The Thoughts & Photography of Johnny Martyr
B+W 35mm Photojournalist
by Johnny Martyr "I just found this awesome Konica Autoreflex at my local thrift store for just $25! It works perfectly and just needs to be cleaned. But I noticed that sometimes when I wind the advance lever, the shutter opens. Is this normal?" "I just bought this awesome Olympus XA rangefinder from eBay for... Continue Reading →
by Johnny Martyr I was developing some personal photos today and it occurred to me that the fixing step seems to be a point of many questions and issues. So I thought it might be useful to dedicate an entry about fixing specifically. Some of this will bleed over into color but I'm a b&w... Continue Reading →
by Johnny Martyr I'm pretty committed to film photography. Not because I think film photography is superior to digital photography - on a technical level, it's just not. And on an artistic level, there is no such thing as "superior," there's only how things feel and how they make you think. I am not committed... Continue Reading →
"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."
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... Continue Reading →
by Johnny Martyr My college linguistics professor Judy Lombardi was fond of saying "things are what we say about them in our social world." The older I get, the more this concept sinks into my brain and guides how I strive to communicate. I don't claim to know everything, but when I do know something,... Continue Reading →
By Johnny MartyrYesterday on one of the film photography groups on Facebook, someone asked, as they often do, about learning to use a film camera that they just bought. The first responses boiled down to "watch YouTube" without any specific links. I think this is bullshit frankly. Maybe it's just because I'm old but I... Continue Reading →
by Johnny Martyr I got a great compliment from Andy at analogue_dreams (his blog can be found here) recently on the image above. He said: "I am always impressed by how you achieve focus of fleeting moments with a manual focus RF in low light!" It was very kind of him to post this, and... Continue Reading →
Leica Camera Number 105 - Leitz Photographica Auction, LEICA CAMERA CLASSICS Everyone else is making money from Leica Number 105 so I figured I'd throw my hat in the ring for a few bucks too. Hey! Before you read any further, like and subscribe as they say! 😉 Don't know what I'm talking about? Last... Continue Reading →
In November of 2021, with work picking up again from the COVID lockdowns, I decided to pay a visit to my local camera repair shop and get a few things things back in order. I took my Nikon 35mm 1.4 AIS and 105mm 1.8 AIS in for service and was inspired to write an article... Continue Reading →
The Thoughts & Photography of Johnny Martyr 