Lomo 800 Winter Light

2021 - Back to Composition

We’ve left the dumpster fire that is 2020 behind us, and a new year gives us a sense of refocus self improvement. I’m a resolution kind-of-guy. And it’s really because my stubbornness is tied directly to my refusal to fail. After completing one of those miserable #photo366 projects, I found that photography skills can’t be forced to grow. I mean, you know how many cat pictures I snapped to get my photo in for the day?

But I digress. This year’s focus is on composition. Color has always been a crutch of mine - I lean heavily on it while maybe not finding the best way to use it in the frame. So we kicked off 2021 with a goal to focus on natural frames in January, of which I basically took one shot. That that doesn’t mean I ditched composition as a whole. I popped a roll of Lomo 800 in my trusty Pentax 67 and hunted for compositions in the quaint town of Manteo, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

I am a big sucker for reflections, and in the Outer Banks, when those winds give the islands a rest it turns the canals to glass. Already a treasure of a place with its deserted beaches, beautiful sunrises and sunsets and iconic lighthouses, but when the weather place nice it’s nearly heaven.

High contrast scenes are always a personal favorite, and the multicoatings on the Pentax 67 lenses have no issues with shooting into that setting sun. I’ve grown to appreciate the winter light more than ever, as that low sun throughout the day casts long shadows. It’s like a natural boost to the contrast slider.

And the beauty of the Pentax 67 105mm flare. If you know it, you know it. You can spot it anywhere once you learn that pink orb belongs to one of the best lenses of all time, in my opinion.