Manual focus cameras force one to concentrate on the fundamentals of photography. Using a manual focus camera requires a sequence of tasks: compose the image, meter the scene, set the aperture size, set the shutter speed, and shoot. You must be familiar with concepts such as depth of field andContinue Reading
The Minolta XK (XM/X-1) is a storied camera, a fine example of Minolta innovation introduced in 1972 with interchangeable finders and auto-exposure. It was Minolta’s first stab at a professional camera system, offering 8 seconds to 1/2000 shutter speeds, aperture priority shooting with auto exposure, and nine user-interchangeable focus screens.Continue Reading
By the time the first frost arrives each year, I am ready to welcome it. Managing a garden, even a small one, is more work than it seems, a fact I discovered within a few weeks of my first gardening season. First, there is digging, fertilizing, and planting. Then, onceContinue Reading
Being in command of an extraordinary machine is an intoxicating experience. I’m a huge Star Trek fan, and the bridge has always held a particular fascination for me. The sense of being in absolute control of an immensely powerful ship–the lights, the screens, the sounds–has never lost its appeal. AlthoughContinue Reading
A common reason for taking up film photography is that it forces one to slow down. I started shooting film three years ago, so by that logic, I have already been “taking things slow.” But recently, I had an epiphany about what slowing down must encompass that came by wayContinue Reading
