Frame Works? Ars Gratia Artis
Description: Studio workspace in afternoon light Background: In an earlier post, I recounted my foray into drawing, and to a limited extent, painting. My painting has consisted of creating backgrounds for still life photography projects. As with many things, it is difficult to do just a little, which describes my efforts withContinue Reading
Introducing Lens Love!
When I decided to do the Vintage Minolta Love Project, the focus was on camera bodies and how camera features and technology had changed over the years. The plan was to own only a few lenses and use them to evaluate all cameras. Having started with autofocus cameras, I hadContinue Reading
The Meaning of the Blues
The “blues” is bespoke, even though you never ask for it. It always fits you exactly, like a well-tailored suit. The blues comes in degrees and gradients. Sometimes, it’s the bittersweet melancholy of pining for a love now far removed. At other times, a mild setback that one combats withContinue Reading
Frame Works? Vase with Flowers
Description: Vase with flowers in brilliant window light Background: In April, late in the afternoon, the sun shines for an hour or so from the southwest into our dining room window, forming a narrow beam. Walking past can be blinding if one is not careful. The brilliance is a blessing. With lightContinue Reading
VMLP 4: The Minolta Maxxum 7000—Let There Be Autofocus!
After using the Maxxum 7000i, my first Minolta and real camera in more than three decades, I realized I wanted to try other Minolta cameras. That realization led me to research other models. On learning that Minolta favored the numbers 5, 7, and 9 when naming cameras, I decided that,Continue Reading
Lens Surprise: Minolta MD Zoom 75-150mm, f4
Pleasant surprises are wonderful events. Last year, I decided to dive into Minolta history by way of shooting all the major SLRs since the SR-2. Having made that decision, I went looking for lenses. After making a list of manual lenses, I found most were beyond my budget. I wasContinue Reading
Herb Garden
There is nothing like using fresh herbs for cooking. When I lived in apartments, I usually tried to grow herbs with varying degrees of success. Basil usually worked well, as did thyme. Rosemary never worked—it always died. Naturally, when I planted a flower garden, I saved a small area forContinue Reading
Photography and Drawing: Shadows, Values, and Light
Here is something I never thought I would say, “I can draw!” You see, I had no idea I could draw. In eighth grade, I took a five-week summer art class at my junior high school, along with two friends, both of whom were talented. In class, we painted, madeContinue Reading
Experimenting with Annuals
By season four, I had settled on all the perennials. There were many failures before getting to that point. I love hyssop, but cannot grow it. Speedwell and geum did not work out either. Those failures left both gaps in the yard and me yearning for more color. I decidedContinue Reading
VMLP 3: The Minolta SR-2, the Start of Something Big
I never set out to buy an SR-2 in a deliberate sense—that is, in the same way I searched for my Maxxum 7. The Maxxum 7 was going to be the camera I used to achieve photographic perfection. At the time, the SR-2, and all SRs, for that matter, wereContinue Reading
