It’s the second title in Leica’s Libretto series, which are collectible books built around a single body of work, and this one gathers Steve McCurry's pictures from 1992 all the way to 2025, a good part of them never published before, plus new work made for Leica. The prints were on the walls around us (available for sale): Afghanistan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Bhutan, Madagascar, Namibia, Russia, Mississippi, Times Square. “We travel the world in this one room,” said Michael Foley, the gallery director who put the show together, and it wasn’t an exaggeration.

The event ran two hours. I sat in that audience and took many notes to write this article, both about insights and McCurry's quotes, so the substance of that talk, the humor, and the insights are all collected in here, for you, .

What I want to write is about culture, seeing, and a bit of studium and punctum, because that is where the evening got interesting...

The origin of “Adagio”

How does that fit a photographer? For Steve, most of this work is wandering and observing: moving slowly, seeing a situation, watching it, waiting for it to develop. There’s no plan, or at most a loose one. He might know he wants to walk down to the edge of the Irrawaddy River to photograph the boats coming in, and from there on it’s serendipity.

“It’s really random.”, he said. He thinks of the pictures as a diary, a kind of novel of impressions of the places that keep pulling him back: Myanmar, India, and Afghanistan.

The other half of the title is Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. Barber was from West Chester, Pennsylvania, Steve’s town, and wrote the piece while traveling in Austria. To Steve, it’s simply one the most beautiful songs. “I could listen to it every day.”, he said.

Melancholy and beauty in the same breath. Look at the pictures in the book, many from places now closed off or at war, and the title makes a lot of sense.

If you’re the type of reader who likes listening to music while reading, here’s Adagio for Strings, by Samuel Barber:

Dogged persistence

Foley admitted that when he reviewed the work, he said to himself, “Wow! This guy is incredibly good!!” What struck him was the consistency. Ukraine, Namibia, Madagascar, Mississippi, Times Square, and always the same command of timing and composition, as if it had been art directed.

Foley pointed at a print on the gallery of two kids up in a gnarly tree, their bodies extending the branches, everyone else sitting passively below, a fence in the background echoing the shape of the tree. He asked Steve How long he was there…

“Five days.” Steve and a friend were staying in a guest house some way off, and every morning they were there at sunrise when the kids took the goats and sheep out to graze, and every afternoon they came back. Ten sessions. Out of those ten, two pictures worked, maybe three: this one, and another of a kid wrapped against the cold in a blanket with a rabbit on it, a black dog beside him.

A lot of this, he said, is just “dogged persistence”: finding a place that inspires you and going back over and over again.

When Steve is working, he is out for twelve hours a day, for weeks and months at a time, and he has been doing that for decades (I can confirm, the man's energy is unmatched, I saw with my own eyes on the workshop the day after). He said that after enough of those days, you start to understand how things move, how shapes integrate, where the juxtapositions come from, and the brain begins to see all of it at once and to anticipate the moment before it happens.

The above picture, taken in Russia, works the same way. He was staying with a friend, wandering alone, no guide, and came across an airplane parked in a field with kids playing ball around it. He had no idea why it was there (an aircraft factory nearby, it turned out). His reaction was the whole method in two words: “Totally weird.” He started working, and three pictures came out of it. There’s always an extra to it. It could be a photo of just the airplane, but no.

Madagascar, a place he had wanted to visit for years and finally did, meant leaving the hotel at four in the morning to drive an hour and be in position before sunrise. A magical place, he called it. On light, he’ll shoot any day, any time, with one exception: he doesn’t work in strong light. “My brain, in strong bright light, just shuts off.” When the sun is harsh he goes indoors and works interiors. Cloudy and overcast is his sweet spot.

Steve is married to light. He writes with it. He breathes it.

What McCurry looks at…

Pico Iyer wrote the book's introduction, and Foley read a line from it about “a humanist with a camera who sustains his curiosity.”

Foley then asked what makes a picture a Steve McCurry picture…

“They all came through my camera”, he joked 😄. Then, seriously: don’t think about style or signature. Don’t try to find one. Be out there looking, and, photography aside, be out there enjoying your time on this planet. See what you respond to. Shapes, design, a face, a landscape, a flower. Whatever fascinates you, ends up working.

Turns out, color is not the main driver. That’s relevant, because most of us associate his work with the saturated tones of Kodachrome, but yet, another quote from him: “Color is not what motivates me at all.”

He pointed at the gallery's walls. The Ukraine pictures, the Burma pictures, there’s not so much color in them. The monks, sure, but that’s just what they wear. What he is looking at is the list he gives his students: shapes, movement, foreground and background, layers, how people relate to the place they’re in and to each other, and the moment that is about to happen, or the "decisive moment”, as Bresson liked saying.

The red shirt

When asked by the audience, Steve needed an example of how color hijacks attention, and he found one in the audience. In a room full of people wearing black, gray and navy clothes, one person was wearing a bright red shirt.

That person was me.

Well, the red shirt, he said, was the only thing he could see. It really stands out, and I could tell, because I felt he was constantly looking at me. He joked: if I saw the guy wearing it walking down the street, I’d probably avoid it. The room laughed, I laughed, and for a few seconds I was “Exhibit A” in his case against chasing color. I left with a Steve McCurry critique of my outfit and a lesson, which honestly? It’s an awesome thing, because…

Roland Barthés (French literary theorist, essayist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician) has a name for what my shirt was doing to that room. In his book Camera Lucida, he splits what we see in a photograph into the studium, the cultural, coded content we read and understand, and the punctum, or the detail that pricks the eye and pulls it away from everything else.

I was a “walking punctum”. But punctum alone doesn’t compose a good photograph, I think that’s what Steve meant.

And the interesting thing about Steve’s answer is that he doesn’t actively chase that kind of sting. He steps around it, so the picture can earn its sting from a gesture or a moment (the kid’s movement in the tree, the rabbit on the blanket) rather than from a loud color that happened to walk by.

Which raises the obvious question: “if color isn’t what he looks at, why stay in color and not go full B&W?”, someone in the audience asked…

The answer was better than the joke: "Because the robes are red!"

The monks of Bhutan and Tibet wear that color, and it sets them apart from the monks of Japan, China, Thailand or Sri Lanka. Hinduism is full of color and symbolism, and the temples are extraordinary. Color isn’t what he hunts though. It’s a way to convey information.

It helps tell the cultural story, and the story happens to be in color. That is the Studium side of the picture (if you want to keep Barthes’ vocabulary). Color is in the pictures, for sure, but it’s just not on the list of things he’s looking for.

Being there

Foley asked what Steve understood then that the rest of the world failed to see: extreme hardship and poverty, in a dangerous place, and people who persevered anyway.

Steve described a boy in a candy factory, ten or twelve years old, up at three in the morning to work the boiling sugar under a manager who looked like a hard character. The contrast, he said, blows your mind, and it remains so today.

How involved does he get with the people in front of the lens? Honestly, most of the time there isn’t a lot you can do. But there was one time, during fighting between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance, when a wounded soldier lay on the ground while fighters walked past him. Steve and his companions kept working, and when it got dark and they were heading back, the man was still alive. They put him in their taxi, drove him to a hospital and carried him into the emergency room. “We literally saved that guy’s life.” Usually, though, by the time he arrives the Red Cross and the other humanitarian outfits are already there, and then his job is different: unless somebody is there to tell the story, the word doesn’t get out, and the word has to get out somehow.

Steve is done with war zones now. Ukraine, a few years ago (twice) was the last. What interests him is culture: next month (October 2026) it’s Calcutta, Varanasi, Bhutan and Nepal, with friends he has known for years. Asked whether he ever did anything ridiculous for a picture, he said no, but anywhere with mortars and bullets flying you do wonder why you got yourself into it. Then you survive, and you go back to your family.

Culture? All Camera Clara members love it! If you're not subscribed yet, this is a good moment. With Camera Clara articles, you will learn a lot about photography culture, techniques, fine art, books, publications, and everything awesome that photography brings to us all!

Subscribe now

“A white guy from Philadelphia”

Being there comes with a question every traveling photographer eventually hears. A working photographer in the audience, 25 years into his career, said he still gets asked why he thinks he can tell other people’s stories, and wanted to know if Steve gets challenged that way.

“All the time.”, he said. He called the argument something I’ll soften to nonsense. “Indian photographers are welcome to wander the streets of New York and Philadelphia; we live on this planet together.”, he added.

He got into all this as a 12 year old boy looking at Brian Brake’s pictures of India. He isn’t there to explain anyone’s culture, he said. He’s there to live his life, to observe, and to come away with his own personal observations, and he has every right to do that.

“You don’t have to like it.”, Steve added. He has been to India more than eighty times, something like five years of his life all together, and on his latest trip through Calcutta, Varanasi, Delhi and Mumbai, doing talks and interviews, exactly one person raised the argument. In 80+ trips, he said, nobody ever asked “what a white guy from Philadelphia” was doing there.

Cell phones and mass tourism

“What has changed in the world since he started?”, Foley asked.

Two things, without hesitation: cell phones and mass tourism.

There was a time when you walked into a village and ten or twenty kids would follow you everywhere. Cartier-Bresson described them as burrs sticking to your legs. Ten years ago, in a tiny village in Rajasthan, Steve walked into a tailor’s shop and a little kid was watching a TV show on his phone. The kids see the whole world now. A foreigner in town is no big deal. “You’re like invisible,” he said, and he means it as a good thing. The kids are still curious, just not about him.

