Friedman Archives Mailing List

[The Friedman Archives Blog] - Making an Award-winning Movie on $0 Budget

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:20:00 GMT

Hi all!  <figure class="image" style="float:right"><img alt="" height="240" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20260330152037/20aa78c31ceba1210e934db8d3e20533_AVvXsEiRybGw-JEV1_XA-vUK2M2zM0lxhABHOWzLgfUsa4DbQdkbAXBEQS0W-KjCizd0tSGLXJqi11HIz7O7W3WOPZY_M5fQ1IMPqWvA4ykHcoclwDsOPlbFZWl9IJwHqzBBz2_no9goJbxfe3RmUxq9BdLN2eMDMB8g6NMKDbwR6eEWhLard_g4ajoPM0nygUc" width="250" /> <figcaption>Like my dreads?</figcaption> </figure> Let me start by saying Mark Galer and I have teamed up once again to offer a FREE troubleshooting guide for Sony Alpha cameras.  Link is in the blog post. I also am sharing an interview I made with the two co-stars of a movie made during Covid for $0 budget, which has already won some awards.  You'll be impressed by what they did technically with only an A7 III to work with! The whole thing can be found here: <a href="https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2026/03/making-award-winning-movie-on-0-budget.html">https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2026/03/making-award-winning-movie-on-0-budget.html</a> Enjoy! Yours Truly, Gary Friedman

[The Friedman Archives Blog] - The Friedman Archives Helps Solve a Mystery

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:54:00 GMT

Good morning!<img alt="American Giants" height="256" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20260301075420/f12e13dbf25f97f4ee70bab14d8c9c69_AVvXsEjlpno9zy1pE2hXt77nlt2WNeI3dT3JYxeLzsDqCGRNEnY6in9UIvzBBsjmLS9tGavP62BhDOLm8sIpy7Rdh7CahhtW1AaWSaymaOts9Hhf26VP_eS70O4tleTg3YG1pgxnm6hQpwUvsA_rCT0jLNP8qbmgFT9iNojrpxatfrk2UP2v4uQ3_fwK2kx56yI" style="float:right" width="183" />The latest edition of the Friedman Archives Blog has arrived!  In this issue, I talk about how an image in the archives helped a sleuth to solve a mystery (well, I helped a lot).  I also talk about the most complex camera ever made.  Oh, and the A7 V book is out!  Also how to get work done on an airplane.It's all here via the link below:https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2026/02/the-friedman-archives-helps-solve.htmlEnjoy!Yours truly, Gary Friedman<img alt="" height="383" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20260301075420/b19d5b8ff72c0c666ca306a2eff419cc_AVvXsEhOZVXONcZXXlfw_N4z4Z_EJR0CNkGnpEIjSO0lnX7vDnH8pXMnfjV6BDwgYKkEcJHfalOgkHo8igIbNQoTKy6id6_cyR3D542gfFlU61_n03_XuQeLDwIZJTNrBzm0rYvMKXsLKbCp7BLoulHtilyBaPiuMXBRyw4Y10fACSjbsbhkAtRXVllVYLPt6Ak" width="580" />

[The Friedman Archives Blog] - The Happiest Slum in Africa

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:18:00 GMT

Hi, and happy new year! <img alt="" height="300" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20260121161833/868c1e57eac909e66b08e8081c197fe0_AVvXsEiD80KNKkiTyBC-QBeGjqHwxbav5HTODlFB5us0th7dCGbReNwvTNVkZ1D2i9u6CDyTedlI0MqJ4sW66oI7qr2jQG2qROppDAY1cW4NB9Ntb-d4pNVjVwZOlbyPW7xt42At4vdI46uGZymWfqUc_5QvflAs3ZAXpchLx0tPrHv2jr-JoSj-8AtqY4qmhzk" width="400" /> I've been swamped since Thanksgiving, and so the blog is a little late.  To make it up to you I have not one but TWO (count 'em!) photo-filled blog posts to share with you this month: 1) The Happiest Slum in Africa: <a href="https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-happiest-slum-in-africa.html ">https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-happiest-slum-in-africa.html </a> 2) The Villages of the Maasai Mara: <a href="https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-villages-of-maasai-mara.html">https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-villages-of-maasai-mara.html</a> (And these will be the last posts about Africa, I swear!  Next month I'll be talking more about the Sony A7 V. :-) )   Enjoy! Yours Truly, Gary Friedman <img alt="" height="533" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20260121161833/afbe5d95f2a53fcce5a5764c8b0c95a4_469119260_10162039509964536_8206528901394833760_n.jpg" width="400" />

[The Friedman Archives Blog] - Is FILM the answer?

