Hobby Thread - Aug 24, 2024 [TRex]

Welcome hobbyists! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the horde in this little corner of the interweb. The Ace of Spades wheel of hobbies has been busy for the last few months, so we gave it a polish and greased the spindle to ensure it can freely spin. Cleaning and serivce complete, we gave it an enthusiastic spin. The universe has a funny sense of humor. The wheel landed right between photography and model building. Can you imagine? Right between. We seem to have temporarily misplaced the manual, so we were not sure whether proper protocol allowed for another spin. In the meantime, a compromise has been agreed. Photography for this week and model building for next week. Model building will be a horde group project so see below for more information.

Are you a photographer? What do you like to shoot? How did you learn? Are you self-taught? What equipment do you use? Are you loyal to a particular brand? Did you learn with film? Did you learn to develop your own film? Do you have great stories of searching and finally snapping a particular photo? Landscapes? Wildlife? Portraits? Night skies? Sunsets? Waterfalls? Weddings? Even if you are not a professional photographer, are you good enough that you shoot keepsakes for others or cover events for media use? As camera-equipped mobile phones get better and better, do you enjoy snapping with just your phone? Are you a purist or do you tinker and modify in Photoshop? Do you have a bucket list of things or places you would like to shoot or photos you would like to capture?

Do you have boxes of prints or slides that you would like to scan someday? Did you inherit photos taken by relatives? Any great photos you have from travels to places before they changed dramatically, like East Germany? Do you have photos from the Civil War era of daguerreotypes?

TRex has snapped a photo or two over the years but looking for horde help to make this work. We're here to talk about photography. As usual, keep this thread limited to hobbies. Politics and current events can wait for other threads. Play nice. Do not feed the trolls and do not be a troll. No pants required.

Special welcome to the lurkers or those catching up on the thread later. Nice to have your eyeballs. You're always welcome to join in. Post anytime or drop an email in the hobby thread email box. Thanks also to the horde for great theme suggestions. We have a rich bounty of hobby threads lined up in the queue.

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Top photo -Martin Rietze is a magician. He shoots extreme landscapes, including erupting volcanoes. This is Mt. Etna in 2013. His website has a LOT of great stuff.

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Do you like aviation photography? What about military jets in motion? Allow me to introduce you to Camden Thrasher. He is best known for motorsport photography but his passion is military aviation (click on the photo for more):

My original intent for the image, and what I hoped would happen, is for the jet to have a big cone of water vapor over the wings and pass in front of the sun. There can be some very interesting-looking color/rainbow effects when that happens. I set myself up in a position against the sun with the hope of that happening. I had watched their routine the day before to get an idea of where to be, but it is always somewhat of a guess of what will actually happen. The big vapor cone never really happened, nor was the positioning quite right with the sun, but the result instead was the image discussed here.

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Click the photo to learn more about how this photo of the space station transiting the moon was taken:

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Is the green flash real? Yes, it is.

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How does Kodak make film for film photography? Three-part series that does a deep dive. It will take some time, but this is mandatory viewing for anyone with an interst in film photography or more generally in how things are made. There is a huge amount of engineering an science going on here:

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Believe everything you see on the internet:

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Mathew Brady became the most famous American photographer of the 1800s because of his studio's many Civil War images. Demand for his photography plummeted after the war. He died penniless. Veterans of the New York 7th infantry financed his funeral and burial. Links to background and his photos:

Getty

Congressional Cemetery - located in south east Washington DC. If you visit, make sure to visit John Philip Sousa too.

Thousands of Mathew Brady Civil War Photographs from the National Archives (Flickr site)

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The story behind the historic Trump Assassination Attempt Photo: Evan Vucci Interview

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The volume of Youtube videos that attempt to explain the exposure triangle is remarkable. If you ever think that you should not do something merely because someone else has tried, think again. Anyway, this was one of the few that used a good visual set up and explained the relationship between the settings:

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HOBBY THREAD HORDE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:

The theme next week will be model building. There are modelers among us, so it makes sense to feature horde projects. Send photos of your completed projects and projects underway. Send photos of your workspace. Vehicles, airplanes, tanks and armor, ships, dioramas, etc. Plastic kits like Tamiya and Hasegawa. Resin kits like Starter and BBR. Any scale welcome. Space is limited. Operators are standing by. Send submissions and any related commentary to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Inspiration (with maker credit to Grateful):

20240819-IMG_20240819_213938181_HDR~2.jpg

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Did you miss the hobby thread last week with an amateur radio theme? The comments may be closed, but you can re-live the content.

Notable comments from last week:

20240818-Screenshot 2024-08-17 202512.jpg

20240818-Screenshot 2024-08-17 202605.jpg

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Words of wisdom:

"Because despite all our troubles, when things are grim out in that wide round world of ours, that's when it's really important to have a good hobby." Posted by: tankascribe at June 22, 2024 07:41 PM (HWxAD).

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If photography is not your thing and you have trouble finding something in the content or comments that resonates with you, hijack the thread for your hobbying as you see fit. We will feature a different hobby next time around. Send thoughts or suggestions to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com or just email to say hello. Ace of Spades is not responsible for bad drivers license photos.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 05:30 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Damn I forgot to submit my photos when I got into B&W photography when I lived in the Hudson Valley and before I decided to try painting.

