Photography

This roll of HP5 from the Leica M31 was shot mostly in Grand Haven during one of our frequent walks through town and on the pier. Gail’s feet in Lake Michigan ...

The final final roll from the Canonet

Roll of HP5 from the Leica MP

I spent the afternoon with my parents to celebrate their 62nd wedding anniversary. This roll of Tri-X was taken with the Hasselblad 500C/M and the 80mm Planar. Mom and dad My sister’s family ...

A roll of Kodak Gold 200 was languishing in the Nikon F100, so I used it up taking photos of Alice on our deck. Turns out that’s what I did with the first half of the roll, too :) Processed C-41 in the JOBO and scanned on the V850 using SilverFast.

A portrait session with my aunt and uncle’s family. Taken using the Hasselblad 500C/M and 80mm Planar. HP5. ...

The viewfinder is kind of a mess right now. I have been thrilled to be able to use my little GR1 again, after pulling it off the shelf and finding that it does actually work. Except this morning I was reminded why I’d retired it before. The viewfinder becomes blocked by something loose in there or perhaps some sort of separation. Either way, it’s not usable when this happens, so I may have to document the issue and re-retire the camera. ...

I brought the Hasselblad to my parents house while my daughter and grandson were visiting. I underexposed the roll a bit, but the hit rate was better than expected. I love this one of my sister and Lincoln. Jess and Lincoln ...

I canceled my Capture One subscription this morning, before it renewed for $180 for another year. I hadn’t planned to do this. The plan was to cancel my Lightroom subscription ($10/month) and run with C1 for the year. Capture One has more to offer, and I like the files I get from it better than from Lightroom. So what happened? When canceling the Lightroom subscription, I was informed that there would be an early-termination fee of $49. I’d forgotten that the $10/month subscription was subsidized by agreeing to pay for a year. They just charge me monthly. That was disappointing. ...

I have never regretted taking a photo, but I always regret not taking one.

Whenever I review my recent photos, I am reminded that I prefer film. Film is fun, if sometimes frustrating, to shoot. Film cameras are cooler. And I love the results.

A few snapshots from our walk on the pier in Grand Haven this afternoon. The weather was beautiful and so was the waterfront.

Original photo: Depositphotos I’ve never been to Burning Man, but for years I really wanted to go. I mean c’mon, a bunch of normies heading out to the beach (at first, but later, the desert) to do drugs, walk around half (or fully) naked, and opt out of society for a while. A place to really hippie it up for a week or so. I think I would have loved it. ...

Back in photo.net’s and rangefinderforum.com’s prime, there was a gruff, opinionated, brilliant, and helpful forum member and photographer named Al Kaplan. He helped me a great deal after I got my first Leica. When he died in 2010, his family sold mugs and T-shirts to raise money. I’ve kept the mug on my desk ever since. Silver is Better Al Kaplan mug. Leica MP. HP5. ...

Throwing some old film away has made me think about what I actually need to keep

I got tired of waiting for a Fuji X100V so I skipped it and got another Q2

I attended our annual family reunion in Newaygo this weekend. It’s always great to see everyone. I shot a roll of HP5 with the MP and 35mm Summilux. Aunt Joan and Uncle Bob ...

Sometimes I notice the Leica M10-R sitting forlornly on my desk and I’m reminded that I don’t deserve it. A camera like that should be used, and used a lot. Mine mostly sits around waiting for me to take another selfie or photo of my dog. That’s a lot of money tied up in what most people do (and often better) with their phones. I’m a rangefinder guy at heart. I’ve shot with one almost continually since 2003. The Leica M, whether film or digital, is IMO the pinnacle of camera design and construction. But…I often just want to have a camera with me for simple grab shots. You know, the one-handed snapshot of a friend at dinner. Or a macro of my dog’s toes. The M is not the camera for those. Not in my hands, anyway. So I long for auto-focus, and EVF, maybe even IBIS. ...

There was a roll languishing in the OM-2n so I finished it during my walk today. I really need to find some new subjects. Shot on HP5 Plus. Developed in HC-110 (dilution B) for five minutes. Scanned on the Epson V750. Mirror self-portrait. OM-2n. HP5 Plus ...

I just sold my wonderful Leica Q2 Monochrom. This was the second time I’ve owned a Q2M and the second time I’ve sold one. The Q2M is a nearly perfect walk-around, everyday camera for someone who wants to focus purely on making black and white images. That describes me perfectly, for a while. I love B&W photographs and the Q2M makes them as good or better than anything available. I love how using a B&W-only sensor forces me to think in tones, shades, and lighting. ...