We've been running a series at church called Questioning Christianity that has been getting a lot of positive responses from our members (and those they're bringing to hear it). Here's what we've covered so far: one.org.au/questioning-...

I had the opportunity to share a message about prayer, faith and persistence in the face of injustice yesterday at church. The recording is now up for anyone interested in catching it. one.org.au/blog/the-per...

This year I tried something a little different for my Easter Sunday message - hope you enjoy it one.org.au/blog/easter-...

I’d love to see the billionaire’s WhatsApp group just before he sent this out.

I used to look at the US as a country that was all about stability, leadership, inclusivity, generosity. It’s been a while since I felt that way. This past few weeks it has been quite the opposite. Sad to see.

Well hello there #PentaxMX

This lens was born in the same year I was and it is still going strong. Here's my review

From today’s photo walk shot with the Chinon 55mm f1.7

"And if anyone tries to say that the good news is not about all these things—about freeing slaves, about helping the poor, about reconciling warring factions, ethnic groupings, and whole nations, about looking after the blessed world we live on and in..." 1/2

Took out the Schneider Kreuznach Edixa-Tele-Xenar 135mm f3.5 (which I picked up at a camera market on Sunday) tonight for a first whirl - first impressions are good!

Camera nerd heaven at the Melbourne Camera show.

There's a whole generation of photographers who have never focused a camera manually. This lost art is one of the biggest challenges for those trying vintage lenses - so I wrote a post with tips on how to do it. open.substack.com/pub/rowse/p/...

When the opportunity for bird photography presents closer to home than you expect and all you have on your camera is a 50mm lens! Thank goodness for a high-megapixel sensor that lets you crop and still get some details.

When you track a parcel (new lens) from Tasmania… 😊 to your state and then to your suburb… 😃 only to see it do a 180 turn and return to Tasmania due to incorrect addressing! 🤦‍♂️

Substack growth - slowly but surely. Interestingly enough, today I noticed I've started to get a trickle of Google traffic. substack

When I first saw this lens… my heart sank. When I saw the images it took… my heart soared! open.substack.com/pub/rowse/p/...

Current View

Not all things ask to be seen. Some drift at the edges, soft, shapeless, unconcerned with clarity. Golden echoes hum in the green, whispering between what is and what is not. They do not beg for form, yet they remain. .

My wife on our walk today: “You have photographed that tree three Saturdays in a row!” Yes I have. But with three lenses!

Will it swirl? Yes it will… sometimes… a bit… Carl Zeiss Pancolar Jena MC DDR 50mm f1.8

Photowalk this morning with the Carl Zeiss Pancolar Jena MC DDR 50mm f1.8 - full review will be ready next week.

The most common question I get from photographers about using vintage lenses on their digital cameras is simply 'how do I do it?' Here's my introduction to adapting these amazing lenses to your camera open.substack.com/pub/rowse/p/...

Great new episode from @chrisbrogan.bsky.social youtu.be/73Ww57V9aEo?...

I’m not sure where it says in the Bible that someone is saved by God to make a country great. It does say that there will be ‘fruit’ of arelationship with God though - the fruit being: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

This week I’m doing my ‘AI for churches’ presentation twice. Once to a large church’s ministry team here in Melbourne and another time to a denomination’s training of pastors online. Constantly amazed how many new tools have come out every time I do this.

I’m constantly amazed that two people can see exactly the same video footage and have such polarizingly different opinions about what happened. We live in such disturbing times.

Just posted a new first impression review of the Minolta Rokkor MC 85mm f1.7 vintage lens at substack.com/@darrenrowse... #photography

I have just posted a mini-review of the Yashinon 5cm f2 vintage lens on substack. There's a lot to like about this one so far! Review ➡️ substack.com/profile/1318... #photography #review #vintagelens

NEW: How I shot an 80s music festival with an 80s vintage lens 🤘🏼 👉🏻 open.substack.com/pub/rowse/p/...

Four weeks ago yesterday I hit publish on my first Substack newsletter - today I got an email to say I hit 100 subscribers. Loving the journey!

Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 50mm f4 Macro

Happy accident today - I was playing with a macro lens and must have clicked while carrying the camera and it got a blurry shot of my t-shirt which I quite like.

When you tell your boys to ‘clean your room’ and check the laundry shoot to find how they did it.

I find it ironic that the use of the word empathy has grown so much in the last 100 years - yet it is a think that has increasingly gone missing in our world in that time.

A powerful read. One man’s response to Elon. www.facebook.com/share/1FExh5...

Just loving the little community of vintage lens geeks subscribers that I've found over on Substack. Writing those articles and interacting with them each time I publish has become a highlight to my week.

NEW: why vintage lenses are so much more than just a focal length.

Took the Helios 44M out for a ‘spin’ this afternoon to shoot some shots for a #photography article I will publish on Substack tomorrow. Substack at open.substack.com/pub/rowse

“When a clown moves into a palace, He doesn’t become a king. The palace instead, becomes a circus.” Turkish Proverb

My dad asked me yesterday for a recommendation for a compact point and shoot style digital camera. It has been a while since I've looked but am thinking of telling him to get the latest model second hand Sony RX100 that he can afford.

A couple of days ago, I tracked down a Takumar lens I'd been wanting to try out for a while that was up for sale on Facebook marketplace. I mentioned to the seller that I was collecting Takumars, and he brought along a second lens - the A Super Multi Coated 50mm f4 macro.

I won’t share my answer here, but yesterday, I shot the same subject from a similar position in similar conditions to highlight how each lens can render a subject differently.

I suspect my neighbours are starting to see me as the crazy guy who walks around the neighbourhood with his camera and dog, taking photos of their gardens. Today's vintage lens: Carl Zeiss Pancolar Jena DDR 50mm f1.8

To whoever outbid me and bought all the lovely Takumar lenses away from me at the auction today… you suck! Seriously though - congratulations on the haul!

“Where all think alike, nobody thinks very much.” Walter Lippmann

Today's photography was centred around celebrating my eldest's achievements last year at school - he came home with 6 awards all up including dux of two subjects (with one perfect score) and the award for Digital Technologies and English. Proud dad moment!

Today's #photowalk Lens: Carl Zeiss Pancolar Jena DDR 50mm f1.8

I see the men in tights are on the TV today.

No time for a photo walk today but did shoot a few shots off at church tonight with the Takumar 200mm f3.5.