Delhi in August felt like a different city from the one he remembered, and better: life has improved. Like walking through Greenwich Village or Tribeca today after knowing them in the sixties. He is just as protective of this city. He can list the losses and the near misses: Robert Moses wanting to run a highway through lower Manhattan, the transformation of Penn Station, which still makes him sad every time he thinks about it, Grand Central saved only thanks to Jacqueline Kennedy. For a man who has spent his life photographing things that disappear, it makes sense.

When asked if Steve has he ever retired a picture because its subject became uncomfortable, he categorically said No. The only reason he retires pictures is that forty years later he has better ones.

Film, digital, and AI

What has stayed the same across film, digital and now AI? “You still have to walk around.” That is where the pleasure is for him: the discovery, the looking, the exploring. From Kodachrome to digital the process is identical: you arrive somewhere, it’s a blank canvas, you think there’s nothing here, you start looking, and suddenly you see a lot of things. Sitting at a computer generating pictures with AI is not where it’s at, he said. Maybe for someone who is an artist on a computer, but not for what he does. “The pleasure is in the looking.”

What did change is everything after the shutter. He hands his cards to an assistant, they go through the pictures together, darken here, open the shadows there, fix a file that came out flat. The great thing compared to thirty years ago is the printer in his studio: he prints immediately, looks at it, decides it’s too dark or wonders how the face came out all red, and goes around again until the print looks the way the scene looked when he shot it. He remembered black and white nights in the darkroom until four in the morning, printing over and over, better, better, better, and then coming back the next day and liking the first one. Dodging and burning is easier and more precise now. He doesn’t drive the software himself; his assistant does, and he tells her what to do.

Who’s making up the rules?

A photography student in the audience had been told to turn in 36 pictures a week and asked how to edit down from the 300 they were shooting. Steve was more surprised by the teacher than by the student. “Who’s making up the rules?” Shoot this much or that much, use this camera or that camera, a Holga or a cell phone, whatever you want. Winogrand shot a lot. The idea that you’re supposed to limit yourself is one he isn’t sure about.

His advice to a 16 year old in the room and to his own younger self was the same. Photograph your family, your friends, your neighborhood, your city. Go to a party, go to a friend’s house. Don’t wait for some grand project. Don’t worry about whether the pictures are good or bad, forget that. Make pictures that are fun. Fifty years from now you won’t care whether they were good. “You’re going to care about the memories.” He does this himself, almost every day, at home, mostly with his phone. Dinner, family, whatever is happening. It’s just easier that way.

I (Raf) find that a very simple and ingenious approach to photography, which AI will never replace simply because AI didn't live the moments with you, and photography is a snapshot of a real-live moment, simple as that.

On approaching strangers: that goes case by case. Life unfolds and sometimes you have to shoot without asking, because you can’t walk up to two lovers on a park bench and ask them to redo the embrace. “Could you do that again?” No. Generally people are fine with being photographed. Sometimes not. And geography matters: in Asia, South Asia, China, Japan, people are very cool about it; head the other direction, toward the West, and it gets tense.

No plan B

Had he ever lost his passion? “Never.” The thought of quitting had never even occurred to him until somebody asked. There was never a plan B. Well, plan A was filmmaking. In his third year of college, getting desperate about what to do with his life, he took cinema courses, then cinematography, and inside that a class in still photography. It was the cheap way out. Film needed a crew, a cameraman, sound, lights, and the stock was so expensive that one 35mm canister costs as much as 1 second of motion picture.

Steve has a great sense of humor. When asked when did he realize he was good. he answered “Right away 😆.”, followed by a “just kidding”. Then the real answer: a workshop with Lisette Model in her New York home, where she said some nice things about his pictures, and later Elliott Erwitt, whose book was the first photo book he ever owned and who became a friend after Steve joined Magnum. He would have continued without the encouragement, he said; he was already set on traveling to India.

And if it hadn’t worked out? “One of those bike messengers.” Then, honestly: a filmmaker, or a carpet trader. He loves carpets from Afghanistan and Iran, Pakistan makes great ones, India too, the guys in Morocco. “I would have had a rug store,” he said.

What I took home

I went for a book signature and came home with a method and lots of excitement for the next day's workshop with him.

Slow down. Go back tomorrow, and the day after. Look at shapes and movement and how people relate to the place they’re in, and let color be information rather than the point. Photograph your dinner. Shoot as much as you want, because nobody is making up the rules. And if you’re a big guy in a red shirt, know that Steve McCurry would rather cross the street than let you into his frame 😆.

I’m taking it as a compliment to the shirt, without knowing the best was about to come in the day after…

The Leica Akademie Masterclass with Steve

The day after the signing, it was workshop day! It’s a Leica Akademie USA masterclass called Discovering New York: a full Saturday photographing in the streets of the city, starting at the Grand Central Terminal and Bryant Square Park, shooting into the evening, with a group lunch in between, and then a critique and review session on Sunday afternoon back at the gallery. The group is kept small (nine of us this time), and Leica lends you a camera for the weekend if you want to try one, I got a Q43 and got in love with it!

Image Stabilization on the Q43 really made some Grand Central shots possible without cranking up the ISO dial. I will surely write another article about the Workshop, with my photos, some videos I did, and things I had learned.

Steve’s energy at 76 years old (or mid 60s, as he jokes) is unmatched. He is a natural at photography (as we all know), and if you spend five minutes with him you will notice not only that, but also what a humble and interesting person he is.

I highly recommend doing his Workshop. If you are interested in doing a photography workshop with Steve as well, there are a few coming up. In October he is back in India for a workshop in Kolkata and Varanasi with Zoom Photo Tours, his first workshop there in more than 25 years, and the same trip he mentioned on stage. Then Venice, October 24 to 27, 2026, and Kathmandu, Nepal, March 20 to 27, 2027. No new date has been announced yet for the New York edition, but Leica Akademie USA keeps a waitlist at AkademieUSA@Leica-camera.com for the Leica workshops.

If travel isn’t in the cards, he filmed an online course on the streets of Rome with Masters of Photography. Everything is listed on his news page.

I had the best weekend of my life, and Steve McCurry and I became friends after all this interaction and knowledge exchange.

Thanks for reading Camera Clara, the Publication that helps you learning more about photography culture, keeping high standards with fine art, publications, prints, books, and all the good elements photography can offer to us all. ❤️

Please consider subscribing to for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can also send me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, up to you, of course, no pressure!

Subscribe now

We started with the basics, why anyone still carries an external light meter in 2026 and what separates incident from reflective readings, then went into details I had never thought about. Why the Spot Meter Mark III asks you to keep both eyes open, and how a customer with only one eye still uses it. The flash duration circuit Matt built from scratch for the Lumo, clearly the thing he’s proudest of. The wrist-worn incident meter that almost nobody bought, and the 80/20 rule of product design he took from that flop. I complained a bit about modern products all looking alike, black boxes with a PCB inside, compared to the old cars and cameras I love. Matt pointed out, fairly, that his black box outsold his weird one.

If you want to learn more and dive deeper into light meters, this is the article for you, enjoy the video!

Thanks for reading Camera Clara, the Publication that helps you learning more about photography culture, keeping high standards with fine art, publications, prints, books, and all the good elements photography can offer to us all. ❤️

Please consider subscribing to for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can also send me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, up to you, of course, no pressure!

Subscribe now

Polaroids are the ultimate analog experience, in the sense that one holds a unique moment captured and developed in real time, right in your hands. I could spend this entire post talking about Polaroids, instead, I'll talk about the way to present it.

Sharing Polaroids is a struggle, especially during Internet times. A Polaroid is so unique that it resists being passed around, and at some point you inevitably need to take a photo of the photo.

That's when I thought: If I’m taking a photo of the photo, I’d rather make something artistic out of it.

I thought about taking a new image that contains the Polaroid and composes with the scene around it. The connection is up to the viewer, and the elements in the frame are only a suggestion to help the storytelling along.

I tried this once and got fascinated by the process. Art is so rich that when you add two of its layers together, the interpretations multiply into a multiverse of thoughts. And obviously, Photography is art.

In “In Plato’s Cave,” the first essay of On Photography, Sontag circles around reproducibility. She argues with herself (sometimes on a contradictory fashion over the multiple scattered essays) about whether photography is art.

One point stays clear, though. Unlike paintings, photographs can be reproduced endlessly.

Can they? What about a Polaroid?

I think photographing Polaroids this way turns them into a richer medium, one that transcends the physical world, that’s why I present my Polaroid shots to you as something I call a “Polascene”, which is the sum of two words: Polaroid + Scene. It's a term I created.

Here's my idea for you, ! Why don't you create some Polascenes and post in the comments? It doesn't need to have the bookshelf theme like I did. It can be a Polaroid showing gas prices laying close to updated prices, o a Polaroid of a casino close to green table cloth and poker chips. The goal is to compose it up and have fun!

In fact, the composition might or might not make sense, leaving up to the viewer's interpretation on why you chose these objects to compose the Polascene.

Have you imagined this way of storytelling turning into a book (or at least a zine) one day?

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Hasselblad cameras. What to talk about them? Their excellence come from decades of engineering, and it’s certainly a polished product built with the best of the best in mind. Everything is good: the grip and body is built to last, the optical quality is better than Leica. The color science? Unmatched. The interface and menus are simple and straight to the point, the mobile app (Phocus 2) is the best I’ve seen (and I’m comparing with the Leica FOTOS, which I thought was the best), the company’s photography heritage is legendary, it is the camera that mankind brought to the moon for the first time!

