One More Blog: Week 01/07/2024

A photo of a duck in water. Color photography.
This week’s banner image submitted by Asardi.

Hello and welcome to One More Blog! This week it’s coming to you from the frozen north of Japan by me, Ezo! If you haven’t seen my photos around the server I’m a wildlife photographer that sometimes takes pictures of old buildings, garbage, and people on the streets. I shoot a pretty even mix of film and digital these days. I’m also currently on a journey to make producing and sharing photos a daily habit. If you’d like to follow me, you can track me on social media or join my thread January 2024 in the #Projects forum.

Community Spotlight

Fortnight Challenge.

The Fortnight Challenge Launches!

This week saw the launch of the Fortnight Challenge by Blue Squares and Deathclamfive. This collaboration will be a recurring theme challenge, starting every other Monday. The current theme is “Transitioning.” Anyone interested in collaborating should visit the thread in the #Collaborations forum on Discord. The current theme will last until January 21st. Submissions for the current theme are already coming in so I took a look through and picked my favorite of the current crop.

An elderly person standing in a bus stop shelter. Black and white photo.

This submission comes from new member Ben. I think it does a lovely job of capturing the theme of Transitioning. The feeling of waiting for a bus at night, in the cold, with only the barest of illumination and protection, while knowing that soon you’ll be home, safe and warm emanates from this photo.


Gallery Gems

Black and white photo of wind turbines in a field. Amarillo, Texas. Ilford HP5. Hasselblad.
Iamdesertpaul, Amarillo, TX Shot on HP5

I love the way the lines in this composition intersect. The fence and horizon in parrallel, and the implied line from the turbines as they vanish into the horizon is such a pleasing composition. Combine this with the gradation in the grass and field and the cloudy sky for just a wonderful image that can really put you in the shoes of the photographer. You can see more of Iamdesertpaul’s work on his Instagram.

Three plastic flamingoes on a windy day in Dallas Texas.
blue squares A cold, windy day in Dallas

I’ve always found pink flamingoes a wonderful, whimsical symbol of Americana. Even as a kid I thought that anyone with pink flamingoes in their lawn had truly made it. Little did I know…

But still, this shot from blue square’s “A cold, windy day in Dallas” is excellent because of the excitement and motion that the flapping flamingoes convey in this shot. It looks like it was a longer exposure, and while that meant it wasn’t as razor sharp as it could have been, it conveys motion. There are more great shots in his thread so I recommend dropping in.

A photo of seaplanes waiting to take off. Vancouver. Portra 800. Olympus XA.
Schnee First experiments with 800 speed film Shot on Portra 800 and Olympus XA

Schnee took to the streets of Vancouver to test out Porta 800 and Lomo Color Negative 800. What I love about this shot is the implications. We can see the clouds, the sky. And in the foreground the bright red seaplane draws the eye, telling a story of planes waiting for take-off and the freedom of flight. The rest of his shots are really amazing so I recommend checking out the thread for some more.

A photo of two people talking to each other in a confessional, in the desert. Color photography. California.
Gary Indiana cali trip

When I initially chose this photo, I was convinced it was actually two people photographed and it was only after closer inspection that I realized it was a composite of the same model photographed twice. The colors, composition, and subject matter are all superb. We should all take the time to confess to ourselves, to be mindful, and to practice self-care. Gary Indiana has put out some great photos on the server since joining so I recommend taking the time to look through some of his other threads, or checking out his Instagram.

A photo of a family taking a selfie in front of a sign that says South Battery. Color film. Harman Phoenix 200.
Maxie Harmon 200: Highlights

The most exciting film news of 2023 for most of us was the release of an actual new color emulsion, and not just another de-remjetted Vision or Aerocolor. And with that our Maxie took to the streets and shot some wonderful test shots. He shared his highlights with us and I chose this one as my favorite. It really shows off the lovely colors that Phoenix is capable of. The scene captured here is fantastic, showing us a family taking a selfie somewhere that seems to be important to them as they appear to be trying to get the South Battery sign in the shot. It’s a lovely moment that tells a story. For more, check out the thread or Maxie’s Instagram. Or, support him by purchasing his new book In Your Backyard!

Shiraya a few photos from last year

This photo by one of our newest members, Shiraya, ticks some of my favorite compositional techniques. The first is layering. The foreground, subject, background, all have excellent separation and you can clearly see a kind of building of elements that gives the viewer a sense of scale without overwhelming them with detail because there is a clear focal point. In his thread there is another excellent example of this same composition so I recommend checking it out!


Well, that’s all for this week. Make sure to check in next week when OwlEye takes over the blog.

In the mean time, get out, take some photos, enjoy life!
Bye-bye!
-Ezo