Tough Decisions Towards Better Photography

Good morning, afternoon and evening everyone!

Hope all is well with you all

I have a very interesting circumstance to speak to you about

The first couple of months of this year have been a bit hectic for me

My birthday passed, i took a break from shooting film, i finally got settled in at my new home, moved some stuff around at job and worked on some things with family

And also….sold off all my digital photography gear..

Ever Feel Frustrated with your Photography?

How many people have truly been frustrated or annoyed when looking over their own works?..

I know I have

It seems as though the more I learn and explore, I keep chasing this unattainable goal of satisfaction within myself to get where I want to be in my photos

Every so often you’ll get the very kind and humbling responses from others that view your work but deep inside it doesn’t feel like enough

You know it can be so much better

My Trip to New Orleans with the Holga 120, Leica M2 and M8

Hello everyone!

Not long ago I was fortunate enough to have saved enough $$$ for something I’ve been planning on doing for a long while.

A trip down to the “Big Easy” New Orleans, Louisiana!!

Once I felt comfortable with funds 🙂 I went forward and made reservations for the flight and hotel stay

Now, this trip was not just for vacation, but also to spend some time solely dedicated to photography.

During my planning for the trip, a couple things went through my mind..

The Leica M8 and I

Hi everybody,

Recently I had the opportunity to purchase a used Leica M8 for a reasonable price..well…reasonable by Leica body standards, and in pretty good condition too!

I had never shot a digital rangefinder before, I mean aside from a quick tryout at a photo store I pass by frequently, so I decided to purchase this cam and add to the collection 

I am very excited to put this camera through my regular “street walks exercise” that i usually do with my film cameras most of the time.

Now as many of you know, this was Leicas first attempt at delving into the digital market..so it had its fair share of issues.

Two Film Formats at Once

Hello Everyone!

Been a while i know…i’ve been up and down, left and right and all over the place lately.

Felt it was time for a much needed update 🙂

I recently did a shoot with a friend at his apartment to test out a new lens for my Pentax 645n and also to get more used to shooting in low light conditions.

We agreed that we would use one light source only, dimly lit, so when i would push the film there would be more shadow details.

I also decided to bring along my Leica M2, which i haven’t used in a while and was happy to have out with me.

It was kind of interesting having them both in my hands and switching between the two.

Should I Go Out in Crappy Weather?

I think we’ve all been there..

You wake up with a special bounce out of bed ready to hit the streets and put in WORK

As you prepare your camera, your film (and/or batteries and SD cards) and your clothing, you look out the window and you see something that will even make some professional photographers sigh in disbelief..BAD WEATHER

Whether it’s snow, rain, hail, etc..

This can suck the wind out of your sails as far as wanting to exit the house

I mean it can also depend on if your equipment has weather sealing as well!

This is exactly what happened to me today

Resolutions for the New Year

Happy New Year Everyone

Hope you had a good 2014, and are looking forward to a productive and successful 2015

These last couple months have been very inspirational for me not only from my own work, in my opinion, getting better but also my friend photographers

We push each other and study, we criticize and we practice, I’m actually thinking of starting a collective in Jersey City, where I’m from..but I’ll save that for another time

This new year I plan on working even harder on my work and hitting the streets as much as possible.

Oh, How I’ve Missed You Tri-X (and Leica M3!)

At a photography show a couple days ago in Hasbrouk Heights, NJ i found a seller with a couple rolls of Tri-X for a great price.

I decided to purchase some since i haven’t shot it in a long while

I’ve been shooting Ultrafine Xtreme 400 film almost exclusively for months now and decided i wanted to switch it up

As I’ve been watching numerous documentaries on both digital and film photography the feeling of inspiration has had my “trigger” finger ready to hit that shutter button 😉

So i put a day aside to take a number of rolls out with my Leica M3 and 50mm Summicron DR (oh how I’ve missed this combo too!)

What was planned as a casual day where maybe 1-2 rolls were shot ended up being 4-5 rolls lol

Film Stand Development

Recently during my studies on film photography and development techniques, i came across the technique of “stand development”

Apparently, doing this allows you to push your film (depending on which you use) much more easily and increases the sharpness and shadow details of the images taken.

So of course, i sought more info on this subject and came across a video done by Chuck Jines who runs a YouTube channel i frequent from time to time called Chuck Jines Photography

He calls his style “Grit Street Photography” and using his stand development technique, he gets the gritty look and feel of his film photography.

I love the type of photographers and photography that instantly make you get up and want to elevate yourself.

To me, this is what it’s all about

Keep seeking the knowledge where you can find it, and put it to practice.

You’ll find your way with hard work and dedication

Street Photography Documentary by Chris Weeks

Now i must admit, i haven’t heard of Chris Weeks before or actually seen any of his work (besides the photos shown in this documentary) but after watching this i see he definitely has the spirit of a Street Photographer.

I’m not sure how i missed this documentary actually, it looks like it came out a while back.

With all of my searching for info of Street Photography on the net, i would think i would’ve found this sooner.