I'll Wait For You

Surviving is winning. Everything else is bullshit. - The Sledge

I Saw A Werewolf With A Chinese Menu In His Hand

A Parade Of Horribles is being released tomorrow. I wonder how early/late it will be available.

I haven't been this interested in a book release since Wolves of the Calla back in...What? 2003? Bought that on release day and read it from cover to cover in one day. 

Turn On, I See Red

MOG. I have a 4th generation iPod photo that just got a new battery. It went from around 20 minutes of "un-tethered" play time to...Let me check...14 hours, 9 minutes. Yeah, I'm calling that a win. 

What Is The Half-Life Of A Color TV?

Tiny Lens, Big Chaos: Using the 7Artisans 18mm f/6.3 on a Sony A6000

There are camera lenses designed by engineers in spotless laboratories with charts, graphs, and promises of “edge-to-edge sharpness.”

Then there is the 7Artisans 18mm f/6.3.

A lens that looks like someone accidentally glued a body cap to the front of a Sony A6000 and said, “Yeah, this should work.”

And somehow… it absolutely does.

The first thing you notice after mounting this microscopic pancake lens is how ridiculous the camera suddenly looks. The Sony A6000 transforms from “serious enthusiast camera” into “mysterious thrift store object from 1978.”

I love it immediately.

The Joy of Photographing Like It’s 1956

This lens has no autofocus. No image stabilization. No electronic contacts. No communication with the camera whatsoever. The camera basically reacts to this lens the same way a cat reacts to a cucumber.

To even take photos, you have to enable “Release shutter without lens” because the Sony assumes you forgot to attach one.

And honestly? Fair enough.

Using the 7Artisans feels less like photography and more like participating in a historical reenactment. Every shot becomes an adventure in approximation and optimism.

Direct Sunlight: The True Final Boss

Now let’s talk about the Sony A6000 screen and electronic viewfinder in direct sunlight.

Or rather, let’s talk about how both become completely useless the second the sun comes out.

Trying to compose shots outside feels like staring directly into a microwave door while guessing where your subject might be. The rear screen washes out instantly, and the EVF somehow manages to alternate between “barely visible” and “tiny glowing postage stamp.”

The attached flower photos are a perfect example of this experience.

In the first shot, I was approximately 83% sure the flowers were actually in frame.

In the second shot, I moved closer mostly because I gave up pretending I could see anything at all.

 

And yet somehow, despite shooting half-blind in full sunlight, the images came out with this dreamy, hazy, weirdly charming look that makes me forgive the entire experience. The soft edges, the glow, the slightly unpredictable rendering — it all feels less like modern digital photography and more like finding undeveloped film in an attic.

A Lens With Personality Disorders

Technically speaking, this lens is not good.

And I mean that affectionately.

Sharpness? Sometimes.
Contrast? Optional.
Flare resistance? Absolutely not.
Consistency? That’s adorable.

But the thing is, modern lenses are often so clinically perfect that they become boring. The 7Artisans 18mm feels alive. Every image has a little bit of chaos baked into it.

The flower shots especially show what this lens does best: bright colors, soft rendering, and a slightly vintage glow that makes everything feel nostalgic for absolutely no reason.

The Part That Both Amuses and Irritates Me

What really pushes this setup into full “mad scientist photography project” territory is the fact that I’m now realizing I probably need to carry a light meter.

A real one.

Because apparently I’ve decided that using this lens and my old Exakta lenses should involve as much unnecessary effort as possible.

There is something deeply funny about attaching vintage manual lenses to a digital mirrorless camera that contains more computing power than NASA had during the moon landing… only to stand in a field squinting at a handheld light meter like a newspaper photographer from 1963.

Am I annoyed by this? Absolutely.

Am I also weirdly entertained by it? Unfortunately, yes.

At this point, photography has become less about convenience and more about seeing how much nonsense I’m willing to tolerate in exchange for “character.”

Final Thoughts

The 7Artisans 18mm f/6.3 is objectively impractical in many ways.

But it is also one of the most entertaining lenses I’ve used in a long time.

It turns the Sony A6000 into a tiny experimental art machine. Every photo feels slightly accidental. Every outing feels unpredictable. And every successful image feels earned through a combination of stubbornness, luck, and sunlight-induced blindness.

Would I recommend it to everyone?

Absolutely not.

Would I keep using it anyway while muttering sarcastic complaints under my breath?

Without question.

