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In: Between Darkness & Light
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I love a good old prison, and when it comes to prisons, Brushy Mountain is everything that you would expect from an American penitentiary built in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. It’s imposing and frightening, and it has many ghost stories attached to it. What makes this spot even better is that it has been reopened as a tourist location that embraces the fact that it was one of the worst places to be jailed. Part of the post-war reconstruction in the failed and defeated Confederate States of America included the rapid industrialisation and expansion of modern infrastructure. Part of that reconstruction includedRead More →

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If there is one focal length that is useful in almost every camera system, I have found it to be 35mm; it offers something close to what we see as humans, though slightly narrower. The biggest problem is that some lenses are ridiculously expensive. And then there’s the thing, the Miranda 35mm f/2.8 is a lens that came to me at a wonderfully low price, the cost of shipping from the US, thanks to the amazing Mike Eckman, after he took possession of a massive collection of Miranda gear. And let’s say, this lens is the perfect match for the Sensorex with a waist-level finderRead More →

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Don’t worry, this isn’t a post about new-age music. Back in August, I had the chance to tour one of Canada’s museum ships again; we don’t have many, especially here in Ontario. But it got me thinking about how important these museum ships are in bringing us closer to history. It’s all well and good to read about the naval battles of the past. But being able to walk the decks of the ships that were right in the thick of things is something else. My first experience with museum ships came way back in the 1990s on a family vacation to Hilton Head andRead More →

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With everyone settled back in school, we decided it was time to hand out a bit of homework and have them do a summer book report. No, we didn’t assign this task before the summer ‘break’, but let’s go with the theme! On this episode, the team sits down and shares some of their favourite photo books (two each, since we love to talk). These books could be anything from pure photography and technical guides to group projects. The books on today are: The Camera, The Negative, The Print, Magnum Contact Sheets, The Canada Chronicle, Tao of Photography, The Disappearing Darkness, Photography through the Pandemic,Read More →

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In: Camera Tales
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I knew, I just knew that one day I would end up here with a large format camera. You could say I was influenced by the Film Photography Project and one of their hosts specifically. The Crown Graphic was one of three large-format cameras I owned and used; it was also the one that ‘fit’ my style of photography best, and the one I used the longest before I left the format. While not the largest format I used, 4×5 was the sheet film format that I used the most. If I had to lay the blame for my getting into large-format photography, I wouldRead More →

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In: Film Review Blogs
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When it comes to Tri-X, I’ve always seen this film as having a wide latitude. I have since learned that the new formulation, 400TX, first released in 2007, isn’t as good as the pre-2007 version, mainly because it has lower silver content. But when it comes to 400-speed films, Tri-X has been a long-time favourite of mine, so I figured it was time to get a full view of what the film can do and is ASA-1600 the best EI for Diafine? Film Specs Manufacturer: Kodak Name: Tri-X 400 Type: Panchromatic B&W Film Base: Acetate Film Speed: ASA-400 Formats Available: 135 (35mm) & 120 ForRead More →

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There’s something so unique about looking back on a trip and thinking, “I was in a place where history was being made.” Remember, not all history is good history, but it was history all the same. Ten years ago, I visited a city I had wanted to visit for some time, but it had always slipped through my fingers. But in 2016 I finally decided to take some time and visit Washington, DC. It was the final place I needed to photograph and visit to complete my massive War of 1812 project, which, at that point, had been going on longer than the war itself,Read More →