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 23:35:00 GMT

<img alt="" height="390" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20251203153559/cd8500b234bd94cde749206ae0bea05f_AVvXsEhC44ajMVvCN25OhwpwPV7rriBPwMmGY5Gn5bda4XDSPd3a4HPhynSV-_yvQ7ObP4EAG8cyKWpSgaEMBPlRQhS_Bow-alS2hvyfKEKFofBtW0ScJ1zLGCDMAoDGNuMB2ChiyL-SoIrd9rBiAFex72tkR3dowPEH7659G2RukTXi5WYfU8nFGRE7vWOoo78" style="float:right" width="260" />We can't believe what we see anymore.  The photograph's legendary credibility, which has been steadily eroding for the last century, has finally hit bottom with the introduction of generative AI.  Images and videos can no longer be submitted as courtroom evidence.  Seeing isn't believing.  The value of an image has plummetted.In thinking about the future of imaging, I started considering some of the forgotten benefits of film.  You have an original negative which bolsters the image's credibility.  B&W images, unlike today's color ones, can last 100 years or more if printed using museum-quality archival techniques on acid-free paper (a fact that has been pretty much forgotten by the masses.)  And I grew up shooting film and working in a darkroom, so I'm more qualified than most to bring back this time-honored, old-world craft.But what if the future of imaging is with generative AI?  Check out BOTH of my new business ideas I'm contemplating in this month's blockbuster blog post:https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2025/11/is-film-answer.html I also have an introductory offer for those that might be interested in this new product.Enjoy, and happy December!Yours Truly, Gary Friedman<div style="text-align:center"><figure class="image" style="display:inline-block"><img alt="" height="361" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20251203153559/0466bc42e5e94202d562c8ac5006e4cf_AVvXsEji3gzQYX3NKIcXDPMQTiW6HGP7iXZAQJDk3OBJ-U9TxWhUV5lWAsqqz7zmNYmJv2qBksywCLNZcf2ZvEYK5dhqptDmD9PgwsWScVsBv8Wy-dd6gwayjQkIsZ2VEAr_VbjMBde4hxZVCeovUoehTQgPDGN-LvmOVXK1Rntu16kiMSVT2gkKz74yFycg1F0" width="580" /> <figcaption>Me, at various stages of my life.  A product of my new business idea.</figcaption> </figure></div>

[The Friedman Archives Blog] - Saving Lives in Uganda - Part 2

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 23:43:00 GMT

<img alt="" height="333" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20251020164329/d8b5656f7aa8c319526ee1ae6e644ded" style="float:right" width="250" />The young mother was not doing well.  Living in a remote village in the Jinja region of Uganda, she had given birth to a baby just a few weeks before, but she was feeling weakness on her right side of her body and had fevers.  She was under the care of a traditional healer (sometimes referred to as “Shamans” or “Witch Doctors”) who had instilled cuts on her body as part of the treatment, making her condition worse.  Dr. Schiff and his team examined her and thought she most likely had a stroke as well as an infection. He immediately arranged for an ambulance to come to the remote village and get her.  Empty space in the ambulance was filled with 4 other babies from the village who were also in need of medical attention – 3 had fevers, one had a discharge around the umbilical cord which wasn’t cut close to the body, one had pustules on the skin, and one had very yellow eyes, meaning it had jaundice early in life, a condition that can lead to brain damage if it isn’t treated.  Once they arrived at the hospital, the young mother was scheduled for a CAT scan, plus treatment for an infection and high blood pressure.  But then the traditional healer called the hospital, demanding that the young mother return home.  When we last heard, the young mother was getting ready to leave the hospital early to comply with the healer’s demands. === Hi, all!  Part 2 of my story in Uganda appears below.  I believe the humanitarian work of Dr. Schiff and his team is Nobel-prize worthy, which is why it's important that this story be told.<img alt="" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20251020164329/8adb06f66cf810cbddec1a1de1e8cb24_8168944921106509749" /> https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2025/10/saving-lives-in-uganda-part-2.html Enjoy! Yours Truly, Gary Friedman     <img alt="" height="264" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20251020164329/d3fbda15979624f8cfbe4334dd584cd8" width="320" />

