Recently I returned to one of my enduring passions: shooting film. I'm Italian and I recently moved to California. In Italy, it's really hard to find a good lab to develop film and it's even more difficult to find rolls of film of the brands I like. Here in the...
Stop Taking Crappy Pictures!
Hi. My name is Elliot Madriss and I teach a successful class at the continuing education facility as part of the University of New Mexico called "Stop Taking Crappy Pictures!". This class was created as a direct result of my reaction to the very poor quality of images being posted...
A Little Practice Never Hurts
I decided to take a small break from my client video work this week and went to Bird Kingdom for a few hours to take a few practice images. Like most photographers I've found that a little practice never hurts, especially when one is getting used to handling new gear....
From The Window Seat
To be honest, it’s not a deal breaker for me. I’m perfectly happy wherever I sit on a plane, as long as it’s not in the cargo hold (although I imagine the luggage could be quite comfy to lie on). I don’t specifically request a window seat. More often than...
Venus Optics Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D Review
One of the widest lenses on the market today is the Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D, made by Venus Optics. Not only is this lens rectilinear (not a fisheye), but Venus Optics claims it has almost no distortion whatsoever. With so few 12mm lenses available today, anyone who needs an ultra-ultra...
Season For Air Shows
Summer is usually the season for air shows and that means yet another reason and opportunity to go out shooting. I had intended to visit the Farnborough Air Show this year but unfortunately an exhaust muffler decided to divorce itself from the underside of my car and reconciling the two became...
Nikon 105mm f/1.4E Review
Ever since it was introduced back in 1993, the DC Nikkor 105mm f/2 DC has been a classic - it was one of the most favored lenses for film portrait photographers and when digital came about, many photographers continued using the stellar lens to create stunning portraits. It took Nikon...
Finding Contemplation
For the past few weeks the United Kingdom has been undergoing a period of turbulent, momentous and mesmerising political events. Rest assured I have no intention of discussing politics here; this site is not for that. But there are decades when nothing much happens for weeks on end and then...
What to Photograph in Pittsburgh
On May 15th I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh is a vibrant city, known for its industrial heritage. Downtown is located at the convergence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers into the Ohio River, called “The Point.” The hills surrounding the city offer excellent viewpoints for...
And a Few More Flowers
I know flower posts have been submitted here before and I surely have nothing original to offer but they do make a versatile subject, allowing an appreciation of colour, texture, form and placement. These were all taken inside the Walled Garden at the stunning Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire just before...