Description: Seasonal window light framing a scene Background: In late autumn and early spring, light comes through the dining room’s clerestory window. The shape of the window makes for a narrow, well-defined shadow that creeps across the room in the late afternoon. Minimalist images intrigue me, especially black and white onesContinue Reading
From time to time things go wrong–occasionally, very wrong. Maxxum 7, AF 50mm f2.8, Ultrafine Xtreme 400, CineStill Monobath.Continue Reading
Being in command of an extraordinary machine is an intoxicating experience. I’m a huge Star Trek fan, and the bridge has always held a particular fascination for me. The sense of being in absolute control of an immensely powerful ship–the lights, the screens, the sounds–has never lost its appeal. AlthoughContinue Reading
I discovered Ultrafine Xtreme in 2020. It never occurred to me to stock up on it. It seemed plentiful, and everyone raved about it, so there was no reason to fear its loss. Since I used it mainly for testing purposes, I bought only the 12-exposure rolls. To be honest,Continue Reading
Life is full of surprises. From the time I decided to take photography seriously, my focus had been on SLRs. They are perfect for photographing flowers, cheap, and easy to find. However, as I have continued my photography journey, I encounter situations where an SLR is not necessarily the idealContinue Reading
The Vintage Minolta Love Project began as a stroll through Minolta’s SLR models, starting with the SR-2. No other camera types were given any serious consideration—TLRs were too expensive, point and shoots seemed like a waste of time, and I had an active dislike for rangefinders. Some may find this difficult toContinue Reading
Buying old cameras, regardless of source, requires one to test them for functionality before any serious use. So, when I started buying vintage Minoltas in February 2019, I had to create a testing protocol. The first film I used was Fuji Superia Xtra 400 with 36 exposures (all I couldContinue Reading
The VMLP is a quest to relive the history and innovation of Minolta SLRs. Accordingly, the next camera up for review should be either the SR-7 with its built-in meter (innovation step) or the older SR-1 (historical). But here we have the XD11. Why? Love. Generally speaking, I prefer autofocusContinue Reading
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
I have had good results with Ultrafine Xtreme 100. The grain is always pleasant and the images sharp. The same has been true of HP5+ and Tri-X. However, I had begun to avoid Ultrafine Xtreme 400 because the grain was so pronounced that it had become distracting. I use CineStillContinue Reading
