from my photo page. It must be a parameter of javascript it calls but I can't quite figure it out. I guess you can always right- or option- click and open in a new tab or window.
Next task of course is to find homes for those images that gathered digital dust in the 'new work' section for so long, I like several of them very much. I also need to go through and remove the 'new' tags for those not-so-new cameras on the camera page, and when I get a chance, add (gasp) a couple of new cameras that have found their way into my house. Heh. So little time...
Next task of course is to find homes for those images that gathered digital dust in the 'new work' section for so long, I like several of them very much. I also need to go through and remove the 'new' tags for those not-so-new cameras on the camera page, and when I get a chance, add (gasp) a couple of new cameras that have found their way into my house. Heh. So little time...
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Hey Folks
OK guys, sorry, while I'm far from a 'net newbie, these sharing sites like flickr and myspace are a little bit of a shift for me -- I'm just finally getting into my blogs eh! The point being that I didn't know there was a messaging component to flickr, and here people have been leaving me messages since I signed up! Doh! As some of you know (and you know who you are) I have trouble keeping up with email as it is.
You'll never believe what I did today... ah so I'll just tell you. I actually went in the darkroom and made my first proof prints in over a year. Sho' 'nuff. Yeh I think my paper is a little past date, it's kind of grey, not horrible for proofs but not great for prints. Chemicals seem ok though. The important ones anyway. See, Ellen's caught up to my last darkroom foray with her scrapbooking, so I (ahem) had no choice but to get in there and make proofs of negs I had forgotten I even developed. (!) And like my recent re-entry into developing, at first was pain and after was like riding a bike.
[sidebar - that Papelbon has some game face eh? go Sox!]
Tomorrow - more printing. I have a confession to make, I have another reason to spend time in the darkroom -- I realized it's a great place to practice singing! Yes, no sooner than I posted that I was taking singing lessons that I (we) had to stop, we simply couldn't afford to continue, fun as it was. Wait, why am I trying to learn to sing in the first place? Well, that's for me to know and you, well... probably just as well not, no offense :)
So I'm almost done with my roll of soccer pics with the Nikon FM2 and the Novoflexar; and am halfway through a roll in my little Ricoh 500G that I started taking at a recent benefit concert for local schools that featured area local Sammy Hagar as headliner, what a guy, he can bring it at 60. He and the Wabos rocked the park! It was my kids' first concert, they had a good time, mostly with their uncle as I was busy as a volunteer patrolling the grounds as part of the safety patrol. Still fun. Local food & beers, lots of familiar faces, and of course Sammy and the Wabos.
Ok, I have pics to post on flickr now, from our trip north to Eureka not too long ago, and maybe some more soon depending on what I come up with tomorrow.
That's it for now. Oh by the way Happy Birthday Sammy! 60 woo! I can only hope I'm still kicking out the jams at that age :)
You'll never believe what I did today... ah so I'll just tell you. I actually went in the darkroom and made my first proof prints in over a year. Sho' 'nuff. Yeh I think my paper is a little past date, it's kind of grey, not horrible for proofs but not great for prints. Chemicals seem ok though. The important ones anyway. See, Ellen's caught up to my last darkroom foray with her scrapbooking, so I (ahem) had no choice but to get in there and make proofs of negs I had forgotten I even developed. (!) And like my recent re-entry into developing, at first was pain and after was like riding a bike.
[sidebar - that Papelbon has some game face eh? go Sox!]
Tomorrow - more printing. I have a confession to make, I have another reason to spend time in the darkroom -- I realized it's a great place to practice singing! Yes, no sooner than I posted that I was taking singing lessons that I (we) had to stop, we simply couldn't afford to continue, fun as it was. Wait, why am I trying to learn to sing in the first place? Well, that's for me to know and you, well... probably just as well not, no offense :)
So I'm almost done with my roll of soccer pics with the Nikon FM2 and the Novoflexar; and am halfway through a roll in my little Ricoh 500G that I started taking at a recent benefit concert for local schools that featured area local Sammy Hagar as headliner, what a guy, he can bring it at 60. He and the Wabos rocked the park! It was my kids' first concert, they had a good time, mostly with their uncle as I was busy as a volunteer patrolling the grounds as part of the safety patrol. Still fun. Local food & beers, lots of familiar faces, and of course Sammy and the Wabos.
Ok, I have pics to post on flickr now, from our trip north to Eureka not too long ago, and maybe some more soon depending on what I come up with tomorrow.
That's it for now. Oh by the way Happy Birthday Sammy! 60 woo! I can only hope I'm still kicking out the jams at that age :)
Monday, September 17, 2007
Truemors
Don't know where I heard that term recently but I thought it was a funny word mashup. Yes the rumors are true, I am shooting again after a surprisingly lengthy break. Turns out that beyond getting past the apathy, ennui, and inertia, the trick is simply to have a loaded camera on hand. I guess I knew that but forgot it somewhere along the way.
I even developed my first rolls of film in what I can hardly believe has been such a long time, judging by the date on the chemicals. The first roll took embarassingly long to do, the second was just like riding a bicycle. Now to print :)
What I shot this weekend was my older Nikon with the Novoflexar, I can't believe I've never taken it for a spin. Great lens for shooting kids playing sports (soccer!), at least it seems so, I'll see when I get the film developed. Half a roll to go, but it feels good to be back in the saddle again.*
(*More Aerosmith, less Gene Autry.)
I'll bore you another time with the tale of the confluence of events that lead to the long break. In the meantime I've got the camera eye back, and film thawing.
I even developed my first rolls of film in what I can hardly believe has been such a long time, judging by the date on the chemicals. The first roll took embarassingly long to do, the second was just like riding a bicycle. Now to print :)
What I shot this weekend was my older Nikon with the Novoflexar, I can't believe I've never taken it for a spin. Great lens for shooting kids playing sports (soccer!), at least it seems so, I'll see when I get the film developed. Half a roll to go, but it feels good to be back in the saddle again.*
(*More Aerosmith, less Gene Autry.)
I'll bore you another time with the tale of the confluence of events that lead to the long break. In the meantime I've got the camera eye back, and film thawing.
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