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Forum: General Talk
12-29-2023, 02:57 AM
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Now that it's finally over for another year, am I allowed to say that everything about Christmas is an annoyance? I detest this annual exercise in over-commercialisation and forced jollity so utterly that, as I type this, there's venom oozing from under my fingernails. Seriously, Ebeneezer Scrooge and the Grinch are my personal Christmas heroes.
You wanna know how much I hate Christmas? On Sunday afternoon, Christmas Eve, my mother ended up in hospital with a transient ischemic attack. And there was a part of me that thought: "Phew, that means we won't have to do Christmas this year."
But oh no, the doctors were determined to run all the tests they needed ASAP and give Mum the all clear to go home before midnight. Christmas was saved.
Bastards.
Edit to make me sound a bit less evil:
I do love New Year's Eve though, and celebrate it with great happiness. And Mum is absolutely fine now.:)
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Forum: General Photography
12-28-2023, 08:01 PM
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The photography habits I most want to change are not packing a camera, or not using the one I have packed.
2024 New Year's resolution: TAKE MORE PHOTOS!!!
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Forum: General Photography
12-28-2023, 08:50 AM
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I'm already ruthless about culling shots on the computer when I get home. If it isn't worth fully editing into a finished, printable photo then it goes, unless it's one when I'm really not sure and I think there's a chance I might want to fully edit it in the future.
In 2024 I want to get even more ruthless about not taking the shots that I know aren't worth taking in the first place. It's easy to do that with film, because at £1 per frame after processing I can't afford to shoot frames that I know will be duds. But with digital I still have a tendency to shoot anyway as the cost per frame is zero. Then, when I get home, I have to spend time checking on the computer that those shots really were as pointless as I thought before deleting them.
It would be a much better alternative to just not take those no-hoper snaps in the first place. I don't think there's ever been a case where one of them turned out to be better than I thought when I got home and looked at it on the computer.
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Forum: General Talk
12-11-2023, 02:36 AM
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It seems that, according to my family at least, a person interested in photography has to want something camera related for Christmas. Apparently it isn't acceptable not to need or want any new gear at the moment. The family photographer must agree to receive a lens or somesuch gadget as a gift, otherwise that photographer is a scrooge and a grinch and generally a horrible person who wants to ruin Christmas for everyone.
So now I've got an 18-135mm WR on the way. I suppose I've always wanted to try one really. And if they think I'm gonna wait for Christmas to start playing with it, they're wronger than an emeritus professor of wrongology at Wrongville University. |
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-06-2023, 03:14 PM
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No new gear on my radar... I'm over-equipped as it is. What little money I spend on the hobby will likely be on 135 and 120 film, lab processing for any colour films, and whatever top-up chemistry I might need for continued B&W processing at home. If and when a new Pentax film camera is released, I may consider buying one. Oh, and if there's a great discount on the HD FA50/1.4 at some point, I might pick one up - but I really don't need it, so perhaps not...
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
12-05-2023, 10:56 PM
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I'm definitely at Peak Gear right now.
If Pentax releases something really compelling down the track, I might consider it, but there's a whole lot I should sell before that.
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Forum: General Talk
12-02-2023, 02:47 PM
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Ballpoint? Fountain or nothing for me.
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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras
11-29-2023, 04:07 PM
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Eric won't service a lot of things. He's not a measurement of quality as much as parts availability. I asked about an FA 77 and he was not interested (cracked focus gear). He lives in the same small town my dad lives in. I wanted to try to send him business despite my past experience of his lack of communication skills. He was quite polite which I have to give him credit for. But he was not interested in working on even an FA limited - I think he is unable to get the parts easily.
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Forum: General Photography
11-30-2023, 05:51 PM
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I realized that I will never take another job which doesn't allow me adequate time to enjoy photography.
I did attempt to take photos when I get the chance.
I rented the K-3iii Monochrome and learned just how much I enjoyed shotting exclusively in BW, especially portraits, and how much more I want to improve my portrait photography skills.
I learned that I really need to set myself some new goals to keep from stagnating as a photographer, or risk becoming disaffected with the mediocre results.
I continued to build a collection of a few very good lenses, rather than having all the lenses.
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Forum: General Photography
11-30-2023, 02:24 PM
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I didn't get a lot of opportunity to make photos this year, and sometimes motivation was lacking. So I spent a lot of time going through older work and making prints, small and large. The surprise: how good the older work looks, even with much lower pixel counts and "inferior" lenses. It demonstrated to me that I've spent so much money and energy acquiring gear that I never really needed - probably just to get that dopamine hit from opening boxes with shiny new toys inside.
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Forum: General Photography
11-30-2023, 12:35 PM
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I've been shooting a fair bit of film over the last year or so - more than digital, if I exclude the camera-based digitising process for my negatives - and due to the price of film, the time taken to process at home (for B&W) and the cost of lab processing (for C41), I'm quite careful about what I choose to photograph and how many shots I take overall. The surprise is, this economical approach is rubbing off on my digital photography too. I find I'm taking fewer and more-considered shots with digital than I used to (still more than with film, but much reduced). As a result, I have fewer files to review, and my keeper rate has increased noticeably. I wonder if I might be missing the occasional opportunity by being more careful... but I honestly can't think of any in the last year. For my very casual, opportunistic, non-specialist kind of photography, it's working out nicely :)
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Forum: General Photography
11-30-2023, 12:24 PM
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One thing that surprised me this year was the realization that phone photography - having a decent camera with me at all times - has been an important part of my creative journey. Just the act of taking lots of images, always looking out for captures, has improved my 'eye'. I also experienced an epiphany this year when I understood that photography underlines my life journey and that I just need to follow where it takes me without having to know the precise details of where I'm going and how to get there. At the same time I have got back in to film photography. I feel all these things are connected.
