Paul Contino | Photographs

Photoletter Issue No. 37 | July 2024

SPRING CLEANING

Knick-knacks and dust-collected items and unloved this-and-thats to pass along to one-person’s-trash-is-another’s-treasure hunters.

My spring cleaning is a bit late this year (yes, I know, it’s officially summer) … I guess we could say we are solidly in yard sale season at this point.

But I couldn’t help sharing the above photo with such a smorgasbord of undesirables.

Let’s make it a seek-and-find: three items to complement a cafe, a storage for cold summer drinks, a Christmas tree foundation, milk crate, a multi-tiered planter, and a platform for de-wrinkling clothes.

I’ll offer my own smorgasbord of items below in the form of a travel note, new camera options, received postcards, and recently issued postage stamps.

Enjoy!

SUMMER TRAVEL

What is on your agenda for the upcoming summer months ahead in the form of travel?

Off to the mountains or out to the beach or un voyage to see the Olympics in Paris, maybe?

Enjoy wherever you may find yourself and make sure to take some memorable photos to preserve those memories.

And print them out :)

Oh, and if you happen to be a fan of Lonely Planet then check out this article about the founding of the iconic travel guide.

NEW DIGITAL CAMERAS

There are two recently released cameras that warrant a consideration if you are in the market for a new camera - or desire an upgrade to mirrorless.

The first just looks like fun.

Especially if you enjoy the film aesthetic and a retro-style camera body.

It’s called the X-T50 - a modern and capable digital camera with a film photography twist (literally) made by Fujifilm.

If you’re considering a new digital camera and you’re someone that is an aficionado of film this may be a great choice for you.

[ For a more in-depth review go here ]

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The second is a solid enthusiast camera.

It’s the third iteration of Nikon’s mid-range camera body, known as the Z6III.

A very capable update to what was arguably the most well-rounded Nikon camera body back when cameras were using mirrors - the D750.

[ For a more technical preview of the Z6III click here ]

POSTCARDS

El Páramo - a nature-lover’s paradise in Colombia.

The above postcard is a depiction of Sumapaz, the largest of the biological diverse ecosystems known as “páramos”.

Nice choice of tones for the postcard.

A postcard with a sleeve!

Inside here we’ve got illustrations of all of the neighborhoods throughout the capital city of Bógota.

Really clever package - and, again, a fan of the colors.

Thanks for the postcards!

STAMP COLLECTING

Prices go up (again) on July 14th.

When I saw this I decided to check out the new releases available at the current 68 cent price.

Besides the obvious need to pick up a sheet (or three) of Ansel Adams there was another interesting looking set soon to be released - Dungeons and Dragons.

(Who saw that one coming, huh?)

The USPS has also issued a dedication to Alex Trebek with a Jeopardy-themed sheet and an homage to baseball great Hank Aaron.

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I’ve always wanted to use my own photographs to create stamps for mailing.

There did exist services which enabled you to do just that, but a large QR code was included, detracting from the elegance of using your own images as a stamp on a letter or postcard.

One option that is up and running is the The Portland Stamp Company, which allows you to use your own designs or photographs to create stamps.

Though they cannot be used as actual postage for mailing, I am inclined to investigate further.

If nothing else it adds personalization to whatever you may be sharing with others.

WHAT I AM…

Watching: Delectable scenes of food

Interested in: Turning images into poetry

Reading: I am definitely a proponent of writing by hand

Happy Independence Day

and enjoy the summer!

-Paul

See something you like? Most images can be made into artwork - paper prints, metal prints, canvas - for display in home or office or as a gift. Send me an email and we can discuss!

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