I started Outside the Shot because I couldn’t find information on vintage gear.
Message boards are gone, and even if they aren’t, the images are. So many free image hosts have disappeared over the years.
I was coming across lots of gear, because I was reselling (most of) it.
As a result, I got good at cleaning, testing, and basic repairs.
❤️ Seamless White
Good photos make money.
Seamless white was my driver to learn photography. It’s repetitive. I took advantage of the opportunities to try different cameras, lenses, lighting, and light modifiers.
Sometimes a nice detailed shot is what’s perfect. Everything doesn’t need to be an artistic masterpiece.
Favorites
The Nikon FM2n is always going to be my first choice. It’s such a fun fully manual, mechanical experience.
That might not make it for everyone. I can understand if you don’t want to or aren’t comfortable with manual exposure.
Instead of the most commonly recommended Canon AE-1, it’s possible to get a Canon A-1 for the same price. It’s crazy!
The AE-1 was recommended when it was really cheap. Over time, prices have climbed. Photographers keep making the same recommendation because they don’t think of the price.
Lenses
Learning about photography is more fun when it isn’t a frustrating experience. Finding replacements for mercury batteries, making sure memory cards are compatible, and understanding lens changes can all be time consuming processes.
Great camera lenses that apply to other models with the same lense mounts:
- Canon AE-1 Lenses
- Pentax K1000 Lenses
- Nikon FM2 Lenses
- Nikon FE2 Lenses
- Canon A-1 Lenses
- Olympus OM-1 Lenses
- Minolta SR-T 101 Lenses
- Minolta X-700 Lenses
Finding information on vintange cameras and lenses can be difficult. Websites that used to contain that knowledge have been gone for years. Even finding memory cards and card readers can be a challenge.
Books can be out of print, expensive, and hard to find. Many publishers are no longer in business. Things are more difficult than they were.
Hugo Static Site
I use Hugo, with the Hugoplate template, to generate a static site that is currently hosted on AWS.
Static sites are just files. A content management system or database isn’t needed. Files get uploaded and nothing needs to be updated.
That’s awesome because there’s never a surprise update that causes a problem.
Before that I was using WordPress with a couple different hosts. I’m not a fan.
If you have to ask… Just paying the $30 or whatever a month for a hosted solution. It’ll save you hours upon hours of doing your own support.