Stephen Price

A new book featuring outstanding photography by Nick Jenkins has been released this month which aims to highlight the beauty and contrast of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.

The National Park is comprised of undulating river valleys, waterfalls, dense woodland and mountain summits – covering some 520 square miles of south and mid Wales and includes parts of Powys, Carmarthenshire, Monmouthshire, Rhondda and Merthyr Tydfil.

From the summit of Cairn Fan Nedd to the snow covered hills of Mynydd Illtyd Common, Nick Jenkins aims to take readers you on a tour of the most picturesque parts of the National Park, including Pen y Fan and Corn Du, Blaen y Glyn Waterfall, Talybont Valley and Reservoir, Llanthony Priory, Brecon and Monmouth Canal, Pen y Fal (Sugar Loaf) Mountain and many more.

World-leading photographer

Nick Jenkins has been an outdoor photographer for over 15 years.

During this time he has visited many of the UK’s national parks, including Bannau Brycheiniog, Eryri, the Pembrokeshire Coast, the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, as well as many international destinations, including India, Nepal, Slovakia, Iceland, Croatia and the Czech Republic among others.

Nick always aims to capture the emotive quality and sense of awe he experiences when walking through the countryside.

This compact collection of Nick’s photographs, taken all over one of Wales’s most scenic areas, makes it a perfect souvenir for visitors to the area or a gift for anyone living in or near the National Park.

Passion

Nick says: “For a number of years now I have pursued landscape photography all over the UK and abroad.

“My passion for landscapes grew, I guess, from my love of the countryside in general.

“I seek out and explore woodlands, forests, rivers, waterfalls, legally accessible countryside and any other beautiful outdoor locations I can find. Nowhere is safe from me. 

“I must confess, the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park has so much to offer in terms of rugged landscapes, high hills, waterfalls and deep valleys that I could reasonably spend ages and ages here and still, in all probability, miss something!”

This is the first in a planned four-book series documenting the Welsh National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty through Nick’s photography.

Other titles in the series will include the Pembrokeshire Coast, Eryri and Gower. 

Bannau Brycheiniog by Nick Jenkins is available for £9.99 direct from Graffeg and most good book stores and is also available as an e-book.

It’s not often you get to interview a true Renaissance man. But this week, I had the honor of connecting with the illustrious Leonard Volk — FAIA architect emeritus, author, photographer, community leader, and world traveler.

His book, everyday, chronicles 60 years of personal photography and essays. “The images are more than visual; they are loaded with content, stories, and evoke emotions rarely projected,” according to Hal Box, FAIA, former dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Texas. “This is much more than a collection of excellent photographs. In a quiet way, it tells the story of everyday with high drama.”

In a rare personal appearance, Volk will be hosting a book signing and discussion at Interabang Books on April 25. The back stories behind the photos will surprise and delight.

“Selections in the book summarize my conclusions from architectural design and photography about art, craft, and life. I hope readers will consider the issues I have found important and build their own.”

He draws a connection between architecture and photography, calling them cousins.

“Basic design considerations rule both. Get the bones right, then enjoy the textures, contrasts, key details and relationships among the parts.”

Case in point: the Reunion Ball and Old Red. “Because of the contrasting shapes, I pushed the two as close together as possible to make the picture.” And about the Crescent under construction in 1984: “The parts all fit together in unity. It’s fun. It makes a happy composition.”

He describes a downtown street scene he shot in the mid-1980s as street jazz.

“Look at the elements and how all the angles fit together to make it a whole.”

A born-and-bred Dallasite, Volk grew up in the 1930s and ‘40s — a time when land and mortgages were cheap and available. “The Dallas real estate market thought worthy old buildings worthless, unacceptable unless given a new skin, or, even better, replaced by something new and therefore better.”

A photo of the Dallas skyline, taken from the 17^th floor of his Park Towers condo, echoes a similar sentiment. “It was a great vantage point until they built uptown. Now, you can only see the tips of the tallest buildings.”

