Where's My Camera?

Sorry if I seem to be a bit absent from the photo scene lately. I did not go into hibernation and have many personal obstacles in my way that prevent me from roaming/combing the streets of Detroit in search of who knows what.

I have had a touch of shooter's block, too, but that's the least of it.

And equipment failure. My favorite weapon of choice is the Fuji HS10. I had a lot of fun with that one because when it first came out, there was a lot of excitement about it, the ultra 30X optical zoom, etc. I followed it closely in the forums of DPREVIEW. The first wave of cameras were showing up in China and people were posting examples. Then the camera hit the UK and people seemed to be ordering them in droves. And then in the USA. But soon after, a new wave started, of dissatisfied customers who were returning it. I think the whole thing was like some kind of a contagious infection and when certain photographers bailed on the camera, it became more fashionable to return it and toss praise to Panasonice or whatever camera was next, than it was to keep the camera and see what it could do.

My problem with this camera was not that I was dissatisfied with the images but that it was defective out of the box. Not having a decent back-up camera, I wrote them immediately but didn't return it. Return it...hmmm...I wanted to buy the camera locally after touching it but that was not an option since Fuji did not have one dealer in Michigan. Return it. Who wants to return a camera they just purchased because it doesn't work properly? I was able to work around the problem (the LCD screen cut out when the camera was tilted) so I started shooting with it. My back-up, a Canon Powershot SX10 IS, was failing me. It had been into warranty repair once and a few of the issues were not resolved. I was about to send it back in at the end of the warranty when a brand new issue arose. Repairs on it would have been not much less than buying a new one, so I got a warranty replacement, the newer SX30 IS. It's a nice camera but I don't like it. I don't like the way it handles, the hesitation in the zoom, and the excessive weight. That's funny becuase my first camera in this series, one I used before the SX10, was a really fun camera. If you're getting the impression that I've owned quite a few digital cameras, you're spot on. I am what you'd call a heavy user, shooting at least three times a week, taking hundreds of photos on a run each time.

Two weeks ago I sent back the Fuji finally. It's been painful to be without it, to only carry my Canon SX30 IS and a little pocket Lumix I use for tight spots. Actually, the Lumix is more fun than the Canon, and it only has 12X and a quite small sensor. Lumix DME - SZ7. Nice camera.

And this week I'll get my Fuji back. I'm sure I'll have to go out and shoot something with it.

It's not the winter that slows me down because I love the winter, and it only takes second place to the glorious colors and sensations of the autumn, my #1. Summer takes last place for me.

Not going into Detroit puts a damper on my work because that is what sells the best, in a manner of speaking. Maybe I've not attracted the kinds of viewers who would like my other stuff, or maybe my other stuff just isn't that good. I sure don't know.

Left to my own devices, I am now leaning more to a vernacular style of color photography in the style of people like Stephen Shore, William Eggleston, Joel Sternfeld, etc.

I am still mentally active in photography and besides all the reading I do (books on the aesthetics, not the technique) I have been reviewing all my old photos and going through to review them. It has been interesting to see which photos I selected vs. which ones I really like. I can see my choices were more based on what I thought people wanted to see.

I can look through my photos, my favorites, anytime.

I always have a few cameras with me.