But is it perfect? Well, we all know there’s no such thing, right?

Hasselblad has always been known for excellent user experience (UX) standards. Victor Hasselblad and his designs performed product design and UX practices way before it had a name! The V-system is shockingly well-designed, even the way the camera needs to be handheld was thought of.

If you don’t know what the V-system is, check out this live streaming episode:

The V-system offer the perfect film shooting experience. But, did this experience is still there? Does Hasselblad still carry these excellent UX standards in their new product lineage? Are the new Hasselblad cameras, like the digital back and the X2D ii still on that high bar?

I recently got a 907x camera and a digital back (well. the digital back is the camera, the 907x is just an interface that connects the lens to it. That said, the considerations I will do in this post are most regarding the digital back and the 907x, but some of them might be applicable to the X2D system as well.

Over a month using it extensively, I built a list of things that Hasselblad can do better, a list that would make the 907x and the cfv100c perfect (at least to my taste). I compared with other high-end cameras and their features, like the Leica Q system, the Fuji GFX line, etc, along with decades of experience with my photography, as well as my experience in product design and UX.

My goal is that this post reaches Hasselblad, and hopefully they implement these in the future.

Let me enumerate them into titles, so it makes easy to dissect each aspect separately, I’m adding by order of severity (like how bad/annoying it is right now).

I know that probably Hasselblad’s product design team’s rationale was to keep things simple, and I appreciate that. Their cameras are the type of product that does one thing and does it well. That keeps the menus simple, and again, I appreciate it a lot, but some further customization and details could be added to make the cameras more to the photographer’s taste.

1. 907x rotary dial customization

By far, this is the biggest nonsense in the 907x system, and it almost looks deliberate that Hasselblad doesn’t care.

The 907x body has a rotary dial around the shutter button (1). That rotary dial changes the aperture when you operate the camera in Aperture Priority mode, or change the shutter speed when the camera is on Shutter Priority mode.

But when the camera is set to manual mode, the rotary dial changes the aperture that that’s it, and if you want to change the shutter speed, you have to operate it while holding a Fn button (2) on the right side of the camera.

This operation is slow and uncomfortable. This Fn (2) button should at least operate on “Toggle” mode, not “Hold”, meaning that you press it to alternate between the fixed functions of what the rotary dial does, because pressing a button and rotating a dial at the same time is just nuts.

If as least it changed the shutter speed by default, I could use the lens aperture ring (available on select XCD lenses [the most expensive ones only]) and have two tactile functions to change in parallel.

In addition, the user should be able to override what they want to do with the rotary dial in terms of clockwork/counterclockwork operation. This is currently not possible.

Big potential UX improvement with the rotary dial.

2. Haptic feedback (or beep) when horizontal

Hasselblad cameras are known for landscape photography due to their acuracy with perfect aligning the camera for shots.

Even when using the V-system and going full analog, you can have the option of having a crosshair on the focusing screen, to make sure the scene is perfectly aligned to whatever you want (horizon, sea level, antenna on top of building, etc.)

Their digital cameras offer something called “Spirit Level”, which is basically an electronic acelerometer that gives you a reading when the camera is leveled.

Turns out that when you are using the camera out in the sun, you can barely see the details on the LCD screen to check the electronic bubble level. If the camera had a feature to beep when it’s perfectly horizontal or vertical, it would be very sweet and make the life of landscape (or architecture) photographers a lot easier.

I think Apple does that with their camera app — when you have it fully horizontal, it gives you a haptic feedback. It doesn’t hurt, hardware is already there.

3. Instant leaf shutter upon XCD lens connect

The shutter on XCD lenses (and when using it with the V-system) is not in the camera body, but on the lens. They all feature a leaf shutter, which keeps closed until it’s shot time (as any other mechanical shutter).

Sometimes, we want to use the Electronic Shutter in the camera, and that comes with consequences, some bad ones.

(spoiler: the electronic shutter sucks and has INSANE AMOUNTS of rolling shutter)

The camera firmware should default to the lens’ leaf shutter when an XCD lens is attached. The user should opt-in for that feature. That would be neat.

I use the electronic shutter when I want to use my Leica lenses with adapters.

4. Customization of aperture ring direction

This one is very basic. The camera should allow the user to override the direction of what the aperture ring does. I would like to have the option to configure this in order to match the lens I am used to operate.

5. Customization of focus ring for P lenses

P lenses are the ones that only have one ring on it, and this ring controls the manual focus. That’s it.

I got shocked when I got a P lens and realized that I can’t rebind that ring on the lens to operate as the aperture ring, swapping what the ring does by the software in the camera.

C’mon, these lenses are all “fly by wire”, they are electronic, this rebind is obviously possible, it’s not like the lens ring is mechanically attached to helicoids or so.

Let us have multiple controls! Shutter speed on the rotary dial, and aperture on the P lenses!

6. No lossless compression on RAW files

This one wouldn’t hurt. There are lossless compresion algorithms that reduce file size without compromise. At the mark of 200 MB per RAW file with no compression, this requires the user to rethink the way storage is managed.

I know that medium format cameras aren’t for spraying and praying, I know. But here’s something Hasselblad didn’t think of when designing the CFV100c digital back: it doesn’t have IBIS, and by not having IBIS, photos might get camera shake, to eliminate that, guess what photographers do? They take 2, 3, 4 photos, for then to elect the less shaken one: that’s a Gigabyte there…

A lossless compression feature wouldn’t hurt, to reduce file size a little bit and help. They have HEIF as an option (at least in the CFV100c), but I’m unsure about the quality on these. If you do know, please let me know via comments.

Leave a comment

7. Gyro AF lock

The Leica Q system showed me something I got fascinated, something incredible. It’s the gyro AF lock. A feature that I’ve only seen in the Leica Q cameras, and nowhere else.

It works like this: when you set a focus point and rearrange your angle to compose the shot, the camera uses the gyro information to make the focus point move to the point you locked.

The Hasselblad has a gyro in it, that’s how the virtual bubble level (or Spirit Level, as they call it) work. Nothing in terms of hardware stops them from implementing this gyro AF lock funcionality, so we don’t need to touch the LCD screen (or operate focus joysticks) all the time between shots.

8. Poor LCD control

When using the CFV digital back with a V-sytem camera, the screen pops up with a photo preview for each shot. I would really enjoy a way to turn that off and enjoy a full LCD-less experience when shooting with my vintage equipment — screen all black.

Also, the controls under the “Display” settings on the menu is ridiculously poor, like, all you can choose is Brightness, VRR (variable refresh rate), show and overexposure warning. When you plug the 907X, it gives you the option of disabling preview, but not when the back is used with a 500 system.

We don’t need a “Sony level” complexity here, but some more things like being able to shut off post-shot preview would be highly appreciated here.

Again, I know Hasselblad kept things simple, otherwise it becomes a Fujifilm menu, which requires entire dedicated YouTube channels (like Pal2Tech) just to explain where to find things. I know their intent is to make things simple and let photographer focus on photography and nothing else. I understand that, but I believe that all these small details would add agility to a system that is known for being slow. I hope Hasselblad folks read this post and apply these improvements!

In another post, I will tell the higlights of the X system (907x/cfv100c, or the “digital back”). I already wrote one, but that post was more to highlight the benefit of having a digital system that looks like analog, this next post I’m writing will focus on the highlights of the 907x as a purely digital ecosystem.

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

Anyway, this post is not to talk about the camera.

It was my first time in Asia. I did go to Japan 1 year after, in 2025. But honestly? I preferred South Korea. I visited Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Island, it’s so charming, clean, and perfect for photography. Kinda amazing.

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

Subscribe now

On my primary job at a big enterprise, my goal is to develop learning content for specific and proprietary technologies, and photography is a hobby that I take professionally seriously for two decades now. I live and breathe photography every day, and one dream of mine is to work with photography one day. Camera Clara is a way I am starting to develop this dream as a brand, little by little…

I chose Substack for the platform because of the more structured way it allows me to create such material that align with my goals. People think Substack is a newsletter platform, but I see it being more than that. It’s a platform that carries long-text form, but also live streaming, podcast, newsletter, short notes, has paid-membership tiers, no ads, and now with an interesting (yet controversial) AI detection support.

It seems to move in the right direction., that's what I think.

Read more

Salemm, also known as Fotogracria, is a creative director, artist, and photographer. Born and raised in the Favela da Rocinha, she grew up tired of negative portrayals of her community and decided to show the beauty found among its alleys and narrow streets from her perspective as a resident, with joyful works that speak to identity, self-esteem, and territory, through photography, 3D sculptures, and artificial intelligence.

Salemm’s website link.

Fotogracria is a pun that comes with the mix of two Portuguese words: “Fotografia” and “Cria”. "Cria" comes from the verb criar (to raise, to bring up), so at its root it means something like "one who was raised somewhere." But the slang sense is broader and carries real weight, especially in Brazilian favela and periferia culture (funk, trap, streetwear). In Rio de Janeiro’s context, “Cria” means someone who is a local with very deep roots in the unique culture of Rio de Janeiro.

Salemm is an incredibly talented Brazilian photograher, and we know each other for some months now. We met via Instagram and exchanged gifts, prints, film, and since then, I’ve been admiring her work more and more.

