Favorite Photographs

Of course, I'm willing to hang my own work out there - it would be unfair for me to be a critic, without my own work.

Morning Prayer, Lincoln 2012

I took this on a Sunday morning in the fall of 2012 on a trip near the Lincoln, NE airport. The rising radio towers with their antennas near the airport, combined with the sun being at the ideal angle, suggested almost a 'prayer' to the electromagnetic god which drives the energy they receive. Only at this time of the year, does the sun line up like this (well, twice actually). I really like how this turned out.


Shot with a Kodak Z990, RAW, 1/2000, f/8@ISO125. Processed in Adobe Lightroom.

Oh and Bring Your Camera

I’ve got no problems taking pictures at parties and gatherings. In fact I like to.

Just don’t expect me to.

It’s been a while - but if I’m invited to some event and the last words are “oh and bring your camera,” I can’t let that be the end now. 

A few years ago I was invited to a graduation party with the aforementioned request. The person inviting me was at best - an acquaintance. We were on a first-name basis and all, but not like I saw the kid grow up. I knew him, his mother, and the kid.

When I showed up, with gift and simple (albeit capable) camera, the question from the mom was “why didn’t you bring your good camera?” as if I thought this event was beneath my equipment.

I responded, “you said bring a camera, I did.”

“But I was hoping you could get some pictures at the (nearby) park.” She replied.

“So...did you invite me or my camera?” I asked.

I paused, sensing her rage and said “what kind of picture were you looking for?” She told me a picture of their family with the trees and garden nearby. I reassured her that the camera I brought (a Canon Powershot 590) would do just fine and I thought would be more discreet with the guests. Long story short: Dad (the person who invited me first) and family got a nice portrait that sits 8x10 on their fireplace.

I’ll save the “it’s only good because it’s a good camera” discussion for another day.


Maybe the parents don’t have the time to properly document an important event. Maybe they want to make sure someone competent with a camera attends. Maybe they want this for free.

Fine. Just say so though (although I probably won’t do it for nothing...or maybe I will). But be up front. If you want a properly documented event, inviting me - the photographer - is a more likely route to get what you want. Invite me - the guest - and you’ll get that.

I’ve run across a couple instances where the latter is invited and the former expected and I cut that off quick now. Never, never, never has it led to a future opportunity. It nearly leads to more of the same. And at times, when I’ve arrived as a guest - to leave the host disappointed - it’s resulted in friction in the relationship.

Why go down that path?

If you invite me as a guest, I’ll probably bring a camera. It may be a digital SLR, a point and shoot, or even my cell phone. I’ll take pictures because I like doing it. I may take some pretty good pictures. But I’m there for your company and the company of fellow guests.

I’m really not trying to be a jerk, but think if you were a doctor, and all you were invited for was for free medical advice. Or the accountant being peppered with tax questions before the first bite of cake?

Nobody wants to be lied to. So just be up front. We’ll all have a better time.

Favorite Photographs

This will be a recurring theme. I'd like share my favorite photographs, either my own, or from other influences and why I like them. Forgive my attempts at 'artspeak.'

Erich Hartmann (1922-1999)
Click on image to be taken directly to owner and larger image.

Girl in bus and figures in street during snowstorm (1967) Copyright Erich Hartmann/Magnum Photos

I love the ambiance created of the comfort of the warm bus contrasting with the cold of the street outside. I also love the contrast and contradiction to our normal association with dark and light representing evil and good, respectively. In this case, the dark interior of the bus is the place of comfort, while the stark white exterior is the place of suffering.

The other contrast I love is the feeling of solitude from the girl, despite being jammed in with the other commuters. Meanwhile the crowd outside is anything but wrapped in solitude, struggling with fellow citizens battling a common enemy outside.

My Favorite Camera - right now

It's the iPhone 4s.

Oh man, he's one of those guys. Well, come back later because the gushing shall begin in 3...2...

One of the biggest reasons I love this device with a camera (is that OK, purists?) is because it's always with me. Pretty much every waking hour, this is close at hand.

If one reads about many of the prolific photographers of today, they'll often claim that they always have a camera with them. Well, so do I. It isn't a bulky Digital SLR, or some pricey rangefinder, or whatever. It just happens to be part of my phone.

Look, I'm not saying it's the best camera. It's just my favorite right now. I own and use better equipment. My DSLR is the camera I use for action, and when speed of operation is paramount. My Micro-4/3 camera is my choice for travel to location where I hope to gather pictures along with the other activities of the trip, and my lightweight, high-quality output camera. Short of action, it will do anything I need, in a light package.

