Category Archives: history

a little BIT more

Posted on August 3, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Over the years from photography’s beginning in 1839 to current times there have been a few trends. Cameras have gotten smaller. Images became more realistic beginning with monochrome photos across part of the visible spectrum, then across all of … Continue reading →

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minicams and interchangeability

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. The 35mm cameras were off and running in the late 1920s. Leitz touted their Leica as a precision camera and set out to compete with the physically far bigger cameras of the day, claiming that a small negative could … Continue reading →

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swinging ’60s

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. The swinging ’60s! What a glorious time to be alive! In that era Polaroid introduced it’s most popular camera of all, the Swinger. This simplified camera took black and white photos, developed outside the camera and gave you a … Continue reading →

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why the tripod?

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Did you ever wonder why so many old photos and drawings of cameras in use showed a tripod? Until the dry-plate era, the media were so insensitive that it took  seconds or minutes in bright light to record the … Continue reading →

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the keepers of night

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Since photography began there was always some means to keep the plates or film protected from the light.  When the Leica and its competitors arrived. Leitz made a very heavy and elaborate reusable cassette that opened only in-camera as … Continue reading →

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top this!

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. In the days of film, it was common to have contests. One such contest was for the best table-top photo. Author, Sports-photographer, and past PHSC president Les Jones sent me a note the other day along with this link … Continue reading →

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stick a cabinet in your pocket

Posted on July 23, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. With the advent of wet plate technology, the number of photographers increased once again. Albumen paper for positive prints became very popular in spite of the need to glue down the curl-prone medium to stiff cardboard. The so called … Continue reading →

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i am so EXCITED …

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. … as Martin Short‘s character, Ed Grimsley, used to shout on SCTV skits. To do the character justice, Short was down right hyper. And speaking of hyper, hyperfocal distance was important in 35mm film photography, especially daytime street photography. … Continue reading →

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shady stuff

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Don’t you wish your photos were crisp and contrasty like those of an accomplished professional? One issue last century was soft contrast caused by reflections from individual lens elements. Post war, element coating became common and with it a … Continue reading →

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and to cap it off …

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Robert

Toronto. Dust and dirt everywhere! How can you keep it out of camera bodies and lenses? Easy, cap the openings! Since the early days of photography, caps have been used to keep out dust and dirt when the camera or … Continue reading →

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