She gifted me one of her prints, from Darlan, cria de Manguinhos (another favela in Rio), who observes the landscape ot Favela da Rocinha while dreams about his future, on his back, a scapular, a symbol of his faith.

I invite you to go check her website and instagram. If you want to buy a print from her, check out her Shop.

Salemm is a documentarist who talks a lot about the romantization of the life in the favelas. On her instagram, she posts (usually on stories) some reality checks that put the feet on the ground regarding on how living in a favela is. It has its bright side, for sure, but there is also a lot of government negligence when it comes to paying attention to the lives of people living in the favelas, and she does a good way on documenting these.

Salemm started photographing in 2018 with a borrowed Galaxy J2. Raised in Rocinha, she now creates work for brands like Nike and takes part in exhibitions in Brazil and abroad. “I claim the favela as landscape. When my territory is seen as beauty, I feel like I’ve won,” she says.

She is quickly ramping into art and in my opinion, she is a natural on it. Born and raised in Rocinha, Salemm, uses her eye to tell the stories of the favela through someone who lives there, knows it, and belongs to it.

And I agree with everything. I’ll frame and hang this print on the wall. Thank you for the gift, my friend.

Here's more of her work:

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

The evolution of film brands

Kimi shared the surprising revelation that had been announced in his FilmFocus research and announced on relevant Internet websites like PetaPixel and KosmoPhoto: Kodak has overtaken Fujifilm as the most selected film brand in Japan, marking a significant shift in market dynamics. He noted,

“In 2024, Fujifilm was the most selected brand with 84% usage, but this year, Kodak has taken the lead.”

This change is attributed to various factors, particularly a substantial price hike by Fujifilm in 2025. The survey revealed that all brands saw a decrease in usage compared to the previous year, indicating a consolidation among photographers regarding the brands they choose.

Shooting frequency remains steady

Interestingly, despite the price increases, shooting frequency among film photographers remained stable. 28% of respondents reported shooting more film, while 46% shot the same amount as in the previous year. Kimi reflected:

“Shooting frequency held steady despite price hikes.”

This suggests that while prices may deter some, the passion for film photography remains strong.

Insights on new cameras

One of the key reasons for shooting more film was the purchase of new cameras. Kimi noted that many photographers are reinvigorated by new gear, which translates directly into increased film consumption. Raf shared his experience, stating,

“During the whole year of 2025, I shot and developed around 160 roles of film.”

This enthusiasm showcases the connection between equipment purchases and film usage.

Conclusion

Kimi’s survey not only highlights current trends but also reflects the broader cultural appreciation for film photography in Japan. As the community continues to navigate changes in the market, it’s clear that the love for film is as strong as ever.

The full research can be found on Kimiasu’s website, FilmFocus. You will have to use your browser’s translation features to translate it, but the images are still in Japanese.

For a deeper dive into the survey findings and to hear more about Kimi’s insights (in English!), tune in to the full episode, we tried to be as most assertive as possible to avoid taking too much time from your day!

Spread the love, share CC!

Share Camera Clara

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

The trick is to use the camera’s mobile app and configure accessibility shortcuts to control your phone with voice. From there, you gain a live preview and the ability to press the shutter button with a spoken keyword.

In my case, the keyword was “Click.”

Let me know if you try this trick on your own, and let me know what trigger word you chose for the task :)

Like what you see? Share Camera Clara with your friends and restack this post, it helps me a lot!

First time here? Consider subscribing!

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

The depth of photographic layers and storytelling that Coney Island holds has set the stage for its place in photography, especially within the street photography genre. It has been obsessively photographed since the 1890s, and to be honest, I am a little obsessed with it too. This month alone I’ve been there three times, even though I live far from it. It’s a 1.5 hour commute.

In many of these photographic records I mentioned, I see more of the same: daylight, the beach, crowded spaces, the boardwalk, people dancing, happiness all around, the loudness of the place portrayed in visual form.

When I look at Coney Island, I see the opposite. I see solitude, some sort of depression. I see a ghost version of itself. Somewhat creepy, but equally beautiful.

That inspired me to get rolls of CineStill 800T, a tripod, and a shutter release cable, aiming for some long exposure shots. CineStill 800T is a film that brings halation to specular highlights, and it’s a known favorite for neon scenes. I once told the folks at CineStill that they should rename the 800T to 800N, as in Neon, because it’s absolutely the perfect film stock for capturing neon lights.

Coney Island has an amusement park called Luna Park, and that park adds a dramatic tone to these neon vibes, combined with a mist of mystery. It’s the perfect film stock, at the perfect place, at the perfect time.

I took so many nice shots during that night. And I do thank folks on Substack who helped me choosing the best ones via Notes! Over the time, I posted some of them and asked people to help me electing the better one. If you’re reading this and participated in the Notes feedback, thank you!

Fine Art prints available!

I printed some of those, and you can buy it for $85 each. By buying a print or becoming a Camera Clara paid subscriber, you are giving me support to continue this journey, and your name will be mentioned in the book I’m working! You can also see other prints and products in store.cameraclara.com.

The size is A3+, or 13”x19”. It’s a decent size that would look great in your wall, studio, or office. Not so big, not so small. Shipping to US only, if you live in another country, please DM me and we arrange shipping case by case.

Coney Island Luna Games

Coney Island Luna Games - A3

Coney Island Luna Park Entrance

Coney Island Luna Park Entrance - A3+

Coney Island Misterious Ticket Booth

Misterious Ticket Booth - A3+

Coney Island Entrance

Coney Island Entrance - A3+

What did you think about them? Leave a comment and let me know! One of the rolls had been shot at ISO 1600, and this was a nice CineStill experience that I plan doing again in the future! I think the pushed roll came out better, the ticket booth photo is pushed 1 stop. The sky becomes more blue with overall better saturated colors.

Leave a comment

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

The story behind the shot

You might be familiar with the drill: photographer, tripod, medium format camera, an outstanding landscape. This was me some weeks ago in Niagara Falls, Canada: a place I always wanted to visit to make the famous waterfall shot.

The idea of bringing a tripod was to slow the shutter speed down in order to get the water motion, which is a best-practice in this specific kind of landscape, I must say it was not needed because the volume of water is so intense, that you don’t need slow shutter speeds to get the effect.

These are for baby falls, we’re talking about fucking Niagara!

I strategically decided to go there on a Monday because there would be less tourists. The plan was simple: my wife would drop me out by car, photograph in a couple of minutes, do my thing, and then she would pick me up 10 minutes later.

She drops me off and calls me saying she missed the return and will need to do another one, and that might take her some additional time. I was with my rig photographing, so I just waited.

Around 6 minutes later, my wife calls again with the following opening quote over the phone:

“you’re not gonna believe it. I spotted the back side of the waterfall and it’s insane, you gotta come here, I’m coming back to pick you up. No but, just hop on the car”.

Immediately I was like “wow, ok! Who am I to disobey my wife? What am I thinking? I’m gonna get in that god damn car and STRICTLY follow her instructions, hahaha.”

So I waited, took a couple of more shots before she arrived back, I made some lame shots that I discarded after (ok, I didn’t, but they’re 3 stars). She came back and the first thing she said when I got in the car was “RAINBOW! There’s a huge rainbow, you can’t see because you’re facing the waterfall the wrong way”.

I was like “what do you mean by facing the waterfall the wrong way? I’m right in front of it taking incredible tripod shots. Well, let’s see…”

She drives me to the spot, when we arrive, I instantly see the shot, and get mesmerized by the scene.

It’s the back side of Niagara Falls with a strong rainbow falling into the waterfall. Indeed, a much better (and non obvious) shot. I was previously shooting digital, but for this unique one, I didn’t hesitate, loaded CineStill 400D on the Mamiya 7ii and scored four.

Now, something I must say. For many times, my wife is behind the best photographs I take, especially when traveling. That happens because sometimes I am too much into the scene, or I idealize how the shot should be, and I miss the real opportunities of documenting things in a unique way. I think there’s something special about photographers’ partners, because while we are with our mind stuck in a biased view of how a shot can be, a partner can break up the scene and find something that is in our rear view mirror.

Leave a comment

Available as a Fine Art print !

Hang a piece of Niagara Falls on your wall, you can buy it clicking here, or through the Camera Clara Store.

It’s available in A3+ size, borderless, signed on the back upon request. This is the number 1 of 1. Just one print made.

Enjoyed this story? Share it with a friend, or leave a comment! I’d love to hear from you!

Leave a comment

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

Here are the posts for the museum and mansion, in case you missed it!

For the museum and mansion, I used a Portra 400 at box speed, I should have pushed it or used Portra 800 for the task, but for the garden, I had plenty of sunlight, and it was time for the Ektar 100 to shine!

I love Ektar 100 blues. From all film stocks, it’s the one that renders the most gorgeous blue tones, I even put this in the review I did in the past:

The Garden

George Eastman was passionate about gardening and agriculture, developing that passion on 10 acres of land at his East Avenue mansion. This is remarkable given his fame as a photography pioneer, the gardens were genuinely important to him.

What most strikes me is the fact that the garden was deliberately designed the be used as photography backdrops, and the options of flowers and plants were chosen to pair well with Kodak film stocks palletes. That’s why I think it’s interesting to run this over Ektar 100. I feel I needed to shoot Ektar as an anonymous love letter to the man himself. Using his product at his garden, almost 100 years later he invented it, such an ode!

