TOP reader and old photo-friend Mark Roberts stopped by Penn Yan for lunch today. He was en route to Rochester on a very red and swoopy motorcycle. I first met Mark in person years ago at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. Actually I "e-met" him long before that on the PDML, the Pentax-Discuss Mailing List, where he was one of the most measured, friendly and knowledgeable voices among that chorus of measured, friendly and knowledgeable voices.
I spoke at Grandfather Mountain, at the Camera Clinic, one of two summer PDML group gatherings at the landmark park. I always figured I didn't do a very good job—my talk, about "reification and redacting," was a little dry and short on entertainment—but Mark told me at lunch that some of my comments were part of the inspiration for the PDML Photo Annuals, printed collections of participants' pictures that the mailing group produces every year. That make me feel better. I got to look through three of the recent annuals, and it was both nice looking at so many fine pictures and also seeing names still familiar from my years on the PDML. Back issues are available, and sales benefit the Global Health Initiative of Boston Children's Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The PDML is the nicest forum you'll ever hang out on, and I mean it. And I'll give you a little secret tip—don't tell anyone there I told you—you don't actually need to be shooting Pentax currently to participate. Some PDML denizens are people who just appreciate the low-key, accepting and courteous online community and are only Pentax sympathizers or former Pentax shooters. (You do have to use either a Pentax body or lens to get a picture into the Annual, however. Seems fair.)
As you can see from the picture of Mark, "former Pentax shooter" doesn't describe him. First time I've seen a real K-1 in person so to speak. There's a nice new 35mm lens for that camera, too, I learned just recently.
Anyway, if you'd like to join yourself or just test the waters, the address is PDML.net. It's a nice community.
Mark teaches Photoshop, among other arty and design-y subjects, at Lasell University in Newton, Massachussetts, and he's doing some fascinating and impressive work right now with blended and merged non-HDR HDR images. Good to see you again Mark!
Mike
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Featured Comments from:
Ned Bunnell: "For those who don’t know Mark, he has some wonderful photographs on his Instagram account."
A Pentax K-10D, purchased in 2007, was my first digital ILC. Bought it with the DA* 16-50 and 50-135 zooms. One of the first DSLRs with IBIS, IIRC. Sold them late last year for the Sony a6500 and the SonyZeiss 16-70, Sony 10-18, and Sigma DN 30. Was happy with the results from the Pentax, thought it was a well laid-out camera that seemed to be designed by photographers, but wanted something lighter and more compact, and the Sony meets that requirement. The Pentax seemed a bit more "engaging", though, and I don't get that same sense from the Sony, although it is a fine photographic tool, and would take a far better photographer than I am to exceed its' capabilities.
Posted by: Mike Potter | Friday, 16 August 2019 at 07:02 PM
Notice how color-coordinated Mark is? His camera and its L-Plate, his clothes and his lovely Triumph all have those red and black tone.
Posted by: Ludwig Heinrich | Saturday, 17 August 2019 at 10:52 PM
The "new" 35mm lens is actually an old design to which they added new HD coatings. It's a fine lens nonetheless, very very sharp, gorgeous rendering and still light and nice to use. And not expensive at all for what you get - a molded glass aspherical lens element, instead of the hybrid aspherical (glass+plastic) that is so common nowadays.
Posted by: Chris | Tuesday, 20 August 2019 at 09:15 AM