Volk never traveled without his camera. His portraits are especially moving. A personal favorite, Positano Boy, was shot on the Amalfi coast in 1950 and later recognized by the Texas Photographic Society’s National Competition.

Other accolades include wards from Black &White magazine, Color magazine, Ransom Center of the University of Texas at Austin, and the Santa Fe Center for Photography.

To all photographers, Volk offers this advice: “Stretch yourself. I challenge you to find subject matter you care about strongly, that no one else would know to photograph, that no one else would photograph your way.”

Meet Leonard Volk at Interabang Books, 5600 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas, on Thursday, April 25, 6 p.m.

Nons SL660 two-minute review

As TechRadar’s Cameras Editor I see all kinds of weird and wonderful devices for capturing stills and video, but just when I thought I’d seen it all, the Nons SL660 popped up in my YouTube feed and piqued my curiosity. It’s an instant camera, but not as we know it, being an angular hunk of metal – an SLR with passive Canon EF lens mount, that captures to readily available Fujifilm Instax Square film.

Nons makes two lenses that are directly compatible with the SL660’s Canon EF lens mount – a 35mm f/2.8 and a 50mm f/1.8 – plus a range lens adaptors for other popular SLR lens mounts, including Nikon F and Pentax K. When I requested a loan sample from Nons for this feature, I asked for the Canon EF to Nikon F adaptor because I own a few excellent Nikon lenses, including the full-frame Nikon 20mm f/2.8D AF.

There’s also a Nons SL645, camera, and the key difference between that model and the SL660 is that it records onto Instax Mini film instead. Personally, I much prefer the size of Instax Square prints (and the larger-still Polaroid film even more), so the SL660 was the obvious choice for review. 

Unlike most simple point-and-shoot instant cameras that only offer auto exposure, the Nons SL660 is SLR by design, and entirely manual in operation. You’ll need to select the shutter speed and lens aperture, with an exposure meter above the lens telling you what aperture to use with the selected shutter speed. Your frame is viewed through a pentaprism viewfinder, focus is manual, and you even have to manually eject the print when you’ve taken the shot – a feature that enables multi-exposure shooting. 

This is truly a photographer’s instant camera, and to that end you can swap lenses to mix up the type of shots you can make. It’s also one of, if not the most, expensive instant cameras available. It’s pricier because it’s made of tough metal and in smaller batches versus the standard plastic used in most other mass-produced instant cameras like the Fujifilm Instax SQ40; the Nons SL660 is an altogether different camera to those, and the high-end build quality goes some way towards justifying the significant outlay. 

The SL660 is a bulky and heavy instant camera, and the image quality it’s capable of producing is ultimately limited by the Instax Square film it uses – you will, for example, need an ND filter in bright light. Despite its constraints, I’m charmed by it, and I suspect that of all the best instant cameras you can buy, the Nons SL660 is the one that photographer me will come back to again and again. 

Nons SL660: price and release date

The Nons SL660 camera alone costs $599 / £603 from the Nons website or from Amazon, and with its passive Canon EF lens mount it’s best suited to manual-control Canon EF lenses. If you use modern Canon EF lenses you might sacrifice aperture control (if your lens doesn’t have an aperture ring) and even manual focus control (‘STM’ lenses). You can also purchase the SL660 as a bundle with the 35mm f/2.8 lens for $709 / £717, with the 50mm f/1.8 lens for $649 / £660, or with any one of a number of lens adaptors for $609 / £615. This high-end pricing pits the SL660 firmly against the Polaroid I-2 – the two cameras are in a different league to point-and-shoot instant cameras. Pricing for the Nons SL645 starts at $539 / £541. We’ll update this review if and when pricing and availability for Australia are confirmed.

Nons SL660: design

Images of the Nons SL660 online didn’t prepare me for what I set my eyes on when unboxing the gear – this looks like no other instant camera. It’s a love it or hate it brutalist block of aluminum with defined features: a genuine wooden grip, a crank to engage the viewfinder, a pronounced shutter button, and striking shutter speed dial. 

