Author name: John Pemberton

John Pemberton is a retired Marketing Scientist who’s vocation is now teaching Statistics, Economics and Marketing Research as a university lecturer. He is also a photographer. He has been fascinated by the power of cameras since the age of 10. Aside from a semester of photography as a junior in high school, he is self taught. His fascination began with a Kodak Instamatic. Technical skills developed and honed using a manual Petri 2.8 rangefinder. The fascination was rediscovered in the digital age with an Olympus PEN E-PL1. He currently shoots digitally with an Olympus M1, PEN - F and on film with a Petri 2.8.

The Gratitude Project – By John Pemberton

It’s that time of the year.  Joy felt Holiday celebrations are ramping up and resolutions are being planned to contribute to a brighter year ahead.  Photographers make resolutions as well.  Most frequently these relate to various year long projects that require us to make pictures on some scheduled basis, a switch in media or a different aesthetic forcing us to escape our creative cocoon.

Farewell to a Friend – Nearly a Whole Roll – By John Pemberton

In 45 years, I can count the number of cameras I have taken meaningful pictures with by using the fingers of two hands.  Three of these cameras are still in regular rotation.  Another is well maintained and could be of service if called upon.  Two were traded in for upgrades along the way.   Three now rest peacefully in happier pastures.  Of these three, a Ricoh KR-30 Program, sits as a potential organ donor on a shelf in California.  Two sit on a bookcase in the Photo-den of my house, a shelf below a stash of film and chemicals and a shelf above a growing collection of photobooks.  They share the shelf with relics from Jenny’s family, 2 – 100 year old box cameras that work but with no right sized film to be found.

Revisiting Glimpses and Opening a Door – By John Pemberton

Several months ago, one of my first posts on this site was titled “Glimpses at the Conservatory.”  It documented the development and near completion of a photography project I had been working on for several years.  I ended the piece with some thoughts on final opportunities to add images to the collection gallery and then how to wrap the project up and what to do with it.

The Life and Death of a Ricoh KR-30sp Program – By John Pemberton

That isn’t really what this article was supposed to be titled.  If things had gone differently it would have been “Last of the Kodachrome”.

My life with 35mm photography began in HS in the mid 80’s with a class taken the spring of my junior year.  My first camera, one I still own and shoot with is a Petri 2.8.  You can read about it here.  It was a 1960’s era hand me down and I shot exclusively with it for a year and a half.  During this time, I found room for a bathroom darkroom with a Beseler 35.

The next big gear acquisition was when I graduated from HS.  My family of aunts and uncles knew what I wanted and indeed had been helping me with my passion since I got started.  Everyone pooled their collective monetary congratulations and I was able to purchase my first 35mm SLR.

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