Lumix and the L mount alliance in 2025

I have had several camera bodies that use the L mount system. Starting with the original Lumix S5, the Leica SL2-s, Blackmagic 6k Full Frame, and now the Lumi S5iix. As we are 2 months into 2025, I thought it was time to discuss the Lens mount and what I think we can see this year.

Donald- Hurricane Helene Survival story

Recently I had the absolute heart breaking task of meeting and telling Donald’s story. Donald, as you will witness, has a heroic story to retell, and you are invited to sit and relive his events as he recalls them. If you are seeing this, the need is still very great and these people still need so much. I hope the telling of his journey can help shine a light on the community that is in such dire need. I would very much appreciate sharing of this video to help make sure as many people see it as possible. I say that, not for my benefit, but to benefit these communities that have been ravaged by this natural disaster.

Meet Donald, and be prepared to feel.

Made in partnership with Brian Verdolino, and cell phone footage was provided by another survivor. Amanda, thank you for those clips.

Inspiration for 2025

Well, it that time of year when everyone has better intentions and the time of year we usually fall on our face. I want to make a change, and by finding inspiration to get me moving early in the year, well I think this gives me the advantage. If you love photo books, if you love to create anything at all, or if you just like hearing me talk for some reason. Please take a look at my latest video!

Thank you in advance!

J

My favorite Nikon lens for video with the Z system.

Hello and welcome to my website. You have found yourself on my blog ( are we still doing this in 2024? ) and I have decided to just use this place to share my thoughts on stuff I am interested in at any given time. My interests at the moment are video first, shooting film, photo, gaming, and getting outside. Most of those aren’t new but you may be new here so there you go, you are caught up. If you prefer to watch me talk about this, jump to the bottom of this article and I have left the link to my Youtube video.

In this share, I want to talk about my favorite lens for the Nikon Z6iii but today, especially for video work. Spoiler Alert, this lens is fantastic. Its wonderful at everything except extreme low light because the Nikon 24-120 is only an F4 lens. F4??? Get out of here. I can here the snobs already jumping in and swinging that they need more bokeh. What if I told you a good photographer / videographer can find a way to make wonderful work no matter the F stop. OH SHIT.. shots fired over here. I already know that my fellow film shooters get this fact.

Ok so why do I love the 24-120? Obviously the number 1 reason is the versatility of this focal range. You can cover so many prime focal lengths in the 24-120 range. This makes it easy to be the ONLY lens you pack. Ok so on to reason number 2, and that is the weight. This lens is light and really balances well on the Z6iii body. Makes it a joy to use. Number 3 is because its sharp. It is in the S line of Nikon lenses means it meets the best quality optically. Lastly, the autofocus is sticky in the best kind of way. Its extremely useful, and balanced option for video.

If you are looking for the video you can find that here:

Nikon Z6iii Review- No BullSh!t

Hello again. As I lean more into making things on Youtube, this option falls to the wayside. I am often torn or conflicted about wether I should write here more often, and discuss my thoughts for those who prefer to read but I prefer the visual delivery. So I wont ramble but please take a few minutes to watch the video and let me know what you think. What questions can I answer for you?

Fujifilm XT5 in 2024?

Another week and another video talking about why I chose the XT5 over other options and how I feel about that decision. Love to hear your thoughts.

Leica M10 Accessories that I use daily.

Just here to drop another Youtube link for my latest video talking about some bits and bobs I use on my Leica M10 Monochrom. If you have other suggestions feel free to let me know what those are.

Issac + Grace Linville Falls Engagement Session

Hey all and welcome to this entry. I would start by admitting that this session was very special for me. I have been photographing Grace for years now so it feels very natural that I had the honor to capture another timeless moment for Grace and her family. I have been lucky to not only photograph her but to meet her family, and her mom specifically. Julz is amazing and I feel very connected to her though our sessions as well, so when she text me a few months ago asking if I would be interested / available to photograph a surprise proposal, I couldn’t say no! ( NOT THAT I WOULD ANYWAY) Isaac, who is now Grace’s fiance had asked Julz to help plan the entire event, and what an event it was. The weather, cars breaking down, and them finding me without letting her know what was going on were all speed bumps we had to navigate on the day but we are resilient. The day was perfect and she said yes and that leads us here. Well it led us to Linville, North Carolina and to chasing waterfalls. Linville Falls is stunning and the weather was fantastic. All of the images in this post of from time together capturing their official engagement photos as we count the days, and Grace knows to the day, until we capture another special moment for these two. The wedding is coming fast!