[The Friedman Archives Blog] - Portrait of the King of Busoga

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 15:42:00 GMT

<img alt="" height="404" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20250930084207/15e8ad654181ec202ff8fca2b8e07709_AVvXsEhsdztvPwPqX5NZUNa7Hcor5zECz2NDM0GcNsCQHYfwCIFpTn7GcLcfNlN6zlvGwdTUtgpTmDQucVbmdma1DErSGyGdhmibSuhg4mYTal-WhH674HUd7lNnsNTmTfGcXadsshWadEmtkvzQsWq8x6QOb1Ni2gw7JeNYV85gPSedvUfO4XIPdKSsfXwY2mg" style="float:right" width="300" />Hi, all!  Back from Uganda.  Here's the first of two blog posts about that trip. I met a king, and I created his portrait!  But not the way you think.  Read all about it at https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2025/09/portrait-of-king-of-busoga.html  Yours Truly, Gary Friedman   <div style="border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> P.S. – Did you purchase one of our books from Amazon?  If so, please leave a review so newcomers will know it’s a great book and a best-of-its-kind investment. J </div>

[The Friedman Archives Blog] - The Reward for Waiting for the Right Light

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 22:01:00 GMT

<img alt="" height="194" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20250901150158/90607cd2d9ffaf4df94df9ec917a0dc9_AVvXsEimabb_8cU_s9x63-WfHOsBksJZ7SAC4q7x8y1HVtzeUGxU-GJIQ9GjL8Qpd38gYWnpm8ZR_Nr79JO1jWHSg5ftcTSAioeA0ZaA8ehiuCDKsnSCDJIrcrZVJxPXln7jxlxFeIOEHe9uDWgJX5urAIdz_F2nDI0VETvd67LDtm33gx4rkaXA-qtpqU59clg" style="float:right" width="399" />Hi, and Happy September! I'm off to return to Uganda in a few days, but I wanted to get this month's blog out first.  In this issue: <ul> <li>The Reward for Waiting for the Right Light</li> <li>Walt Disney was a Genius</li> <li>RX1R III ebook now available in all formats!</li> <li>2023 annual for CameraCraft magazine now available!</li> </ul> You can read it all right here: https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-reward-for-waiting.html Enjoy! Sincerely, Gary <img alt="" height="165" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20250901150158/2411f436105ac831baeb2696c7a4362a_AVvXsEgzz-OGQpEojmEoOn_5z8JpKS45aaOUD62EkYCG-JG4YfZcWk5JnkY2rzavnxSo6kg9XSkCK3e8MMoGhAvJc32c-OJ4-ZVYguWJu2N9qkU20DXMWjGq--OYW8ngvFyR0KZtH2MF8ZsOpXuMbTFXKtShPPXTc0eDD5AYsM6S6xBm-OXi6Dw47dyt0wmrSbo" width="200" />

Please help me return to Uganda!

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 20:44:00 GMT

Dear Friedman Archives subscriber, <img alt="" height="225" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20250810134425/48e864edd3b88ec112d0d699bee8f94c_20241120_130003.jpg" style="float:right" width="300" />Recall that back in November 2024 I was in Uganda doing a photojournalism essay on a Yale professor who has dedicated his life to seeking the source of infant infections and is orchestrating a team to become medical ambassadors out in the field.  (In case you forgot:  https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2025/01/saving-lives-in-uganda.html :-) )  Today I learned that I have an opportunity to return to Uganda to continue this journalistic effort. This should include time in the villages in Jinja district with our village health team members seeing what is working well and what is not. Also a likely diversion to Buyende district - the most remote and impoverished of the Busoga districts. And time at the King's coronation celebration with a possible session on the project to people. Also time at the pediatric service at Jinja hospital.  This is the wider story I wasn't able to capture the first time around and have been eager to return since. I am seeking $3K to cover my travel expenses for this next trip.  Please help me to continue documenting this important story!  In the age of reduced foreign aid from the United States, stories like this become even more impactful.   I have set up a Go Fund Me page to help cover my costs.  You can see it here: <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-document-lifesaving-work-in-uganda/cl/o?utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash&utm_content=amp13_c&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&lang=en_US&attribution_id=sl%3A820118da-e468-4c3e-8aec-b48fd64f27f3&ts=1754856712" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline">https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-document-lifesaving-work-in-uganda/cl/o?utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash&utm_content=amp13_c&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&lang=en_US&attribution_id=sl%3A820118da-e468-4c3e-8aec-b48fd64f27f3&ts=1754856712</a>  Many thanks for any help you can provide! Sincerely, Gary