You Might As Well Be Walking On The Sun

It annoys me that the best lenses for my Sony Mirrorless camera are manual lenses. Not that the lenses themselves are annoying, they are fun. It's the fact that the viewfinder is a video, rather than through the lens.

I'm literally going to have to rely on a light meter because the viewfinder and screen are so hard to use in the sun:

 

Senorita With Her Eyes On Fire

One of my co-workers has decided that I’m 85% Mexican, so with that in mind here is what I’ve learned about Cinco de Mayo.

First of all, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. Apparently that’s the cultural equivalent of thinking Taco Bell is authentic cuisine because it came with Diablo sauce packets and regret. Mexican Independence Day is actually September 16th, while Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Which, honestly, sounds like the kind of underdog story Americans should have turned into a movie starring either Chris Pratt or Danny Trejo by now.

This revelation alone has made me question every grocery store sombrero display I’ve ever seen.

See, growing up in the Midwest, Cinco de Mayo was explained to me as “Mexican St. Patrick’s Day,” which I accepted without hesitation because public schools in the 1990s were basically powered by laminated maps and vibes. Every year restaurants would suddenly hang colorful banners, stores would stock industrial quantities of tortilla chips, and somebody’s dad would wear a poncho he bought during the first Bush administration.

Now that I actually know a little more about it, the whole thing feels wonderfully chaotic. In Mexico, the holiday is mostly celebrated in Puebla, where the battle happened. In America, meanwhile, we turned it into a nationwide festival centered around tacos the size of hubcaps and margaritas that glow an unnatural shade of green. Somewhere along the way we collectively said, “You know what this historical military victory needs? Karaoke and queso dip.”

And honestly? Respect.

I’ve also learned that if you mention Cinco de Mayo around certain people, there’s a 75% chance they’ll suddenly become amateur historians. Someone who couldn’t identify France on a map yesterday will immediately launch into a TED Talk about Napoleon III. They’ll be standing there in a sleeveless Corona tank top saying things like, “Well actually, it symbolized resistance against European imperialism,” while holding a plastic cup containing what appears to be antifreeze and tequila.

Then there’s the food discourse. Every Cinco de Mayo somebody starts gatekeeping tacos like they’re protecting classified government secrets.

“Those aren’t real tacos.”

Listen. I’m from Indiana. If you hand me meat in a folded tortilla, I’m not calling the authenticity police. I’m eating it. We have entire counties here where “spicy” means black pepper. Lower your expectations.

But my favorite part of this whole experience is how my co-worker arrived at the conclusion that I’m “85% Mexican” in the first place. Not because of ancestry or cultural background, but because I apparently:

• eat alarming amounts of microwave burritos
• enjoy spicy chocolate cookies
• redacted 
• prefer Mexican coffee

Which, to be fair, is compelling evidence.

At this point I’m just leaning into it. I’ve accepted that every office needs a guy who gets way too excited about street corn and owns three different hot sauces labeled “EXTREME.” If that’s my role in society, so be it.

So this Drinko Cinco de Mayo, maybe take a second to appreciate the actual history behind the holiday. Then immediately ruin that educational moment by consuming an irresponsible amount of chips and salsa like the rest of us.

That, I believe, is what cultural exchange is all about.

Don't Believe Me If I Tell You

I didn't know that Def Leppard did a cover of Don't Believe A Word. Which is hilarious, considering I own the album the song is on.

It's Fantastic!

The Holga HL-N is a cheap, plastic toy-like lens for a Nikon F-mount camera. Any of them, really.

 Here is what ChatGPT has to say on the subject of this setup:

Dreamy Imperfection: Shooting with a Holga HL-N Lens on a Nikon D40x

There’s something slightly rebellious about mounting a plastic toy lens onto a digital SLR. Pairing the Holga HL-N lens—a lens inspired by lo-fi film photography—with the Nikon D40x creates a strange but compelling hybrid: part precision machine, part unpredictable art tool.

This blog post explores what happens when these two worlds collide.

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The Camera: A Capable but Simple DSLR

Released in 2007, the D40x sits firmly in the “entry-level DSLR” category—but don’t let that fool you. It packs a 10.2-megapixel sensor, solid image quality, and a compact, lightweight body that still feels good in the hand.

Its strengths are straightforward:

• Rich, natural color rendering
• Fast, responsive shooting for its class
• Simple controls that don’t overwhelm beginners

But it also has limitations that become very relevant with experimental lenses:

• No in-body autofocus motor (manual focus only with many lenses)
• Limited dynamic range compared to modern cameras
• Basic 3-point autofocus system

Ironically, those “limitations” make it a perfect match for the Holga aesthetic.