I know, I know. Thats ALOT of photos for one post right but how do I choose? How would I narrow these down further. Yes further, because I have more still. It was a magical afternoon, recording moments between these two, and watching as they silently connect over and over again. I love adventures like these and I am ready for the next. Who has next??? Email me and lets plan your adventure together.

J

Fujifilm Lenses I recommend in 2024

The more I use the Youtube the less I write here, hence the last few posts directly asking you to visit my channel for more information. This continues today as I made a video discussing the Fujifilm lenses I am currently using, and what my thoughts are on them. Go check it out! Please

The photo community is truly special

If you are reading this, you may or may not know my story. I think I may make a video about me in the future so just know I have been a photographer for almost 2 decades now. Through this art form of capturing moments in time either on film or a digital sensor, I have made the most incredible friends. I have made things that broke my heart, but also made things that fill me with joy as well. I have captured so many things in this time but one of the things that stick with me most is the connections created. The friendships formed over a mutual interest. Shared meals, coffee, and drinks to talk or collaborate. The list goes on and on and on. I hope to be a part of your story as well. Please take a few moments to watch me talk about this in the video above and please consider subscribing to follow me on this journey that is Youtube.

Shoot film with me and the Hasselblad 500c

Continuing to share my work from Youtube here to help generate traffic and honestly to help motivate myself to keep making them. What should I make next?

Anyone?

I have since traded my beloved Hasselblad ( missing it dearly ) for a camera I have always wanted, the Roleiflex TLR. My friend Joshua had one and we traded for a period to try them out and we never traded back. The world of photography is special!

Screen shot from when my beard was cooler than it is now LOL

Long Term Leica SL2S review.

I am a lucky guy to have owned a couple of Leicas over my career, the m240, M3, M6, SL2S, and now an M10 Monochrom so what do I think about the SL2S from a professionals perspective? Well Ill just cut to the spoiler, I love it. Everything about it, almost. I would recommend you check the video below for a more in depth conversation on my thoughts and feelings of this beautiful piece of machinery.

Thanks for being here and I look forward to seeing you over there, on Youtube.

A photographers take on journaling

What’s up everyone! Mixing it up today and digging into one of my favorite tools as a person who makes stuff daily. That isn’t always a video or a photograph, even though it mostly is. Sometimes its just making lists of To Dos or wish lists and I might put down other creative ideas.

This is why today I wanna touch on journaling, and putting thoughts to paper. I want to admit up front that I am not great at this but, its something I am working on. Some days are heavier than others, and on those days maybe I will jot down how I am feeling or whats going on in life, but mostly I pack the stuff away in my mind somewhere deep but instead I catch myself writing down anything else I can think of. I mostly use a journal or notebook for my daily To Dos. Having a place where my tasks can live, help me remember them but also gives me a quick reference when my memory takes a crap and I cant remember what I needed to do. This can be as simple as putting down that I need to do some laundry today, or take out the trash. These types of things rarely need reminders because I run into them physically when I am home for the day right but what about the others things? I write them down.

Taking notes like this, or journaling, isn’t a new practice for many people. Its therapeutic, its historic, and its just a nice tool to help organize all the thoughts in one place. There are many other videos about this but what I want to touch on is getting started. It can be hard if you are a guy especially, or just someone who doesn’t access your feeling and thoughts often. I am that guy. So for me the best way to get started was just making these To do lists. Daily. For me, getting into the habit of the act of writing down makes the next day easier, but it also makes writing easier because its not so foreign anymore. I know that there are other people out there like me so trust me when I say ,start small and with things you KNOW you can accomplish. The reward of checking those boxes off makes it much more enjoyable to attempt the process the next day, and then the next. As you get into a rhythm then write it all down. Whatever you want. There are NO rules here y’all. This is your notebook. This is your property, and this is your safe space. Share it with anyone you like but keep it close to your chest if that makes you feel better about being free to write for yourself. Peter Mckinnon talks about how he uses his notebook and I found it be be very inspiring so if you haven’t seen that then I will link it here. I tried to keep a notebook in my pocket daily to start but quickly, and I mean lighting fast remembered, I hate having shit in my pockets. I love knives but they better have a pocket clip or a belt clip. My phone goes in the back pocket and my keys stay magnetically out of the way and out of my pocket thanks to my Alpaca clip. I tried carrying my chest pack daily ( still try to ) and this helped because then I could add my Kindle to the bag and have my books readily available as well but lets face it. Im old and chest packs are probably for the younger man, and Im not small so I sweat, so this is also an issue. When I do carry my chest pack I still keep extra notebooks and pens just in case though.

