Azaleas, Heralds of Spring
Azaleas are the first flowers to appear each spring. We have a few varieties, and the bright coral blooms are always the first to appear. Most bushes face north and are in constant shade for most of the day year-round. However, there is one bush facing west that receives sunlightContinue Reading
My Minolta Maxxum 7D—Down, But Apparently, Not Out!
A little more than a month ago, I lamented my Konica Maxxum 7D because it began showing blank screens after each shot. The first-frame-black (FFB) and aperture magnet failure are well-known fatal defects with the 7D and Maxxum 7 film cameras. Thus, when my camera showed black frames, I mournedContinue Reading
Frame Works???: City Vista
Description: A city scene framed by two skyscrapers Background: Midtown Atlanta has seen a building boom over the last 15 years. My walk took me down Spring Street, which for years had been a series of empty lots and past-their-prime buildings. My pace slowed as I marveled at theContinue Reading
Minolta Gear Archeology: Odds and Ends
Gear Archeology is something you fall into slowly without much thought. Although I try my best to avoid it, the collecting bug always seems to bite me. Sometimes, it’s a major item, like a pristine Minolta-35 IIB or an X-600. But, often, the search for that one little thingContinue Reading
The Iceman Cameth
The coldest period in Atlanta is usually mid-January to mid-February. If there is going to be snow, this is the time it is likely to appear. Ice was this year’s winter statement. Like the typical Atlantan, I stocked up on essentials and waited for the power to go out. TheContinue Reading
Kodacolor 100: I Like It!
Last October, Kodak announced Kodacolor 100 and Kodacolor 200, neither of which is entirely new. Speculation is that they are Pro-Image and ColorPlus with new labels. Generally speaking, I have tended to use Fuji 100 because it was available in 12-exposure rolls. Kodak Ektar, I’ve used only onceContinue Reading
On a (Mostly) Clear Day…
These buildings are about three miles away and are usually veiled by haze and softened by distance. But on this day, the sky was sufficiently clear to allow them to be appreciated framed by trees and a few wandering clouds. A red filter would have made this perfect. FromContinue Reading
Requiem for a Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D
The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D was introduced in late 2004, a product of Minolta’s merger with Konica the previous year. It came with a 6.1 MP CCD sensor, which accounts for its rich color reproduction. Its design borrowed significantly from that of the Maxxum 7, introduced in 2000. ProductionContinue Reading
Prayer for Compassion
David Darling, a cellist, was one of my favorite musicians. His albums “Prayer for Compassion” and “Eight-String Religion” are my favorites, and I listen to them almost daily. This church, stately and serene, bathed in afternoon light, reminded me of his music. The church was mostly obscured byContinue Reading
When In Disgrace with Fortune…
I have no idea what this statue is supposed to represent. My immediate reaction was that it showed a man in anguish. It’s in black and white because the Porta 400 loaded in the other camera would not have captured the despair it seemed to convey—a man beweeping hisContinue Reading
