August 17, 2019 Three Barrels is one of the first photographs that I took after purchasing my first Nikon FE with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AI. The barrels were dumped at the back of the yard where a lot of retired equipment (a.k.a. junk) was parked for the last time. I took this photo so long ago that I can only speculate as to what I was thinking at the time. I remember that part of the goal was simply learning how to set the exposure and focus of the camera. In terms of content and composition, I find myself attracted to old things because of the way time has left its mark on them. I was likely attracted to the repeating circle pattern, which stands in stark contrast to the bushes around the barrels.

I'd be disappointed if a picture I took today looked like this. The exposure is close but not perfect. The shutter speed is too slow. Most of all, the focus isn't dead-on. I developed it myself and either the chemical temperature was too high, the concentration was off, too much agitation, or I developed it too long - any of these things could contribute to the high contrast. It's been a lifetime of learning, so I'll give my 14 year-old self a break. Too bad that giving one's self a break is a lesson learned in one's 50s rather than earlier!