John W Sheldon
LightNews LightNews
banner
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
John W Sheldon
@johnwsheldon.bsky.social
490 followers 280 following 390 posts
Designer, Artist, etc.

Wear a mask in public.

He/Him/His, agender
Posts Replies Media Videos
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Spent part of yesterday afternoon taking advantage of the bright sunlight to make some cyanotypes out in the yard. This was the first of the day, using some photo negatives and plants from the yard.

#cyanotype #photoprinting
A blue cyanotype print with negative impressions of a maple leaf, a clover, and some mint leaves. Under these are prints from photo negatives.
September 8, 2026 at 1:53 PM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Real natural lens flare from the Takunar 35/2 early version. Very dramatic, but surprisingly controllable.
A large cat sits in the foreground, nearly eclipsed by a dramatic yellow lens flare
September 7, 2026 at 10:59 PM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Shot some engagement photos on 4x5 two weeks ago and just got done processing and scanning the film.

So much fun!

#largeFormat #petzval #filmphotography
A couple sits on a low wall in a black and white photo. Behind them is a beautiful manicured park with a large fountain. A couple in suits hold hands and look into eachothers eyes in front of a large fountain. The background blurs into a swirl around them.
September 7, 2026 at 1:13 AM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Gotta run more cyanotypes soon, using more large format negatives for contact prints but also more photograms, transparencies, and mixed media stuff.
Fingers hold up a small print in blue and white depicting an antique tractor on a farm. It is a cyanotype positive from a large format negative.
September 1, 2026 at 2:52 PM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
A clear and present danger to Pittsburgh's photography community.

Come see me and a bunch of much cooler stuff in Millvale today!
A table with a Vintage Cameras sign is loaded with a huge variety of cameras.
August 29, 2026 at 2:47 PM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
SOON
A collection of cameras including simple box cameras, 8mm movie cameras, and more.
August 28, 2026 at 2:12 AM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Saturday! Come to Millvale and check out cool analog photo displays, activities, and goods & services! Commerce!

#pittsburgh #millvale #analogLiberation #filmphotography
August 28, 2026 at 12:08 AM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Sometimes you have to do something slightly ill-advised and pull all the optical elements out of a couple of large format lenses, blow out all the dust, clean them all with isopropyl alcohol (and two elements with hydrogen peroxide to get rid of tiny fungus spots), and put them all back together.
A Wollensak Velostigmat f/4.5 lens mounted on a Graflex Crown Graphic camera. It is wide and clean.
August 26, 2026 at 1:57 AM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Like film photography? Gonna be in Pittsburgh next weekend?

Check out Analog Fest in Millvale, with tons of great exhibits and experts, plus vendors like me selling cool cameras and photo stuff!

#analogLiberation #filmPhotography #pittsburgh
A poster for Analog Fest, presented by Analog Liberation. August 28-30 at the Maple Leaf at 115 Sedgwick Street, Millvale, PA. Cameras, Photos, Movies, Gadgets, Art, Workshops, Hand-made instant photos with Sophie Wisdom, Tintypes with Ashley Kouri.
August 24, 2026 at 6:30 PM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Post a perfect album from the 2000s (2000-2009).
Cover art from Tool's 10,000 Days album. A head with three faces rotates ahead of the viewer.
August 22, 2026 at 9:10 PM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Took this apart and serviced the shutter today: the self-timer works reliably now, and the shutter fires at different speeds as long as you use the self timer (the manual shutter release holds the shutter open because of a broken part).

Better than it was before I took it apart!

#lubitel2 #tlr
A black twin lens reflex camera labeled Lubitel 2 hangs from its strap.
August 16, 2026 at 1:22 AM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Not quite a shitty camera, but I am deeply surprised that it works after having a pair of exploded batteries sitting in it for almost 30 years (they expired in 1997). One thorough cleaning later and a pair of fresh batteries brought it back to life.
A black and white photo of two cats on a hardwood floor. One is on his back wrestling with a larger cat who is walking past. A Nikon One Touch 35AF camera.
August 11, 2026 at 1:00 AM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
The shitty camera, the pictures it takes.

