05/30/09 Medium format photography gives you a big square negative instead of the rectangular one you get from 35mm film. Shooting square is a different way of looking at things. Composition changes drastically. I usually print borders on mine to show the image has not been cropped but is in fact square.

San Francisco Bay 1997

OK Corral Tombstone, AZ

Most of these images were taken with a beautiful 1940s twin reflex Mamiyaflex camera my uncle Thomas gave me. It used to belong to the Hollywood producer/agent Leland Hayward. Tom was one of his lawyers. Hayward was an avid photographer (among other things). I’ve seen his work and he was talented. He photographed most of the major stars in tinsel town in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s at one point or another. They were his friends and clients. It’s an odd feeling to look at his pix and think that they were likely taken with the same camera I’m now using.  At some point though he got tired of photography and gave all of his equipment to my uncle. I have Hayward’s darkroom which includes a magnificent German enlarger with a mirror inside that must be 2 inches thick.

Ellis Island Ferry

Ruined Bridge, Rock Creek Park