I do love photography
Like my issues with music, it is a matter of love over talent. But that never stopped me before and apparently it never will. I started as a kid, with a broken Yashica Lynx that had only a few working shutter speeds and apertures. It made me crazy, but it did take some nice photos. I eventually got some working gear as I had my own cash, and always preferred Olympus cameras for their rugged design and small size. I wish I had a digital version of my OM1n, or even better my 35SP rangefinder. I’m sure that there will be gear that has that feel and the ease of handling, but right now it is either underperforming point/shoots, or DSLRs that feel like a plastic brick.
My dad and grandfater taught me the basics as well as darkroom techniques. My grandfather had been developing his own film and prints since the 30’s, maybe earlier, and it was a given that if I wanted to take pictures I wasn’t going to pay a lab. It’s a learning tool that may have gone the way of the dodo, and that’s a shame. I think that you learn a lot when you see an actual, physical, negative or print.
I’ve been fully converted to digital. I shot a heck of a lot of 35mm, and some 120/220 when I went through a Rolleiflex phase. I spent a lot of time in the darkroom and that hands on, up close, time with a negative and an enlarger simply can’t be beat. However, my lack of independent wealth and my abundance of techno lust has brought me to the point where I now focus on digital imaging and techniques. I’m not alone. I don’t miss some things a bit. Having exposure preview is a godsend, as is digital workflow. My gear is pretty simple and I prefer to travel light. Light, however, is relative. I shoot a Nikon D200 or D50 DSLR, or a Canon TX1 “James Bond” camera when I carry a P&S. My lens selection on the Nikon is pretty straightforward and If I carry two lenses it is a basic photojournalist setup: 17-55 2.8, and a 70-300VR. I usually just take the 17-55. [17-55 gone to fund 360 panorama rig... ooops!] I’d like to have a better fixed/normal setup but I haven’t found a decent prime “normal” lens yet. I used to like a 28mm or 35mm, lens on 35mm film, and I haven’t found, or can’t afford, a fast enough lens in the crop factor FL ( 21mm or 25mm). I had the Sigma 30mm 1.4 for a while but something about it bugged me (it could have been as simple as that icky flocked finish). I’ve almost pulled the trigger a few times on the Nikkor 20/2.8. That might just be the way to go.
Street Artist, Koln, Germany 2006
I’ve started doing some B&W printing using grayscale inks from Inksupply in my cheapo Epson R220 printer. They haven’t been perfect, but the quality is more than adequate once I came up with a profile/process that matched the paper I am using. It seems like a hassle until i remember all of the time I spent in a darkroom.
My photos tend to fall into landscape, nature, architecture, or people. I’m not much for a very stylized look and am still very into available light photography. I know that there are situations where a strobe would save my bacon, but I don’t usually like the way it imposes on the subject.
Terracotta Warriors, Xian, China 2007
View of West Peak, Meriden, CT, March 2009
View of Wasel Reservoir, Southington, CT, March 2009
These two preceding photos, are taken seconds apart from the southwest corner of the Main Cliff at Ragged Mountain in Southington, CT. I’ve taken these shots from this point quite a few times and it can be challenging. West Peak (Meriden Mountain) is due south and is back/top lit especially on a clear early spring day. The sun is still plenty low and creates a darker ground scene. Wasel is northeast and is getting a nice dose of direct lighting. The sun is almost directly behind me for this photo. As much as I like having an off-center subject, and more of a thirds composition look, the features here have a symmetry that can handle the center. I have a lot of Ragged photos over at Flickr. Check ‘em out. Stay tuned, because I will be making a 360 degree QTVR panorama from this very point in the upcoming weeks.