Again, Maybe All The Camera You'll Ever Need

There is a photographer in SoCal named Nick Carver who, among other things, specializes in what I call lost urban and ex-urban architecture. He's got a great YouTube channel—with 140k followers!—is very funny, and extremely informative. He also produces exceptionally well done photography instructional videos. He's an excellent technician and superb artist.

He's also the guy who turned me on to 6x17 film photography and the Shen-Hao 6x17 view camera. So, I have him to thank for that additional hole in the wallet. Now, any photographer who is serious about the craft has some fondness for panoramic style photography, and I did as well so I can't blame him for all of that.

Anyway, I like to dabble in the retro urban-travel sort of thing when I shoot 6x17. This week, in Crescent City, around the corner from the most excellent Seaquake Brewing Co., I noticed this commercial refueling station. I didn't have a 6x17 or even a serious camera with me at the time so I shot with what I had: my iPhone 17. The fading sky had lost its last soft bands of color, but I really liked the pools of fluorescent light over the gas pumps and the sense of loneliness they suggested. I may go back and make a "serious" image, the 100% crop of the gas pump detail below suggests that for so many purposes, an iPhone is all you will ever need.