Opossums, Squirrels, Owls and Hawks
Living in the middle of Atlanta, one doesn’t expect many genuine wildlife encounters. I’ve had a few–I almost put my hand on an opossum one night on the deck. It was so dark that I didn’t see it resting on the railing. One morning, an opossum ambled across the frontContinue Reading
My Introduction to Pincushion Distortion
When I began looking for Minolta Maxxum lenses, I came across a now-defunct site (MaxxumEyes.com) that made specific recommendations. The site recommended the classic 35-105mm AF (1985), particularly pointing out its sharpness. At the time, the only AF Minolta lenses I owned were the 50mm f1.7, 100mm f2.8 macro, andContinue Reading
Frame Works? Antelope with Birds
Description: Still life of a metal antelope sculpture Background: I’ve always been drawn to the minimalism of this sculpture. I waver over whether it is a cow or an antelope. It was a gift to my wife from one of her friends years ago, so its origin and background are lost. Continue Reading
Why the Urge to Capture an Image?
I read a post on the Japan Camera Hunter blog in which the author posed a somewhat rhetorical question: “What’s the point in taking pictures?” It’s something I have thought about — a lot. When I bought the Maxxum 7000i, I knew exactly why I wanted to take pictures; IContinue Reading
Garden Frame: Catmint with Coral-Red Azaleas
Description: A sprig of catmint (Walker’s Low) against a background of coral azaleas. The shot was taken in the early afternoon while the sun was high in the sky. Background: Catmint blooms in early to mid-spring and has beautiful, small lavender flowers. Bees love it. I bought three plants from a smallContinue Reading
VMLP 1: A Visual Guide to Minolta Lens Mounts—SR to A
This is the first Vintage Minolta Love Project (VMLP) post. To learn more about VLMP, read this. Last year, I bid on a 35-105mm RMC Tokina lens intended for use with my recently-acquired Minolta X-570. There were plenty of pictures. When the lens arrived, I spent 10 minutes trying toContinue Reading
Rookie Mistake: Conflating Focus Points and Spot Metering
Until the Maxxum 7000i, I had never used a camera with focus areas, and my metering knowledge was limited to the SR-T 101. With the SR-T 101, I knew to get the circle and needle aligned before I snapped. I never had a flash, so shutter and aperture were determinedContinue Reading
Garden Year I: The Finale with Epilogue
Well, first of all, thanks for reading all the gardening journey posts. As best I could, I have taken you every step with me from the vague idea of creating a front yard garden in 2014 up to the end of the first season. A lot of sweat went intoContinue Reading
Frame Works? Looming Ahead
Description: Bank of America Plaza Atlanta Background: This is Bank of America Plaza, at 55 stories, the tallest building in Georgia. This shot was taken looking westward down North Avenue. The building sits on a slight ridge running northward from downtown, and the land falls away from that ridge to the eastContinue Reading
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
