Learning lessons from Cuba, a loss of momentum, giving away my mobile photography preset, and The Postman Always Rings Twice.

Far and away my favorite project from the past few weeks was My Mobile Photography Process & Preset. I went in-depth on my workflow, even offering up my preset file which was free to members of my Patreon. I think it’s one of my most comprehensive and complete projects, full of tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way. If you’re interested at all in taking photos with your phone, this one is worth the read.

I also put together a small essay with some photos based on my experience in Cuba in 2016. Most of the photos I took were subpar, though there were a few gems, and the essay talks about what I learned from that experience.

Lastly, I put together the newest round of My Photography Favorites. I’ve been slowly, carefully adding to that collection, and seeing all of my favorites in one place feels nice. It serves as a great reference for me, maybe for you too. I also upgraded my camera setup for the foreseeable future. The Fujifilm X-T5 is replacing both my X-Pro2 and X-H1, and I’m eager to see what I can make with it. Stand by for results.

The Postman Always Rings Twice. Pure noir. Sordid and enticing to the max. I couldn’t put it down. Postman follows Frank Chambers, a drifter in California who happens upon a diner. There he follows a greasy path to self-destruction. It’s a good time.

Waiting for Godot. I missed a lot of culturally-relevant things in my school years, and the things I happened not to miss went overlooked or unappreciated. Waiting for Godot is one of many of such examples. Instead of talking about the plot, I’ll just encourage you to seek out things you might have missed along the way. For instance, I bet you think you know what Orwell’s 1984 is about, and maybe from a bird’s-eye view you’d be right, but if you haven’t sat down and read it, you’re missing out. I think that’s why I spend so much time reading the classics. I missed a lot, and I’m trying my best to redeem myself.

Everybody Behaves Badly. One of my favorite novels of all time is Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. This book is about what really happened on those trips to Pamplona, how Hemingway and his public persona rose through the literary ranks, and the dark and petty realities of the expat milieu of 1920’s Paris. The legend of Hemingway interests me to no end, and this book delivers. It’s not necessary the man himself that I care so much about, but it’s the mythos that keeps me coming back for more.

Photos: Etienne Lacoursiere

This month, I’d like to highlight Etienne Lacoursiere for his participation in Community Projects on my Patreon. For the past few months, we’ve been talking back and forth about his personal project, Portraits d’artistes. I offered a bit of guidance and feedback along the way, and he worked hard on bringing this project to life.

“This project stems from my curiosity about the creative process. I had a desire to document people working on their craft. My goal was to capture their spaces and attempt to convey the essence of what it feels like to be in their workshop, fully immersed in their work.”

If you’re interested in doing something similar, consider joining the Project tier on my Patreon.

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Life is not currently abroad. I’ve been back in the states for quite a while, and it’s begun to take its toll. I love being here, seeing family, riding motorcycles, and all the rest of it, but I tend to lose my momentum after too long. I’ve learned that being abroad is practically indispensable to my current form of creativity, so too much time stateside can slow things to a halt. Thankfully, we’re heading back out in about ten days, making our way to Spain first, then a few new places. We can talk about all that next month. For now, that's all I have for you. I hope you enjoyed this issue of Recollect. If you did, or if you didn’t, let me know. Hit the black box below to send me an email with your thoughts. I’m all ears. Thank you for your support. I’ll see you next month.