Minox : The quintessential Spy Camera

Minox film cameras

Since its inception in 1932 the Minox subminiature camera has been the essential spy camera. Its compact design, sturdy construction and mechanical shutter have transformed the Minox from a photographic curiosity to a legendary spy camera. History Designed in 1932 by Walter Zapp the Minox was first produced in their Latvian factory VEF (Valsts elektrotehnisk? … Read more

The Futura-S : not just another rangefinder

Futura S with lens hood

The history of the Futura camera line starts during the second World War with Optische Anstalt, an optics factory that produced equipment for the German Military. Unfortunately the factory was destroyed during the war, so after the war ended the founder Fritz Kuhnert built a new factory and by 1947 was producing the Efka 24. … Read more

Creating customized tilt-shift effects in Photoshop

tilt-shift photo from Toronto Canada

You’ve probably seen this effect used before, hell, you’ve probably seen the effect boiled down to a simple to use filter or effect add-on for one of your favorite photo apps on your mobile device, but today I’m going to explain how I create tilt=shift images using Photoshop. This isn’t limited to the full version … Read more

Well hello there film; I’ve missed you.

rail

On a whim last month I decided I would buy another film camera. I was wandering around Blue Moon Camera and they had a couple Nikon FE bodies, and one came with a 28mm f/2.8, so I bought it. There really isn’t anything remarkable about me buying another camera really, I mean I already have … Read more

Digital camera slap fight

I’ve been fighting with my cameras and it’s pretty much devolved to a slap fight between my iPhone 6s + and my Nikon Digital SLR. I love them both dearly but I always have my iPhone in my pocket. Always. I rarely carry my big arse DSLR with my fat 16 to 35 f/2.8 unless … Read more

Film is fun again with the Sprocket Rocket

Several months ago I received an email from Lomo going on about this mysterious new camera they were coming out with soon, and being the consummate consumer and photo geek that I am, I decided to take the bait. After a few days of waiting, the official announcement was made about the Lomo Sprocket Rocket … Read more

The art within the craft

What makes something art? Anyone who has ever been around artists, or is an artist has had this discussion at least once. What is the difference been an artist and a craftsman? This conversation has a tendency to become very pedantic, and often times makes the one arguing for art come across as a pompous, self-important … Read more

Against Digital Photography

Within the last decade, photography has seen an enormous influx of people and expansion at a rate that is very much akin to that experienced in the early 1900’s when Kodak actively marketed the Brownie, making photography accessible to almost everyone. Digital cameras are the new Brownie, and they have quickly nudged out film cameras … Read more

Remembering my friend….

10 years ago, I took this image along the banks of the Klickitat River in Washington along the Columbia River Gorge. If you are familiar with that region of the Pacific Northwest, you know it to be one of the most magical places on this Earth. I know it as one of the few places … Read more

A full day of Photoshop: Photoshop World Day 1

I eat this stuff up, I really do. Going to conferences is always a great way to get back in touch with creativity; both technically and artistically. So far I have sat in on classes about creative composites, Illustrator Down & Dirty Tricks, Exploring 3D in Photoshop, and Exploring HDR. Good stuff, coming from a … Read more

Photoshop World: Pre-con goodness

Not really much to report other than my excitement about being in Boston, directly across from MIT, in the area of Fenway Park, and at Photoshop World for the first time. I checked in about 5, and went upstairs to the convention center and first thing I ran into a former colleague Laurie Excell from … Read more

Amazing project from the University of Washington & Microsoft

Let's face it, Flickr has brought photography to the front lines again with its friendly and accessible interface providing a visual platform for more than 1 million users and some 30 million photographs*. Even with the UI's celebrity for being one of the easiest to use on the web, it's a daunting task to be … Read more

The eternal question answered…

Hehehehe. Like a kid in a candy store am I. I have been struggling with the question of how I to be able to do more Photography with a growing family and shrinking spare time. After much sea-sawing, flip-flopping, hemming and hawing – I have deliberated to a solution! I bought a scanner today, well … Read more

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