A perfect paradise for the film photographer. Imagine how happy I was.

It is absolutely outstanding. The gardens feel like an extension of Eastman's visual sensibility, and I am glad I could portrait this well in here.

I hope you enjoyed this series, I wrote with so much dedication and love. See you in the next one!

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

During my recent trip to Canada, I stopped to visit the George Eastman Museum, which comprises three facilities: the museum containing articles and objects from photography history, the mansion where Eastman lived and hosted parties in the 1930s, and an outstanding garden.

If you want to take a peak at the article I wrote about the Museum and Garden, here they are:

The George Eastman Mansion is a historic 50-room Colonial Revival estate located at 900 East Avenue in Rochester, New York. Built in 1905 (construction started in 1902), the mansion exudes character and charm. During my research, I discovered it was a house constructed ahead of its time, featuring an internal phone system, a built-in vacuum cleaning system, and an early house elevator. Eastman designed the elevator specifically for his mother, to whom he was deeply devoted. Her health confined her to a wheelchair in her final years, and he thoughtfully designed her suite to overlook the gardens. I took a photo of her room and wheelchair as well.

I brought with me the Mamiya 7ii and rolls of Portra 400 for the museum and mansion, along with a roll of Ektar for the garden (photos and a post about the garden coming soon!). Notably, there’s a massive Aeolian pipe organ housed there, with an extensive collection of songs. I later discovered the organ has over 6,300 pipes, which Eastman used to host grand musical evenings for the community. I attempted to photograph it with the Portra 400, but the light was too dim for my f/4 lens, and I didn’t want to resort to digital shots.

The mansion contains rooms of various types, including a game room, library, office, and others.

Several things caught my attention during the visit. One was the safe hidden beneath a staircase, which features an open combination so visitors can open it. And what’s inside? Another safe! I suspect that was a common security practice back then.

It’s also worth inspecting the closets, bathrooms, and products that were used throughout the mansion. The library is particularly captivating. I can easily imagine the winters in Rochester spent inside that place: snow outside, a fireplace burning indoors, and being surrounded by the home of the man who fundamentally transformed photography through his cameras and films.

While at the mansion, you can freely explore the rooms, closets, bathrooms, and other amenities. Some floors and rooms are locked, and notably, I didn’t spot a kitchen. If you plan to photograph there with film, I strongly recommend bringing ISO 800 and pushing it to 1600, as the interior lighting is quite dim. My Mamiya’s lens is f/4, and most of these shots were taken at 1/8 second.

More photos

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

I brought the Mamiya 7ii with rolls of Kodak film stocks, I used 3 rolls of Portra 400 and one roll of Ektar 100 for this whole visit (and more films for the classic Kodak building). The interior was a little bit dark, and most exposures were at about 1/8th of a second,I regret not bringing a tripod, I should always bring one. That’s why some shots are a bit blurry (especially indoors ones), but I think the result went OK!

Here is the post I wrote about the Mansion and the Garden, in case you’re interested:

From Wikipedia:

George Eastman (July 12, 1854 – March 14, 1932) was an American innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. After a decade of experiments in photography, he patented and sold a roll film camera, making amateur photography accessible to the general public for the first time. Working as the treasurer and later president of Kodak, he oversaw the expansion of the company and the film industry

The location is divided in three areas: the museum, which is surrounded by photography history, and then the mansion, which is the boss’ house, and the garden, which is outstanding and beautiful. I photographed all these three in medium format (Portra for the museum and mansion and Ektar for the gardens), and I will do one post dedicated to each one.

You are in the Museum post.

When walking around, I saw a wall of jars, and took a (very tilted lol) photo of it. I miss the Hasselblad here, it has a crosshair in the focusing screen that helps me composing better horizontal shots.

Can you guess what this wall is just by looking to the shot?

Surprisingly and interestingly, these are powdered synthetic dye samples collected by the Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation during 1929 and 1975.

Since its inception in 1915, the Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation engaged its team of scientists worked to create a sophisticated dye-transfer printing process, using many combinations of different dyes and solutions available from a number of international chemical companies. The museum holds a magnificent set of 3,037 (1,788 showed in this picture), collected by Technicolor over 45 years and displayed for the first time. Only a small number of these dyes were selected for the celebrated “look” of Technicolor films, including The Wizard of Oz, and Gone With the Wind.

The whole museum was very dark for my Portra 400 and I didn’t want to risk some very blurry shots, the Mamiya lens at f/4 was already showing me half-second exposure, which is risky for handlend. I should had pushed it to 800, or even had brought a Portra 800 and pushed it to 1600. That’s my ultimate recommendation if you want to take photos of the place.

I only had the idea of pushing the film when I was half roll in. So I took some iPhone shots as well, because I couldn’t let these pass. I hope you forgive me!

With special attention for these two below:

Can you believe this? I bet it still works! A camera more than 100 years old, precisely, 131 years old!

This camera came loaded from factory with enough film to make 100 exposures, more than 100 years ago.

And this one, which I believe is one of the first photographs ever made. The place was so dark, that even my iPhone with all the software IBIS wasn’t able to do the job very well, but here it is:

My feedback to Kodak Eastman Museum folks is to increase the lights a little bit, the whole place was quite dark, so people can go there with their film cameras and achieve some success, or even better, have some people going there with a light meter, measuring the scenes, and adding little plaques showing the ideal exposure to capture that shot. That would be super cool!

The photos I took from the garden have superb light (the day was beautiful), and I got duplicated exposures of the other shots from the interior of the mansion, so I could elect the less blurred ones.

Eastman had also built a mansion, located at the same place, 900 East Avenue in Rochester. Where he entertained friends to dinner and held private music concerts. I also took pictures in there, which I will feature in the next post. I want to keep those divided and short so it doesn’t clutter too much of your mailbox, while also being easier to digest here in Substack web, so this will be a series of three posts.

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

Did you like the picture above? That was only possible because I planned the shot using a mobile App called PhotoPills (and Aurora HDR, since it is an HDR to preserve the clouds composing the scene [it added some cromatic aberration though])!

PhotoPills is a photography planning app that help me plan my photos ahead of time, so I’m always at the right place at the right time to capture the photos I’ve always dreamed about. For the below shot, I arrived at the location 10 minutes before, took a picture of the Sunset, repositioned, took the picture above, and left 15 minutes after. To my surprise (or not!), there were also lots of other photographers in the location, and most of them using the App as well, some of them even wearing PhotoPills t-shirts!

The App’s main feature is the Planner, where you can pinpoint a location you want to be (the “Red Pin”), the location of the subject (the “Black Pin), and it searches for when in the calendar the Sun or the Moon will be poisitioned accordingly to your needs. PhotoPills website has more detailed info of the App’s functonalities, so make sure to check it out!

The App goes way beyond just planning Sun and Moon pictures. I still didn’t explore all the features, but the ones that mostly caught my attention are a VR functionality that shows you where the Mikly Way is, and a FOV (Field of View) previewer that is very helpful when planning a shot, this is instrumental to know what lens to bring, and helping which lens to rent, if you are spending money on renting a lens, especially prime ones, you can predict the FOV according to a specific focal length.

One aspect that I would like to highlight is that PhotoPills has a learning curve. It is not the kind of App that you will be using right after installing. But it’s totally not complex at all, and I learned that this curve only exists because there are too much information and features in a tiny interface with a limited input, like a mobile phone.

There is a nice YouTube channel called Outdoor Photography School with Brenda Petrella, a very smart person and highly skilled photographer from Vermont, with extraordinary communication and teaching skills. I watched some videos and it quickly ramped me up to plan shots like the ones below, which I hope you like it!

This is a sunrise, early morning, precisely at 7:11AM, with the Sun located at the very top of the One World Trade Center’s antenna. I took it from Jersey City, as you can see in the Map! Try to find where the One WTC is located on the map and check the distance I was from it!

This Moon shot with the American flag over it was taken from the same spot I was while taking the Statue of Liberty picture, it’s the same moon that got right there before it raised to the Statue’s torch. The lens I used was the Fujinon 100-400mm. At 400mm, and it would be impossible without optical image stabilization, even on top of a stable tripod. At that range, every little wind messes things up. This photo has a 0.8 second exposure, showing the wind movement over the flag, while being super still, as you can notice by the flag’s pole.

This one was taken from Brooklyn, I planned it 1 day ahead and discovered a nice spot to take pictures of Manhattan, this is the Empire State Building’s antenna matching with the Sun’s position. I forgot to bring my ND big-stopper filter, so the Sun got a little blurry, because it was still high, with a high brightnes level as well, making my camera struggle on Dynamic Range to represent the very top tip of the antenna, but that’s ok, maybe I can recover that in an HDR…

PhotoPills will put you at the right time and spot to take fabulous shots, which comes with an interesting side effect. Because you will be well positioned, you oftenly will also benefit from golden hours! The below shot was not planned, but the light was nice because I was already in position that offered me superb lighting conditions!

I am super happy to include PhotoPills on every photographic journey of mine, from now on!

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

What makes it a bit more curious is the fact that it’s hard to measure accuracy and draw conclusions between digital simulations and real film, simply because there’s a whole world of variables involved in the analog and digital processes.

The images we see nowadays in front of our eyes are mostly manipulated, digital and analog alike (and this is overlooked, it has always been; darkroom printing has been changing how photographs look for a while now).

For film, differences come from developing, scanning, and converting analog silver halide into digital pixels, or simply developing and darkroom printing it.

