Midnight in America

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Gary

(Camera: Olympus Pen-D; Film: Kodak Ektar 100)

Last summer I spent some time in Marshfield, Massachusetts. It’s a lovely seaside town, and as usual, I was never without a camera — usually carrying an Olympus Pen D, half-frame camera on this trip. There something about knowing you have 72 shots in a roll that encourages experimentation. Once I returned home, I realized I had taken a number of photos that shared several elements that lent the images a kind of cohesiveness. As part of my year-end housekeeping, I decided assembled those images into this little gallery.

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10 Faves From 2012

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Gary

French Beach Provincial Park, BC.
(Camera: Agfa Isolette II; Film: Fuji Reala 100)

It’s the end of the year, which is traditionally a time for backward reflection and, of course, lists. Everyone loves lists, especially — top 10s. It’s practically the only thing TV news programs run during the final days of the year. Although I have picked 10 of my favourite images from 2012, it’s hard to think of this really as a Top 10. In truth, the selection is almost arbitrary since it’s impossible to be objective about one’s own work. On another day, I might choose 10 completely different images. Continue reading →

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Steel, Glass, and Sky

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Gary

1061 Forst Street, Victoria, BC.
(Camera: Yashica T-4 Zoom; Film: Fuji Superia 200)

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That Time of Year Again

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Gary

Winter, Okanagan Lake, BC.
(Camera: Horizon Kompakt; Film: Kodak T-Max 100)

Happy Christmas everyone, everywhere.

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Postcards From Australia

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Gary

Sydney Opera House from the harbour.
(Camera: Olympus OM-PC; Lens: Zuiko 50mm f/1.8; Film: Fuji Provia 100F transparency)

Last November I flew down to Australia to take in a total eclipse of the Sun. It was my first trip to the Land Down Under (where women glow, and men chunder) and I was knocked out by the unfailing friendliness of all the Australians I met. Continue reading →

Posted in Travel Photography | 2 Comments

Longer Days Ahead

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Gary

Sun over Parry Bay, Metchosin, BC.
(Camera: Olympus OM-PC; Film: Kodak T-Max 100)

Now that the winter soltice is behind us, the Sun begins its long journey northwards on the celestial sphere and the days are starting to get longer, at least for those of us living in the northern hemisphere.

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What I Don’t Get About Instagram

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Gary

Sunset on a forgotten beach somewhere far away. All messed up with no place to go.
(Camera: Agfa Isolette II; Film: Kodak Ektar 100; Various non-Instagram filters.)

Instagram is in a bit of hot water with its users right now because of recent changes to its terms of service. People are expressing shock, outrage, and horror that a corporation is (gasp!) putting profitability ahead of their concerns. Now there might be something truly nasty lurking in all that fine print you’re forced to agree to when you sign up for an account, but since the verbiage is written by lawyers, for lawyers, it’s hard to tell. One thing for sure, it’s fertile ground for misrepresentation and misinterpretation. But my issue with Instagram isn’t their terms of service (which I assume are odious), it’s that I could never convince myself there was any point to it. Continue reading →

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Review: Lomography Belair X 6-12 Camera (Part 3)

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Gary

So far this review has focused on the Belair’s features and how it handles, but of course it’s the results that matter most. This is where the rubber meets the road, or to put it in photographic terms, where the photons meet the emulsion. It doesn’t take much to see that all the features, attractive pricing, and marketing hype don’t amount to a hill of beans if the resulting photos aren’t good. Continue reading →

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City Winter Sun

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Gary

(Camera: Olympus XA; Film: Kodak T-Max 100)

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Review: Lomography Belair X 6-12 Camera (Part 2)

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Gary

Getting to know a new camera is always fun and full of interesting little surprises. The Belair Cityslicker is no exception. Indeed, given its expansive feature set, surprises are almost guaranteed. For example, to my surprise, I found the Belair has something in common with another medium-format camera: the legendary Hasselblad. Continue reading →

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