A very interesting painter to watch his vids is Michael James Smith. He does photo realism paintings like a copying machine. So much so that I wouldn’t hang any of his paintings . It would be just like hanging a photograph. But again, I love watching him paint. It’s like a magic show.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 05:37 PM (B1dzx)

2 Hello horde

Posted by: Pete Bog at August 24, 2024 05:37 PM (JUvNJ)

3 Welcome Hobbiests
In the age of 35mm photography was a avid cameraman, practically carried a camera daily.
Digital killed that.

Posted by: Skip at August 24, 2024 05:39 PM (fwDg9)

4 I finished my landscape Sea Stack painting and posted to my website. Stuppleart.com

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 05:40 PM (B1dzx)

5 Actually developed some B&W for a little bit

Posted by: Skip at August 24, 2024 05:40 PM (fwDg9)

6 Yesterday a moron posted his painting link at stuppleart dot com O goodness- such Beautiful work , especially (imo) the landscapes.

Posted by: LASue at August 24, 2024 05:41 PM (lCppi)

7 Posted by: LASue at August 24, 2024 05:41 PM (lCppi)

Thanks for the shout out😀

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 05:42 PM (B1dzx)

8 Oh polynikes, youre here ! Congrats. Beautiful work

Posted by: LASue at August 24, 2024 05:43 PM (lCppi)

9 4 I finished my landscape Sea Stack painting and posted to my website. Stuppleart.com

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 05:40 PM (B1dzx)
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Very nice! Congrats!

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 05:43 PM (IQ6Gq)

10 Actually developed some B&W for a little bit
Posted by: Skip at August 24, 2024 05:40 PM (fwDg9)

Yes B&W is my favorite. It gives the noir effect with cityscape photos.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 05:44 PM (B1dzx)

11 I was just talking about photos with my friend the other day. Not beautiful ones like the ones here, but just everyday snapshots. I was thinking how my grandmother's generation had few photos, then we have tons of family photos from the 60s onward, mostly in boxes, then nothing but digital photos from about 2005 to the present, which are sitting on my computer. I'm paralyzed with inaction at the thought of having to do something with all these things at some point.

My friend commented that future archaeologists will believe we were illiterate Neanderthals because they will find no books, no letters, no photos, etc. They will just find bodies clutching a small black rectangle.

Posted by: bluebell at August 24, 2024 05:44 PM (bS+DD)

12 I haven't done a lot of photography lately, other than using the phone to get background plates and so forth. When I was doing it regularly, I liked doing experimental things (and pictures of cats).

One of the things I found interesting was neutral density photography. This is when you place a circular polarizer on top of of a linear polarizer. You can adjust them so that barely any light gets to the lens, which means you can make really long exposures.

Whenever you see a picture where the water looks like mist, that's neural density. Here are a couple of examples:

1. Shot with auto settings: https://tinyurl.com/56kwd3mc

2. Shot with neutral density: https://tinyurl.com/4tu92car

(Hope I typed those in correctly...)

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at August 24, 2024 05:47 PM (CHHv1)

13
A hard day of stewarding for the Toy Dog Club of Houston. Like things didn't get off to a good start and never improved. A dozen annoyances, plus the twittery old ladies who can't remember their armband numbers or their dog's name and never have their glasses and have to borrow my pen and are amazed when they discover they have to go in the ring and aren't ready.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at August 24, 2024 05:47 PM (1Nxff)

14 Posted by: bluebell at August 24, 2024 05:44 PM (bS+DD)

When my mother passed I inherited all of her photo albums. I don’t know what will happen to them when I’m gone as I have no one to pass them to.

My neighbor showed me actual books she had created with their vacation photos and her narration text. I forgot the name of the company that does it.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 05:48 PM (B1dzx)

15 If you have a lot of slides, Kodak makes a device that will scan them to the computer.

https://tinyurl.com/58bee9pe

I have one of these and it's pretty good. Every now and then they go on sale.

Posted by: BeckoningChasm at August 24, 2024 05:51 PM (CHHv1)

16 Ace is forging a Ring of Power.

COBs, do NOT accept gift rings.

Posted by: All Hail Eris at August 24, 2024 05:52 PM (kpS4V)

17 My neighbor showed me actual books she had created with their vacation photos and her narration text. I forgot the name of the company that does it.
Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 05:48 PM (B1dzx)
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Shutterfly does them, as do plenty of other places. It's just the time I will need to invest to actually sift through years and years of photos. And then, as you say, what will happen to them eventually? Years ago people used to like to look at old photo albums occasionally but now they just look through their photos on their phone, or their social media if they have it.

Posted by: bluebell at August 24, 2024 05:52 PM (bS+DD)

18 > Are you a photographer?

Yes
What do you like to shoot? Whatever I see that's interesting.
How did you learn? Trial and error
Are you self-taught? Yes
What equipment do you use? Previously... a Pentax ME Super 35mm, a few cheap early digital (including the Sony, one that used 3.5" "floppies." Now a Panasonic DMC-ZS3, a Nikon P 900 and a Samsung something or other phone.
Are you loyal to a particular brand? No
Did you learn with film? Yes
Did you learn to develop your own film? No
Do you have great stories of searching and finally snapping a particular photo? Landscapes? Wildlife? Portraits? Night skies? Sunsets? Waterfalls? Weddings?
Yes... many.

Look up my flickr account "martinifarmer".

Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 24, 2024 05:52 PM (Q4IgG)

19 TRex is the photo posted of the Navy jet the original photo or a posting mistake or intentional diffusion.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 05:53 PM (B1dzx)

20 I was a big 35mm Kodachrome 25 fan. Loved it. I had a Pentax K2 with a Takumar 100mm macro lens.

Posted by: mrp at August 24, 2024 05:54 PM (rj6Yv)

21 I do like that you can edit your digital photos on your phone to B&W.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 05:57 PM (B1dzx)

22 Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 05:48 PM (B1dzx)

Nice sky on the sea stacks.