There’s an optical viewfinder with through-the-lens display, so the perspective is correct to the attached lens. The display is dim, but I like its grainy filmic quality. There’s a portion of your instant print that you don’t see through the viewfinder display – when shooting with the thick border at the bottom of your Instax Square print, the unseen section is to the left. It takes a couple of shots to get used to this, and thereafter you can factor this in to make the best possible composition.

To shoot the ‘correct’ way, with the thicker border positioned at the bottom of your print, you need to flip the camera 90 degrees with the grip at the top – vertical if you will – otherwise the thick border will be on the left-hand side of your print, which looks weird unless that’s your intention.

The Nons SL660 is powered by an internal battery topped up via USB-C (using the supplied USB-C to USB-A cable, not just any USB-C cable) and is rated for around 100 shots on a full charge. A tiny top LCD displays battery life along with the number of prints remaining in the inserted film pack (the shot counter failed in my review sample after a couple of packs of film), plus the aperture setting needed on your lens to get the correct exposure for the selected shutter speed, based on the camera’s exposure metering.

If you’re shooting in bright light you’ll need an ND filter for your lens, or else your shots will be overexposed – a 3EV to 7EV variable ND is perfect. The Nons 35mm f/2.8 lens I had has a 52mm thread. Because the exposure meter is separate to the lens (ie., not TTL), you’ll need to calculate the exposure settings based on the strength of the filter, or place it in front of the meter to get the reading first, and then attach it to the lens. The ‘reflective’ exposure meter calculates an evaluative reading for the whole frame.

By today’s standards the Nons SL660 is awkward to hold, and by heck is it chunky, primarily because it needs that extra depth for the Canon EF-mount flange focal distance. This is no pocket camera. It’s also a paradox – a custom-made one-of-a-kind feel, yet it captures onto the most popular and accessible instant film. I had several packs of regular Instax Square film for this review, and there are a few readily available alternatives, like a monochrome film, too.

Stylistically I like the pronounced shutter button. However, it’s all too easy to press it unintentionally, which results in a wasted print. I almost lost that screw-on button, too, as it unthreaded itself more than once. The reason that the button is detachable in the first place is to allow you to swap it out for a cable release for hands-free operation, which is neat, but a tighter thread is needed for a secure fix.

Nons SL660: performance

Long before I’d received the Nons SL660 or taken any shots with it, I had formed a certain expectation regarding the quality of instant prints it could make. After all, it comes with a proper Nons lens, plus, in my case, I can use it with some excellent Nikon lenses. Rival instant cameras like the Instax SQ40 are restricted to a built-in, low-cost lens. 

Surely, then, the instant photos made with the Nons SL660 would be superior to anything else before it? Well, yes and no. Despite the superior optics, we’re still shooting onto the same film type – an ISO800 stock with limited dynamic range. Also, the print area of Instax Square film only measures 62mm x 62mm, and so it’s hardly big enough to really show off lens quality. 

Rather than outright image quality, the real appeal of the SL660 over cheaper and simpler rivals, besides its unique design, is that you can swap out lenses and therefore mix up the focal length and perspective of your shots. Unfortunately, my telephoto macro lens for Nikon F-mount lacks an aperture ring, and I was unable to get a good shot with it. Get the right manual lens, however, and great fun can be had.  

Almost all the instant photos I took with the SL660 for this review were taken with the Nons 35mm f/2.8 lens. For full exposure control when adapting an alternative lens, like I did through the Nikon F-mount adaptor, you need a lens with aperture control. That counts out most modern DSLR lenses from Canon, Nikon and Pentax. When using a Nikon lens without an aperture ring, the aperture is automatically set to its smallest setting, while some Canon lenses are set to their widest aperture setting. (I also had a great struggle removing the adaptor ring from my Nikon lens after use.) Besides Nons’ own lenses, an old Canon EF lens with aperture ring makes the most practical sense. 

