A Treasure Chest of Colorado 4×5 Glass and Film Negatives

Perusing the local flea market, I passed by hundreds of cordless drills and saws, Carhartt jackets, and a plethora of household items as I scoured the rows of offerings for anything photographic. On one table at the back of the third row, I saw a bin filled with hundreds of 4x5 glass and film negatives....

The Love for Heavy Metal: Would You Use a $5 Nikon F2?

I stopped by a thrift store in Loveland Colorado and they had a Nikon F2A with a motor drive for a fiver. Hmm, yeah, I'll take that. They said it's only for display as it doesn't work. (Yeah, right!) Well, let's see. It had no lens. (No problem, I have several.) And no shutter collar....

Your Photography, Your Story

I think about what I make for street photographs, street portraits, and documentary photographs and how altogether they add up to my story. They tell you how I see, what I see, and the way I see it. It's a connection for you to my world, places I've been, and people I've met and seen....

“Thanks For Choosing Us!”: Making Someone’s Day with a Portrait

Tim Gilbert I enjoy using a camera to meet people as I have written about numerous times. Yesterday was no different. A photographer friend of mine, Tim Gilbert, who is the mastermind behind Stearman Press and the SP-445 developing tank in which you can develop four sheets of 4x5 film, handed me a prototype of...

Two Ways to Eat a Slice of Pie

Digital photography is holding a slice of pumpkin pie plucked by hand from the pan and scarfing it down over the sink in seconds. It's delicious but it's gone quite quickly. It's a phone photo that's sent out for a glance and a swipe. That's what it's made for, not for long-studied looks. A quick...

Is Social Media Detrimental to New Photographers?

Andy Adams of FlakPhoto asked recently which social media would photographers choose as an alternative, and which qualities they were looking for in a different platform. And I asked myself a very simple question: "Why would anyone join any in the first place?" It seems like it can only be for one reason—they aren't making...

My Work Featured in Ilford Film’s Online Magazine

Ilford Film (a UK company that makes black and white film) featured a story about my Longmont Lake Project in their online magazine. I worked for 10 weeks with a Rolleiflex 3.5F loaded with Ilford HP5+ film. We make work to be seen. At least I do. I have heard of photographers who just like...

Latest Portraits for The Wise Photo Project

Here are a couple of portraits for The Wise Photo Project. The couple's photograph was made with a Graflex Speed Graphic 4x5 on Kodak Tmax film. I am always looking for those moments that reveal a little bit about the subject. The first gentleman's laugh certainly is one. These legacy portraits are created for people...

I Don’t Make Baby Photos

My dad years ago said I was missing the boat when it comes to making money in photography. "Take baby photos," was his advice. I was working as a photojournalist and still, he said, "Stop trying to reinvent the wheel, go where the money flows: Babies!" (Which always made me think of Rodney Dangerfield in...

Glass Plate Photography: Glimpse Into the Past, A Snapshot For the Ages

I went to a local garage sale and there were glass negatives for sale, a whole box for $3. For the price of a coffee, I got a collection of 4x5 glass slides that each probably cost the subject a considerable amount of their weekly paycheck to make. Which makes me ask two questions: 1)...