For instance, analog processes can provide drastically different results based on chemistry freshness, or temperature differences when developing, and I’m not even talking about scanning yet.

That’s why these expensive Lab film developing/scanning machines exist. They are there to standardize these processes as much as possible, which is what a professional Lab needs.

Scanners are also a whole universe. Depending on the way you scan and convert, or the scanner hardware used (Plustek vs. Noritsu vs. Frontier, etc.), you can have different color tones, gamma, and results that look dramatically different from each other.

Professional Labs have scanner calibration, test strips from film manufacturers, and all sorts of ways to try to standardize this. It is appreciated, but I guarantee you that not every Lab is on that level of excellence. There are some that even use Negative Lab Pro and DSLR scanning.

That said, how can we make sure that a specific film simulation preset is accurate? How can we confirm something digitally made is accurate to an analog process that is very prone to changes because of real-world variables?

Short answer: we don’t. Film simulations are in the “best effort” of copying something that is already chaotic and hard to standardize by nature.

Because of that, film simulations are also not something that can be standardized. Fujifilm on-camera film simulations are a little bit more consistent because they're locked into the camera's hardware and firmware, meaning the JPG conversion happens in camera, and all cameras share the same color science, raw file conversions, sensor type, etc, but Lightroom preset packs mimicking a "Portra 400"? Sorry to say, this is just a lie.

Yeah, sorry to say that =/

Things get even worse when these people selling film presets on the internet include “Portra 400 v1”, “Portra 400 v2”, “Portra 400 v3”.

What the hell is that? Portra 400 should be Portra 400, lol.

That's because the sensor that produced that image renders different RAW characteristics. The Portra 400 preset might work well for the camera settings of the author who created it, but apply it to a different camera and it will very likely render differently. If someone sells you a preset that is locked to a specific camera and manufacturer's color science, then it's slightly better.

Leave a comment

and/or

Back to the subject: to make things even more random, people tend to think of RAW files as a universally calibrated standard that stays exactly the same across all camera models in the world. Well, I'm here to tell you it's not, and it's even different across camera models from the same manufacturer.

This is important to mention, because I notice a hot market in Lightroom and film simulation presets, and again, I need to share my knowledge with avid Camera Clara readers:

Again, don’t fall for these. Especially if they come with the promise of “apply this preset and your files will look like X, Y, Z film”.

That doesn’t mean film simulations are just wrong and impossible of doing

It just means that if you wanna do it, you gotta do it from scratch. Take a look at this extensive test I did. Please watch the video below:

I used the fact that Hasselblad cameras let me swap a film back for a digital one while keeping the very same camera settings and composition, so I went out to Coney Island on a very hot day and ran the ultimate film simulation rundown. I brought a tripod, measured light, locked camera settings, took a film exposure, swapped backs, and took a digital shot. Same lens, aperture, ISO, shutter speed, composition.

Here’s me in action doing this:

Subscribe now

When I came back, I did the dev/scan/convert for the film shots and exported them all to a folder. Then I exported the digital RAW files to Dehancer (a film simulation software), and started fine-tuning my preset according to my film shots, placing them side by side on my monitor and fine-tuning the sliders in Dehancer. I refined the preset as I moved to different files.

If you are interested in Dehancer, I wrote an article about it, you can check it here. Now they have a Desktop version which is super fine.

On the left, we have the original CineStill 400D in medium format, taken with my Hasselblad and a film back. On the right, we have my CameraClara CineSteel 400D preset. Color accuracy seems good.

More samples

Let’s analyze the real film with the Dehancer film simulation presets I just created.

Again, on the left side you will see the real film, and on the right, my film simulations made with Dehancer Desktop. Note that the real film is 6x6, while the digital file has a 4:3 crop out of the medium format sensor in the CFV 100C (Hasselblad digital back), so please ignore the crop.

When seeing the comparisons, also please know that I used the very same preset, in batch, to blindly process all the digital files. I didn’t go one by one fine-tuning according to the film. That would be cheating.

That part is important because what we need to point out is that it’s a single preset being blindly applied to digital files. These files hadn’t been seen and fine-tuned one by one to make the digital file look like the analog one.

What you are seeing is the application of a preset that was, yes, fine-tuned according to multiple files, but applied in batch fashion.

I created two presets, the CineSteel 400 and the Yesktar 100. One is inspired by CineStill 400D, while the other is inspired by Kodak Ektar 100.

CineStill 400D vs. CameraClara CineSteel 400D

Kodak Ektar 100 vs. CameraClara Yesktar 100

What’s the conclusion then?

Well, what did you think about the comparison between film and film sim above?

Leave a comment

If all that sounds confusing and you don’t have an opinion formed yet, I’m happy to share mine:

Film development processes are unique. Depending on the Lab, chemicals, temperature differences, standardization of the dev process, scanning methodology, conversion software, or any other real-world analog variable, you can have different results.

Starting from there, if you ever create a preset that greatly mimics real film, you’ll be mimicking that entire process.

So, if you want to have your own film simulation presets that you can use on your digital files, the first step is to lock all these variables out. If you are doing this yourself, you have a better chance of locking out these variables because you control the whole chain. But if each time you develop your film you use a different Lab, or choose a different scanning methodology, you are far from reaching consistent results.

Once you lock these out and are able to consistently reach a film look according to your standards (either by doing it yourself or using a Lab to give you TIFF scans), you should do what I did: get your film and digital camera, shoot the same scene with the same settings, open film simulation software side by side with your film shots, and fine-tune and create the presets that will mimic your rig.

That’s the only way (if you want consistent and reliable results).

That will give you a film simulation that mimics what the Lab scans, and once you do so, that film simulation preset will only be applicable to that sensor and color science from the digital camera, meaning if you change the camera, you need new presets.

In other words, for a preset to be considered good and consistent, it MUST be locked to the equipment it was taken with.

If you do that, you’ve reached the gold standard of film simulations: something that mimics your analog process and achieves similar (remember: not identical) results from a fully digital workflow.

Again, if you are buying Lightroom presets that promise your RAWs will look like a specific film stock, you are most likely being fooled, either by not understanding what the real film stock looks like, or by just guessing randomly.

If you think your images are more pleasant to look at, fine, great, excellent actually, you are satisfied with a pasteurized color science formula. That’s not bad, and I wish I were satisfied with that as well. I envy you because you are able to be happy with small things, God bless your soul!

A philosophical debate about the outcome and comparison

Looking at real film and its simulation side by side made me reflect on some things I want to share, mostly because we feel tempted to compare, or even misjudge the film simulation as “not the same” (hence inferior), or feel tempted to, on a biased judgment, elect a better one…

I don’t think they should be the same, I don’t think there’s a better one, and that’s the discussion I want to promote here…

Film is film, digital is digital, and it’s fine if you only want to work with film. It’s also fine if you want to apply film simulations. What’s not fine, I think, is applying a film simulation and calling it real film. That crosses a line.

But you know what? Real film has film borders, and I even wrote about it as well!

Today’s world is polarized, and we tend to compare media to elect winners, and I don’t think that’s the case here. As I said, film is film, digital is digital. To me, there’s no winner, there’s no better. Each method is a different journey.

I personally like the film look, and sometimes I apply film simulation to my digital files, but I either don’t say anything, or if I do, I explicitly say it’s a film simulation.

Well, I think that’s it! I hope this article left you with something positive from this look at film simulation for digital files, and the philosophical implications of it. Please comment below and join the discussion about this (very hot) topic!

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

Then I came back home and thought, “wait a minute, I’ve been photographing fireworks for so long, and I think people would enjoy a Camera Clara post to talk about it!”

Well, here we are:

Fireworks are a great example of the struggle between what we see, what we intend to capture, and the result we achieve.

Just like the Moon, fireworks are hard to capture in their full grandiosity. Most people fail when trying to convert the magic moment we see with our eyeballs into something we can see and recall later with great memories, especially if relying on automatic exposure settings, or a cell phone.

That photo was taken in 2007 by myself with a Canon EOS 30D DSLR, in Rio de Janeiro, when I was in the early stages of my photography journey. I deliberately chose this one to prove to you that you don’t need the latest and greatest to photograph fireworks. We are talking about a 20-year-old DSLR, with an 8.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, released in 2006.

Things evolved, I moved to NY, got fancier with full frame, film, medium format cameras, I witnessed more fireworks, but the principles stayed the same. And that’s what I wanna share.

Alright! Enough talking. Let’s go to the tips.

1. Timing and quickness

As soon as fireworks start, the sky is clean with no smoke, and your best shots come up early when the atmosphere is clean. 2 minutes of fireworks bursting out in the sky might be your window here, because after that, smoke gets in the way and you don’t have a clean shot. See the image below? That’s not ideal. I think the fireworks were running for like 5 minutes when I did this shot.

Ideally, you’d want to know what time the fireworks show starts, and test some exposures beforehand to check the exposure in the rest of the scene. Don’t fully rely on luck at show time. Get your tripod in place in advance for that.

Wait, tripod? Did I say tripod?

2. Use a tripod

You need a tripod. It is a must-have because you want an exposure long enough that it would show camera shake if shot handheld, even with fancy IBIS on high-end cameras. We are talking about something between 1/10 of a second and entire seconds, like 2, 3, or 4 seconds.

The tripod will guarantee that the fireworks’ light is drawn with no shake.

