Lumasphere
by alex
A deliberate photographic practice

A Personal Photographic Practice.

I work across digital and film, with an emphasis on light, contrast, and controlled composition. Images are produced deliberately, reviewed over time, and selected only if they continue to hold up under my own scrutiny.

2013 Canon EOS 700D DSLR 1981 Cannon AE-1 Program SLR Digital and analogue Personal work

Selected work

Three small series, each framed with the rule of thirds in mind. Click any image to view it full screen and access a longer write-up.

Rose That Stayed

Still life · Personal

A single purple rose from a sympathy bouquet, photographed long after the flowers were gone.

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Broken Screen Study

Experiment · College

Shattered glass, window light, and a reversed lens turning a broken phone into something strangely calm.

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Five AM Valley

Landscape · Early morning

A 5am hillside silhouette with valley mist and a slow, layered sunrise sky.

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Discovering Analogue: Thirty-Six Chances

A small writing series — presented like selected work, but told as a chat transcript.

Series intro

Thirty-Six Chances

I bought a Canon AE-1 Program and decided to document the first roll properly — the costs, the optimism, and the inevitable mistakes.

Film doesn’t let you spray and fix things later. Every frame costs money, time, and trust. That changes how you think and how you plan.

Thirty-Six Chances follows that process from start to finish across my first full roll of film — mistakes, problems, and the occasional success — while learning 35mm film photography the slow way.

Personal 35mm Film Process-led Cannon AE-1
Chapter One
Canon AE-1 Program film camera, close-up photo of the AE-1 badge

Background

The purchase. The missing grip. The battery situation. The slow realisation that “free shipping” is a lie.

Chapter Two
Canon AE-1 Program — placeholder image

The Plan

Film is expensive. Waiting is worse. If each frame costs money, the only sane option is intention.

Chapter Three
Canon AE-1 Program — placeholder image

Preparations

Coming soon — batteries in, strap + grip fitted, first test… and the AE-1 coughs to life.

Chapter Four
Canon AE-1 Program — placeholder image

Shooting

Coming soon — multiple shoots, composition + exposure notes, and finally posting the film off. Then waiting.

Chapter Five
Canon AE-1 Program — placeholder image

Results & Reflections

Coming soon — scans one-by-one, honest verdicts, and Common Sense being annoyingly right.

Approach

A non-commercial photography practice centred on intent, constraint, and review.

I’ve been involved with photography for years and continue to use it as a structured, personal practice rather than a public one. It’s a space where I control the pace, the scope, and the outcome, without external pressure or expectation.

My work tends to focus on objects, environments, and details rather than people. I often return to familiar locations, as prior experience and reflection usually lead to more deliberate framing. Light and shadow are central to how I work, particularly natural contrast and how it shapes form.

Most shoots are planned in advance. This might be a mental outline, written notes, or occasional sketches, depending on the subject. Planning isn’t about achieving a fixed result — it’s about having clear intent before the camera is involved.

I don’t shoot continuously. Photography happens in infrequent but focused periods, usually when time allows for reflection. Images are rarely reviewed immediately and may sit for months before being revisited. This delay is intentional and often reveals aspects that weren’t apparent at the time of capture.

I don’t use social media and don’t take commissions. The work here isn’t commercial and isn’t produced for engagement or visibility. Sharing it on this site is a matter of documentation, not promotion.

I treat all photographs as iterative. If an image can be improved, it can be revisited. Showing unsuccessful work isn’t an issue if it contributes to understanding the process. The work exists primarily for ongoing reference and later reflection.

Short Guides

From time to time, I publish short guides based on formal reports and refrenced imformation.

Fundamentals of Exposure

ISO, aperture, and shutter speed — what each controls, how they interact, and why changing one always introduces a trade-off elsewhere.

Reference-based, with practical examples from digital and 35 mm film.