I have a load of photos as well. I'd just send them to the shredder if you don't know who the people are. At some point I may go through the photos and save some, not all, and indicate who they are and what relation they are to my kids. I have pics of people I don't know who were friends of grandparents and stuff. No need to keep them. Might be a sad thing to do, but what else is there?

Posted by: OrangeEnt at August 24, 2024 05:58 PM (0eaVi)

23 19 TRex is the photo posted of the Navy jet the original photo or a posting mistake or intentional diffusion.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 05:53 PM
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Original photo.

The cling film effect is caused by the air pressure changes in different regions, and thus a change in density of the air, changing how the light refracts as it passes through those areas and distorts the background. Normally this is hidden by the condensing water vapor, but in this case, the humidity (and a bunch of other factors) weren’t right for that, so the distortion was visible. The clouds in the background were also fairly key to this effect being visible.

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 05:59 PM (IQ6Gq)

24 20 I was a big 35mm Kodachrome 25 fan. Loved it.

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True. It give us the nice bright color.

Posted by: P. Simon at August 24, 2024 06:02 PM (jdHxK)

25 22 Might be a sad thing to do, but what else is there?

Posted by: OrangeEnt at August 24, 2024 05:58 PM (0eaVi)
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Two ideas: 1) Give everyone else in the family a chance. Maybe they see something that triggers a memory. 2) When all else fails, see if a local nursery school or elementary school wants them for crafting material.

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 06:02 PM (IQ6Gq)

26 Polynikes finally got how to navigate your paintings, quite outstanding work

Posted by: Skip at August 24, 2024 06:04 PM (fwDg9)

27 Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 05:59 PM (IQ6Gq)

Thanks. I did click on the photo after I asked the question. Normal operating procedure for a moron.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 06:05 PM (B1dzx)

28 5 Actually developed some B&W for a little bit
Posted by: Skip at August 24, 2024 05:40 PM (fwDg9)

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I learned it in high school. I still remember the smell of the acetic acid and the dark red room.

Unfortunately it was always easier just to take the roll to Thrifty Drug Store.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero43) at August 24, 2024 06:06 PM (jdHxK)

29 I still have Minolta 35mm equipment, have 3 cameras, multiple lens from 28 -200, doubler, filters galore.

Posted by: Skip at August 24, 2024 06:06 PM (fwDg9)

30 11 Posted by: bluebell at August 24, 2024 05:44 PM (bS+DD)
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Brutal. Things that are meaningful to us aren't meaningful to anyone else. Estate sales have the same brutal truth. Selling memories of grandma for a dollar is heartbreaking.

Blessings and curses that come with digital. We have many more photos and can share them more easily, but they lack permanence.

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 06:08 PM (IQ6Gq)

31 Oh... and I have an antique Leica "Ernst Leitz Wetzlar" 35mm.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 24, 2024 06:14 PM (Q4IgG)

32 2 Hello horde
Posted by: Pete Bog at August 24, 2024 05:37 PM (JUvNJ)
Pete Bog! I just invented a new dessert. Split and toast a croissant, put in a bowl, pour Pecan Sipping Cream over it, cover the whole thing with coconut creme pudding. Almost like bread pudding but with a kick.

Posted by: Eromero at August 24, 2024 06:14 PM (LHPAg)

33 I still have my old (and pretty cool) Pentax K1000 gear. Got some great images with it. I'm a Nikon DSLR shooter now. As I'm an old retired dude I doubt I will transition to mirrorless; the DSLR is working fine for me.

Posted by: dissent555 at August 24, 2024 06:15 PM (MB784)

34 Two ideas: 1) Give everyone else in the family a chance. Maybe they see something that triggers a memory. 2) When all else fails, see if a local nursery school or elementary school wants them for crafting material.
Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 06:02 PM (IQ6Gq)

Well, I'm basically in same boat as Poly. These pictures are over fifty years old of people my kids never knew. Pics of friends of people long gone won't have any meaning to my kids. Bro and I know some, but he took what he wanted when we split up the parents stuff. I'll keep a few and label, but the rest go.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at August 24, 2024 06:15 PM (0eaVi)

35 Nicely done on the post, TRex. Day 1 of Club Championship today. Only 2 guys shot below their handicap. I went 4 over my handicap, so still in it for tomorrow. Beer can chicken on the grill.

Posted by: scampydog at August 24, 2024 06:18 PM (41CYW)

36 Would be neat to digitize still pictures

Posted by: Skip at August 24, 2024 06:18 PM (fwDg9)

37 I remember when the girls were babies we would take photos and by 4 prints: 1 to keep, 2 for the grandparents and 1 for any else.

Long term plan is to digitize these photos - perhaps in time for a wedding slide show.

Posted by: Butter Knife at August 24, 2024 06:19 PM (n3DL0)

38 And for models, mine are metal and 15mm scale

Posted by: Skip at August 24, 2024 06:20 PM (fwDg9)

39 > These pictures are over fifty years old of people my kids never knew. Pics of friends of people long gone won't have any meaning to my kids
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I have a stash of photos going back 135 years. 1800's. Early family history.

Nobody in the family give a shit.

