Linhof Technar : Point & Shoot Large Format

Linhof Technar large format camera

I have a lot of cameras. I’ve used even more than what I currently own, so when I say that camera X is my favorite, there’s more than a fair amount of experience that puts it in that position. The Linhof Technar holds that spot. I have a bias though, I love Linhof. Their cameras … Read more

Graflex 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 field camera

Graflex large format folding camera

I’ve always wanted a Graflex, more precisely, a Speed or Crown Graphic 4 x 5 or 5 x 7 field camera, but I never really got around to getting one. I’m very familiar with using folding field cameras. In fact my first 4×5 was a Linhof Technika IV, which is the best field camera that … Read more

Vintage 4 x 5 : Rochester Optical Pony Premo Sr

Rochester Optical Company - Pony Premo Sr

In a time where everything is made of some sort of plastic having a camera that is primarily made of wood is a curiosity to most folks that are not familiar with the history of photography. 150 years ago all cameras were made of wood and some sort of metal, usually brass. They didn’t have … Read more

Hole in the Wall Falls

Hole in the Wall Falls

The Columbia River Gorge is an amazing swath of land and water that dominates the landscape connecting Oregon and Washington. Nearly 80 miles long from the stem to stern you can be at sea level one minute and then be at 4,000 feet the next. Comprised of layer after layer of basalt that flowed from … Read more

The ultimate power ride : Specialized Turbo Levo Comp

Specialized Turbo Levo Comp

I’ve been riding & racing bikes since I was 15 years old. My love affair with two wheels started when my best friend’s brother came home with a custom 10 speed that weighed less than half of what my Sears Huffy weighed in at. I couldn’t believe the way the bike rode. Every time I … Read more

Navigating the murky waters of restoring an iPhone with a lost passcode

I guess this is intentionally kind of hard to figure out, it kinda makes sense but even a visit to the Apple store didn’t illuminate enough light on how to do this. So, a little history. I set a restriction passcode on a phone we had in the house for my kids to use, and … Read more

The Salut C 6 x 6 medium format camera

Salut C 6x6

I’ve been lusting after a Hasselblad for at least a decade now, and having had several medium format 6×6 cameras over the years. I stumbled across the Salut C a couple of months ago on eBay, so I decided to take a chance on it since it was listed as “in working condition”. Without really … Read more

LiPo charging bags are your friend; use them.

I’ve been playing with Quads and RC Cars for a long time, too many years to really count actually. It wasn’t until the last 2 or 3 years that my collection of LiPo batteries has grown beyond the count of the NiMH batteries I used for RC Cars. I have half a dozen NiMH batteries … 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

Old camera day: Revere Model 40 8mm Movie Camera

Revere 40m film movie camera. You wind they key and the camera will continually change

I’ve just about given up on going to Estate sales because it seems like I always see the remnants of good camera gear, but never the gear itself. The number of times that I have ended up buying a half dozen 4×5 or 8×10 film holders outnumbers the times I have actually run across the … Read more

Developing black and white film

ilford HP5

As I noted in a recent post, I’ve been shooting a lot of film, and while I really enjoy going to Blue Moon to gawk at all the goodies, it’s been gnawing at me that I have all of the equipment to develop film myself and haven’t managed to get off my arse and do … 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

Reviewing the Dart-XT : Doug Marcaida Signature knife

Dart XT Karambit

Having been a fan of the TV Show Forged in Fire for a year or so now, I’ve been amazed and amused by the antics of blade-smiths having to forge a functional knife in under 6 or 7 hours. It’s always amusing who talks it up and who goes home early, but when I dug … Read more

Trekking the Salmonberry Trail

A few months ago my son and I set out to explore part of the Salmonberry Trail. I’ve heard about it for a few years, and I just haven’t been able to get out there until now. After a bit of research I figured out where I wanted to start from, and the direction to … Read more

The Nikon FE joins the family

Nikon FE

I’ve been on a kick lately, and it’s been all about film. I can track it back to a few months ago I started going through some of my old negatives looking for some images I shot out in Eastern Oregon at a lonely (but seriously amazing) place called Leslie Gulch. Now, you really need … Read more

%d bloggers like this: