FotoMonkey – Page 2 – Fotomonkey Photography

Dec 30

by FotoMonkey in journal 0 comments tags: leica

Cool Story Time

I’ve had the Leica M4 loaded up with a roll of Santacolor 100 film since I started my vacation but the weather has been nasty and cloudy for the most part. Today, however, the skies cleared, the sun rolled out, and I grabbed my bag and ran for the door. I had a two options for nearby towns that I thought would be good candidates for Christmas decorations and opted for one to the north. It was an hour trip to get there but I lucked out and scored a spot not far from the Historic Downtown district. Unfortunately, I was surprised at the lack of decorations. It’s a very popular area, especially during the holidays, and I was expecting a lot more. I wandered about 10 blocks or so before turning around and heading back down the other way. It wasn’t all for naught, however. I met a cool, older gentleman with three adorable dachsunds. It was a mother, father, and their daughter. Apparently they’re a very rare type of dapple dachsund and the male is the only AKC registered one in the US. They were very cute and the daughter was more than happy to hop up on […]

Dec 29

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In For the Zen

Every time a new year rolls around, I look for a way to improve things. Whether that’s my outlook on life in general, a certain area of my photography, or whatever floats my boat. As 2025 looms just a couple of short days away, I think I’ve settled on Zen. I’m not really speaking in terms of the religious aspects, and I’m not ready to convert to Buddhism. I’m talking more in the sense of awakening my creativity. Digging deep to find out who I am. What, with respect to photography, makes me tick? As I look at the thousands of images which make up my portfolio, what motivates me? What’s my style? Do I have a style? Learn to see what is. Something I want to do is, pardon the phrase, to be more focused. The weather has been hit or miss since Thanksgiving so I’ve been spending a lot of time cleaning up my Photo Mechanic and Capture One catalogs. Something that has become painfully clear is that I hit the shutter button far too frequently. It’s time to embrace the spirit of my Leicas and slow down. I actually purchased a screen cover to turn my M10 […]

Apr 28

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A Little Portra

Not a whole lot to say today. I spent a little time pulling gear together that I think I might be hauling to Arizona and Utah in a couple of weeks. One of the things I’m really looking forward to is seeing what places like the Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion look like with Portra 400. That’s right, I’m stocking up on film! Since I want my unexposed film hand searched by TSA, I don’t want anything in the camera. I knew that I had some shots left on the roll in the Nikon F3 that I needed to wrap up. I went out to the beach yesterday to do just that. Well, technically I was at the “town center”. But close enough. And I did actually walk out to the beach. So here are a few shots from the M10 and filmicized (?) with DXO FilmPack 7. I think they came out pretty good. I’m not sure the mural turned out quite how I’d seen it in my mind, but I definitely like the beach and pizza colors. Let me know what you think!

Mar 29

by FotoMonkey in journal, Uncategorized 0 comments tags: film, leica, yashica

An Era Revived

I recently embarked upon a journey to my past. Where it all began. Film. It all started with a Canon EOS Rebel. I had joined the military and was home on leave. I grew up near a lot of Air Force bases so I took my freshly minted military credentials and headed to the Exchange. I walked out with the Rebel kit and it began a love affair. I took that camera all over the world. One of the few benefits of being in the military. It’s taken pictures across Europe. Spain. France. Italy. I’ve carried it through the Middle East. Egypt. Jordan. It was a great camera and I still have it to this day. Though I’ve been shooting digital for many years now, I’ve felt a resurgence in my desire to shoot film. I’ve been picking up film here and there and Santa (aka mom) presented me with some Ilford HP5 and Kodak Tri-X. I’ve also picked up some expired film on Etsy. Film definitely slows you down. I’m more intentional with the firing of the shutter. My son ribs me because of the work I do. Taking the picture is just the beginning. Next is countless minutes […]

Mar 17

by FotoMonkey in photowalk 0 comments tags: 28mm, leica, m10, urban

A Little CoRK

This is actually part two of yesterday’s post. I decided to break it up since it’s a little different but related. So, WTH is CoRK? It’s a cool little name for the arts “district” located at the Co-rner of Rosselle and King streets. Rather than trying to explain it, I’ll just link to their site. Unfortunately, it’s not really open to get public (unless they’re doing a special event, I suppose) so you’ll just get to see the outside of the building. Still some cool art, though. It looks like there are some nice artists affiliated with the venue. I’m going to have to keep any eye out for upcoming events.