Historical dustbin.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 24, 2024 06:21 PM (Q4IgG)

40 Pete Bog! I just invented a new dessert. Split and toast a croissant, put in a bowl, pour Pecan Sipping Cream over it, cover the whole thing with coconut creme pudding. Almost like bread pudding but with a kick.
Posted by: Eromero at August 24, 2024 06:14 PM (LHPAg)

Hmm - if i use bourbon cream and chocolate pudding - you may be onto something Eromero!

Posted by: Butter Knife at August 24, 2024 06:21 PM (n3DL0)

41 I also have a ton of photos that are from my college days. Anyone else know what Party Pics are?

I'll tell ya. You would hire a company to take photos of your party. Days after they would give you a printout of all the photos and you could buy the ones you wanted. They were captioned with the name and date of the party.

Recently I have been having fun sharing them with my college friends. I even share them with their children who get a kick at seeing their dad or mom partying.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 06:22 PM (OFe7r)

42 The most fun course of instruction I ever had in the military was "Intelligence Photography". Two weeks learning various techniques for taking technical photos under different conditions and film developing. I'm sure they have digital gear for that course now, but back then we were using Canon F-1 cameras.

Posted by: Bert G at August 24, 2024 06:24 PM (VARTN)

43 I developed all of my 35mm black-n-white film and bought Plus-X in the bulk rolls. I still have the enlarger, lens, and the developing trays.

Posted by: mrp at August 24, 2024 06:24 PM (rj6Yv)

44 I do admire the skill like the specialist in aviation photography to get extraordinary shots.

But does anyone else think that the filtered and massaged landscape photos that look soooo beautiful actually kinda detract by making everything look too perfect? Life is not that perfect - trying to get the perfect shot is a distraction...

Posted by: Butter Knife at August 24, 2024 06:24 PM (n3DL0)

45 One of my many dreams I intended to pursue but never did was to become a sports photographer and work for SI.

Real life with bills to pay always gets in the way. Especially if you will never take a handout and OCD about debt.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 06:27 PM (OFe7r)

46 polynikes - love the PartyPic sharing.
Too have more photos of my youth....

Posted by: Butter Knife at August 24, 2024 06:27 PM (n3DL0)

47 Polynikes,

Great job on the sea stacks painting. Love the way you captured the intrusive feel of the rocks and the way wind and water have softened the harsher edges. I also like the many shades of yellow-green in the grasses that are common on the shore. Very different from the dark greens of a suburban lawn. The line of red flowers makes a nice contrast with the water and grasses. While it's a small thing, the transition of lighter shallow water to deeper blue in the distance. Just reminds me of home.

Congratulations.

Posted by: JTB at August 24, 2024 06:28 PM (zudum)

48 Before we moved I had a practice, which I need to get back into: the vacation of the year was made into a book (Shutterfly or others like it). Likewise I would go thru the everyday photos and make a book for that year. We've referred back to them many times....

Posted by: Grateful at August 24, 2024 06:29 PM (IQ6Gq)

49 **Face palm&& There's a reason I don't make hashtag name jokes very often...

Posted by: Iris (not Butter Knife) at August 24, 2024 06:29 PM (n3DL0)

50 44 I do admire the skill like the specialist in aviation photography to get extraordinary shots.

Posted by: Butter Knife at August 24, 2024 06:24 PM (n3DL0)
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I find aviation shots to be among the most challenging. Hard to show a sense motion with the sky as a backdrop, so can you get a better angle? Need a slow shutter speed for propellers to avoid freezing them in place. Can't always control sight lines and therefore light positioning. Etc. Lots of garbage, but the keepers are rewarding.

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 06:29 PM (IQ6Gq)

51 I have a stash of photos going back 135 years. 1800's. Early family history.

Nobody in the family give a shit.

Historical dustbin.
Posted by: Martini Farmer at August 24, 2024 06:21 PM (Q4IgG)

If you know who they were and have the names and can show relationships, I'd keep them. Even though no one seems to care now, the next gen might.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at August 24, 2024 06:32 PM (0eaVi)

52 I’m a photographer, learned how to process film in a darkroom with chemicals and trays, etc.
Haven’t done any serious photography in a while though. I’m intrigued by digital SLRs but never used one.
I’ve had an idea to go through my transparencies and play around with them in photoshop or other creative software.
There’s so many different directions we can take nowadays, when it comes to photography as art.

Posted by: kallisto at August 24, 2024 06:32 PM (jJS7e)

53 Posted by: JTB at August 24, 2024 06:28 PM (zudum

Thanks JTB. One of the best tips I ever heard was to be more subtle with highlights , details , shadows, transitions ,etc than you think you are being.

The viewer's subconscious will pick it up without having to shove it in their face. It's hard to get the optimal subtlety.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 06:34 PM (OFe7r)

54 39
Before you toss your old images consider donating them to a local historical society. Someone may find at least a few of them of value.

Posted by: dissent555 at August 24, 2024 06:34 PM (MB784)

55 If you know who they were and have the names and can show relationships, I'd keep them. Even though no one seems to care now, the next gen might.
*******
I would kill for family photos going back that far. But my family lived in NYC and moved frequently. Thus the need for less items to move. TRex's families were farmers, and he has a trove of photos going back a hundred years. I'm very jealous.

Posted by: Grateful at August 24, 2024 06:34 PM (IQ6Gq)

56 50
"the keepers are rewarding"

Yup!

Posted by: dissent555 at August 24, 2024 06:35 PM (MB784)

57 42 The most fun course of instruction I ever had in the military was "Intelligence Photography".