To get prints with the correct brightness, I needed to experiment a little to understand the behaviour of the SL660’s auto-exposure metering. If you follow the suggested aperture settings to a tee, then prints tend to come out a little dark for my liking, but when I increased the exposure by around 1EV, by opening the aperture up or halving the shutter speed, the results were better. 

Apply this knowledge about the camera’s exposure metering and most your shots will come out fine. However, alternatives like the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ40 shoot in auto-exposure only, with a built-in auto flash, and with those cameras you’ll get fewer wasted prints. 

You also need to understand the limitations of Fujifilm Instax film. It has an ISO 800 sensitivity rating, which is bang on with the fastest possible 1/250 sec shutter speed and f/4 aperture (approx) when shooting in cloudy weather, but when the sun comes out you need to stop the aperture right down, to nearer f/22 or even beyond the limit of the lens.

I prefer the look when shooting with a wider aperture, not least to make subjects stand out better, but also in this case for a brighter and clearer view through the viewfinder (it gets dimmer as you reduce the aperture size), and so a ND filter is a must-have accessory – otherwise the SL660 is practically unusable in bright light. 

There’s also a hard limit on the dynamic range of the film – if you shoot scenes with high contrast, like a backlit portrait or a white overcast sky, you’ll need to choose between a brightness for highlights or shadows; you can’t have both. An ideal scenario is even lighting: soft sunlight on your subject and background, or at least a darker background so the subjects pops.

There’s a standard hotshoe to attach an optional flash. Nons doesn’t sell its own flash, nor did I use the SL660 with a flash for this review – that’s a whole other creative technique I look forward to exploring with this camera. I’ve complained about certain Fujifilm Instax cameras with built-in flash in the past because some models auto-fire the flash for every photo you take, whether you need it or not. However, that’s a better option than the SL660, which has no built-in flash at all – at least you can cover an Instax camera’s flash with your finger when it’s not needed. 

Once your shot is ready, you hard-press the eject button and out pops the print. This manual-eject control also enables a multi-exposure function. You’ll need to recalculate the correct exposure for each shot depending what’s in each frame, and the results can be excellent if you know what you’re doing, or at least be prepared to waste a print or two experimenting. For example, I shot a self-portrait silhouette against a bright sky in one exposure, and then another one of closeup details of flowers that visibly populates the silhouette –  a classic double-exposure effect. 

Overall, if you’re using the Nons SL660 with the 35mm f/2.8 lens without ND filter or flash, it’s fairly limited as to what scenes it’s suitable for. But if you’re equipped with accessories and willing to experiment, great results can be achieved. 

Should I buy the Nons SL660?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

How I tested the Nons SL660

I had the Nons SL660 SLR instant camera for a couple of months, and I went through a fair few packs of regular Instax Square film. For the majority of the review I used the Nons 35mm f/2.8 lens, although I did adapt a couple of my Nikon F-mount lenses with mixed success. 

Testing the camera in a variety of lighting conditions that ranged from sunny weather to indoors, I experimented with various shutter speeds and lens apertures, and took both single-shot and multi-exposure photos. I’ve not used the Nons SL660 with a hotshoe mounted flash, nor used the bulb mode or attached a cable release. 

First reviewed April 2024

As a child, Sarah Taylor loved flipping through the pages of National Geographic magazines from which her mother would draw inspiration for her paintings. Her art-centric homelife coupled with a deep love of wild spaces led Taylor on a path to photography. 

Through yearbook and photojournalism classes, working in dark rooms to develop film, and online courses, Taylor found a knack for the creative outlet and after her second child was born, she decided to embark on a business venture and officially start Sarah Taylor Photography.

“After my first daughter was born, I realized I needed a new camera,” she said. “Then when my second daughter was born, I thought, ‘Let’s make a go of it,’ so I took some marketing courses and it’s been uphill ever since.”

Over the years, Taylor has developed a style inspired by her love of film and black and white photography taking a fine art approach to her work. Her favorite scenes to capture are those involving family and motherhood, maternity, birth and newborns. 