Mar 16

by FotoMonkey in photowalk 0 comments tags: leica, m10

It’s a Mural-cal

Despite having work to do around the house today, I decided to not be a responsible adult and I took the M10 out to shoot another area of town I’ve been through hundreds of times but never really explored. When I was still working downtown, this area was the home to several lunch spots. Today I stopped driving and started walking. These photowalks are really opening my eyes to the community I’ve lived in for over 30 years. The area is known as Murray Hill. This is definitely an older part of town but it’s seeing some revitalization as evidenced in the first image. There are several modern structures in the area now but it’s still full of its “old town” charm. The streets are lined with plenty of options for craft beer, food, and more. Boutique shops provide a number of specialty services. But I was here for the murals. There are around 20 murals scattered around the area and some of the work is insanely detailed. They certainly lend a charm to the area. Even as I was walking around, there was an arts market going on next to the historic Murray Hill Theatre. If you decide to […]

Mar 13

by FotoMonkey in photowalk 0 comments tags: leica, m10

Exploration Day

I learned about a new park today and decided to check it out after work. I have to say that I really like having daylight remaining when I log off for the day. I almost didn’t go but I’m glad I did. Not only was it good to get out, but the light was actually pretty good through the trees. It’s a small park but has a nice boardwalk through some surprising wetlands. Not what I expected to find in the middle of a metropolitan city. There is also a nice playground for the kids and a skate park as well. I decided to try a couple of black & white conversions for this trip but this last shot deserved to stay color. Even at 1600 ISO I kept the shutter speed low to get some blur. I think it worked out and it’s even a layered shot with some action in the background. Unfortunately, I left too soon. As I was driving home I realized the amazing sunset I was missing. I said the last one was my last one, but I guess I changed my mind. I wasn’t going to post this but what the heck. I can […]

Mar 10

by FotoMonkey in photowalk 0 comments tags: leica, m10

A Little Trip to the Beach

The weather was absolutely gorgeous today, and I had an itch to scratch. And what better way to kick off the start of Daylight Savings Time than a trip to a beach you’ve driven by hundreds of times over the years (possibly even thousands) yet never stopped? Never explored. Never researched. That’s exactly what I did today. I pointed the car south, hit the interstate, and drove about an hour away to Flagler Beach. Flagler Beach is a small community near Palm Coast and Daytona Beach. It’s named for Henry Flagler who, after experiencing Florida for the first time, made it his home and invested heavily in its tourism industry and ultimately, the Florida East Coast Railway. Flagler’s Ponce de Leon Hotel is now the site of Flagler College in St. Augustine. The beach has a nice boardwalk with both uncovered benches and covered tables. These are perfect for those not wanting to venture down from street level while still offering views of the beach and ocean. Unfortunately, the pier was damaged in 2022 by Hurricane Ian and is closed for repairs. Today also happened to coincide with the end of Bike Week so the main drag was an active […]

Mar 07

by FotoMonkey in general 0 comments tags: leica, m10

The Holy Grail

Wow. Where has the time gone? Have I really not posted in over a month? I was doing so well. And even with new gear! For shame, for shame. At the end of the month, I did something I never thought I’d do. Sure, I’d drooled over videos on YouTube. I’d read reviews. I’d searched pictures on Instagram. But I’d also discounted the idea as folly. I knew I could never pull the trigger. Until I did. Behold, my Leica M10, paired with a Voigtlander 35/1.4. I really never expected to invest this much into a single body. However, the more I thought about it, I realized that I have cameras going back to my very first. Many of them I still use actively depending on the situation. Amortized over the years, the cost diminishes. Beyond that, though, was one overarching feeling. Mental health. Mental health isn’t something I talk about much or really give much thought to in general. Lately, though, my job has been (perhaps literally) killing me. I’ve never felt the stress I feel in this job in my 30 years of post-military life. Hell, back it up. I never felt this much stress boarding foreign vessels […]

Mar 02

by FotoMonkey in photowalk 0 comments

A Military Hero

The USS Orleck (DD-886) was laid down in 1944 and first saw combat in Korea in 1951. Named for Navy Cross recipient (posthumously), Lt. Joseph Orleck, this Gearing-class destroyer earned the nicknames “train buster of Korea” after taking out 2 military transport trains and ”Grey Ghost of the Vietnam Coast” after firing over 11 thousand rounds and was awarded an astonishing 14 battle stars throughout the Vietnam war. After serving the US faithfully for almost 40 years, she was transferred to the Turkish Navy where she served for another 18 years. Signs of her Turkish service can still be seen today. The Orleck became a museum ship in 2000. After failing to secure the USS Adams as a downtown cornerstone, the City of Jacksonville welcomed the Orleck in March 2022. She now calls Jacksonville’s North Bank home and opened her doors to the public in October 2022. The Orleck had some impressive firepower and technology for its time. It was originally outfitted with three twin 5-in guns (only 2 remain today). This no doubt helped it earn its nickname. Just imagine the engineering that went into equipment like the Mk 1 Fire Control Computer. In addition to the 5-in guns, […]