Dan Finnen

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How to Shoot Better Landscape Photography

July 2, 2017 By Dan Finnen

A beginner’s guide to shooting landscapes, having fun, and making better pictures. When you’re getting started in photography, it can be easy to be overwhelmed by all the information floating around out there. I know when I was green, I just wanted some simple guides on how to shoot better pictures, and all I could […]

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Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: 35mm, digital, Film, Instant film, landscape, long reads, photography, Polaroid

Why Shoot Polaroid and Instant Film?

May 21, 2017 By Dan Finnen

It’s a digital world, after all. In an age where nearly everybody has access to a powerful digital camera conveniently attached to their smartphone, where DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are pushing beyond 50 megapixels with gorgeous color technology, where the internet makes images all-pervasive and instantly shareable, why would anybody shoot analogue old-school instant film? […]

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Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: fuji instax, Instant film, long reads, photography, Polaroid

Orvieto: a Novella

March 24, 2015 By Dan Finnen

Orvieto is comedic adventure that takes place in a quaint Italian town where aspiring freelance investigator Helen Harvard Hump is on a quest to steal an ancient Bible in order to prevent an elderly pickpocket from a rather medieval punishment. If you’re interested in reading this novella, please email me for a free copy. Meet […]

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Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: adventure, comedy, Helen Harvard Hump, investigator, novella, story, writing

An Introduction to Working with Models

February 21, 2015 By Dan Finnen

When I was getting started in photography several years ago, one of the hardest things for me to do was muster up the courage to get somebody in front of my camera. I wanted to do portraiture, but I had no clue where to start with people, so I simply stuck to landscapes. At this […]

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Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: model mayhem, models, portrait, portraits, professionalism

An Introduction to Using Polaroid Cameras and Instant Film

March 20, 2014 By Dan Finnen

Got a Fuji Instax camera instead of a vintage Polaroid one? Check out my how-to guide for the Fuji Instax Mini 8 and 9 cameras! Updated April 2020 Growing up, I spent quite a bit of time looking over my parents’ shoulder as they used our family Impulse AF camera, longing for the day when […]

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Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: beginner, camera, film in a digital world, guide, Instant film, introduction, Polaroid, the impossible project

Dan’s Top Ten Tips for Growing Up Hard of Hearing

October 26, 2013 By Dan Finnen

I’ve had hearing aids in both of my ears since I was three years old as a result of a moderate-to-severe hearing loss. Growing up, I never let my lack of hearing hold me back or thought of it as a limiting factor. Now that I’m an adult (technically), I thought it’d be nice to […]

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Filed Under: Hard of Hearing Tagged With: advice, deaf, deafness, hard of hearing, hearing aids, hearing impaired, hearing impairment, top ten

The Early Films, Failures, and Triumphs of the Impossible Project

October 26, 2013 By Dan Finnen

This article is a collection of old reviews that I wrote about the many films that the Impossible Project created in their first few years of existence. Almost all of these films have long disappeared, and even if one stumbled across them the chemistry would barely work these days. However, many of these films, while wild and unpredictable, were my favorites that Impossible ever created. They were unique to their time and are likely to never appear again. When updating my site, it seemed silly to have a bunch of old reviews sitting around collecting dust. So I collected them together and created this article, a celebration of these old films and a peak into what it was like to follow a product as it developed and matured.

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Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: color shade, history, Instant film, Polaroid, px 680, the impossible project

Nikon Coolscan V Film Scanner Review and Guide

October 3, 2013 By Dan Finnen

The Coolscan V is time consuming, expensive, and difficult to use, but you can’t argue with the results. After using it in the basement of my old college, I couldn’t go back to subpar flatbed scans and I certainly couldn’t afford the cost of having other people scan it at the level of quality I want. Hopefully Nikon will continue to repair and support the scanners still floating around in the world, because I don’t plan to give up 35mm anytime soon.

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Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: 35mm, Coolscan, film scanner, Nikon, photograhpy, scanner

The Complete Guide to Hybrid Analog/Digital Workflow

October 3, 2013 By Dan Finnen

Most of what you see in my photo galleries goes through this process. I would never recommend this workflow for anybody in a hurry or on a tight budget, but I find it to be quite a bit of fun. Take your time and you’ll be surprised at what you can create. It all comes down to the image you want to communicate and how you want to say it. Scanners, cameras, film, lights and flashes are all just tools to help make your vision a reality.

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Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: 35mm, digital, Film, hybrid, Instant film, photography, Polaroid, scanning, workflow

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When it comes to photography gear, partnering up with companies like KEH, Polaroid, Amazon, and eBay allows me to keep this site going without annoying banner ads. Using my affiliate links when buying anything costs you nothing and helps me out a ton. Thanks! Find cool stuff at Polaroid, KEH, and Amazon in each article.

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Recent Articles

  • Fuji Instax Instant Film Camera Buying Guide
  • Dan’s Guide to Buying New and Used Polaroid Cameras
  • Instax Square SQ1 and SQ40 Camera Guide

Recent Reviews

  • Fuji Instax Mini 41 Instant Film Camera Review
  • Polaroid Flip Instant Film Camera Review
  • Polaroid Now+ (Plus) Gen 3 Instant Camera Review
  • Boox Palma Android e-Reader Review
  • Nikon Z6 III Camera Review – From a Z6 I Owner’s Perspective

Recent Blog Posts

  • Where did all the Instax Square cameras go?
  • Thanks to the Switch 2, the Polaroid SLR 680 Finally Has a Good Cheap Case
  • I’m directing a feature film!
  • New: Polaroid Flip Reviews
  • New: Polaroid Now+ Gen 3 Reviews

Blog Archive

About Me

I’m a writer, photographer, co-owner of Polymyth, host of the Chicago Writers Podcast, Super Gear Land, and more. You can reach me at hello (at) danfinnen.com.

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