Author Archives: Robert

an old boxing day box camera

Posted on December 26, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Boxing day on December 26th used to be THE day for sales. Then boxing day week, then black Friday, now COVID-19 and total lockdown over the holidays. Still, it is fitting to celebrate boxing day with a box camera. … Continue reading →

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merry Christmas all!

Posted on December 25, 2020 by Robert
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you think this post is about you

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. I did various posts on the ubiquitous tripod so necessary so long ago. From the beginning of photography in 1839, the media and lenses were so slow that a steady stand was a necessity even outdoors. Studios used the … Continue reading →

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ya gotta light, mister

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. For decades photographic studios were the epitome of Photographic businesses. In reality, the studios usually cranked out technically sound portraits using a tried and true combination of lighting including facial lights for modelling the features, background lights to illuminate … Continue reading →

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the world as seen by Inge Morath

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Inge Morath was an Austrian-American photographer. At the time of her second marriage (to American playwright Arthur Miller), she emigrated to the States. Her work was featured in the TIME–LIFE Photography series in the late 1960s, early 1970s. Inge … Continue reading →

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what a combination!

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Movies and Electronics (not the typical science fiction variety movie) came together in the 1930s to extend human understanding. The 1930s were an exciting time (aside from the devastating depression) in photography and in electronics, The minicam revolution gained … Continue reading →

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ain’t many coloured folks here

Posted on December 20, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. In the 1970s, I enjoyed the local library’s coffee table sized books of famous photographs and American photographers. In these books, I learned of the Farm Security Administration (FSA) program from the 1930s/40s and how it recorded the impact … Continue reading →

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Amalgamated Photo History Newsletters

Posted on December 19, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. We issued the 7th in our series of exchange newsletters recently (we just held our FIRST ZOOM Toronto meeting this month). Meantime, members received this pdf version of the amalgamated newsletters from our exchange members who gave their blessing … Continue reading →

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valau for money

Posted on December 18, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Leitz first introduced the Leica in the mid 1920s to keep employment up at their optical works in Wetzlar during extreme inflation in Germany. Bad timing as it turned out. A few years later, the dirty 30s hit with … Continue reading →

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another kind of halide

Posted on December 17, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Those of us who creak getting up – chairs or stairs – can remember the days of film and glass plates when the light sensitivity of silver halides made our art practical. But this post is about a totally … Continue reading →

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