DVPhoto

The Online Photographer (a brilliant blog, read it!), has a post well worth the read.

I find with my photography, I always want to know everything about everything. Of course there isn’t enough time in the day, so I end up knowing very little about anything. I have my digital camera, which I am very happy with; though of course I need a whole bunch of new lenses (I still go out and take photo’s with the ones I have, so don’t say it!). I really do mean to get around to fixing my old Voigtlander f7.7, of course a year on from starting some research into that, I am still no further. And of course now I have definitely decided that I am going to get myself a large format camera. I’ve been lurking on eBay and have decided I would dearly love an 8×10 Deardorff, or maybe even a 17×7 Korona; yet some realism kicks in and says a new, or nearly new, Tachihara 4×5 may be a better learning tool as my introduction to large format.

Of course my job, that thing that would pay for all this, takes up far to much time, and in the end I don’t have time to buy anything. So I take some photos when I can and just generally enjoy myself, and Mike is 100% right, it’s all good!

So why did you get into photography?

I know during the years when I didn’t have a camera, the one time I’d think to myself “Damn why don’t I have a camera?” is when I’d see the sun going down in a particularly spectacular fashion.

Now I have a camera, and shoot many different things, but it’s still sunsets that will make me pull the car to the side of the road no matter how much of a hurry I am in.

I’m always trying to get full moon landscapes, especially when the sky is slightly cloudy. So far my success rate is low, and by low I mean zero.

Anyway a few weeks back I attempted to get another one. 3 shots, each 2 stops apart. Well it wasn’t successfull, but in the end I decided to play with what I got, and produced this.

Well Photokina 2006 is almost here, and the flood of announcements, and the accompanying debates/flame wars on photography forums, get to provide much entertainment & frustration.

“Frustration?” you say.

Well yes, frustration. Internet forums are a double edged sword; one the one hand they provide a ton of useful information, with breaking news being reported on so quickly that you are never behind the times; and the occasionally helpful post can cut learning times by years (or at least months). Then there are the flame wars, pointless posts, blatantly uninformed advice, and of course, don’t forget the never ending Nikon vs Canon war. Sometimes I think I should just sell my meager collection of canon gear and get myself an ancient 8×10, at least then I’d have no reason to read all these forums (yes I’m weak willed, I cannot help but read all the trolls drivel once I’m there). Read the rest of this entry »