Macro Photography Surprise: Minolta Super Rokkor 50mm 1.8 (LTM) and Olympus e300
Last week, after months of hoping and searching, I finally landed a Minolta Super Rokkor 50mm 1.8 LTM lens. This lens is rare (only about 3000 were made) and highly regarded for its image quality. The camera it was designed for, the Minolta-35 IIB, was sold for onlyContinue Reading
Season 12: This Year’s Garden Plans, Part 2
It’s been a month since I began working on the garden, and there is still a lot to do. After a cold winter, it warmed up much faster than expected, with 80-degree days early on. As a result, I’m fighting weeds much earlier than usual. VMLP photography projectsContinue Reading
Gilded Shadows?
Usually, I prefer to photograph images with significant shadows in black and white. Shadows seem to add a sense of gravitas or at least a specific mood to an image. Here, I chose to shoot in color because of the vibrancy of the plumage, the warmth of theContinue Reading
Decatur Art Stroll II—Boxes
The Decatur Box project is another art initiative born of a collaboration between artist Larry Holland and the Decatur Arts Alliance. The project turns traffic signal utility boxes into public art instead of dull green/grey metal eyesores. Last December, with a Minolta AF-C in hand loaded with Fuji 200, IContinue Reading
Photographer Code: One Camera = Tourist; Two Cameras = Pro
Since I have less time to devote to photography than I’d like, I often take up to three cameras with me. Trying new emulsions, shooting for the VMLP, or making images for “Around the City” posts becomes a more efficient use of time with multiple cameras. The Minolta AF-CContinue Reading
Churchyard (City)
The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, The lowing herd wind slowly o’er the lea, The plowman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me. (1-4) —Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard Thomas Gray Since reading this poemContinue Reading
Season 12: This Year’s Garden Plans
Every spring brings new ideas and new challenges. This winter has been the coldest I can recall for the garden. Usually, the daylilies poke their heads above ground by late January. However, this year, I was still watching for them until early March. The Gerber daisies,Continue Reading
Au Grand Cerf
Walking around Decatur, I spotted this deer painted on a restaurant wall. There is nothing special about the image, but it did remind me of the first trip my wife and I made to France. We spent three days in Blois (pronounced bool-wah), a small town south of ParisContinue Reading
Blue & Green
This wall is the side of a bank (maybe…I can’t recall). The walkway leads to parking. It reminds me of an aquarium or something sea-related. After debating whether to photograph it, I finally decided I liked the colors too much not to.Continue Reading
VMLP 41: Minolta 100mm f2.8 AF Macro (RS)—Sharp as a Tack
The 100mm f2.8 AF macro lens was one of my earliest purchases. At the time, my focus was on documenting my garden. I wanted nice flower pics, and the only lens I owned was an AF 50mm 1.7. The 7000i that I had recently bought came with twoContinue Reading
Hawk Eyes
Red-tailed hawks watched over our backyard for years. Once, there were two large pecan trees close by; the taller tree, in my neighbor’s yard, was 60+ feet. A similar tree stood next to our house, so close that it was encroaching on the foundation and had to be removed. Continue Reading
These Mirrors Are Trying My Patience
Having passed by these mirrors a few times, I decided to photograph them. They are along a busy street, about 15 feet from the sidewalk. Going from left to right, they are aligned along a gentle curve. Sitting in well-tended grass, they are flanked by buildings on all sides.Continue Reading
