On My Way to Castleberry Hill…
Like everyone else, the pandemic has put a serious dent in my photography. Being able to wander around freely, whenever it becomes possible to do so again, is something I will be mindful to cherish. Castleberry Hill is an upcoming artsy neighborhood just southwest of downtown Atlanta. The night sceneContinue Reading
Learning Requires Feedback (or Why I Got a Digital Camera)
Soon after I began seriously considering buying a film camera, I read a lot of photography blogs. At the outset, the goal was to learn enough about photography and cameras to take decent garden pics. There was never any desire to be a “photographer.” It seems that the type ofContinue Reading
Impressionist Garden
I have been captivated by impressionist paintings since my first encounter with them at age 13. Foremost is the use of color. Color in the hands of Monet is enchanting. Lately, as I’ve looked at more paintings and taken the time to read more about the artists and their works, aContinue Reading
Frame Works? Violet with Minolta Lens
Description: An early spring violet with a Minolta lens resting beside it. I took the shot in late afternoon in mottled shade. Background: My second camera purchase was a Minolta Maxxum 5 that came with two lenses, one of which, the 35-80mm, is pictured here. The Maxxum 7000i, the first camera IContinue Reading
“Frame Works?” An Introduction
“Does this frame work?” is a question I ask myself when reviewing negatives. The question comes up because there have been so many times when what’s on the negative is not what I had in mind—not even close. Sometimes the discrepancy is due to a technical glitch such as motionContinue Reading
Minolta Fanny Pack? Uhh…No.
Mindlessly browsing through eBay, I came across a collection of Minolta miscellany, which included a camera, a few flashes, and a fanny pack with a Minolta blue and white logo. I actually paused and looked at it. Then I immediately had one of those “at the precipice” moments—the kind where your lifeContinue Reading
My Guests, Welcome and Otherwise…
Butterflies, hummingbirds, and honey bees were as important as the colors and bloom time when I started selecting flowers for the garden. I have never met a person who was not thrilled to see a hummingbird—they are simply special, with no further explanation required. The same is true of butterflies,Continue Reading
Choosing a Light Meter App
Generally speaking, I don’t like shooting cameras without built-in light meters—the process is too cumbersome. At times, however, it is unavoidable. For example, I have a Yashica Mat 124 with a busted meter, and the pandemic hit just as I was about to have it repaired. A light meter isContinue Reading
A Paean to Rainy Days
I like rainy days, in spring and early summer, but not November. My fondness for rain has nothing to do with flowers or gardens. It’s a deeply held affection from childhood. As a child in rural Virginia, our house sat at the top of a hill. The main street ofContinue Reading
Agapanthus Anxiety
Like the crocosmia, agapanthus (Lily of the Nile) was love at first sight. The plant is native to South Africa, so it is used to a temperate climate. In Atlanta, it usually blooms in June and July, producing beautiful puffs of pastel flowers atop an elegant long dark green stalkContinue Reading