“I love every bit of maternity, birth, and family portraiture and obviously motherhood because I’m in it right now so it’s very relatable to me. The whole feminine side of that journey is so rewarding to see,” said Taylor. 

Taylor also shoots boudoir, school portraits, videography, and assists with personal branding. After shooting, clients receive an online gallery where they can download images and make product orders. In addition, she offers styling assistance for the whole family, which includes an online styling assistant, guide and complimentary client closet.

As the oldest of seven, Taylor said she knows how to be around kids and that she loves to turn family photo sessions into an opportunity for the family to bond. Since children are unable to sit still for long periods of time, Taylor allows the session to take on its own life.

“Kids make it very natural and I am totally in my element when there are lots of kids. It is such a fun dynamic and everyone’s always moving and doing something. Even the bickering and fighting is fun to watch,” Taylor said with a laugh. 

Photography is a way for Taylor to express herself as well as improve the mental well-being of her clients. Taylor discussed studies in which links were made between higher confidence and seeing portraits of oneself.

“Having a pretty picture of yourself somewhere helps boost your self esteem,” she said. “Especially for kids, seeing family portraits and pictures of themselves on the walls helps their confidence and creates a more bonded family unit.”

Over the years, Taylor has been able to capture in a variety of locations, as she travels for work. Professionally, she has taken pictures all over Montana, Arizona, Colorado and Washington. 

In the future, Taylor hopes to build a separate studio from her house to have a dark room and do her own printing. 

“I would definitely say I’m more partial to print products and film,” said Taylor. “I believe that’s why you’re getting pictures done is because people like to share their photos, so I want to offer speciality items like canvases, albums, and special prints — things that you can’t really get anywhere else and to make these photos more of an heirloom type of product.”

To learn more about Sarah Taylor Photography or inquire about booking a photography session, visit sarahtaylor-studios.com or contact by phone 406-212-2593 or email hello@sarahtaylor-studios.com.

Reporter Summer Zalesky may be reached at szalesky@dailyinterlake.com.

    Sarah Taylor focuses on photos of family and motherhood through her business. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Taylor)
  

    Sarah Taylor focuses on photos of family and motherhood through her business Sarah Taylor Photography. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Taylor)
  

    Sarah Taylor focuses on photos of family and motherhood through her business Sarah Taylor Photography. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Taylor)
  

    Sarah Taylor focuses on photos of family and motherhood through her business Sarah Taylor Photography. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Taylor)
  

    Sarah Taylor focuses on photos of family and motherhood through her business Sarah Taylor Photography. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Taylor)
  

SUVCW

The General McPherson Camp No. 1 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will meet at 7 p.m. April 15 at Foghorn’s, 2221 W. Walnut St. in Rogers. The group will gather at 6 p.m. for an off-the-menu meal.

The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is a patriotic organization made up of descendants of members of the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Revenue Service or who served as government officials during the Civil War, 1861-65. SUVCW members can offer assistance for those seeking to establish membership eligibility and associate memberships are available.

Information: [email protected].

NWA Senior Democrats

The Northwest Arkansas Senior Democrats will meet at noon April 16 at Eat My Catfish, 32 W. Joyce Blvd. in Fayetteville. Come early to socialize and eat beginning at 11:30 a.m. The meal is $13.99 plus tax. It will be a buffet with both grilled fish and chicken options, plus traditional fried foods. The restaurant will collect the money.

Jennifer Waymack Standerfer, one of the drafters of the FOIA ballot initiative and the constitutional amendment, will discuss why both FOIA actions are needed.

Reservations: (479) 841-5266 or [email protected].

Photography Club

The Bella Vista Photography Club will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. April 18 at the First Community Bank, 21196 U.S. 71 in Pineville, Mo.

The speaker will be member, Doug Keck. The topic of his presentation will be video photography. The Bella Vista Photography Club is designed for photographers of all levels from Bella Vista, Bentonville and surrounding area. Speakers, field trips and other activities promote the development of skills and friendships. There are monthly contests, and an annual contest with the winners publicly displayed.

Information: bellavistapc.org.