So what have I found as my solution? I went to the Google in search of a notebook cover that would also double as my new wallet. After a little looking around on Etsy, I took a chance and picked up a great solution though Im afraid it will be short lived but only because I think I will upgrade to a higher quality leather option. Having my wallet is a necessity and having access to my notes is as well. So having them combined is incredible. It is larger than I prefer but its winter here so hoodies are back. This makes carrying it easy. Once summer comes this may have to be switched up, but for now I couldn’t be happier. For my notebooks, I found these on Amazon that are bulleted and makes checking the box even easier and they were affordable as well. For the pen I currently use, the kid in me is pumped to use this pen I found on Amazon as well. I find it interesting for a few reasons. To start the metal design gives me hopes that it will last longer than a plastic option. Its is a red, and black pen combined with a mechanical pencil all in one. Thats not unusual obviously but what is interesting is how it works. Its gravity fed so basically, whichever option you are looking at, say black ink for the example, is what is dispensed when you click it into action. If you have a better option or something that works for you that might also work for me I would appreciate your input. I would also like to know what works for you even if its similar to my approach. I also just love pens and paper so any tips and tricks for your favorites would be well received.

Fujifilm Xpro3 Review in 2024

I have tried many cameras, and many brands but as of writing this, I am enjoying shooting Fujifilm again. I made a video discussing my thoughts on the Xpro 3 years after its release. If you shoot Fuji, or are curious to why I bought a second Xpro3 then please watch the video for a better summary. .

Arizona on Medium Format

Today is November 17th, 2023. Atlas turned 12 yesterday, Jaryn got accepted to TCAT and will start trade school in January, and Austin is working and going to school full-time. Proud is an understatement but proud I am. I woke up today to a notification that my little YouTube channel hit 500 subscribers and I am beside myself about it. So thats the short version of me catching you up to whats new at least this week. Oh Natasha also bought a new car yesterday and it’s amazing.

The texture in the desert is truly majestic

So as I mentioned above, Natasha and I finally took time to have a honeymoon of sorts this year. We have been married 13 years as of August and while we wait for our matching tattoos to commemorate the milestone, we took a trip. She was already in Arizona for the Brave Enough Conference so we decided that I would fly in solo to Phoenix to meet her. From Phoenix we grabbed a rental car and headed 2 hours North to Sedona and my goodness I wasn’t prepared for the desert and the majesty of it all. I have seen photos and videos but seeing it in person is truly something different. I shot tons of film and those wont be on this post but I wanted to share my images from the Hasselblad X1dii and the 45mm lens. I honestly do not think these do it justice but at least you can get an idea of how I tried to capture what I was experiencing. I plan to make a Youtube video talking about the trip but here are the images!

Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading, and thank you for supporting my small business and dream of creating daily.

Walking around Bays Mountain with a new camera

Hey, has anyone told you how difficult it is to work full time, run a business full time, and manage ALL THE SOCIALS? It is dumb. Really dumb. I post to Instagram, Vero, Threads, X, Facebook, and try to make content for Youtube as time and life allows. Todays entry is one of those attempts. I picked up a camera I have been eyeballing for years, and made the most of a hot ass, humid Southern morning and went out and shot all morning. This video is me taking you with me on that morning. I would love and appreciate if you saw it, to subscribe, like, and comment on the video. I get little feedback so its hard to know what to do differently for you all! Roll the video 3….2….1…..

CLICK ME TO SEE THE NEW VIDEO :)

Faces of Knoxville

Welcome!