Fifteen Years Ago Today

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Gary

Comet Hale-Bopp, Apri 1, 1997.
(Camera: Yashica FX-3 Super 2000; Lens: 50mm f/1.9 Yashinon with 2x tele-converter;
Film: Kodak Ultra Gold 400; 5-minutes @ f/4.)

One aspect of being an avid sky watcher is that the passage of time isn’t marked just with pages in a calendar, but also by gaps — the spaces between “once-in-a-lifetime” events. Looking at this photo of Comet Hale-Bopp now, I can scarcely believe that 15 years have elapsed since I aimed my camera skyward to capture it. The gap widens with each passing year spent watching amd waiting for the arrival of the next great comet. Continue reading →

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Favourite Cameras: Canon Canonet G-III QL 17

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Gary

This is a wonderful, compact rangefinder with many appealing attributes, not least of which is a fast 40mm f/1.7 lens. Yet it’s a camera I rarely use. Why? Because when I’m in the mood to shoot with this style of camera, I usually reach for my Olympus 35RC. Since both are fixed-lens, shutter-priority rangefinders, comparisons are inevitable. Continue reading →

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Postcards From Costa Rica: 2012

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Gary

2012-16-10b-cr

Our 9th annual Costa Rica Star Party wrapped up on February 25th. The weather was superb this year and everyone had a great time stargazing all night long, and spending the days sighting an amazing variety of bird species. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event, which should be extra special, being our 10th.
(To learn more about the trip, stop by at the TravelQuest International web site.)

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From Here to Guanacaste

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Gary

(Camera: Olympus 35RC; Film: Kodak T-Max 100)

I’m fresh back from a trip to Costa Rica to see the stars. Once I’ve done all my processing and caught up on sleep, I’ll assemble an image gallery. Until then, here’s a sample image taken on a wonderful afternoon walk.

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Accidental Alder

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Gary

(Camera: Hasselblad 503cx; Lens: 150mm f/4 Zeiss Sonnar; Film: Fuji Acros 100)

An interesting thing happened on the way to this picture. I came upon a stand of red alders and carefully set up my camera and tripod. I spent more time than usual trying to get just the right camera position to include the trees I wanted, and exclude the ones I felt were just clutter. In fact, I spent so much time framing the shot that I neglected to set the shutter speed on my camera and wound up underexposing by two stops.

Continue reading →

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Comets Old and New

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Gary

Comet Hale-Bopp, April 1,1997.
(Camera: Yashica FX-3 Super 2000; Lens: Yashica 28mm; Film: Kodak Ultra Gold 400)

Comets bright enough to be seen without a telescope or binoculars are rare. Those that can rightly be called “great comets,” are rarer still. For stargazers of my generation, a long drought finally broke in the 1990’s when two great comets appeared in rapid succession. The first of these was Comet Hyakutake, which arrived in the spring of 1996, but was long gone before many people even knew about it. A year later, Comet Hale-Bopp rose to prominence. In March and April 1997, Hale-Bopp was so bright that I could see it from my living room window in downtown Vancouver. Under a pristine, dark sky, it was beyond magnificent. Continue reading →

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After the Storm

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Gary

(Camera: Olympus Stylus Epic DLX; Film: Kodak Ektar 100)

We don’t get a great deal of snow here in Victoria, so when we do, it’s quite an event. And perhaps because it’s so rare, it seems especially beautiful. I took this picture after waiting out a sudden squall in the shelter of a big, Douglas fir tree. In a matter of minutes, it was all over and the sky turned a brilliant blue. On the right edge of the photo, you can see the storm retreating across the Juan de Fuca Strait. It was exciting while it lasted.

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Zooming With a Non-Zoom Lens

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Gary

(Camera: Canon Sure Shot A-1; Film: expired Kodak Gold 400)

Most photographers gravitate towards a one-lens solution, especially for their “walking around” camera.  And more often than not, that one lens is a zoom.  But what if you prefer the crisp images provided by so-called prime lenses? Or, what if your camera of choice  is a fixed-lens classic, or a compact point-and-shoot model without a zoom?  By using a couple of basic, old-time photographer’s tricks, you can combine the versatility of a zoom with the tack-sharp image quality of a single-focal-length lens.

Continue reading →

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Favourite Cameras: Yashica FX-3 Super 2000

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Gary

This was my second camera and my first SLR. It’s also one of the few I ever bought brand new. The year was 1989, and I knew I wanted something basic — no auto focus, auto exposure, no auto anything. But by the end of the 1980s, the world had moved on from the era of the all-manual SLR and few options remained. The only ones I knew about were the venerable Pentax K1000 and this camera, made by the Japanese manufacturing giant Kyocera. Continue reading →

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But Is It Art?

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Gary

(Camera: Yashica FX-3 Super 2000; Lens: Yashica 50mm f/1.9; Film: Kodak Tri-X Pan)

There are some photographic subjects so burdened with powerful associations that it’s difficult to see any representation of them as “art.”  Take, for example, this photograph of a cat.  His name is Beau.  I’ve always liked this portrait, but while in the darkroom printing this negative recently, I wondered if this was art, or simply a competent photo of a handsome tabby?  I think most of us would agree that a portrait can simultaneously be a representative likeness and fine art.  But can a photo of a cat — any photo of any cat — dare have such lofty aspirations? Continue reading →

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