Thanks for being here another week.
You can find past issues here:
Every week I pick some recent events I’d like to share with my Substack amigos, so here’s the new issue.
I don’t always shoot color, but when I do…
I go Cyberpunk mode. Or at least, it’s what I’d like to think when using Cinestill 800T or Kodak Vision 3 500T. If you’ve been here a couple of times, you know my true love is black and white, but the Cyberpunk aesthetic is something that catches my eye all the time.
I shot these images with my… “polemic” Nikon F3 (which I will discuss in the next topic).
Honestly, they don’t have enough neon to be Cyberpunk, but anyway, they are cool.
Do you like tacos?
Because I do.
I went to my closest taquería and shot scenes of taco making. Those images illustrate the “street food” version rather than the “restaurant touristy” ones.
Don’t let my maybe not so great pictures make you think otherwise. I love to eat them almost every week.
I plan to keep shooting 800T
Yes, but mostly after dark. I really like night photography. This might be the only drawback of being married to analog photography. There are only Delta or TMax 3200 if you want to play on the safe side.
ISO 800 might be enough if you have a fast lens. Fortunately, I possess a Vöigtlander Ultron 40 mm f/1.8 that makes the job easier and achievable.
Shattered Dreams: The Nikon F3 Story
When I returned to analog photography in March of 2025, I wanted to go all bells and whistles mode by purchasing my dream camera: the Nikon F3. I paid more than I’d ever paid for an old camera, but being in mint condition, I thought it was worth it.
After it arrived, I was excited to shoot the rest of my life with it. However, the honeymoon was short.
I was in a flea market like two or three months later (not sure, to be honest), when I had the chance to hold a Barnack Leica in my filthy hands (I didn’t know at the time that M models and Barnacks were different beasts).
Don’t ask me what it was that made me fall in love immediately with that Leica. It was small, ergonomic, and heavy, but just enough to feel sturdy. Damn. I wanted to take it home. Especially when the F3 is big and heavy, not to mention that lenses are massive. It feels like you’re carrying a shotgun and not a camera.
The seller asked the equivalent of 1000 USD. Too much, even pricier than what I’d paid for the Nikon F3 and Voigtlander lens combo.
I thought, Leicas are not for me.
But it was a lie. I just didn’t want to admit it.
I learned everything I could about it and looked at eBay for hours, searching for the “best” model for me.
After thinking for a day or two if I should do it, I finally pulled the trigger the night of that Sunday.
Since I’ve had it, I’ve only shot no more than five rolls of the fifty-seven I’ve shot (so far) this year. Not even ten percent.
Why am I sharing this story with you?
Because I’m a one-camera man. In the past, before joining the analog photography church, I just had a Fuji X-T1, and before it, a Canon Rebel XS.
Not because I couldn’t get more cameras, it’s that I just want to have the minimum gear I need to enjoy my photography.
And now, having an expensive Nikon F3, Yashica Mat LM, Agfa Billy I, Olympus XA3, and Konica C35 besides the Leica IIIF, the pressure has been increasing.
Why do you need so many cameras? I ask myself.
As usual, when in doubt, I reach out to the photography community on Substack. Many photo amigos have been feeling this, but they tend to keep their cameras anyway.
Others told me to just sell it.
Others advised me to be careful with regret, and this is the main reason I decided to keep them all for now. I think I’ve been using my Olympus XA3 too much the last few weeks, so using the manual cameras doesn’t feel as fun.
However, when they’re in my hands, I enjoy all these cameras. They all have a purpose. Unlike digital, where you can even see in the dark with 12800 ISO, each one of mine serves a purpose, so I will start using them more, rotating often, and enjoying them, because they are also part of photography history.
So thanks, amigos. I was about to sell at least the F3, but it’s staying home, where it belongs. It might not be the spoiled one anymore, but her beauty and performance cannot be denied. I’m sure it will outlast me.
Of Prints and Zines
I think it’s a natural step when you start to feel comfortable with your work and the desire to have it printed starts to grow.
This is what’s been happening to me lately (and I’m seeing this more frequently on Substack as well). However, starting is hard.
What to print? What paper? Where to print? How do I know if pictures will look the same on paper as on screen? Should I sell them? What price? You get the idea.
Hopefully, good people like Birgitte have started a blog series on zines. You might want to follow her process and pick one or two tricks for your zine.
It seems like Mixam or Blurb, or any fancy services, only work pretty well in the USA, Canada, or some European countries. No love for Mexico, so it doesn’t surprise me. We have a pretty good printing industry here; I just need to keep up my research and pick a provider.
However, I need to actually make the zine first.
For now, I’ve decided to go full DIY. I got some paper, I have a decent printer, and I have a long-arm stapler. I’ll go this mode until I’m happy, and then I’ll release my first one.
However, as I cannot wait to see some prints, I took advantage of a promo that a photo lab offered. It was 20 A4 prints on cotton paper 190 g/m² for some cash. I received them yesterday, and I’m pleased with the results.
It’s not the best paper life has to offer, but it’s good enough for now. I think I will sell some of them at a reduced price or maybe gift them to friends. We will see.
However, printing is something I’d like to explore a lot more in 2026.
Hopefully, good Rick will have his first zine soon. A dream I’ve had since I started doing photography.
Goodies of the Week
I’m trying to share some cool photography stuff I consume that helps or inspires my work. Hopefully, you might find them interesting.
Movie Inspiration: Psycho (1960)
A few weeks ago, I published “Long Live Black and White” where I described why I love black and white so much. One of my sources of inspiration is classic black and white cinema.
This week was the turn of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960).
Good old Alfred used one of my all time favorite film stocks to shoot it: Kodak Eastman Double-X 5222. I mean, take a look at these frames from the movie.
Thanks to John L. Russell, Director of Photography, for those wonderful compositions, one of the things that really stand out in this movie.
Article Inspiration
There’s a lot of talented people in this (still) lovely social network. I can’t read all I would like because life happens, but I did my best this week and these caught my attention.
For the second week in a row, the good Søren is being featured in this humble section. The man lives and breathes art. Not only sharing awesome photographers, but also his work is something to admire. Check out his article.
The Stripes Have It — søren k. harbel
My friend Justin, from The Negative Influence podcast, hit a home run this week with “The Possession of Justin Allen”. I love when the Substack community encourages you to try new things. I can speak from experience.
The Possession of Justin Allen — Justin Allen- Photographer
That’s it.
This was a long one. I hope you enjoyed it. Don’t get used to seeing me posting color pictures, as black and white and I are bonded forever.
Just as my F3 with me…