Hard shadows on pavement, Farmington Michigan
Hard Shadows Week 1 Day 9 June 27, 2026

What the Preset Teaches You Before You Even Lift the Camera

Seven days into Hard Shadows and I haven't taken a single shot I'm proud of. That's not a crisis — that's the point. This week I want to write about what's been happening before the shutter fires: the discipline of the preset, the strange freedom of Snap Focus at 2 meters, and what it means to commit to f/8 when every instinct says open up.

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First day, Farmington Michigan
Hard Shadows Week 0 Day 1 June 19, 2026

Day One: Why 300 Days, Why London, Why This Camera

On June 19 I started a 300-day curriculum that ends at a Paul Reid monochrome workshop in London. Here is what I'm attempting, what gear I'm using, and why I think structured practice with a single fixed camera is the only honest way to get better at this.

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