In 2019 I wanted to focus on getting my photos printed in a physical form. One of the ways I went about it were simple zines showcasing a theme of photographs.

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The 135mm Challenge Zine 2019Film Photography I started the year with Zine Issue 1: Road Trip 2018 with 15 black and white photographs of said road trip combining some landscape photography and sights along Route 66. $1 from each benefits National Historic Route 66 Federation and another $1 the National Park Foundation.

Then came the Zine Issue 2: Chasing Waterfalls featuring the many waterfalls of Robert H Treman State Park and Buttermilk Falls State Park, also in black and white. $1 from each benefits Robert H Treman State Park via the Natural Heritage Trust, the official charity of New York State Parks and another $1 the Buttermilk Falls State Park.

Then came couple collaborations with photographers around two of my favorite podcast.

The first one was The Lensless Zine 2019 featuring 32 previously unpublished black and white pinhole photographs from 16 different photographers around the Lensless Podcast. The profits from this zine went to the podcasters to assist with their costs.

The 135mm Challenge Zine2019 The second collaboration, The 135mm Challenge Zine, closes the year. It is a collaboration of 21 different film photographers around the Negative Positives Film Photography Podcast featuring 42 previously unpublished black and white film photographs, all photographed with a 135mm telephoto lens providing a specific look to the included photographs as well as a name for the zine. The profits went right back to the podcast to assist with the podcast costs.

Why a challenge? 135mm is not a usual all around focal length. Thus, capturing a whole roll of 36 photographs challenged our photographic vision. I like wide angle lenses and usually walk around with a 28mm lens. 135mm required a bit of calibration. However, a few pictures in, I was a fan.

I found two basic use-cases for the lens. The obvious one was to shoot things that were further away that I could not get closer to. In the same category, stepping further away and using a telephoto lens instead of getting closer with a wide angle provided a different perspective. Things appeared closer that way. For example a group of wild flowers can look sparse with a wide angle lens but telephoto can make it look like they're much denser.

The other use-case was for shallow depth of field. With a 28mm lens (or wider) it is almost impossible to render foreground objects in focus while throwing the background out of focus. With a 135mm it becomes very easy. That provided an opportunity to lean into this, shoot wide open, and clearly show where the interest laid in each frame.

The 135mm Challenge Zine2019

Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy

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Zine Issue 1: Road Trip 2018 The Lensless Zine 2019 Zine Issue 2: Chasing Waterfalls

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