“X” Marks the Spot: A Minor Fascination with Crossed “XX” Minolta Gear
If you spend enough time reading about Minolta gear, you will eventually come across a reference to crossed “XX” gear. This is a thing for Minolta collectors—not a major thing, but a thing nonetheless. When Minolta released the Maxxum line of cameras for the North American market, itContinue Reading
A Week From Winter
Garden-wise, this has been an odd year. In my little corner of the world, it has only rained a few times since August. And yet, somehow, the catmint, which has always done poorly in summer, grew bigger and more lush than any year since I’ve had it. IContinue Reading
VMLP 38: The Minolta XTsi with Battery Pack— A Rare Treat!
Minolta went crazy with “si” models. There seem to be more of them than any other AF line by far. By my count, there were 15 main models with additional variations of some of those. The XTsi arrived in 1998 and seems to be the more advanced of the laterContinue Reading
Eventide
Countless times, I’ve watched the late afternoon sun stream down on this chair, brightening the room. The leaves of the plant are what caught my eye. Sunlight settles on them, making hard and soft shadows, bringing out their delicate, rib-like pattern. Once small enough to be hidden behindContinue Reading
Unintentional Impressionist
Those who are long-time readers know that impressionist paintings are my favorite. I will consider my art journey a complete success when I can produce a decent impressionist painting. That day is a long way off, but the hope remains. This image was made entirely by accident when myContinue Reading
Fuji Pro 400H—Wish I’d Bought More
I bought two rolls of Fuji Pro 400H a few years ago, and they remained in the freezer until this summer. To be honest, I had forgotten about them until I inventoried my film stock. I can’t recall why I bought this film other than to try it out–noContinue Reading
Against Villainy?
This is the second time I’ve taken a picture of this statute (it’s gone now). The first, with the Konica Pearl II, did not turn out well. The Minolta AF-C and Kodak Gold 200 came to the rescue. I have no idea what this represents. She looksContinue Reading
Shocking! An Encounter with Static Electricity
On looking at the negatives, my first thought was of the old Outer Limits TV show. The odd light patch looked like a spider from another dimension (I took that show way too seriously). Apparently, this happens with high-speed film in dry conditions. I was testing focus accuracyContinue Reading
Jumping into Color: Learning Color Theory using Colored Pencils
In February, I expressed my hopes of being able to do art on a more regular basis. Well, my hopes were fulfilled. From May until now, I have done more art and photography than I have in the last three years. I shot six cameras in three weeks,Continue Reading
Atlantic Station (In Passing)
Atlantic Station is a neighborhood built on the site of a former steel mill. Designed with urban living in mind, it looks like a mini-city with defined areas for offices, retail, and residences. I rarely go to Atlantic Station. Since it opened in 2005, I’ve been fewer than tenContinue Reading
Summer Colors
Summer sun has a way of accenting colors and contrast. I like this scene because there is a progression of color from the grayness of the street, to green, to magenta, then gold, and finally the sky with shades of grey and a hint of blueContinue Reading
I Learned a New Scanning Trick!
For the last four years, I have been scanning and developing at home. Scanning B&W film is usually straightforward, while color film can be a headache. Rarely am I dissatisfied with B&W scans straight from the scanner. A while ago, I learned to adjust the scanner settings usingContinue Reading