If you want a tripod recommendation, get the Sirui AT-125+B-00K (I know, horrible model name). It's stable, carbon fiber, lightweight, and cust just over a hundred bucks.

3. Compose with the scene

Don't rely on the fireworks alone! The landscape might be half of the show!

Fireworks usually don’t appear in the middle of the desert. They are naturally paired with great landscape shots. Sometimes, fireworks are as good as the super long exposure shot you will get. Explore looooong exposures, like 10 or 20 seconds. Try using a wide-angle lens and crop in post. That would help you get the whole thing within the frame, while also helping you compose the shot with the landscape.

Remember that you’re doing a long exposure shot, and if there’s water nearby, the lighting elements tend to reflect on the water.

4. Camera settings (focus, aperture, s.s. and ISO)

We are in an unpredictable field (and that’s why I don’t recommend doing this with film very much, but if you’re rich enough to burn film and get results, be my guest). Fireworks are something that explodes in the air without any control from us, so trial and error is very acceptable and there’s no shame in that.

Once my tripod is set and I have my composition, I like setting my camera ISO to 200 or 400. Ideally 200, unless I am doing a super long exposure like tens of seconds, in which case I set it to ISO 100 or 64.

Ideally, I want to lock the exposure settings and just change shutter speed, varying it according to the explosion pops. That helps me mentally count the light spread and adjust accordingly.

Start with this: ISO 400, f/5.6, 3 seconds.

And adjust from there. Something I do that always helps me is mentally counting the number of seconds a full firework takes to burst. Depending on the fireworks, it can be 1, 2, 3, or more seconds. Count that manually, set that in your camera, and do a shot, adjust, and do more.

Regarding focus, I recommend Manual Focus because you don’t want to risk the camera taking time to find focus. You can use Auto Focus to find the firework, then switch to Manual for the rest of the shots.

5. Timer or shutter release cable

This complements the tripod aspect, and it’s a rule of thumb for every long exposure shot. You don’t want to touch the camera while it’s taking the photo, so you need to work with the timer feature to eliminate camera shake as much as you can. To me, a delicate touch on the camera and a 2-second timer do the trick.

A shutter release cable is more interesting because you can explore the Bulb mode in your camera, meaning it will expose the shot for the exact amount of time you’re holding the button. Ideal to start the shot before the firework blooms, and end it right after. But even so, do the mental counting of time, for consistency.

If you wanna do this on film, this is the way, as most cameras will either give you a 10 sec timer or no timer at all.

Save that post for July 3rd, haha. I hope you enjoyed reading it!

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

That’s the whole post: techniques for dealing with slide film with different light meter types. What follows is why that method works and when it doesn’t.

I hope it helps you understanding light metering better so you can architect your shots just like the artists architected the sculptures in Storm King Arts Center.

Quick thing first, as this might save you some reading: if your camera is a point-and-shoot with no exposure controls, it’s already metering and setting exposure for you the way it was designed to, and probably it does that job well enough most of the time. Go shoot, and enjoy it, and save this post for the moment you start wanting to have more control over your exposure with a manual camera.

Let me start with a fact: film doesn’t give you an instant preview, and why that might be a point of frustration…

Film doesn’t show you anything until it might be too late

With no LCD preview, histogram or capture assistants, every frame is a decision you have to make before you press the shutter button, and you find out whether it worked days later, potentially after spending money for a Lab to develop, we don’t want that to happen, and that’s why metering matters more on film than on digital, hence relying on an external light meter. On digital you can be wrong and fix it. On film, you can be wrong (thinking you’re right), and have a bad surprise after developing.

That’s a problem that might get worse when you shoot slides, because if you can go to places again and redo the shot, the loss is time and money, but if you are taking film shots with bad light metering at a trip, that might be more unforgiving (as probably you might get in a plane again!).

We don’t want that to happen, and we are here to help you prevent it.

Let’s dive deeper into light meters.

The reflective meter is configured against grey targets

There are two types of light meters: reflected ones, and incident ones. This article I wrote dives deeper into that difference: The difference between incident and reflective light meters.

Here are more details about both light meter types: a reflected meter (which is likely the kind built into your camera), measures light bouncing off objects. It has no idea what it’s looking at, and it is factory-calibrated with a 18% grey card in mind, meaning the it averages out to middle grey, around 18% reflectance, and it hands you the exposure that would make whatever it sees land on that value.

Here’s a practical example: if you point it at a white wall (or a white towel, a target you know it’s fully white), it tells you to adjust exposure until the object renders 18% grey. This is easier to see if you eliminate colors and shoot b&w: the white target will literally look grey.

Point it at a dark mousepad, or a dark steel sculpture, and the opposite happens, and the steel goes grey too (at the cost of blowing highlights to a clipping state). That’s because the meter will tell you to either increase the ISO, lower the aperture, or reduce the shutter speed to capture enough of the dark target.

That’s because white targets reflect more light, while dark ones do the opposite. The reflective light meters are configured in the factory to measure against something, so they tell you to adjust exposure to match against 18% grey targets.

This is easier to imagine when you convert scenes to black and white, and I invite you to get your digital camera and do some tests and see for yourself. Set the camera to grayscale JPGs and target a white wall with a spot light meter from your camera: you will see that the white wall will look 18% grey.

Test it out and let us know in the comments about your findings!

Leave a comment

A textured white wall actually sits about two stops brighter than middle grey. That’s where it belongs in the picture. Deep shadow sits a couple of stops the other way, and that’s where it belongs. A reflected meter flattens both toward the middle unless you know how far to push back, and knowing how far to push back is a skill you have to train your eyeballs and build experience over time.

There are techniques to measure multiple points in the same exposure, like highlights, shadows, middle points, and calculate averages. If you want to dive deeper into this, check out the zone system, co-created by no one else than Ansel Adams and Fred Archer ,two of the biggest names in landscape photography in History!

But back to our scenario, the thing is that sometimes, an incident light meter might be just simpler to use, because…

It allows you to measure the light, not the objects!

Incident meters are these ones with a white dome on it, rather than using from the camera viewport, you stand where your subject is, point the dome back toward the camera, and it reads the light falling on the scene, not the light reflecting from objects in that scene. It doesn’t care whether your subject is white, black, or weathered steel, and that’s where the name comes from.

What comes back is the exposure for the light itself. Incident meters will make the white wall land two stops up, where it belongs, while making the shadow land down where it also belongs. Shadows stay shadows, highlights stay highlights, and the relationships between tones in the scene survive onto the film.

That’s key for correct exposures, especially if you are shooting slide film, which is less forgiving with exposure mistakes. I love using incident light meter for landscapes because…

It removes a decision, reducing stress

While spot metering is powerful, and it’s what most people recommend for careful work, especially if you have a spot meter capable of measuring with a precision of 1 degree (in other words: really really a spot), it arrives with a question attached: “Where do I point it?”

Meter the highlight, meter the shadow, split the difference, place it on a zone. As I wrote before, that’s a real skill, it takes practice, and it’s one more thing to get wrong while the light is moving.

An incident meter removes the question. There’s nowhere to aim. You put it in the light and press the button, and as long as you are sharing the same light condition, you are fine (and this is important - “share the same light condition”).

Note that I’m not arguing spot metering is worse! For scenes where you can’t reach your subject it’s the only honest option, and it deserves its own post, with Ansel Adams and the zone system and all of it.

For what I was doing at Storm King, multiple spot measurements would have gotten me to roughly the same numbers, but with more steps, more measurements, under 100F on a Summer day.

Why this works for landscapes

The catch is simple. Incident metering only works when the light falling on you is the same light falling on your subject.

At Storm King (and most outdoor shoots, like photowalks) that was true. I was standing in the same open sun as the sculptures, a few steps away from most of them. Same sky, same Sun (hopefully, lol), same everything.

Something I like about the incident metering on sunny days is the fact that I can “set and forget”...

But there is a caveat: if I stay under a tree, while the thing I’m photographing sits in full sun, the incident meter tricks me. Same problem if a cloud passes over me and not over the subject. When I can’t share the light, this method doesn’t apply, and there’s no other solution than reverting to spot metering or walking towards the object to measure incoming light in there.

The “set and forget” and its caveat will also improve the attention I pay to the sky, and consequentially, to the light around myself.

You take a reading, set the camera, and that setting holds, but only until the light condition changes. So, instead of metering every frame, you start watching for the thing that would invalidate your reading. A cloud rolls in. You step into shade. The sun drops behind the hill. Then you meter again. The EV values will differ. You start noticing where the sun sits relative to your subject, which is something you should be noticing anyway, I believe this will make you more familiar with the light, hence making you a better photographer.

In an ideal world you’d meter every shot. In practice, if the sun is high and nothing around you has changed, the reading from three frames ago is still good.

If you don’t have a meter at all

Sunny 16 and cellphone spot light meters are my default fallback, and it’s worth mentioning.

Bright sun, no clouds. Set your aperture to f/16 and your shutter speed to the reciprocal of your film speed. ISO 100 film means 1/100, or whatever your camera has closest to it. From there you open up as the light drops. Light overcast, f/11. Overcast, f/8. Heavy overcast, f/5.6. Open shade, f/4.

It’s rough, and it’ll get you within a stop, which is fine on negative film, but risky on slides. Think of it as what you use when the battery dies.

