A Visit from Claudette…
When I heard tropical storm Claudette was headed to Atlanta, I panicked, remembering how past storms had bowled over my flowers. Those flowers never recovered. Years ago, when I moved to Atlanta, dodging tropical weather systems was not high on my list of concerns. But these days, I pay veryContinue Reading
VMLP 12: Minolta MD Zoom 28-85mm, f3.5-4.5—Yeah, You Want One of These
Minolta made so many SR mount lenses that it is difficult for someone new to the brand to make an intelligent buying decision. There are a few famous lenses, and they get all the press. When I bought my first manual camera in July 2019, the most widely touted lensesContinue Reading
Life Library of Photography—Exactly What I Have Been Looking For!
Exploring the history and growth of photography, researching techniques and practices—all add to the enjoyment of learning photography and snapping the shutter. Josh Solomon is responsible for my latest library additions. His post extolling the virtue of The Camera set me on a quest to find the 51-year-old Life Library of Photography. There areContinue Reading
Garden Frame: Evening Gardenia — Crème, Sans Brûlée
Description: Early season gardenia in soft late-afternoon light Background: We have a large gardenia tree. It regularly grows to more than six feet in height. When it gets this tall, I chop away six to eight inches or so and hope I’ve done a good job with no damage. I tried lettingContinue Reading
VMLP 11: The Minolta ER—Strange Quark
That the Minolta ER (Electronic Eye Reflex) is an oddity goes without saying. Its design says 1960’s hi-tech—like how one would expect George Jetson’s camera to look. It also carries over a 50s sci-fi vibe, so much so that I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if it suddenly shotContinue Reading
Summer Bloomers—The Early Birds
There is nothing quite like watching and waiting for the first blooms to appear. This spring was more colorful than usual because the scarlet and magenta verbena forgot they were annuals and came back in force. I love spring, but I planned the garden to peak in summer because ofContinue Reading
Scanning Epiphany–So, That’s How Histograms Work!
Developing scanning expertise was never a goal for me. My practice has been to accept scanned images pretty much as they are. For black and white, this works nearly 100% of the time; color is another story. Over the past year, I have been more focused on testing cameras thanContinue Reading
VMLP 10: Minolta 50mm f2.8 Macro (AF) —The Everyday Macro
To be honest, the only reason I bought the 50mm f2.8 macro lens was was fear of losing or damaging my 100mm f2.8 macro. I’m almost embarrassed to say this now. The 50mm 2.8 is sharp and handy, and it allows one to shoot from only a few inches away.Continue Reading
Pink Flirt Daylily— A Short, Short Story
Description: Pink Flirt Daylily Background: I grew up seeing orange and pale yellow daylilies everywhere. We had a huge mound of the orange ones in our yard. I always considered them as little more than weeds, as yard background noise. My attitude toward daylilies didn’t change until I discovered there were othersContinue Reading
From Gear to Images
There is something special about looking through a viewfinder, framing a scene, pausing to be sure all is as desired, then slowly pressing the shutter button. Anticipation–that itch to see the scene on a negative–starts right then. The unknowns account for some of the allure of using film—failure is alwaysContinue Reading