#ShittyCameraChallenge #mediumFormat #120film #filmPhotography
An Argoflex E twin lens reflex camera. A budget 120 medium format camera. Double exposed portraits on black and white film. A man stands beside his Honda minivan while another man is superimposed above him. A glass storefront plastered with posters and flyers. Dead leaves accumulate in the corner where they are blown by the wind. Flowering vines climb a chain link fence. Two bright flowers stand out.
August 10, 2026 at 3:47 PM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
The Milky Way from the foothills of the Front Range near Denver. Visible with the naked eye, but only a long exposure brings out the color (human vision loses color perception quickly in low light).
A purple and gold streak of stars rises above the pine trees.
July 27, 2026 at 5:59 PM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
This is the beard of an RPG interloper. Not an expert, just a guy who sometimes shows up.
A white person with a long gray beard on their chin, and short trimmed beard on the cheeks.
July 18, 2026 at 11:15 PM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Took my Speed Graphic 4x5 for a walk Saturday morning with the 1850 Petzval lens attached. This is a crop of my most successful portrait that morning-I was hand timing exposures with the shutter, so overexposed several shots. Litho film can be very unforgiving.

#antiquePhotography #largeFormat #4x5
A young black man wearing a bright t-shirt emblazoned with BROTHAVERSE looks seriously into the lens of the camera.
July 13, 2026 at 11:55 AM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Antique cameras with red bellows, as was briefly popular in the beginning of the 20th century, especially by Eastman Kodak. Unfortunately only the two 4x5 cameras are still usable to original specs with minimal modification.

#antique #cameras #kodak #conley #antiquePhotography #4x5
July 11, 2026 at 12:38 AM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
I'm lucky to be the current caretaker of portrait lens made in 1850 (for sixth plate photos, but just covers 4x5 with some vignetting). I do want to use it more.
A large brass lens mounted to a Graflex Speed Graphic camera. A black and white photo of an antique tractor in front of a barn A black and white portrait of a white person with a close cut beard. Behind them swirl reflected lights. A large brass lens mounted to a 4x5 studio monorail camera with a packard shutter in front of it.
June 28, 2026 at 1:50 AM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Kodak Six-20 Brownie Junior from between 1934 and 1942. I have (most of) the original box and manual for this one. Very standard box brownie with better styling thanks to the art deco front plate.

#kodak #artDeco #antiquePhotography
A black brownie box camera with an art deco gold front plate. A brownie box camera with a metal front plate seen from the side. A black brownie box camera with an art deco gold patterned front plate.
June 25, 2026 at 7:50 PM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Post your mages if you've got 'em.
A mixed media painting of a vampire wizard on a WWI battlefield holding swirling flames between his outstretched hands. The image is all shades of red and orange with purple shadows.
June 21, 2026 at 5:26 PM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
The Ica Icarette 500/2 is one of my favorite unexpected cameras from the estate collection I'm managing. It is 101 years old now, and works like a dream with film that's still easily available. Nice sharp Zeiss lens shooting 6x9 on 120 film.

#mediumFormat #antiquePhotography #120film #zeiss
A black folding camera with a wire composition guide. A black and white photo of densely packed buildings
June 18, 2026 at 2:35 AM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
SOON.
A cheap 110 camera in the shape and trade dress of a Budweiser beer can. A cheap 110 camera in the shape and trade dress of a Budweiser beer can.
June 16, 2026 at 11:00 PM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Kodak Six-16 Art Deco camera in brown from the estate collection I'm managing. These were made between 1932 and 1936 in a few variants. This one has a good shutter and clean glass, but worn out bellows.

#kodak #mediumFormat #antiquePhotography #artDeco
A Kodak Six 16 art deco folding camera in brown and silver, with faux ostrich leather wrap. The corners of the bellows are cracked and worn. The camera is fully closed, displayed with its original operation manual. The original case is snapped shut, holding the camera and manual. The strap is badly worn and broken off in the middle.
June 15, 2026 at 4:39 PM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
A Kodak Rainbow Hawk Eye No.2 camera in dark green from the estate collection, made in 1931 or 1932. A simple box brownie camera that uses now-discontinued 116 film, this was a slightly premium version over the basic black cameras.

#brownieCamera #kodak #photography #mediumFormat #filmPhotography
June 14, 2026 at 1:23 AM
johnwsheldon.bsky.social
Uniflex I twin lens reflex camera made between 1947 and 1950. This copy from the estate collection I'm processing is in rough shape, but this camera's selling point was taking both 120 and 620 film.

#photography #cameras #TLR
A Uniflex I twin lens reflex camera. The leatherette body panels are peeling and discolored, and the knurling of the knobs has yellow staining. In the rear view,the leatherette is peeling significantly from the back panel. The front view with the viewing hood open.
June 12, 2026 at 1:06 AM