Posted by: Bert G at August 24, 2024 06:24 PM
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I would audit a class like that. But you're right, so much is now digital and using digital analysis tools to identify anomalies, shapes, etc. If anyone has reading resources with more on that subject, please suggest.

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 06:36 PM (IQ6Gq)

58 You could upload to Ancestry. We found a series of three photos. They had a note on the back, giving the woman's name, and saying this was right before her wedding. I think the date was 1911. My husband found her in Ancestry and I made a digital copy to upload.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at August 24, 2024 06:37 PM (dDSBl)

59 I also wanted to explain my painting, Complementary, located under still life and other to those that aren't familiar with color theory.

Complementary colors are those colors opposite each other on the color wheel. Putting them side by side makes each bolder. It also can give a feeling of excitement or chaos.

The painting is a study of that.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 06:40 PM (OFe7r)

60 You could upload to Ancestry. We found a series of three photos. They had a note on the back, giving the woman's name, and saying this was right before her wedding. I think the date was 1911. My husband found her in Ancestry and I made a digital copy to upload.
Posted by: Notsothoreau at August 24, 2024 06:37 PM (dDSBl)

It would work if you have enough information, but when you have nothing but the photo, that's not an option.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at August 24, 2024 06:41 PM (0eaVi)

61 They are always buying old photos on American Pickers. Especially if they are connected to a theme.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 06:41 PM (OFe7r)

62 Mrs. JTB and I did a lot of photography in the past, 99 percent film. She excelled at abstracts, close-ups and timed shots. One timed photo was of a Ferris wheel at a carnival which won first place at an exhibit. I liked abstracts for the chance to see and capture unusual scenes and still life. I really enjoyed setting up a still life: choosing the materials and arranging them, experimenting with angles and lighting until I caught the desired effect. We both won some competitions.

One day we realized we had achieved everything we wanted in photography and sort of stopped, except for snap shots. However, my interest in visual expression is what got me interested in learning to draw and use color. That journey continues.

Posted by: JTB at August 24, 2024 06:42 PM (zudum)

63 I used to do photography when I was younger, but now days it is only things on my phone.

I do find that the skills I learned regarding framing, exposure, and such still come in handy. And also the "eye for light" where you are always looking for what will make for a great shot.

When I was in Rome, I was running toward the Coliseum at dawn one morning, and I noticed that if I delayed just a little, I would get a great shot of the sun rising through the windows, with sunbeams radiating. I love that photo.

Posted by: Dave in Fla at August 24, 2024 06:42 PM (5p7BC)

64 [iI still have Minolta 35mm equipment, have 3 cameras, multiple lens from 28 -200, doubler, filters galore.
Posted by: Skip at August 24, 2024 06:06 PM (fwDg9)

A fellow Minolta fan!

I used to have the X-700, the 20mm f2.8 lens, 35-70 mm f/3.5 zoom and 75-200 mm f/4.5 zoom (all MD Rokkor stuff). The zooms weren't very fast but they weren't so heavy that I couldn't hike with them. Used that setup on quite a number of trips out west and have *really* fond memories of it.

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent, STEM Guy at August 24, 2024 06:43 PM (/HDaX)

65 I have boxes and boxes of photos of my family and friends that span back to my Pop's WWII days. I spent nearly a month of evenings on my home desktop scanning them to JPEG files. I then edited them in Photoshop and created several websites that reflected particular subject matter. Just simple photo galleries. I passed the URLs for the sites along to the appropriate audiences and they were a big hit.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at August 24, 2024 06:44 PM (mH6SG)

66 This discussion reminded me of the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Its underlying theme was photography and the cinematography was some of the best I've seen in an otherwise okay movie.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 06:46 PM (OFe7r)

67 ...and thanks for the cool thread, TRex.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at August 24, 2024 06:46 PM (mH6SG)

68 Framing a photo comes down to the Golden ratio.

1 : 1.6

It's been simplified to the theory of thirds.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 06:48 PM (OFe7r)

69 67 ...and thanks for the cool thread, TRex.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at August 24, 2024 06:46 PM (mH6SG)
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You're welcome. This is fun. Thanks horde!

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 06:48 PM (IQ6Gq)

70 I should have said composing a photo, painting , etc.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 06:49 PM (OFe7r)

71 They are always buying old photos on American Pickers. Especially if they are connected to a theme.
Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 06:41 PM (OFe7r)

He probably won't pay much. I had some movie posters I tried to sell him. He didn't want them. Or, the person who answers his e-mails didn't want them. They were from the 70s and early 80s Disney movies. Sold them to a guy in Utah.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at August 24, 2024 06:49 PM (0eaVi)

72 My photo albums from my USAF days are missing, assume somewhere here but haven't found them in years.
Also took lots of slides

Posted by: Skip at August 24, 2024 06:50 PM (fwDg9)

73 I used to develop my film: B and W, C-41 color, and slides. I used a Jobo system for the 35 mm film and pan developed the medium and large format film. There is something magical about watching the image slowly emerge in the tray. I think I miss film developing more than taking the actual photos.

I didn't know but turns out my grandfather had done amateur photography as a young married around WW I. He developed the film in the bathtub. Since this was 2x3 inch film, he could just contact print them without needing an enlarger. We have one photo of my aunt in her high chair with a calendar from 1917 in the background. Basic as the gear was, the image is sharp enough to clearly see the calendar page.

Posted by: JTB at August 24, 2024 06:53 PM (zudum)

74 70 I should have said composing a photo, painting , etc.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 06:49 PM (OFe7r)
***
Composition is one of the most underrated aspects of photography. Those that do it well "see" the world differently.

