Photographs, Photographers and Photography

Behind each facade lies a story
My catalog seems to include more than its fair share of facades. Walls. Fronts. Facades. Each speaks of a time and place and brings back memories. Each has its own story behind the front.
I can still smell the bread baking in this one.

Cambria, CA. […]

Controlled lighting makes things much simpler
Over the years I have consistently taken controlled pictures of friends in what, for lack of a better word, would be best described as a studio environment. That may take the guise of soft northern window light at one extreme, or strictly controlled studio flash with umbrella reflectors and […]

Finally, a replacement for the magnificent Leica Apo-Telyt-R
Mention of the fabulous Leica Apo-Telyt-R lens in my column on the Leicaflex SL the other day prompts mention of its replacement which I have been using for a few weeks now on the Canon EOS 5D.
Available during the period 1975-98, the 180mm f/3.4 Apo-Telyt was one of […]

You can’t beat natural light
As we look forward to six dry months in central Caliornia, it’s nice to have a sheltered outdoor spot to look at pictures on those long, warm summer evenings.

This little walled patio on the north side of our home was a complete mess when we moved here a couple of years […]

Simple, sturdy and with great lenses, you can pick up this behemoth for very little
While classic rangefinder Leicas continue to appreciate as doctors, dentists and investment bankers fill their display cases, fine cameras like the Leicaflex SL, which never really caught on, can be had very inexpensively.
I used one for many years, during the period […]

Vibration reduction at work
The Lumix LX1 uses two motion sensors, one for vertical and the other for hoizontal motion. These feed the opposite of any motion they detect to the lens assembly to reduce the effects of definition-robbing camera shake on the image. Panasonic calls it ‘Mega OIS’ which sounds rather grand, no? […]