A thoughtful and funny piece — it captures so well how we sometimes get lost in the details and forget the joy of simply being out there with a camera. I especially agree with points 2 and 5 — the obsession with “settings” and the ever-present “Is it AI?” question say so much about how detached we can become from the simple act of seeing. Thank you for the gentle reminder that the heart of photography lies in presence, not perfection.
Oh, Where to begin? I love the collage of B/W's you shared. The lines, the shadows, the depth. I used to be concerned with all the details. I have learned to just shoot. I come home with over 100+ pics to look through (a process I love), it is the journey. I like to see what I can capture. It is the photographer not the camera. I use my point and shoot, my cellphone and a few SLRs that are a bit out of date. I am attempting different approaches, same with my poetry (storytelling)!
Thank you Kristine, because I visit my local beaches very often, I try to find a different angle, the black and white just accentuates the details we take for granted.
I shoot mainly with compact cameras over ten years old and my Fuji x half which stays in monochrome most of the time.
It is the process of making images that keeps me creative😊
Andy, You are speaking my language. I love color but b/w has always had a piece of my heart. I can appreciate what you see, how you take the shot etc. Pure Magic! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Sure, who would not love the more expensive rig but I am doing alright, where I am.
I gave up chasing new gear when prices got silly and I realised that the camera was nothing more than a computer, leaving me with nothing to do!
Older cameras have taught me to embrace imperfection, after too many years of seeking out clinical sharpness in lenses, obsessing over the gear, not the subject in hand.
I totally agree! Sure, I will look into the latest and greatest and then I will retreat back to what I have to see what I can create. I have what I need to be creative, and then some.
Entertaining read and great set of photos. I am refusing to analyze them beyond aesthetic qualities and will not wonder what camera and lens was used, setting were used, or even where they were taken. I look at the lines, shapes, and shadows, delighted in knowing you were there and are not AI!
Photography systems don’t mean anything to me. I’ve got a Canon 80D which is some kind of frame system I don’t remember and don’t really care about. I put my lenses on, go out and about and see what I can do. Saying that, 90% of my photographs are shot on my bloody IPhone!
Lovely images and, some interesting observations. The first one regarding equivalence is a good one. I wonder how long the legacy comparison to the standard 35mm film format and it's lenses will continue? With the popularity of film increasing, maybe it'll never go away completely. Perhaps, with digital's established mainstream imaging technologies, the comparison should be flipped on it's head, particularly for folks just starting out with film - "well, Sir/Madam, your standard 50mm lens, here, is the equivalent of...." ☺️
That’s always been something that’s had me a little puzzled at times, too. I’ve read comparisons before, between APS-C, ‘full frame’ and mf when referring sensor size. The ‘full frame’ isn’t very full when compared to the bigger sensored systems. All legacy film references and, as you say, not strictly relevant within each system. They are what they are, each frame is completely full for each. I guess we have 35mm film’s historic ubiquity to answer for this🤓
All the tools and toys won't turn you into a better photographer, but don't let people know that, there's an industry that relies on all of us to but the new body/lens/accessory!
Wonderful photos (as always); following a diatribe I highly enjoyed, and agree most heartily with! Thank you for bringing several big smiles to my face! More of the same, please!
A thoughtful and funny piece — it captures so well how we sometimes get lost in the details and forget the joy of simply being out there with a camera. I especially agree with points 2 and 5 — the obsession with “settings” and the ever-present “Is it AI?” question say so much about how detached we can become from the simple act of seeing. Thank you for the gentle reminder that the heart of photography lies in presence, not perfection.
love this series of images, the shapes, shadows and lines wow
Thank you
Oh, Where to begin? I love the collage of B/W's you shared. The lines, the shadows, the depth. I used to be concerned with all the details. I have learned to just shoot. I come home with over 100+ pics to look through (a process I love), it is the journey. I like to see what I can capture. It is the photographer not the camera. I use my point and shoot, my cellphone and a few SLRs that are a bit out of date. I am attempting different approaches, same with my poetry (storytelling)!
Thank you Kristine, because I visit my local beaches very often, I try to find a different angle, the black and white just accentuates the details we take for granted.
I shoot mainly with compact cameras over ten years old and my Fuji x half which stays in monochrome most of the time.
It is the process of making images that keeps me creative😊
Andy, You are speaking my language. I love color but b/w has always had a piece of my heart. I can appreciate what you see, how you take the shot etc. Pure Magic! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Sure, who would not love the more expensive rig but I am doing alright, where I am.
I gave up chasing new gear when prices got silly and I realised that the camera was nothing more than a computer, leaving me with nothing to do!
Older cameras have taught me to embrace imperfection, after too many years of seeking out clinical sharpness in lenses, obsessing over the gear, not the subject in hand.
I totally agree! Sure, I will look into the latest and greatest and then I will retreat back to what I have to see what I can create. I have what I need to be creative, and then some.
Hi, very nice Pictures. What mft-camera die you used?
Olympus epl 5, lumix gf2
Entertaining read and great set of photos. I am refusing to analyze them beyond aesthetic qualities and will not wonder what camera and lens was used, setting were used, or even where they were taken. I look at the lines, shapes, and shadows, delighted in knowing you were there and are not AI!
Photography systems don’t mean anything to me. I’ve got a Canon 80D which is some kind of frame system I don’t remember and don’t really care about. I put my lenses on, go out and about and see what I can do. Saying that, 90% of my photographs are shot on my bloody IPhone!
This is why I enjoy compact cameras so much, they are easy to carry in an every day bag.
The phone is a camera that most of us carry, it has its place in capturing moments we may not have done otherwise.
Lovely images and, some interesting observations. The first one regarding equivalence is a good one. I wonder how long the legacy comparison to the standard 35mm film format and it's lenses will continue? With the popularity of film increasing, maybe it'll never go away completely. Perhaps, with digital's established mainstream imaging technologies, the comparison should be flipped on it's head, particularly for folks just starting out with film - "well, Sir/Madam, your standard 50mm lens, here, is the equivalent of...." ☺️
Full frame seems to have become the benchmark, yet nobody compares this to medium format.
That’s always been something that’s had me a little puzzled at times, too. I’ve read comparisons before, between APS-C, ‘full frame’ and mf when referring sensor size. The ‘full frame’ isn’t very full when compared to the bigger sensored systems. All legacy film references and, as you say, not strictly relevant within each system. They are what they are, each frame is completely full for each. I guess we have 35mm film’s historic ubiquity to answer for this🤓
And wonderful images, if you just post the EXIF data please. 🤪
All the tools and toys won't turn you into a better photographer, but don't let people know that, there's an industry that relies on all of us to but the new body/lens/accessory!
So my £50 plus thumb grip is redundant?😊
Sadly, yes.
Wonderful photos (as always); following a diatribe I highly enjoyed, and agree most heartily with! Thank you for bringing several big smiles to my face! More of the same, please!
You are more than welcome, there was a part of me that was not going to make this post but it has been left dormant too long, now it's free!