The Visual Science Lab

The last photo walk before 70. It's all a matter of perception.

Just some odds and ends I keep coming across. From the "life of a working photographer."

The introduction of Leica's new M EV-1 clicked something in my brain. The realization that I have two EVFs for the M240 cameras and I don't think I used them except to test them when I first got them. The EV-1 inspired me to take another look at "old" tech.

A photo from the ancient Leica CL. The non-digital one. From about 1980. Maybe 1979. Who took accurate notes back then? Not me.

As Predicted, Leica drops a whole new camera (kinda). Let the feeding frenzy begin!!! Will I buy one? Probably not...

The New Lens is a Keeper. Pairs nicely with the existing cameras...

Food photos. New lens arrives. Perfect weather: finally. And...great morning swim.

We're past the middle of October. Things are proceeding as planned.

Urban Landscapes on a Sunday Afternoon. Austin. Q2. Shot as black and whites in the camera. Jpeg all the way!!

Having fun looking through images taken with different cameras and different sensor formats. All are fun.

Still putting the digital Leica CL and the Sigma Contemporary 56mm f1.4 lens through their paces. Getting comfortable again with a "cropped" frame.

Formula One Car Racing Sucks So Bad. And Somehow We've Been The Victims of it for Years Now in Austin. Just Another Way to Suck Money out of City and Citizen Coffers to Engorge the Rich... Sad.

An Odd Sign Seen on South Congress Avenue Today...

Leica's digital nod to their original 35mm cameras. Yeah. It's the CL...

Unexpectedly unmotivated to photograph... anything.

I took a black and white camera with me to Chicago...I just had to take the color out of the files before I realized it. Make that two black and white cameras...

Sunday Afternoon Portrait. My former assistant's daughter...

It's Saturday. It was 64° when I left the house for our swim workout. The water was perfect. The swimming was fun. Here's a reminder of a fun event coming up in Austin, Texas:

Going Old School and Reviewing a Lens that I Can't (Won't) get Rid Of. Right.

OT: A strategy for staying in good physical condition: Exercise More.

It was that kind of day. Adventures of an unsupervised photographer.

Sculpture in situ. Chicago Art Institute. Fun with focus.

Not sure this would have worked as well as a monochrome (black and white) image...

A random architectural detail from the Art Institute of Chicago.

According to James... There is no profound difference in image quality between competing brands. Included Leica SL, Sony and Canon. Here's how he came to this conclusion...

The Rumors about the Leica M EV-1 are arriving fast and furiously. Is it the next great thing in the M world or a wholesale betrayal by the brand?

I love that everyone is trying to save me money by suggesting I buy a used, five year old compact camera instead of the new Leica camera that I already own. Or that I should consider a Fuji and assorted lenses instead of the three Leica M series bodies and assorted lenses I already have in house. But....

I never consciously realized that every city has its own color palette. But there are colors I see in Austin and different colors I saw in Chicago.

Psychedelic Photo Journey in the depths of Chicago.

In front of the fountains in Millennium Park. Chicago. Two different crops. Q2.

Vacation Cam. As opposed to Travel Cam. Or "Serious" Cam.

Low clouds and tall buildings. Chicago.

I am back from Chicago. It was a nice, long weekend. I made photographs while following my art director wife from museum to museum.

Getting ready to travel for fun, with someone else, is always an anxiety sport for me.

On the way to the car from the museum. An art car.

Live.....It's Saturday Night!!! Can TV generate an authentic the goods for a great museum installation? When it's Lorne Michaels you can count on it.

An SL2 gets playful and goes full "monochrome". Just walking around on a weekday. Which lens? Gotta be the Voigtlander 50mm APO. Sweet combo.

OT: Kirk Acknowledges that he will never compete at the Olympics. But he sure gets to spend a lot of time in the pool. And with wonderful people.

It's Saturday Afternoon. I'm ordering watches on Amazon. Also trying to decide which ONE camera and ONE lens to take to Chicago next week.

Here is the latest from Michael Johnston, AKA: TheOnlinePhotographer. He sent this to me a few minutes ago via email. If you are a TOP reader you might find information you want. This re-use is MJ approved!

B. before he could even swim....

A favorite. B. The best person I can think of with whom to retire.

Guest Post by Henry White. What the heck is Kirk up to?

Gold watch? Or just another camera?

A favorite post from 2018. A busy and pivotal year for me. What is Happiness?

Backtracking a bit and reading Sally Mann's autobiography: "Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs" Which was published in 2016 but oddly, overlooked by me.

Finishing up an assignment that may be my last commercial work of the year. Or the decade. Or...whatever.

In other breaking news. I got the flu shot yesterday and ... no side effects. Important for photographers since you have to be able to move around, stand up and engage.

A Michael Johnston Update. Save that original link to his site on typepad. He's up and running currently and posting new content.

We pay a lot of lip service to the idea that we support art but do we really? Or do we (collectively) spend more time and a lot more $$$ streaming crap?

A moment at the Children's Museum. Just for the fun of it.

What's it like when an artist retires?