Going Analog
I’m shooting black and white film almost exclusively nowadays, and processing and printing it in the darkroom. I find the hands-on craft of it more rewarding than digital. Here are several recent portraits shot on film. I do have to scan my negatives to be able to post photos on this site, so these images […]
Clouds Again—But Different
Whenever I see lots of clouds in the sky above the reservoir near my home, I grab my camera loaded with black and white film and my orange and red filters, and go looking for compositions. This past week, the type of clouds were not the usual post-storm cumulus, but cirrus, high and wispy. Here […]
Clouds as a Subject
After a storm passes and the rain stops, I almost always head out to photograph clouds. Shooting black and white film with an orange or red filter on the camera produces dark skies and white clouds—an effect I like. In composing, I make the sky two-thirds or more of the picture because, to me, the […]
Being Partly in Control
Professional portrait photographers control every aspect of a formal session, including location, background, light, pose, expression, clothes and more. I like the results they get, but I can’t do that when I photograph my granddaughters. It’s never an actual “portrait session” anyway; more of a half-minute opportunity to grab a shot before they move on. […]
Always Something on the Embarcadero
There are many areas in San Francisco that are always good for photography—the Mission, the Castro, Union Square, etc.—but for a combination of scenery and a range of activities, the Embarcadero is the best. I go there often and proceed to simply walk up and down, starting at the Ferry Building, and always find good […]
Film Likes Light
I read that piece of advice several times when I recently went back to shooting film. It’s true—when a subject is strongly lit, it’s easier to produce a black-and-white print with good contrast and details. So I’m attracted to subjects that are bright, especially if they’re surrounded by a darker background. Leaving Livermore last week, […]
France on Film
On a recent trip to France, I took my film camera and two lenses, a 35mm and a 50mm. That’s it. I bought some slow-speed, high-resolution black and white film in Paris and used that on the trip. I did also use my phone for some snapshots in color, but photographed all the scenes I […]
Rewards of Getting Out
I’ve gone to Lovers Point Park in Pacific Grove with my camera many times. It’s a photogenic spot with waves breaking on complex rock formations, a small swimming beach, surfers, and a lawn with twisted trees. Even if I don’t come across any unusual subjects, it’s worth a visit. This past visit, though, I did […]
Three “Portraits”
All three of these are portraits, more or less. The first is an environmental portrait of a fellow photographer at the seashore in Pacific Grove. Clearly a portrait, but he’s relatively small in the frame. This was taken with my medium-format film camera. This is a street portrait of two women selling cosmetics at an […]
R-Evolution Statue at Night
More than once, I’ve photographed the R-Evolution statue on the Embarcadero in front of the Ferry Building during the day. It’s a striking work of public art. I read that it’s illuminated at night, so I went into San Francisco on Saturday night well before nightfall to see what it looks like after dark. I […]