Good photographers think of it like a scavenger hunt. There is a photo in there somewhere and the challenge is finding it. They get bored with basic photos.

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 06:53 PM (IQ6Gq)

75 For people who have family photos, here is an idea. When my father died and we had photos and other items to distribute, we invited relevant family to a place that had huge tables where we could spread everything. People were encouraged to walk around and note what each person wanted. If any items had multiple bidders, discussion held on the spot. Lots of memories and laughs. Bags and boxes were provided. Everything went. No fights.

Posted by: Mrs JTB at August 24, 2024 06:54 PM (zudum)

76 Posted by: OrangeEnt at August 24, 2024 06:49 PM (0eaV

To be honest I don't care for much for the main guy Mike. But I learn a lot from the show. I do really like the Jersey Jon guy. He's a renaissance guy who we need more of.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 06:54 PM (OFe7r)

77 73 I didn't know but turns out my grandfather had done amateur photography as a young married around WW I. We have one photo of my aunt in her high chair with a calendar from 1917 in the background. Basic as the gear was, the image is sharp enough to clearly see the calendar page.

Posted by: JTB at August 24, 2024 06:53 PM (zudum)
***
Love stories like this.

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 06:55 PM (IQ6Gq)

78 I have a studio photograph of my Grandfather ,who died before my father was born, in his WW1 Royal Canadian military uniform.

I didn't know that before I inherited my mom's photo albums. Somewhere Inbetween my grandfather made it to the Bronx.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 07:00 PM (OFe7r)

79 One of the things that struck me in the older family photos was that the subjects very rarely smiled. I guess "say cheese" hadn't ben invented yet.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at August 24, 2024 07:02 PM (mH6SG)

80 To be honest I don't care for much for the main guy Mike. But I learn a lot from the show. I do really like the Jersey Jon guy. He's a renaissance guy who we need more of.
Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 06:54 PM (OFe7r)

He's the guy with the obscure motorcycle parts in Gettysburg? Think I saw him once or twice. Can't watch the show now because I cut the cable. Sorta irked how he did Frank.

Posted by: OrangeEnt at August 24, 2024 07:03 PM (0eaVi)

81 We have a bunch of family photos we inherited. I found a series of photos taken by my grt-aunt Trudy of the inauguration parade in 1936. I wonder if they are of any historic value, should check that out.

Posted by: Farmer, with my own historical take at August 24, 2024 07:03 PM (55Qr6)

82 I have a photo album of missionaries in Japan. The only way you can date it is from the woman in her turn of the century dress. I love collecting old pictures.

Worked for an old woman that wound up with her brother's photos after she died. She kept some of the ones with people she recognized and threw away those of just scenery. I grabbed them out of the trash and still have them.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at August 24, 2024 07:04 PM (dDSBl)

83 79 One of the things that struck me in the older family photos was that the subjects very rarely smiled. I guess "say cheese" hadn't ben invented yet.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at August 24, 2024 07:02 PM
***
Very early photography required long exposures on glass or metal plates. Hard to maintain a smile for a long time without looking awkward, so easier just to skip the smile.

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 07:05 PM (IQ6Gq)

84 My hobbies are Buicks from the mid 60's to early 70's and firearms.
Both of which the left want to destroy.

Frankly, a drug habit would be cheaper.

Posted by: Erebus- ex-killer whale at August 24, 2024 07:06 PM (elaR+)

85 Posted by: OrangeEnt at August 24, 2024 07:03 PM (0eaV

He's one of the pickers now that Frank is gone. They used to pick him or use him to do restoration on motorcycles or really any old machinery. Also a furniture expert, forging blacksmith among many other lost trades.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 07:07 PM (OFe7r)

86 Most of my 35 mm film gear was Pentax. I didn't need a load of fancy features, so a K-1000, KX, and MX was enough. Also, Some of those Pentax lenses were superb. I wasn't going into a war zone so didn't need a tank like the top of the line Nikon.

My favorite medium format is a Minolta Autocord. The Rollei had the reputation, especially for their lenses, but the Minolta TLR is as good for my taste. A Crown Graphic 4x5 press camera was my large format rig. Even the standard lens when combined with a fine grain film is capable of art gallery quality images.

Kodak had a series of rangefinder cameras in the late 40s and 50s, the Retina series. They were made in Germany and had superb German lenses. Add a 100 ISO film with those small bodies and German lenses and you could capture huge amounts of detail. They were heavy for their size but were small and silent.

Posted by: JTB at August 24, 2024 07:08 PM (zudum)

87 Used to be a thing to take photos of your dead kin folk posed as if they were alive. The kid photos are really creepy.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 07:09 PM (OFe7r)

88
*?*

What is 'film'?

Posted by: Gen Z at August 24, 2024 07:09 PM (XeU6L)

89 Saw a bunch of boy scouts burning something in 55 gal drums, was it the Pima County Air Museum? Old aerial photographs. Silver running out the bottom of the drum they were unaware of
Unlimited storage in parked aircraft and they're destroying history.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle at August 24, 2024 07:10 PM (8xbU2)

90 You can buy an attachment for your smart phone that allegedly can zoom 100x .

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 07:11 PM (OFe7r)

91 That yellow car is not practical at all. The driver sits to low and can hardly see out. The windows would be impossible to use at a drive thru. And where do the groceries and passengers go? Would not buy.

