Episode #264
Tri-X. It's Easy!
“A camera didn’t make a great picture any more than a typewriter wrote a great novel.” — Peter Adams “It’s not when you press the shutter, but why you press the shutter.” — Mary Ellen Mark In this episode, Antonio and Ward dig into what makes a photograph worth stopping for in the first place. Antonio shares how teaching a small photography class pushed him to focus less on perfect images and more on attention, curiosity, and the little details people notice once they slow down. Ward brings in recent film work, including medium-format rodeo photos, and the two talk through the special “airiness” and physical feel that film and older cameras can bring to an image. They carry that idea into large-format cameras, field cameras, phone photography, Fuji film simulations, and the creative blocks that can come from too many self-imposed limits. Ward wrestles with a Fuji X-E3 setup that has him feeling stuck, while Antonio considers how newer iPhone camera tools and film-grain textures change the look and feel of everyday shooting. The episode wraps with a recommendation for Mary Ellen Mark’s Encounters, a celebration of her social documentary work, and a reminder that gear matters most when it changes how photographers see. Links & Resources Learning to Notice The Art of Noticing: Better Photographs Close to Home — Antonio’s photography class through Southeast Community College in Lincoln. The class focuses on slowing down, noticing overlooked details, and finding worthwhile photographs close to home. Antonio’s private photography lessons and workshops Walker Evans — Discussed in connection with photographs of churches, vernacular architecture, and the visual influences photographers carry with them. Ward’s Film and Rodeo Work Hand Hills Lake Stampede — The Alberta rodeo where Ward made the medium-format photographs discussed in the episode. Flic Film — The Alberta-based film company and lab that developed and scanned Ward’s 120 film. Between Dust and Sky — Ward Rosin and Mark Reierson’s book documenting the 100th Hand Hills Lake Stampede. Medium-Format Cameras and Lenses Twin-lens reflex cameras — The waist-level medium-format camera design Ward used to photograph rodeo action. Rolleicord — Ward’s Rolleicord, the simpler sibling of the Rolleiflex, dates from around 1959 and uses a Schneider Xenar lens. Minolta Autocord — Another twin-lens reflex camera in Ward’s collection. Fujifilm GFX system — Fujifilm’s digital medium-format system, discussed in comparison with the look of 120 film. Porch Art Palooza and Large Format Porch Art Palooza — Lincoln’s free, self-guided neighborhood art tour, featuring local artists and pop-up galleries on residential porches. Intrepid Camera — The Brighton, UK, company making lightweight modern large-format cameras. Antonio handled one of its portable 4×5 field cameras at Porch Art Palooza. Intrepid 4×5 Kickstarter — The original crowdfunding campaign for the Intrepid field camera. Chamonix View Camera — Maker of handcrafted large-format field cameras. Despite the French-sounding name, Chamonix cameras are made in Zhejiang, China. Chamonix 4×5 cameras — An example of the company’s portable 4×5 field-camera designs. Graflex Crown Graphic — The classic press and field camera Antonio has in storage and hopes to put back into use. Alfie [BOXX] Camera — The British wooden camera Antonio backed. It exposes directly onto 6×9 cm photographic paper and uses a film holder that doubles as a portable developing tank. More about the Alfie [BOXX] — Sample images, development news, and details from Alfie Cameras. Scheimpflug principle — The focusing principle Antonio and Ward were trying to name. Tilting the standards changes the orientation of the plane of focus. Ansel Adams: The Camera — Adams’s technical guide to 35mm, medium-format, and large-format cameras, including camera movements and extended depth of field. Creative Constraints and Fujifilm Give Ward an assignment: Send him a tightly defined photography project through the Street Shots Substack or Instagram . He is looking for a prompt that will help him break through his creative block with the X-E3. iPhone Photography iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max — Antonio discusses the new variable-aperture main camera, manual shutter speed and white-balance controls, exposure histogram, and expanded Photographic Styles. iPhone 18 Pro camera specifications — Includes the four physical aperture settings, Pro controls, focal lengths, and camera formats. Using Photographic Styles — Apple’s guide to adjusting tone, color, texture, and simulated film grain. iPhone 18 Pro camera overview — Examples of variable aperture, motion blur, texture controls, and Photographic Styles 3. Book Recommendation: Mary Ellen Mark Explore Mary Ellen Mark’s work Mary Ellen Mark: Encounters — The episode’s featured book. Published by Steidl and C/O Berlin in 2023, it contains 204 images across 232 pages, along with contact sheets, letters, magazine spreads, and archival material. Mary Ellen Mark’s official archive — Photographs, books, exhibitions, films, and biographical material. Mary Ellen Mark bibliography — Publication history and information about Encounters and her other books. Mary Ellen Mark at the International Center of Photography — An overview of her documentary, editorial, portrait, and film-set photography. Ward 81 and Falkland Road — Background on Mark’s work inside the Oregon State Hospital and along Mumbai’s Falkland Road. Exposure Photography Festival — The Calgary festival where Ward met Mary Ellen Mark during one of its early editions. Other References and Asides Pentax Spotmatic — Antonio’s reference point for the simple manual-camera experience of learning photography. The Score — The Montreal-set heist film starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, and Marlon Brando that Antonio recommends near the beginning. The Kids in the Hall and The Rockford Files — Two pop-culture detours prompted by Ward’s story about finding an old camera as a child. Monarch migration — Background on the migrating butterflies Antonio photographed with his iPhone, Fujifilm X half, and X100. Follow the Show Street Shots Photography Podcast Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen through Podbean Subscribe to the Street Shots Substack Street Shots on Instagram Street Shots on Facebook Support the podcast on Buy Me a Coffee Antonio M. Rosario Website and portfolio Print store Photography lessons and workshops Instagram: @amrosariophoto Bluesky: @amrosario.bsky.social Facebook Ward Rosin Website and portfolio Books, zines, and prints Between Dust and Sky — Ward and Mark Reierson’s Hand Hills Lake Stampede book. Gaijin — Ward’s black-and-white Japan zine. Instagram: @wardrosinfineart Facebook X/Twitter: @wrosinphoto
