Eight months ago I launched Casual Photophile, and in that time the site has quickly become one of the most intellectually rewarding endeavors with which I’ve ever been involved. In this short time the site’s readership has grown at an astounding rate, and I’m thankful for every visitor. I’ve also been given the opportunity to play with an incredible number of cameras, met countless interesting and friendly people, and learned a lot about this hobby of ours.
I’d like to take a moment to thank every one of you who have visited the site. Additional thanks go out to all those friends I’ve met out in the field when shooting. And a special thanks to those who have reached out in the comments, on Facebook, Ello, or on Instagram. It means a lot to connect with friends from all over the world to discuss cameras and photography. This is, in fact, the entire purpose of the site. So thank you, to every one of you.
As 2014 winds down, I’ve put together a collection of posts from this past year. These are a collection of some of the site’s most popular posts, some of my personal favorites, and some that you may have missed.
Thanks again, have a great new year, and keep checking in to Casual Photophile for everything that’s to come in 2015.
#1 Minolta Autocord Medium Format Camera Review
First on the list is a post that was a long time coming. The Autocord was sitting in the queue for weeks and weeks, until finally I couldn’t stand it anymore. On a particularly beautiful summer day, a friend and I took a stroll through a coastal park and put the machine through its paces. The camera’s reputation for incredible quality of build and optical fidelity proved accurate, and it’s become one of my favorite, affordable medium-format cameras.
#2 5 Tips for Street Photography Beginners
This post was written early on, and quickly became one of the more popular posts on the site. These five tips will be fairly well-covered to those who are familiar with street shooting, but for the beginner they will prove invaluable. This article was inspired during an evening in Boston with a friend who was new to street photography. He’s pretty damn good now. Much better than I, actually.
#3 Noteworthy lenses Nikkor 20mm ƒ/3.5
What’s a camera without a lens? It became clear pretty early on that I’d have to spend some time examining the amazing lenses made throughout the years. Eventually I worked my way to one of Nikon’s ultra-wide Nikkors. It didn’t disappoint. With such an interesting perspective it quickly became one of my favorite lenses to shoot. Sure, at ƒ/3.5 it’s not the fastest lens out there, but that’s okay. The whole point is to have fun, and this is one of the most enjoyable focal lengths to shoot.
#4 Best Cameras for Travel – Film and Digital
Another personal favorite, these two posts also happen to be extremely popular with readers. While there are many, many cameras out there that are very good for travelers, these lists make up some of the best in my experience. Look forward to expansions to these lists in 2015. So many cameras…
#5 Canon Canonet QL17 – Ultimate Street Shooter?
This little gem was tested during a festival in Providence, Rhode Island. A camera from which I expected very little, I was pleasantly surprised. Image quality, ease of use, and pocket-ability are all top-notch, and I began to understand why some people say it’s the poor-man’s-Leica (an overused cliche). Still, a great little camera from the site’s early days.
#6 How to Zone Focus / Scale Focus
Another article posted due to its popularity, here I take a look at an important technique for street shooters, and anyone trying to capture action in crisp detail in situations where careful composition may be impractical. This technique is crucial to advancing your photography skills, and it’s a technique I employ nearly every time I’m holding a camera (as long as the lens has a focus scale). One of my favorite posts due to the inclusion of my fast-moving pup, he’s a perfect example of why zone focusing is so useful.
#7 Petri F1.9 Color Corrected Super Camera Review
We’ll end off with another post that was extremely popular, much to my surprise. An old rangefinder that I’d never heard of before, this camera surprised me even more than the popularity of its review. A lesser-known gem, the testing for this machine was performed at a massive fair in the middle of nowhere. Livestock, haunted houses, and clowns made for a wonderfully colorful background. Some good company didn’t hurt either.
And that will just about do it.
2014 has been a fantastic year for the site. I hope it’s been fantastic for everyone visiting, and I hope for nothing but good things for you all in 2015.
In the coming year I see nothing but expansion for Casual Photophile. With an update frequency increased from the current weekly schedule, greater traffic, and, of course, more cameras, I’m hoping you’ll all enjoy my work in the coming new year.
Thanks again.
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