Howver, 90% of the photos I take don't require that kind of quality. They're not going up 20x30 on the wall, and in most cases are going online, or in a scrapbook or photo album. I'll talk about the quality needed in the real world in another post.

The paltry 8 Megapixels of resolution are more than enough for what they're going to be used for. And let's say I really hit one out of the park artistically...if the best I get out of it is an 8x10, well so be it.

Wouldn't you want to have the best quality in the event you got that great, lucky shot? 

Well, ideally - yes. But I played that game too many times and got burned leaving my camera in the car or backpack or worse, at home simply because I found it too cumbersome.

So what's worse? Less technical quality or no image at all? I'll take the former each time.

The iPhone is not my choice when I'm shooting "Art" (capital A) photos. But is its the choice for the art (small a) in my life and it does the job quite well.

Film is dead (to me)

When I was 16, I dusted off my mother's Canon AE-1 from the closet and loaded up some film.

I went out to shoot - had no idea what was going on with the camera except how to focus, and fired away.

I opened up the camera and wound the film back into the canister.

Yeah - you read that right. Ruined the whole roll.

But - from that point, I enjoyed putting the camera to my eye, framing the shot and the joy of hearing the shutter click. There is still nothing like it. I'll fire off frames just for the sake of doing it. At least now, I can just press the delete button.

As much as I hate to do it, I'm parting ways with my Voigtlander Bessa-R (at left). I'll miss it (a little), as I've always had a fascination with the Leica and Contax rangefinder cameras that were the photojournalist's tools for years. Not having the budget for either of those (Leica film bodies run for over $2000 new, and the lenses...well, a lot), I opted for the cult-following, well made and value-priced Bessa.

Nevermind the fact that I was full into digital when I bought in in 2008. However, I had this fantasy that with this camera, I was going to do photography the right way, by shooting Black & White film, and developing it on my own. I'd scan the negatives to get what I needed.

Riiiiiight....

After scanning my first negatives (from a color test roll), cleaning off the dust spots, color correcting the file, etc., etc. I gave up that notion quickly.

OK, I could get the film processed at the drugstore and have some digital files made. Then anything I really wanted to work on - I could scan that. At $10-12 total cost for the film and processing, my starved wallet killed that idea.

And so, this elegant camera sat, with it's cute little Russian made lens I swiped from a cheap, Russian made Leica copy in a box for a couple of years.

It's a bummer, because this camera handles wonderfully, is light, a conversation piece and I've taken some very nice pictures with it.

Not at $10 a roll nice, though. And it's going to get worse.

Kodak (!) of all companies is essentially dead, and is selling off its film business. Yeah, that Kodak. Fujifilm (my favorite) has trimmed its offerings as well, despite being relatively healthy in that business.

As a final insult, Nikon - the camera brand emblazoned on the journalist's machines throughout the 70's and 80's and the vehicle by which Paul Simon loved to take photographs with the now-dead Kodachrome has now forbidden film photographs from its contests.

How far its come in such a short time.

Film is not dead, it will live in a niche for likely several years to come. But it is going the way of the LP record, an expensive niche to connoisseurs.

I started my hobby on film. I owned some pretty decent film gear. I have other cameras (including the AE-1) just for the sake they're cheap and neat.

And I had time and money to make film work, when I bothered to get it developed. Today I don't have either.

Film got me started, but digital is what made me a photographer. Without digital, there's no way I could hope to attain proficiency in crafting images. I have no intention of going back. Film is dead to me.

Ok, here we go

Welcome to my site, The Middle Class Photographer . My name is Jason and I've been a photo hobbyist, student of the art, and semi-pro (I got paid for pictures) for the last 25 years.

Let's get this out of the way now: I am not a full-time professional, I do not have a photography degree (or even a degree in the arts). I am a layman, although I believe an educated one. If this bothers you, then thanks for visiting and good luck on your web travels.

Otherwise, I created this site to keep my interest in the art of photography sharp while working a 8-5 (and then some) job, and while raising a young family.

Photography is my avocation, and I'm very passionate about it. I do spend the little free time I have practicing the art, studying, reading, and growing my knowledge.

I don't claim to be an authority, but - when I do talk, it is at least from a position of some experience, study or knowledge. At the very least, it's food for discussion - for the rest of us. There are millions of people who practice the art of photography - that is, those that care about the work they produce for its artistic value - that don't have the MFA, or cash a paycheck.

This is my audience. Learning about and elevating the art, and becoming better artists while living in the real world. Yes - many of us, myself included would love to do this full time. But the real world has other plans.

It doesn't mean we can't enjoy the show. I hope you enjoy the site.

- Jason