Quilt Guild

The Calico Cut-Ups Quilt Guild will meet at 1 p.m. April 22 in Sengel Hall at St. Theodore’s Episcopal Church, 1001 Kingsland Road in Bella Vista.

The speaker will be Mary Honas, owner of First Rate Designs, who will travel from Overland Park, Kan. Honas’ lecture and trunk show is titled Color, Value, Scale and Intensity. She states: “Color is an important part of the quilt design. Through quilts shown, the various aspects of color are explored for best results. See how intensity and value make a quilt shine.” Honas will also have several of her original quilt patterns for sale. On April 23, she will teach two workshops, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning workshop is: Quilting with a Walking Foot. The afternoon workshop is Free Motion Quilting. You may sign up for one or both workshops. The cost will be $30 for one workshop or $45 if you sign up for both.

Information: [email protected].

Senior Democrats

The Senior Democrats of Benton County will meet at noon April 22 at the Golden Corral, 2605 W. Pleasant Crossing Drive in Rogers. Lunch will be available beginning at 11 a.m. The event is sponsored by the Democratic Party of Benton County.

Speakers will be candidates for the Arkansas House of Representatives, Kate Schaffer, District 10 and Stephanie Funk, District 15.

Information: [email protected],

Hill Hikers

The Ozark Hill Hikers, affiliated with the American Volkssport Association, invite all interested walkers to join them for a walk April 24 in Little Rock. Registration is from 1 to 1:30 p.m. at the Curran Visitor’s Center at 615 E. Capitol in Little Rock.

The walk includes the State Capitol Building, Old State House, Governor’s Mansion and Clinton Presidential Library. Two pedestrian bridges across the Arkansas River provide a panoramic view.

There is a fee of $4 for all walkers. Membership dues to the Ozark Hill Hikers are $12 a year prorated $1 for each month remaining in the calendar year.

Information: (479) 381-9366 email [email protected].

Perfect Harmony

Perfect Harmony is celebrating 25 years of singing together at 3 p.m. April 28 at Highland’s Christian Church, 1500 Forest Hills Blvd. in Bella Vista.

In 1999 Karen Frankenfeld was asked to start a women’s barbershop chorus in Bella Vista after the Sweet Adeline chorus lost its director. The vision of the newly formed chorus was to not only create a musical outlet for women, but also provide an opportunity to have fun singing and entertaining others.

Women’s Barbershop Choruses have four sections: lead and tenor which would be for higher voices, baritone and bass for those with lower voices. Frankenfeld researches a wide variety of music that is arranged in the four-part barbershop style before selecting a song for the chorus to sing.

The chorus’s portfolio may include classics from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s, modern pop, seasonal songs, patriotic, gospel and novelty numbers. Some songs give her an opportunity to add a special touch to the arrangement and to let the women have a little fun with it for audience appeal.

Perfect Harmony Women’s Barbershop Chorus is a fun loving, energetic women’s a cappella group in Bella Vista. There are no try outs, no previous musical experience necessary to join. The chorus invites women of all ages and voice ranges to visit a rehearsal and experience barbershop singing.

Information: (479) 876-7204.

Youth Ambassadors

Lily Maples was recently elected as the President for Bo’s Blessings Youth Ambassadors.

Maples believes in serving veterans in all ways possible. She knows it is important to give back to those who gave all and were willing to do so. Her vision for Bo’s Blessings Youth Ambassadors is for them to be more than observers or just people who admire the work of others, rather she wants the youth to be hard-working and wanting to serve.

Also elected were Max Williams, vice president, Cate Stearman, secretary and Levi Lockwood, photographer.

Information: [email protected].

    The Garden Club of Rogers will hold their 49th Annual Plant Sale from 8 a.m. to noon May 4 in the parking lot of Grace Baptist Church on New Hope Road in Rogers. The plant sale is rain or shine. There will be perennials, house plants, shrubs, trees and some vegetable plants. All will be reasonably priced. Cash, Check or Credit card accepted. (Courtesy Photo)