[The Friedman Archives Blog] - 7.5 Weeks on the Road

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 18:33:00 GMT

<img alt="" height="263" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20250802113335/e03ab381b1f8deb4711d6a2de4b29004_AVvXsEi7TMPJ9RBJJ-F41KM8pa4QvHo_n7RsqUjjsK5VImbKWqowHQlIoqLQZr25YzzuqlQXh25Kh8nLddpkm7c49MBjwrrQ3H54aUSUCoXja5ZG77InI8UqFvZiaFs4XXMyXKcO3xxCZ-gTbW-hnpZMntLV1VftmBEmmuYCtR7L_RM_R_1nG-JtYB4IQgr8qlw" style="float:right" width="350" />Hi all! What a month it's been!  I'm here to tell you all about it with this Magnum Opus of a blog post, including my old street photography cameras and not one but THREE Star Trek surprises on the road.  It's all here: https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2025/08/7-12-weeks-on-road.html I would also like to personally invite you to join a small exclusive group of photography enthusiasts for the Photo Safari in Kenya in November.  It is almost sold out, so act now!  https://FriedmanArchives.com/safari  Enjoy! Yours Truly, Gary Friedman <img alt="" height="263" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20250802113335/886a35f9c7a2b8ceeae81b6753496164_AVvXsEhiN4WMskUMo8vCp-rvxs8W0dMMikBnJO24A6wfbiEur3ZjOSMOJYQPeqDp36zUX3c34cVwYdTBJR96SicyWKxLwf00b7tVh8V7TtXmkHBKJmZcbxYYi_Lc9F4NfOf2Rnx2xGP4JWtiyuC7YQHWJds4rsGclmsaRrRQRgqphXDOT96SyCwp5NczXtyRH0M" width="350" />

[The Friedman Archives Blog] - Someone at Godox should be Shot

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 23:44:00 GMT

<img alt="" height="125" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20250702164448/701c454448fe6c62cfef7a2b02e5a737_1744785494295929.jpg" style="float:right" width="250" />Hi all!   Recently I received the most inept product marketing photos from a company that should know better - Godox.  (I even offered to take new photos for them so they wouldn't be lying about how to use their product!)  Read all about their reaction (and why I'm still recommending it) in this month's blog. I also talk about other things that are worth your time, including details on the upcoming Photo Safari and upcoming updates for a Sony camera.  Oh, and hte latest edition of Cameracraft magazine is available to read - for FREE! You can find it all here: https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2025/06/someone-at-godox-should-be-shot.html Enjoy! Sincerely, Gary <img alt="" height="264" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20250702164448/f8f9e42290ed83f1b55e9d2fe357ae11_Celebrating-25-years-The-Friedman-Archives-Logo.jpg" width="320" />

[The Friedman Archives Blog] - Keeping and Eye on Generative AI

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 06:31:00 GMT

<figure class="image" style="float:right"><img alt="Me and my grandfather, who died in 1962." height="173" src="https://friedmanarchives.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/show_img/FA_Mailing_List/20250531233100/18ae838572dcdbc2578ed7de2527c500_20250404_0454_Joyful-Card-Game_remix_01jr003ydyfrv9r1cjkyz3mjvg.jpg" width="260" /> <figcaption>Me and my grandfather, who died in 1962.</figcaption> </figure> Hi!  Many people have been wondering where I've been.  Busier than usual is the answer.  You'll know more when you read the latest blog post, which talks about AI's recent leaps in capabilities, and makes little mention of its continued contribution to the collapse of civilization.  :-)   You can read it all here: https://friedmanarchives.blogspot.com/2025/05/generative-ai-is-making-steady-progress.html   (Note that the link is not hyperlinked intentionally; you'll have to copy and paste the whole URL to read.  I do this because spam filters can get overzealous when they see a hyperlink in an email.) Enjoy, and greetings from the road! Yours Truly, Gary Friedman