Charles Henry 5/2/26 Charles Henry 5/2/26

From Start to Finish

It’s about the picture, and maybe we’ll learn a few things along the way.

Charles Henry 4/25/26 Charles Henry 4/25/26

The Look

The trick is to a make picture that’s neither too saturated nor flat — neither too contrasty nor flat — just plain honest. It’s tougher to accomplish than one might think.

Charles Henry 4/15/26 Charles Henry 4/15/26

You have to be

I’m as interested in how a picture is made as in what it shows because you have to be. I’m talking about tools, texture, and tone. I’m thinking about lighting, color, and composition, and how well-assembled pictures can show nothing at all — and that’s okay.

Charles Henry 3/28/26 Charles Henry 3/28/26

One Camera, One Lens

The X-Pro series is Fujifilm’s gift to photography. I recommend the X-Pro2 and XF 35mm f/2 lens because it’s digital perfection.

Charles Henry 3/20/26 Charles Henry 3/20/26

Virtual Movements

With enough resolution, we can crop in, move a frame around, and simulate a view camera’s movements in post — including rise, fall, and shift.

Charles Henry 3/5/26 Charles Henry 3/5/26

Basic Editing

Pull the contrast slider down to -100 and then set a tonal curve to one’s liking.

Charles Henry 2/15/26 Charles Henry 2/15/26

Film, Post 2020

Put film photography to rest. Digital is better.

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

Makeshift Rangefinder

By most metrics, we’re lousy photographers, and that’s fine. 50mm might be the best focal length, and 35mm the best lens if we crop in a little.

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

Taken Seriously

If a picture is good enough for a view camera, it’s potentially good enough for a series, seriously. I love getting lost under a focusing cloth.

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 9/2/25 Charles Henry 9/2/25

Layered

A 50mm lens is more front-to-back than side-to-side and compresses things together, perfect for layering foregrounds over backgrounds — more deadpan than a 35.

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.

Charles Henry 7/18/25 Charles Henry 7/18/25

Wooden Tripod

I serviced the wooden tripod today. I repaired a loose hinge, polished the head plate, and applied mineral oil.

Charles Henry 6/18/25 Charles Henry 6/18/25

Experiment

Many people know that we have more to learn, and from the moment we realize that we’re not the center of everything, it gets better.

Charles Henry 6/8/25 Charles Henry 6/8/25

Clipped Corners

A ground glass will have missing corners so you can see if the lens is projecting from edge to edge. If you can see the lens, it’s giving full coverage.

Charles Henry 5/30/25 Charles Henry 5/30/25

f/8 and be there

F/8 is typically the most optimal aperture for everyday lenses.

Charles Henry 5/23/25 Charles Henry 5/23/25

Faithful

A faithful rendering is accurate to the scene and subject as viewed through the eye.

Charles Henry 5/15/25 Charles Henry 5/15/25

A Home in the Monochrome

In every color image I take, I see a black-and-white photographer trying to escape. It’s black-and-white or bust. Mine are pictures of rust, dents, and dust.