I’m constantly trying to find ways of making myself a better photographer. From reading on techniques to watching videos on composition, I try to constantly improve when I’m not behind a camera. I gave a lot of thought to this as I have tried to return to photography after a several year hiatus.

It is this spirit that led me to film. And so, several weeks ago, I was gifted a mint condition Pentax K1000 SE. I actually already had some Pentax lenses, I picked them up on eBay along with an adapter to mount on my mirrorless, so I was already set to go.

While I’m certainly not abandoning digital in some quest to rediscover film (though I have enormous respect for those who do), I am hoping it will make me a more conscious and patient photographer. I have found, over the last couple weeks of film photography, that with a very limited number of shots to take I was far more diligent about the photos I would take - except for the couple times I forgot to set the ISO when I put in a new roll of film.

I think it was that diligence that after two rolls while walking through the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens I got few photos that I wouldn’t share here - probably helped that it was also a beautiful day with beautiful fall colors. While I’m not likely to abandon digital as my primary photography medium, I am looking forward to many many more rolls of film in the future.

Hello world.

I’ve been taking photos for the majority of my adult life. The first photo I remember taking was with a panoramic disposal camera at the Grand Canyon when I was in my teens for a family trip. It wasn’t till I was in my 20s that I got my first real camera - ultimately to take to Iraq with me. It was in Iraq, and after, that I began to really develop a passion for photography.

This is my second attempt (my first one was back in 2005) to do a photoblog and a website. I hope to use this space to keep a curated portfolio and to document my photo adventures. While I would like to keep this blog updated on a weekly basis, in all reality it will be closer to every two to three weeks. Hope to hear from all of you over time.

Now to some photography…

Last weekend I spent Saturday down at Brooklyn Bridge Park at the Photoville festival, which brings together artists to put on small exhibits inside of shipping containers as well as printed in large-form in the open air. It was great to see not just great work, but also work highlighting issues of societal importance.

One of their sponsors was Leica and, very excitingly, they had a loan program, where you could take a camera out for a 90-minute spin. As much as I love my Panasonic, the opportunity to borrow a Leica for a quick bit was too good to pass up. So I borrowed an M10 with a 28mm. I caught this shot while wandering around the park (trying to figure out how to work the camera and lens). This was one of the few shots that was both nicely composed and in focus. I think this photo captures the elegance of a beautifully designed camera.

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