Life Imitates Art: John Waters Attends the Mahoning Drive-In

"My experience was probably pretty similar to other people who discover the Mahoning. First, I was taken by how this place seemed trapped in amber.  There was little about it that seemed to have kept up with the times.  I didn’t grow up going to drive-ins, but it felt like stepping back into my childhood.  With the exception of the cars, it could well have been the 70s…  could have even been the 50s for that matter.  Everything seemed in place, and yet out of time."

The Conundrum of Supporting My Local Camera Shop

by Johnny Martyr On my way to work, I called the local camera shop to verify they had the camera I found on their website the night before. I was so excited when the employee reported that he had the Zeiss Super Ikonta in his hand that I replied "I'll be there in about ten...

Why Buy A New Film Camera When I Can Buy Used Ones From eBay?!

“Why would I buy a new Nikon FM10 for $150, a new Nikon FM2 for $700 or a new Nikon FM3a for $800 from a camera store when I can buy a used Nikon FM from eBay for $50?”

I Don’t Shoot Expired Film, Maybe You Shouldn’t Either

by Johnny Martyr Look, I don't want to curtail anyone's creativity, but I think it's worth rethinking how readily many photographers shoot expired film. For me, shooting paid work, I never ever take client photos on expired film. And I really don't use it for personal work either because to me, it's just not worth...

Q&A: Which Leica M Should I Buy?

by Johnny Martyr Here's a DM from a reader in France: "Hi Johnny, how are you? My name is Victor and I live in Paris. I was intrigued by your article about camera shops in Paris. I am trying to start in the photography world, more as a hobby than anything else, and I wanted...

Unboxing & Evaluating A Welta Weltur 6×4.5/6×6 Folding Rangefinder

by Johnny Martyr I got the notification from my Ring doorbell when a non-descript cardboard box was dropped off at my front porch. Who, in the 1930s would have imagined that this little handcrafted camera would be couriered to the United States by robots and its arrival announced by a motion-sensing camera that transmits images...

Enjoy The Meta Outage!

by Johnny Martyr Meta outage - Facebook and Instagram are down! Go outside! Take some photos! Here's a recent an appropriate shot I took of what is perhaps the last public payphone still standing in Frederick, Maryland. I shot it with my 1930 Leica and Leitz 5cm Elmar. I used a DOOMO Meter S to...

Q&A: I’m Afraid to Shoot 3200 ISO Film Because It Doesn’t Cold Store Well So I Push 400 to 3200 Instead

by Johnny Martyr I recently got a question in response to posting some Kodak TMAX P3200 photos. The gist of it was that a photographer is learning how to achieve higher ISOs by pushing 400 speed films (which he referred to as "traditional films") instead of using 3200 speed films (as if these are not "traditional")...

Q&A: Why Do You Use 0.85x Leica Rangefinders instead of 1:1 Voigtländers?

by Johnny Martyr Yesterday, long time photo buddy Brent Legum Levenson asked a really great question on my Facebook page. He was referencing my Leica M6 TTL cameras which have 0.85x viewfinder magnification. "Any reason you got the .85? I think I’ve only seen the .72 versions in person. Also, I liked that the Bessa R3s...

Q&A: How Do I Shoot Landscapes With a Barnack Leica and a 135mm Lens?

by Johnny Martyr Yesterday in the Leica III Users group on Facebook, someone asked:"I just got my camera back and am wanting to put my 135mm Elmar to use. Does anybody know of a good video or guide on how to use the lens? Am I just overthinking it? The Summitar 50mm is pretty intuitive,...