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The Lens: What Is the Holga HL-N?

The Holga HL-N is essentially a plastic lens designed to mimic the look of Holga medium-format film cameras—famous for their dreamy softness, heavy vignetting, and unpredictable quirks.

Instead of sharpness and precision, you get:

• Soft focus across the frame
• Dark, dramatic vignetting
• Occasional light leaks and flare
• Fixed aperture (often quite narrow, making it dim)

In other words, everything modern lenses try to eliminate.

As one photographer on Reddit put it:

“The HL-N lens makes the photos look like paintings.”

That’s not an exaggeration.

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Mounting the HL-N on the D40x

Compatibility-wise, the pairing is simple:

• The HL-N is made for Nikon F-mount cameras
• The D40x supports F-mount lenses

However, expect a fully manual experience:

• Manual focus only
• No electronic aperture control
• Metering can be inconsistent

And because the D40x already lacks a focus motor, you’re not losing much—you’re just leaning fully into the analog-style workflow.

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Shooting Experience: Slow, Imperfect, Intentional

Using this combo feels completely different from modern photography.

1. You Slow Down

The dim aperture (often around f/8–f/11 or even smaller) means:

• You need bright light or higher ISO
• Shutter speeds can drop quickly

You start thinking more before pressing the shutter.

2. You Lose Control (in a Good Way)

Forget edge-to-edge sharpness. Instead:

• Subjects melt into the background
• Corners darken unpredictably
• Focus becomes more about mood than precision

3. You Gain Character

Where modern lenses aim for clinical perfection, the HL-N gives:

• A vintage, almost film-like softness
• Organic imperfections that feel human
• Images that don’t look like everyone else’s

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Image Results: Why People Love It

The D40x’s color science actually complements the Holga lens surprisingly well. Its rich, saturated colors help balance the softness and vignetting, producing images that feel intentional rather than broken.

You’ll notice:

• Portraits look nostalgic and painterly
• Street scenes feel timeless
• Everyday subjects become more abstract

This combo shines when you stop chasing technical perfection and start chasing emotion.

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The Downsides (Let’s Be Honest)

This setup is not for everyone.

Some real drawbacks:

• Extremely soft images (sometimes too soft)
• Low light performance is challenging
• Build quality of Holga lenses can be inconsistent

One Reddit user even described their copy as having “plastic flakes… off centre aperture, massive light leaks.”

That’s part of the charm—or frustration—depending on your perspective.

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Who Is This Setup For?

You’ll enjoy the Holga HL-N + D40x if you:

• Feel stuck in a creative rut
• Want a film-like look without shooting film
• Enjoy experimental or fine art photography
• Don’t mind sacrificing sharpness for mood

You probably won’t enjoy it if you:

• Shoot events, sports, or paid work
• Need consistency and reliability
• Care about technical perfection

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Final Thoughts

Mounting a Holga HL-N lens on a Nikon D40x is less about gear and more about mindset.

The D40x gives you a solid, honest digital foundation. The Holga lens tears that foundation apart—just enough to make things interesting.

Together, they create something rare in digital photography today:
images that feel imperfect, unpredictable, and alive.

And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.

 

Man, As If I Couldn't Tell

Texas.

chicago. ohare. that plane. grr. the airport. el paso airport is kind of hideous. the malibu. el paso proper. two white people in a white chevy malibu,just smile and wave through a border patrol station. first night hotel.food. driving. carlsbad cavern. the bird.signage. the cave.driving. more driving. pecos. rest of the week hotel.  the sky is everywhere. like literally everywhere. salt flats. decaying building.endless sky. balmoreah. the lake. the turtle. the minnows. the turtle vs the minnows re:bacon. the state park. the sleeping. driving. pecos. the spark plug bandolier. the desert. the observatory. the driving. the absolutely endless sky. the heat. "you'll get sun poisoning, no i won't." i didn't get sun poisoning. the grasshopper. eating. laundry. bob the builder. sleeping. sonic. many pictures. the camera being broken. marfa. the ice plant. the railroad pens. no marfa lights. sleeping. the walking stick. the driving. the continuing to be endless sky. the mountain. the driving. the return flight.

Waitress Please, I've Had Enough

There are days where I worry about my caffeine tolerance.

Not because I'm afraid it's going to kill me, but due to the fact that I can consume copious amounts and not really be affected, so far as I can tell. Occasionally a cup of coffee after like 10pm messes me up, but that isn't very often.

I should probably cut back a little.