In Praise of CCD Colours: Why Old Sensors Still Feel Alive There is something about photographs taken with the LUMIX LX5 that keeps pulling me back. On paper, it is an old camera. Small sensor. Limited dynamic range by today’s standards. Slower. Less forgiving. And yet, when I look at images made with its CCD sensor, I feel something that many modern cameras struggle to give me: character. This photograph is a good example. The colours are gentle but confident. Skin tones feel warm without being exaggerated. The straw hats glow with a soft, organic yellow. Reds are lively but not aggressive. Nothing feels overly sharp or clinically perfect. The image breathes. That is the quiet magic of CCD. CCD vs Modern Sensors: Not Better, Just Different Modern cameras—especially smartphones and mirrorless systems—use CMOS sensors paired with powerful image processing. They are incredible tools: • Higher resolution • Wider dynamic range • Better low-light performance • Faster autofoc...
Chasing Monet, One Pond at a Time I have always loved Claude Monet’s paintings of ponds—especially his water lilies. There is something deeply calming about them. They are not just paintings of water and plants; they are paintings of light, time, and quiet observation. Monet did not merely see the pond—he felt it, returned to it again and again, and allowed it to reveal itself in layers. I am not an artist. I am, however, an amateur photographer. And through photography, I have found my own way of paying homage to Monet. Instead of canvas and oil paint, I use my camera. Instead of brushstrokes, I rely on reflections, textures, colours, and framing. When I photograph ponds, I am not trying to document them realistically. I am trying to interpret them—just as Monet did. The pond in this photograph is ordinary. Lily pads float quietly on the surface. Dry reeds stand along the edge. Fallen leaves drift without direction. Yet, when light hits the water at the right angle, the pond transform...