Posted by: Guy who thinks Doug Emhoff is masculine at August 24, 2024 07:11 PM (vFG9F)

92 Saw a bunch of boy scouts burning something in 55 gal drums, was it the Pima County Air Museum? Old aerial photographs. Silver running out the bottom of the drum they were unaware of
Unlimited storage in parked aircraft and they're destroying history.
Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle

Facepalm

Posted by: Erebus- ex-killer whale at August 24, 2024 07:11 PM (elaR+)

93 There is YouTube videos on that take a picture of dead loved ones, often children like it's a family portrait

Posted by: Skip at August 24, 2024 07:11 PM (fwDg9)

94 Good evening. I told my mother that there was only two things I wanted after her passing. Her photo album and her Bible. The Bible was the most amazing book. Leather bound, gold leaf pages and filled with gorgeous artwork. I donated it to the Catholic church where my mother was born and it is still on display there. I have never found another one like.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 24, 2024 07:12 PM (qLP0s)

95 TRex,

Thanks for the links in the post. Too long to look at during the thread but I will enjoy them later.

Posted by: JTB at August 24, 2024 07:13 PM (zudum)

96 Posted by: Ben Had at August 24, 2024 07:12 PM (qLP0s)

That's cool. My daily reader is The Living Bible I gave to my grandfather for Christmas in 1974. My grandmother gave it to me after my Grandfather passed in 1987.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 07:15 PM (OFe7r)

97 The most fun course of instruction I ever had in the military was "Intelligence Photography".
-----

Using the stereo viewers?
Yup, done that.

Posted by: Gen Z at August 24, 2024 07:16 PM (XeU6L)

98 ‘If you get hit sing out, slap iron to it.’

Posted by: Eromero at August 24, 2024 07:16 PM (LHPAg)

99 94 Good evening.
Posted by: Ben Had at August 24, 2024 07:12 PM
***
Good evening back atcha. **clink**

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 07:17 PM (IQ6Gq)

100 Crap! /Gen Z

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at August 24, 2024 07:17 PM (XeU6L)

101 Unlurking long enough to say Hi and say that I am a picture taker. Started with a little camera on my first travels outside the US. Still have a few prints of Israel which are pretty funny because it was still so undeveloped then.
Then went to slides. Have no idea where they are.May have been lost on purpose during the move.
I have a trunk full of photo albums starting with the birth of my children. Over the years got pretty good at framing shots and getting shots of historical sites without people in them.
Taking pictures with the phone is fun but not the same as leafing through a photo album but still glad I get pictures of the grandkids almost every day. So worth it.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at August 24, 2024 07:18 PM (t/2Uw)

102 100 Crap! /Gen Z

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at August 24, 2024 07:17 PM (XeU6L)
***
Yeah, but you get the post #100 award. Congrats!

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 07:18 PM (IQ6Gq)

103 6:20 and it's still 90% in Houston. At least the humidity is only 60%.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 07:19 PM (OFe7r)

104 Yeah, but you get the post #100 award. Congrats!
Posted by: TRex
---------

Happily, even a vacuous post still scores.

Posted by: Mike Hammer, etc., etc. at August 24, 2024 07:21 PM (XeU6L)

105 ‘If you get hit sing out, slap iron to it.’
Posted by: Eromero

For some reason, I was thinking of that exact line last night.
No Clint Eastwood movies trailers or movies had been watched.

Posted by: Erebus- ex-killer whale at August 24, 2024 07:21 PM (elaR+)

106 Delurking? Uncloaking.? What does the Ace style book say?

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at August 24, 2024 07:23 PM (t/2Uw)

107 Ben Had, I hear you. We have Bibles from each side of the family, going back to those printed in German. But none as beautiful as your Mother's. I'm glad it is still displayed.

Posted by: Grateful at August 24, 2024 07:23 PM (IQ6Gq)

108 Okay no more complements to each other. Music thread is up. Time to tell everyone their taste sucks.

Posted by: polynikes at August 24, 2024 07:23 PM (OFe7r)

109 I've read that there is renewed interest in film photography, at least for serious amateurs. The greater learning curve and hands on aspects have a growing appeal. Very different from the 'keep clicking and take thousands of shots' approach with digital. Is digital easier or more handy? Yes. Does it satisfy an artistic, hands on desire? Not as much for some people.

I have little (read: no) faith in the longevity of digital photos. Too many changes in hardware, software, systems no longer supported or viable, etc. Without the physical photo in hand, I don't believe you can rely on having the images available. I mentioned a photo in my family that was taken over a century ago. Anyone think those digital images will be available in a century or even a couple of decades?

Posted by: JTB at August 24, 2024 07:24 PM (zudum)

110 My wife has a digital camera but no way to load the pictures. My mom has a digital photo album that displays pictures loaded into it. About size if a tablet

Posted by: Skip at August 24, 2024 07:25 PM (fwDg9)

111 Thanks all for participating. Don't forget the homework - send model photos for next week.

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 07:26 PM (IQ6Gq)

112 I didn't mention last week that I was inspired to make the foxhole radio by something Muldoon mentioned when he was doing a day by day chronicle from his dad's WWII diary. I don't remember what it was he said, but it's put me on an internet rabbit hole and I ended up on an article about them.

I have also seen several radios made by POWs from various wars. They are at the POW museum at Andersonville, GA, where they have artifacts and pictures from POWs from most US wars. I thought it was cool they could kludge together a radio while in prison, like Spock working with "stone knives and bear skins".

