Are Snapshots Inferior Photos?

The snapshot has a longstanding connotation of inferiority. Even if you enjoy making them, you probably acknowledge this apparent consensus, and perhaps even feel guilty about owning up to taking snapshots. This would be a mistake, for to assume that a snapshot must be a bad photograph is to miss what a snapshot is: not… Continue reading Are Snapshots Inferior Photos?

Symbolism

It is good to look at something and recognize symbolism, allegory or deeper truth. This is a troublesome statement, and must quickly be qualified, for I think that many of us have been made to endure specious or disingenuous interpretations of symbolism in Art. Few people make it through higher education, for example, without being… Continue reading Symbolism

Voigtlander Bessa T Between Storms

January is a pretty rainy month in the Pacific Northwest, so I have not had many chances to bring the Voigtlander rangefinder from the early 2000's outside to shoot. Currently I have only shot two rolls of film, one a roll of expired Fuji color film which is currently out for development, and the other… Continue reading Voigtlander Bessa T Between Storms

Voigtlander Bessa T Heliar 101 Edition Unboxing Photos

Recently I have been shooting black and white film and developing it myself (see earlier post), and have mainly been using a cheap and cheerful fixed lens rangefinder from the '70s, the Ricoh 500G, which I obtained from a fellow member of a good photography forum for next to nothing. It's a fun camera with… Continue reading Voigtlander Bessa T Heliar 101 Edition Unboxing Photos

The Problem with Camera Reviews

I've been noticing something recently with the "professional" camera review websites and channels. It's not anything new, rather business as usual for most of them, but it's something that I only recently really paid any attention to. Well, I just used the words "business" and "paid" in the last sentence, and those are great big… Continue reading The Problem with Camera Reviews

Film!

I recently started shooting film again, with an added twist: I resolved to develop black and white film myself. Where I live, the only options for having film developed are either mailing it off or leaving it at the local Fred Meyer and having them mail it off. Either way, the turnaround time is long… Continue reading Film!

Portland Snapshots, Fall 2019

There is something exciting about the city in Autumn. The weather has turned colder, and here in the Pacific Northwest there is a looming threat of rainfall on almost any day. This makes for dramatic city scenes, more directional light slanting through the buildings, and a fresher sense of life after the days of unrelenting… Continue reading Portland Snapshots, Fall 2019

Blossoms, May (Ricoh GR III)

The cherry blossoms (and those from similar trees, as I have made no attempt to determine the species of tree in this instance) are succumbing to the warmer weather and coastal wind here, so I decided to take a few last photos. I've been testing the black and white abilities of the Ricoh GR III,… Continue reading Blossoms, May (Ricoh GR III)

Long-term Thoughts on the Panasonic Lumix GX85

Since I have now owned the Panasonic GX85 for almost a year, I have grown quite comfortable with it. One of the problems with our common obsession with gear as photographers is that we often don't use a camera or lens long enough to become truly comfortable with it. I have been guilty of this… Continue reading Long-term Thoughts on the Panasonic Lumix GX85