Charles Henry 12/30/25 Charles Henry 12/30/25

Makeshift Rangefinder

You know when you think about it — a 35mm lens on a reflex camera (knowing that you’ll crop in later) mimics a rangefinder experience by letting you see outside the frame while composing pictures.

Charles Henry 12/19/25 Charles Henry 12/19/25

5600ºK

If sunlight’s temperature sits between 5000ºK and 6500ºK, then 5600ºK is a good custom choice.

Charles Henry 12/15/25 Charles Henry 12/15/25

Town

Rankin, Texas

Charles Henry 12/13/25 Charles Henry 12/13/25

Taken Seriously

By all standards, I’m a lousy photographer, and that’s fine. 50mm might be the best focal length and 35mm the best lens — simply crop in a little.

Charles Henry 11/21/25 Charles Henry 11/21/25

Town Scene

Happy, Texas

Charles Henry 11/16/25 Charles Henry 11/16/25

Aspect Ratios

Focal lengths and aspect ratios correlate. A 50mm needs a narrower 4:5 to emphasize relationships between foregrounds and back grounds, and on the other side, a 28mm does better with a wider 3:2 because it emphasizes side-to-side relationships.

Charles Henry 11/16/25 Charles Henry 11/16/25

In the Moment

It transitions from play to art as we age, and in learning, it continues.

Charles Henry 11/8/25 Charles Henry 11/8/25

Lightweight

The less we make photography about something, the more it accommodates.

Charles Henry 11/2/25 Charles Henry 11/2/25

Pond

Midland, Texas

Charles Henry 10/26/25 Charles Henry 10/26/25

Interstate Twenty

Warm sunlight and desert mountains blanket the horizon. Miles of asphalt fly under my feet. I love being out here among trucks.

Charles Henry 10/22/25 Charles Henry 10/22/25

Working Town

If people knew you were out there making pictures, you’d probably get in worse trouble, a proper way of going wrong. Odessa is a working town, and everyone needs a good way of going wrong.

Charles Henry 10/19/25 Charles Henry 10/19/25

Taking or Making

In photographing landscapes, places, and found environments, perhaps the difference between making and taking lives in the focal length, where a 35mm takes, and a 50mm makes.

Charles Henry 10/19/25 Charles Henry 10/19/25

Roebling Suspension Bridge

Cincinnati, Ohio

Charles Henry 10/1/25 Charles Henry 10/1/25

Enjoying the Day

Interesting places exist wherever we look long enough. Odessa is a real place, nothing touristy about it, so thoroughly palpable that it’s utterly clueless about itself in a good way, and that’s why I stay.

Charles Henry 9/7/25 Charles Henry 9/7/25

Keep Going

If you think it’s bad now, it used to be worse. That’s why I’m not too worried. You are a part of the change you would like to see.

Charles Henry 9/1/25 Charles Henry 9/1/25

Broken (please use other door)

A sign at a convenience store says, “broken, please use other door,” and then apologizes for the inconvenience.

Charles Henry 8/31/25 Charles Henry 8/31/25

I don’t know what to tell ya

Bad advice permeates. Everyone offers it freely. The rarest thing is something helpful. So don’t worry. Go ahead and make a wrong decision and regret it later. It’s perfectly normal.

Charles Henry 8/22/25 Charles Henry 8/22/25

Complaining (a how to guide)

Live a great life. From wherever to whatever, I love taking pictures with my camera. It’s an obsession — a small footprint: prints, posts, and film resting inside a trusty binder.

Charles Henry 8/9/25 Charles Henry 8/9/25

Film Emulation

It’s fine to digitally emulate analog. A box of monochrome 8x10 sells for $250 — a $150 rise from a decade ago, and some 35mm rolls fetch $15. Analog was once the primary photographic method.