Posted by: fd at August 24, 2024 07:26 PM (vFG9F)

113 Nood. Music thread is up top

Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at August 24, 2024 07:27 PM (NJzG/)

114 I have a couple books on Civil War photography, Brady got credit for lots he didn't actually take. First he was losing his eyesight by the time of Gettysburg. Second other photography got labeled to him though not his firm who did the work.

Posted by: Skip at August 24, 2024 07:27 PM (fwDg9)

115 The photo album I wanted I still have. Sitting down with a nice glass of wine looking at those old pictures and enjoying the memories they invoke is time I enjoy spending. I had a huge family that spent a lot of time together and the pictures keep them all alive.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 24, 2024 07:30 PM (qLP0s)

116 Ben Had, I got the family slides. Have made many of them into prints. But they are fun and comforting to look at....

Posted by: Grateful at August 24, 2024 07:31 PM (IQ6Gq)

117 My father, a big civil war historian, introduced me to a fascinating scholarly piece done on Matthew Brady’s Gettysburg photos, the first truly large scale instance of photojournalism anyone had attempted.
First it established that Brady was working about 4 - 5 days after the battle, while federal cleanup crews were on the battlefield. When there are multiple shots of the same background, bodies keep disappearing. (They’re being hauled off)
Second, and even more interesting, is that Brady had about 8 bodies that he carried around in a wagon and posed for all his photos. Through comparison of insignia and clothing, the researcher established that these same 8 soldiers apparently died in dozens of places that day.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 24, 2024 07:32 PM (gBVkZ)

118 117 Through comparison of insignia and clothing, the researcher established that these same 8 soldiers apparently died in dozens of places that day.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 24, 2024 07:32 PM (gBVkZ)
***
Wow. Never heard that before.

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 07:34 PM (IQ6Gq)

119 "Second, and even more interesting, is that Brady had about 8 bodies that he carried around in a wagon and posed for all his photos."

That's kinda...weird.

Posted by: fd at August 24, 2024 07:35 PM (vFG9F)

120 I bet they never thought that people 100+ years would be looking that closely at those photos and realizing what was done "for the photo"

Posted by: Grateful at August 24, 2024 07:37 PM (IQ6Gq)

121 He had Weekend at Bernie's beat by a century...

Posted by: TRex at August 24, 2024 07:38 PM (IQ6Gq)

122 I sent a bunch of my dad's slides off to get digitized, along with some 8mm (not Super

movies from when I was a toddler. We got together and watched those movies that had not been seen in over 50 years and that was a lot of fun.

Posted by: fd at August 24, 2024 07:39 PM (vFG9F)

123 I put a bunch of photos on a cd and downloaded onto the computer where they would be a rotating screen saver.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 24, 2024 07:39 PM (qLP0s)

124 Super 8

Posted by: fd at August 24, 2024 07:39 PM (vFG9F)

125 Grateful, can't wait to share a glass of wine with you.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 24, 2024 07:41 PM (qLP0s)

126 Ben Had, me too, and we are bringing you a couple of surprises!

Posted by: Grateful at August 24, 2024 07:43 PM (IQ6Gq)

127 TRex, thank you for this thread. It needs another round in the rotation because I think we were just getting started.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 24, 2024 07:43 PM (qLP0s)

128 I started photography in high school with a cheap SLR, later moving to Pentax. Mostly shooting natural subjects (landscapes, flowers, birds, etc.) with slide film.
Had/have 3 Pentax MX bodies, several lenses and would carry them (with tripod) backpacking. Later I added a Linhof III 4x5.
I love Pentaxes, I have a Pentax DSLR now which is compatible with the old lenses in manual mode. I like and hate the digital processing.
I did alot of darkroom off & on, still have 4x5 enlarger, processed film (Pan-x, Kodalith, E-6, Tri-x) as well as printing B&W and color. I could do it at my office but do not have a darkroom anymore and none is feasible in our current home.
I miss Kodachrome and especially Cibachrome (to print slides).
I also taught 4-H kids photo & darkroom. I did sell a few framed prints at an art fair in da UP, eh.

Posted by: Hal Dall at August 24, 2024 07:55 PM (MaR4R)

129 #1 son is shooting some 35mm film lately. The pictures have a different look from the digital ones we see all the time now. Maybe best described as "warmer". Sort of like analog vs digital audio.

Posted by: fd at August 24, 2024 08:03 PM (vFG9F)

130 When Dad was in nursing home, an older family friend stopped by to give him an antique photo album-- said she wanted Dad to "give it to one of" his kids. Photos of Dad's parents and grandparents are in it...

I am the proud owner of this slice of family history. Have never seen such a lovely old thing like it, before.

The 'book' part folds up when not in use, revealing a tiny drawer that holds "calling cards" from visitors. The whole thing is covered in a velvety fabric & has a little painted ceramic cabochon on the front (some wilderness scene I don't recognize)

Should probably send pics to TRex...

The photos inside it, are on thick pasteboard (?) and mostly date mid to late 19th century.

Posted by: JQ at August 24, 2024 08:23 PM (njWTi)

131 Growing up in Rochester, NY in a Kodak family made the film and paper as important as the pictures. A wonderful company for over a hundred years, then 20 years of rapid decline and now a shell. Sic gloria transit mundi.

Posted by: jimmymcnulty at August 24, 2024 08:40 PM (6Qw2E)

132 130? What an incredible gift. I can't even imagine...please send a photo so we can see it. I love these stories....

Posted by: Grateful at August 24, 2024 09:14 PM (IQ6Gq)

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