I Have Ceded the Backyard to the Ferns
One ostrich fern–one. When my hosta garden still seemed a little bare, I decided ferns would be a good addition. My wife, who loves ferns, thought it was a wonderful idea. I really should have read a book. Wandering through Grower’s Outlet, looking for Prairie Bella day lilies (they neverContinue Reading
Choosing Film, Exploring Emulsions
Since I started doing photography in 2019, my focus has been 90% on film and gear tests. Occasionally, I mixed in a purposeful image or two that I hoped to be ”art” worthy. I now have about 15 pictures I want to print and am about to start selecting myContinue Reading
Looking Down West Peachtree Street
When we moved to Atlanta in the early 90s, we lived one block north of the intersection of 14th and Peachtree Street. At the time, the area adjacent to that crossing was undergoing a revival, with new skyscrapers and Colony Square as the anchoring site. It was a small oasisContinue Reading
While the Gardener is Away…
This is now my ninth garden season, which is hard to believe. It has been the most challenging thus far because of the health woes mentioned in an earlier post. In early April, I spent a lot of money on plants, mulch, and manure, and I found myself unable toContinue Reading
VMLP 23: Minolta AF 28-85mm 3.5-4.5—Not Famous, But Good
I had heard good things about the AF 28-85mm 3.5-4.5 lens. However, I never set out to buy one—at least not to use. I purchased an “XX” lens from Goodwill but immediately put it on the shelf with the other hard-to-find “XX” items. Perhaps I would have been tempted toContinue Reading
Ok, I’ll Admit It—I Like XP2!
In March 2019, I had just gotten back into film and quickly discovered that developing and scanning costs were much higher than expected. After shooting five or six rolls of color, I decided to try a roll of Tri-X. The Tri-X took eight days to get back, the scans wereContinue Reading
Garden Frame: Red Camellias
Description: Red camellias blooming in mid-February Background: Before moving to Georgia, I cannot recall ever seeing camellias. I was invited to a party at a colleague’s house the first December after moving south from Washington, DC. Winters for me started in November and lasted until April and always brought grayness and ice.Continue Reading
VMLP 22: MC Rokkor-X PG 58mm 1.2—My Precious
Just to be clear, I never imagined owning an MC Rokkor-X 58mm f1.2 lens. I always saw it as too exotic, too far beyond my simple needs. Occasionally, I take it out of its storage case, stare at it, and then gently put it back. A bold streak hit meContinue Reading
VMLP 21: The Minolta Maxxum 600si: A Perfect “First” Camera
I like knobs and buttons—so do a lot of people. It would seem that by 1995 Minolta had gotten the message and produced the 600si—YES!!!. Like a lot of gear, I heard about the Minolta 600si reading forums posts. I was focused on buying “7” level Maxxums and, at theContinue Reading
A Few Film Photography Books: Reviews and Recommendations
When I got back into film photography in 2019, my knowledge of shooting film was meager. I still remembered the basics of using a camera, but I knew nothing about developing film or the nuances of exposure, metering, using filters, hyperfocal distance, and other essential topics. Naturally, I looked atContinue Reading
