1 January 2012

This image is the singular exception to the series, being shot with a Nikon D200 instead of the Canon 5D MKII.

I began my professional career in 1972 with the challenge of photographing the Democratic and Republican presidential conventions, both held in Miami, Beach, Florida. I was freelancing with various news bureaus.

As a struggling 18 year-old photojournalist, the prospects of affording a Nikon was an impossible scenario. I employed a Yashica TL Electro (http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Yashica_TL), which was the best camera I could afford and also manage to scrape enough up for a 28mm wide angle Vivitar and a 300mm Spiratone telephoto lens.

After the summer conventions concluded I had sold enough work to enable the purchase of the camera in this photo. It is a 1970 Nikon FTn with a magnificent Nikkor 50mm f1.4 lens. I decided to shoot the image with a Nikon to honor the decades this incredible tool resided in my bag and then studios. I retired her in 1990, however after untold thousands of rolls of film she is still in perfect working order.

This image was realized with a classic Nikkor 105mm f2.5 prime lens. In my opinion, still one of the finest short telephoto lenses ever manufactured.

I processed the RAW file in Photoshop and added a bit of noise to emulate the classic look of Kodak Tri-X film.