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Forum: General Photography
11-30-2023, 07:31 AM
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I feel like I'm in the same boat, though it's more a feeling than actual reality, because I did go out a lot with the camera this year. Right now is another opportunity, one hour of sunlight left (actual, unclouded sun, I haven't experienced that in a while and it looks like it will be the last for a while), and I could go out and make the most of it... but I just came home from work, getting ready and dressed and going there will not be much actual time out there left. It feels like another missed opportunity, but in the end the opportunity was not that great and it's more the feeling that is leaving a sour taste on the day, just like it is with the whole year.
I go out whenever I feel like it, and I'm not going to beat myself up about not having gone out more often, what good would that do?
If you want to get out more, get out. If you're the spontaneous type, make sure the camera is prepared, batteries loaded, cards empty, ready to just grab and go out whenever you feel like it. If you need routine, create a new habit, plan some time for it on certain days and stick to the plan.
And if it doesn't happen because life gets in the way, that's just the way it is sometimes. There'll always be another time to practice your hobby if you really like what you do.
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Forum: General Photography
11-30-2023, 03:46 AM
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I'm not sure I've had anything that I would call a surprise this year. My photography, knowledge and technique has been in a process of evolution since I changed main system in Spring last year and I'd say that's continuing.
Perhaps I could say that I have been surprised at how much I've enjoyed black & white photography over colour this year. I've always enjoyed B&W but for whatever reason I'd say more so now and my top four most-liked (and Explored) photos on Flickr are all B&W. Maybe it's because moving to FF has allowed me more opportunities to shoot in low light where B&W so often works better than colour.
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Forum: General Photography
11-30-2023, 01:58 AM
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I think I only acquired 5 new (to me) lenses, and one body. Finally getting this GAS thing licked!
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Forum: General Photography
11-30-2023, 01:57 AM
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I have been surprised by how few photos I have actually made.
"Disappointed" might be a more accurate description though....
I feel a New Year's resolution coming on.
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Forum: General Photography
11-30-2023, 01:30 AM
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I've dabbled with film quite lot this year, shooting some new stuff on colour negatives and DSLR "scanning" lots of old slides. The end result is that my lifelong preference for slides rather than negatives has been reinforced, but with slide film being so expensive nowadays it's something that I'll only be able to enjoy as an occasional treat.
In terms of digital there's been a gradual return back to my usual default of being a one camera, one lens shooter. I accumulated gear during the second half of last year and the beginning of this year, then over the last couple of months I've been stripping it back to only what I really need.
Like others in this thread, what I want most of all for next year is more opportunities to get out and take photos. I've got all the gear I need or want.
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Forum: General Photography
11-30-2023, 12:34 AM
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I finally buried the idle daydream of moving wholesale to a multi-megapixel full-frame cutting-edge outfit with all the latest and greatest glass as the solution to all photography issues. Enjoying what I have, and more importantly what I can make with it, is much more rewarding. It’s especially better to get out and see than sit indoors and grumble.
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Forum: General Photography
11-28-2023, 11:35 PM
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I have way too much photography gear already, and way too much "stuff" in general :o I've no doubt Santa will be bring me a couple of bits and pieces, whether photography-related or otherwise, but it's all about the occasion for me... eating and drinking a little too well, sitting in front of a crackling log fire, watching the inevitable movie and sit-com re-runs on TV, and spending quality time with my family. That's the Christmas I'm hoping for, and if Santa could see his way to making it as comfortable, safe and uneventful as possible, I'll happily forego any material gifts :)
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-27-2023, 12:06 PM
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One of the positive sides of being a true Pentaxian is knowing that your gear comes from people, some of whom enjoy photography, and their creative side shows in what they produce.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-26-2023, 11:14 AM
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And so my K1 MK1 soldiers on. Wild to think we’re coming up on the 10 year anniversary in just a couple short years. Still an excellent camera with soul that modern mirrorless cameras are missing.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-26-2023, 07:46 AM
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I am okay with no surprise announcement in today's event. If Pentax makes a surprise announcement of a new product that will be released imminently, then I will probably enjoy the surprise announcement more than if there was forewarning of an announcement on such-and-such date.
I am glad that Pentax showcased their recently released products. IMHO, Pentax should be promoting the recently released gear because photography media outlets do not promote Pentax gear as much as I would like them to do.
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-26-2023, 06:59 AM
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It seems we always find a reason to be disappointed about something... If it's not the time between camera and lens releases, it's some aspect of whatever products are released... or the unavailability of a particular lens... or the film camera project... or the lack of announcements for whichever products we personally hoped for, etc. etc. etc.. Sure takes the shine off the forums for me at times :o
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Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
11-26-2023, 07:35 AM
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Honestly, I've never felt let down or underwhelmed by Ricoh Imaging or any other camera, lens or accessory manufacturer. I have zero expectations of them. I've been mildly disappointed or underwhelmed by individual products now and then... and just occasionally I've felt a bit let down or frustrated by poor after-sales / warranty service (not from Ricoh Imaging, mind you, though I'm sure it's only a matter of time).
I'm certainly pleased when a new Pentax product I think I (or even someone else) might benefit from is either in development or released... but I don't get excited or build my hopes up in advance. I'm sure there'll be new products coming, and Ricoh will let us know about them when they're ready. Until then, I'll just crack on with what I've got... and quite happily at that.
Maybe I'm in the minority? I honestly don't know... It sometimes feels that way :o
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Forum: General Talk
11-22-2023, 05:56 AM
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Well, there's less to crash into in the outback, isn't there? And if you do happen to crash, no-one finds you for months, by which time your skeleton has been picked clean by all the wildlife that wants to kill and/or eat you. Either way, you won't be filing an insurance claim...
:lol:
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