About

     "f/8 and be there" is a photographic mantra that has been attributed to several photographers, including Arthur Fellig, also known as Weegee, and National Geographic photo editor Wilbur E. "Bill" Garrett. The phrase is often used to encourage photographers to be prepared and ready to capture a moment when it happens, rather than waiting for the perfect shot.

     I stick to the basics when it comes to photographic gear. I normally use two cameras with prime lenses and always use available light. Many of the photos on this site were shot with used cameras and lenses I picked up at pawnshops and online. Some were shot with film and later scanned to digital formats. Others were shot with digital cameras in both RAW and JPG formats.

     I keep post-processing to a minimum—honestly, I don't even know how to use Photoshop. I use Lightroom Classic for post-processing, where I keep manipulation to a minimum, trying to replicate just the things I could do in an analog darkroom. I don't add or remove anything from images digitally—I leave the shots as I took them, warts and all. I use Matin Labs and Kevin Mullins Lightroom Classic presets to replicate the look of film photos when I'm shooting with modern cameras.

     But as time passes, I find myself shooting in JPG format more and more, using "film recipes" for my FujiFilm cameras that replicate the look of film in JPG photos. Using this workflow, I spend less time editing them in Lightroom Classic as the FujiFilm camera's JPGs get you 90% of the way to a finished photo when you shoot using the right "film recipe" for the light and subject.

     Over the years I've shot with a wide variety of cameras, from point-and-shoot compacts to pro-grade equipment. I've used cameras from all the brands you know of, but most of my work has been with Nikon and Canon cameras. Today I'm using FujiFilm gear: an X-H2s and an X-T2, each with an f/1.4 prime lens.