Pemaquid Point Sunrise

Posted on October 4, 2011 by admin

The start of a beautiful September day on the coast of Maine.
(Camera: Olympus OM-PC; Lens: Olympus Zuiko 28mm f/3.5; Film: Kodak Elite Chrome 200 EC)

In the eight years I lived on the east coast near Boston, I never ventured up to Maine. I have no idea why, except that I fell into that “there’s always another day” trap that conspires to keep one from exploring those things closest at hand. However, last autumn, my wife and I made the trip (this time, from the much greater distance of Victoria, BC) to attend the wedding of our friends Anne and Robert. We were staying just down the road from Pemaquid Point and got up early one morning to watch this sunrise. That alone made the trip worthwhile. Continue reading →

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San Fran Art Deco

Posted on October 2, 2011 by admin

(Camera: Yashica FX-3 Super 2000; Film: Ilford HP5)

One of the great joys of having your own darkroom is that you can reach back in time to make a new print from an old negative. I made this photo while visiting San Fransico in 1989, shortly after the big October quake. I was just enjoying the day, wandering around town, when this building caught my eye. I took the shot and carried on without giving it further thought until I encountered the negative 22 years later while organizing my old photos.  I was struck once again by the building’s unique architecture and decided to make this print. Continue reading →

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Favourite Cameras: Olympus OM-10

Posted on September 29, 2011 by admin

If you’re hunting for a first SLR camera, there’s probably no bigger bang-for-the-buck than an Olympus OM-10. Do a quick search and you’ll find them littering garage sales and eBay like confetti after a wedding. And they’re cheap too. You can usually get one in decent condition with the standard 50mm f/1.8 lens (which is excellent, by the way) for $30. Sometimes you can get a body, case, and extra lenses for that same outlay. But 30 bucks is 30 bucks and if the camera’s no good, then you’d be better off spending your money on pizza or beer, right? Right. Fortunately, the OM-10 is an excellent photographic tool. Continue reading →

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Ferry Man

Posted on September 28, 2011 by admin

(Camera: Pentax Espio Mini; Film: Kodak T-MAX 100)

I shot this on the ferry one morning in August during a voyage from Vancouver Island to the mainland. The car decks are usually deserted but for a few people slouched in their vehicles texting or talking on their cell phones, and an occasional dog-walker. But most everyone else heads up to the passenger decks for the view or a bite to eat. Most everyone, that is, except for loners who prefer to wander the car deck and avoid the noise and the crowds. And on this particular sailing, there were two loners: the guy with the camera, and this fellow being photographed watching the world slowly sail by.

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Abstract Grass

Posted on September 24, 2011 by admin

(Camera: Nikon FG; Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.8; Film: Kodak T-Max 100)

One of the aspects of black-and-white photography I enjoy the most is that, with the slightest adjustment in composition, you can turn the most ordinary subject into something beautiful. And what could be more ordinary than a bunch of dried grass that had sprung up in a neglected flower pot? Yet, framed this way and photographed in full sunlight against a dark background, the subject becomes abstracted just enough to begin to part ways with “reality.” Continue reading →

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Favourite Cameras: Olympus Trip 35

Posted on September 22, 2011 by admin

In the two decades between 1968 and 1988, the Olympus camera company produced something like 10 million of these cameras.  That’s nearly one a minute, every minute, for 20 years. Apparently, they were popular. And why not? They’re simple and fun to use. From today’s all-polycarbonate perspective, the Trip seems fantastically well made, as anyone who has held one will attest. This is one solid little camera — there’s very little plastic and all the controls feel sure and positive.  Continue reading →

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Sea-Tac Airport, Central Terminal

Posted on September 20, 2011 by admin

The central-terminal food court at Sea-Tac airport.
(Camera: Olympus OM-PC; Lens: 50mm f/1.8 Zuiko; Film: Fuji Provia 100F)

No matter where I fly, my journey always seems to involve a visit to Sea-Tac, or Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, as it’s more formally known. I’ve logged many hours there in the past few years that it’s starting to feel like a home away from home. As far as airports go, SEA is pretty decent. There are lots of food options (including Ivar’s, where they serve the best fish and chips anywhere), it’s easy to get from terminal to terminal, and the main terminal is spacious with plenty of natural light. It’s a considerable upgrade over my previous home airport, Logan, in Boston. But don’t get me started…

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International Harvester

Posted on September 18, 2011 by admin

International Harvester pickup truck, Jasper, Alberta, Canada.
(Camera: Nikon FE;, Lens: 50mm; Film: Fuji Sensia 200)

While working with a new scanner, I found myself revisiting some previously overlooked photos. This one was snapped while wandering around Jasper in June 2009, while our car was being repaired at a local garage. I don’t know much about old pickup trucks, but as near as I can tell, this one is a model KB-2 made in the late 1940s. It probably spent its working life on a prairie farm, judging from the make and the Saskatchewan license plate. Its journey apparently ended in Jasper some time in 1980.

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Twisting and Turning

Posted on September 11, 2011 by admin

(Camera: Nikon FE; Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.8; Film: Kodak T-MAX 100)

I love trees.  I find the endless variety of their shapes and textures fascinating and, without getting all anthropomorphic here, I’m  struck by how often their features suggest the human body.  It seems somehow appropriate that our arms and legs and the branches of trees are all called “limbs.” Continue reading →

Posted in Black and White, Framed Prints, Nature & Landscapes | Leave a comment

All Mod Cons

Posted on September 8, 2011 by admin

(Camera: Nikon FE; Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.8; Film: Kodak T-MAX 100)

I pulled this negative from my archives and decided to have a go printing it the other night. It was a relatively straightforward print to make since the limited tonal range that initially attracted me to the image didn’t need a lot of massaging to come through. As a result, my darkroom decisions were mostly limited to a little cropping and selecting the correct level of filtration on the enlarger to preserve the muted contrast. Continue reading →

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