Love The creative Gnome
Capturing Magic Through The Lens and twisted through software
In High School over 50 years ago I discovered 35mm photography while writing a report. I wrote all the major brands at the time; Nikon, Yashica, Rokor, Leica but Minolta was amazing. They sent me tons and tons of literature include a book about Rokor Lends. I was astounded by the manufacturing of the lenses. They melted huge crucibles of glass and then smashed them
Workers in all white suits picked through the glass selecting only the best clearest pieces which were in turn remelted in smaller crucibles. This process repeated until they were left with hundreds of small optically perfect glass ingots which were shaped and polished into Minolta Rokor lenses.
Later in the early 1970s I enlisted in the Navy and served in Japan. There I was finally able to purchase a Minolta SRT 100 and shortly after a Minolta SRT Super. I learned to develop my own film and prints, dark room tricks dodging, sandwiching and painting negatives for affect. I still have the Minolta SRT Super.
In the 1990s my best friend Pat gifted me a Canon Powershot 600, my first digital camera. This opened a whole new world, one with a cost. My beloved SLRs and TL cameras were relinquished to the back of the closet.
The most powerful aspect of digital photography isn’t just the camera and lens, and there are some amazing pieces out there, its what you can do with the shots afterward.
Software lets you make good shots beautiful, make beautiful shots amazing. It let’s you render the mundane into a an amazing piece of art or an ludicrous amusement.
Fine Art Photography
Nah not for me…
I enjoy taking an interesting picture and enhancing it.
The picture at the left was taken in full daylight at Bishop’s Castle in Colorado. Now the story of castle itself has more coverage on the internet and I needn’t add to it.
But it is a great platoforn for imagery.
Ad Hoc fun
Use your innate talent to make something new
I’m blessed to have many friends. Some of the most interesting are still people for my childhood. Take Harry for example. We attended the same high school back in Connecticut but we weren’t really more than acquaintances.
Harry has led a pretty rich life mostly literary and has also pursued a passion for photography, most notably street photography.
The inner city and urban streets are his palette. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy the relationship we have now and his photography inspired me to do something different and new in 2020. The COVID Pandemic has thrown a wrench in both out shooting plans but I do hope to finish out the year with my own set of street shots.