That’s why I wanted to shoot slides to illustrate this post ;)

How it came out

Box speed, ISO 50, no adjustment. The exposures landed where I wanted them. A few shadows went deep, which is what Velvia does under hard sun, and I’m fine with that. Deep shadow reading as deep shadow is the correct answer. The colors held, the highlights on the lighter pieces didn’t blow out, and I didn’t lose a frame.

I am happy that nothing went wrong and every single frame on my expensive and unexpired Velvia 50 got nicely performed. Proudly developed and scanned by Gelatin Labs, making every penny invested on that film stock worth it!

So, do you need an incident light meter?

If your camera meters for you and you like your photos, no. Genuinely, no.

If you’re shooting a fully manual body, or slide film, or you keep getting scans back where the exposures wander around for reasons you can’t identify, an incident meter is the smallest change that fixes the most. They start cheap. You’ll use it for years across every camera you own, and when it eventually dies you replace the meter instead of paying to have a camera serviced.

If you are starting with film photography, I recommend starting there. The zone system can wait.

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you support an independent creator, get access to all posts, and you can shoot me a DM anytime, we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photography.

Subscribe now

Happy metering, good light and good luck, and thank you for reading so far!

But I also observed something interesting regarding the Mexico culture, this one, related to hand painted subjects on walls, businesses, or anything that would be lit by an LED screen (or neon sign) elsewhere on Earth.

This touched me a lot, and I started collecting photos of it for a zine.

Buy ¿Pincel o Print? Zine

Let me introduce you to ¿ Pincel o Print ?

Preface

Limited edition of 30

If you like it, and/or would like to support this initiative, you can get yours! I printed, received them all, inspected, and numbered each one. This is not print on demand with a cheap and dirty printing service. I value a lot for quality over quantity here at Camera Clara, so I wanted to receive all zines to inspect the printing quality before having it reaching your hands, and I can say, the print quality on those is beautiful!

Send me a DM if you want it signed, if I know you personally, I will handwrite something that will touch your heart!

Buy yours!

What are people talking about it?

Substack community is the best! 🙌

Please consider subscribing to Camera Clara for more articles right in your inbox! Quality over quantity, with the forever love for film photography and its techniques. With a paid subscription, you can shoot me a DM anytime, and we can arrange video calls where I can help you with your photograph needs, let’s be friends.

Subscribe now

Over time, I wrote articles here on this platform addressing these topics in regular writings rather than rants. If I remember a post I did about a specific topic, I’ll add a link to it.

I appreciate when people expose themselves and are truthful like that, so I think you will appreciate knowing me a little bit more as well. Let me enumerate my top 10 list of displeasing acts and annoying photography topics I have observed over the last decade.

10. The film vs. Digital conversation

I put this at number 10 on the list because, fortunately, it's a conversation that is fading away and getting better. Film photographers are awesome and humble enough to disengage with this bait. As polarized as the world is nowadays, all mediocre people need are two things to compare and elect a winner. This topic isn’t different. When someone comes to me asking which one is better, I tell them I need to <insert excuse> and get away from that person. I even recorded a podcast the other day to talk about this.

9. A certain company’s toxicity

I don't need to say the name for you to recognize this company. I can just say they were the leaders in photography in the 90s and then abandoned their customers to sell motion pictures to Hollywood because money talks, babe. Now that film is re-emerging, these opportunists come with product renaming and pretend they give a fuck about community, while they're selling the same product with different packaging. They make customers believe that resolving some cross-company politics is for customers' benefit. The fact this company isn't giant is because they are politicians, not lovers of the business they operate.

Subscribe now

8. People who think photography = gear

Once in NY, I met a person who is proud to say they are “Team Alpha,” referring to a specific camera model from a specific brand. I was so sorry to hear that, especially because this person posts bad photos in their portfolio and literally uses equipment the wrong way, like a speedlite strobe pointing to the sky (will that reflect on Mars?). This person is always advocating for the brand rather than the art, has read zero photography books, and is ignorant. I don’t think this is the way, unless you want to work as a salesperson for that brand (and even then, some brands like Leica require you to be culturally invested).

This behavior makes me sad, and there’s nothing I can do to help that person out without having it get far from me.

It’s not a big deal though, just a rant of mine. Let people be happy with whatever they want, Raf ¯_(ツ)_/¯!

7. 100K+ YouTubers who think they’re God

This one happened during an event in NYC. I wasn’t there, but it was so obvious and ugly that a friend of mine came to comment about it with me. The story goes like this: there was a photography event in the city, one of these that lasts the whole day, with panels, YouTubers talking stuff, brands showcasing their nice products, etc. It was a nice event, well organized.

After the conference day, everyone at the event headed to a bar for the night, making the bar fully crowded with most people from the event. This part is important to say because I strongly believe the folks I’m going to criticize would not behave like that if they were at a regular bar with people who don’t know them.

The “famous” YouTubers were cutting the line to get their beer, while the rest of the people waited in line for tens of minutes.

Everybody saw that, Mr... (I won’t say the name, of course).

Note that there are some incredible YouTubers out there, including Nick Lopresti, Max Adams, the Petapixel guys (these are super humble and approachable), David Imel (<3), and many more.

I know people are just trying to make a living out of photography videos on the internet, so it isn’t hard to be a decent person. Do better, YouTubers.

6. Substack folks and their engagement bait notes

This is a practice that I’ve been observing on the internet, and it is worse on Substack because it is an emerging platform with people eager to make genuine connections and grow together.

I noticed that some big Substackers create notes like “Photographers, post your work here” or “Let’s meet each other in this Note,” and nothing else. No further action.

Holy dears, people see what you are doing.

In case you don’t know, they are gaming the system by having people comment on their notes just to generate engagement, while genuinely not caring about what these people post.

Here’s what they can do if they really want to help: get the people who commented and recommend your publication in theirs. Whenever people subscribe to their giant, tens-of-thousands-of-followers publications, a percentage of subscribers will also subscribe to you.

That’s how they can help, in case they’re genuinely interested.

Subscribe to CC, real community, no BS

5. Photographers shoppers

This is a common one, and sometimes I fit myself in this category (who says I can’t criticize myself)?

There is a very fine difference between being a photographer and being someone who feels inspired to photograph due to new equipment.

Which one are you? I am not gonna lie, I like photographing with what I have, but sometimes my GAS speaks louder and I can’t resist getting new gear to feel inspired to photograph something. I am not perfect, and I sometimes put myself in this very list.

Here’s a possible solution: temporarily exchange gear with friends. That’s an interesting way to save money and not have to put your hands in your credit card in order to get inspired to photograph something.

I wrote about this here:

4. Photographers who make photography the least important thing when they are out photographing

“Let’s go have lunch” is the phrase I most worry about hearing when I am photographing with a group.

Oh shit, here we go.

They will get in the restaurant and stay there for three fucking hours while golden hour is becoming pee hour (same color, different meaning).

Here’s how it works, in case you missed science classes during middle school: the Sun orbits the Earth and a complete spin takes 24 hours. Thanks to humanity, who is greatly boiling the planet and causing “El Niño v2.0 - AI edition,” half of the year is either too cold or too hot to go out and photograph.

That reduces your “photography window” to roughly 6 hours per day. During these 6 hours, do yourself a favor and value photography. Value the light. Pay attention to the light, to the Sun. Leave the restaurant for dinner, when there’s no more light. Grab a quick sandwich, continue photographing during the afternoon, and don’t miss the golden hour.

3. Photowalk people photographing the very same thing

Monkey see great scene. Monkey press shutter button.

I think people don’t realize that you can get the most out of photowalks when socializing with other photographers. You’re not gonna get your photography Oscar award from a photo in a photowalk.

I am not stating this as a perfect guy who never did it. In fact, there are many nice shots I took during photowalks, but they are not particularly unique, ya know?

I’m not saying it’s prohibited to do that. Just be happy the way you are, that’s the most important.

2. Photography creators and the low bar

This one is a reflection of number 1. The other day, I was browsing social media, and I saw a guy saying “Are you familiar with the sLoW ShuTtEr TeChNiQuE?”

Curious, I watched the rest of the reel, only to discover that what the guy called the “slow shutter technique” consisted of photographs taken with a slower shutter speed, hence blurring what’s in motion.

Or worse, the ones that call any ordinary thing a “life hack!”, these are hillarious!

The other day I saw a guy saying that increasing the ISO on your camera is a life hack.

What kind of world are we living in right now?

1. Instagram

This one deserves a special place in the fucking hell.

To me, this platform is the number one destroyer of photography on Earth. Little by little, over decades, it imposed the vertical format, then promoted extremely saturated images, then it started showing ads in an insane 1:2 ratio. My Instagram feed is at a point where I basically see 2 posts per ad. Right now, it is full of AI Slop, accounts that steal other people’s content with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, reels with hundreds of images displayed in dozens of seconds, doomscrolling, dopamine needs, uncurated volume, the attention economy that replaced image quality, Meta glasses, etc. The list is infinite.

Some people say that Instagram didn’t destroy photography, just transformed it. Well, okay, you can tell it transformed it, but in my opinion, it transformed photography by trying to turn it into a garbage can.

I feel that we, real photographers, storytellers, and film advocates, are the last frontier to preserve art, history, and good-quality content before Mark destroys everything once and for all in trade for his trillions of dollars.

Instagram is the number one thing I hate about photography in 2026.

As an additional note with underestimated long-term social impact, the hunting for likes made it worse for people under social disadvantage to get serious photographic representation. I even reflected about this in a podcast episode here in CC.

Subscribe now