Barrett

October 5, 2025

Decoding my Father’s Story through his Vintage Photographs

I’m trying to understand more about my late father through his photography. He passed in 2022, and he passed on a mostly disorganized collection of photos that he snapped across his life.

My dad fashioned himself a photography enthusiast.

My Father, The Photographer
While I was growing up, I remember he’d proudly carry around his SLR camera with zoom lens throughout New York City like he was some sort of urban Ansel Adams. Before that, he went through his James Bond subminiature Minox phase. While his tiny Minox camera was indeed cool for its time, the resolution of the resulting photos was mediocre at best.

I believe my father’s self-assigned photography projects were frequently more about expressing his own style and experience than the creativity in his photos’ form. (I was aware how much he enjoyed simply playing ‘photographer.’) But as I’ve been reviewing and archiving his old photos and negatives over these past few years, I’ve come to an additional conclusion.

He was also interested in the art of photography… I’ve uncovered some cool photos.

But my dad was limited by the technology of his time and didn’t have any distribution mechanism to reinforce his efforts. (No social media or blogs yet.) The furthest he went was to blow up a few of his favorite photos to frame for our apartment.

He seemed satisfied with this ceiling for his hobby.

Photo Echoes Between Generations
I’ve been digitizing these photos as part of my ongoing family archiving project, and I’ve recently come across an unexpected phenomenon. I’ve found echoes of my own photo work showing up in some of my father’s photography.

It shouldn’t really be a surprise. New York City has certain iconic photo opportunities that a million others have also snapped. So, the fact that my father and I captured the same shot decades apart is hardly a revelation.

But it’s still made an impact on me.

Same Shot – Decades Apart
I had the opportunity recently to take a few photos on the water around Manhattan near the Statue of Liberty. After I returned home and reviewed them, I felt a déjà vu like I’d seen these before. Yes, of course… my father’s photos. He’d been on the New York Bay too (multiple times, in fact).

Take a look:

Here’s the southern tip of Manhattan in 1988 and in 2025. (My father’s photo benefited from all the picturesque boats in the harbor. Of course, lots of other differences, including the Twin Towers.)

And here’s the Stature of Liberty, again in 1988 vs 2025.
(I really like that giant American flag in my dad’s shot.)

These are hardly unique photos, But their similarities are striking for me, because they come from two generations of Lesters. And I find that meaningful.

My Father’s Legacy
I’m still trying to understand my father. I had a complicated relationship with him.

No, he didn’t really bond with me through his photography and share his hobby as a father would with his son.

But he did buy me a nice Ricoh camera when I was in my early teens. So, it wasn’t as if he entirely missed the connection. (And it’s not lost on me that my own passion for photography still found its roots during this time in my life.)

Decades later, the fact that we gravitated to some of the same photo moments has made me feel a little closer to him. I understand I’ve got a little magical thinking going on. Still, I think there was more to my father that met the eye (or at least I want to think).

And that’s made me consider his legacy a little differently.

What Will I Learn from the Next Photo?
My father’s photos are breadcrumbs that lead to a truth I’ll never completely understand. But they help me soften the rough edges to the story of our lives together.

And that’s part of what drives me to continue archiving his photos.

September 28, 2025

Why Would Anyone Make the Next “Tron” Movie without Tron?

“Tron” is the odd science fiction movie franchise that spans 43 years with decades between installments. That’s certainly a hard way to build momentum. The third film, “Tron: Ares” comes out in theaters on October 10th.

The first two, “Tron” (1982) and “Tron: Legacy” (2010) weren’t especially successful, though they offered cutting-edge visual effects for their time. The original “Tron” hasn’t aged well at all, but the analog execution of a digital civilization inside a computer video game was still remarkable. “Tron: Legacy” stretched the technology limits from those days to “de-age” Jeff Bridges in parts of the movie.

“Tron: Legacy” was the Sequel We Wanted
I really enjoyed “Tron: Legacy.” Though it didn’t quite stick the landing, it got most everything else right. This wicked-cool sequel successfully continued its own core storyline almost three decades later and brought in new, engaging characters. The movie was fun, and the visual effects, other than the de-aging tech, were slick.

But it didn’t make enough money at the box office. So though “Tron: Legacy” ended with something of a cliffhanger, Disney never made the next film. I was disappointed.

I thought that was it for “Tron.” But never say never.

“Tron: Ares” is Not the Sequel I was Hoping For
And then seemingly under the radar and without much fanfare other than the normal prerelease marketing hype, this third “Tron” movie got made. Fifteen years later, we have another “Tron” ready for release.

It’s apparently a soft reboot for this franchise. And that makes sense at one level. Who else other than a science fiction geek like me will remember its predecessor that’s as old as my teenage son?

In the trailers for this new film, the premise is flipped. Instead of going into the “Grid” of the computer universe, the digital characters and machines are released into our world. And they’re not friendly. Mayhem ensues.

Okay…

Truthfully, I’m not feeling that excited.

How Can You Have “Tron” without Tron?
Where’s Tron, the character played by Bruce Boxleitner in the first two movies?

Where’s Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn? He does show up (surprisingly) in the trailer. So, there’s a connective thread. But it looks pretty thin. Sadly, the other characters from “Tron: Legacy” are all absent.

The trailers tell us that “Tron: Ares” centers around Ares, an AI program in humanoid form played by Jared Leto. And he has questions.

He says, “I’m looking for something. Something I do not understand.” That’s pretty vague.

Will he destroy the world? Will he save it? The trailer suggests he’s the good guy. Maybe he’s the new Tron? (I don’t think so.)

The plot seemingly leans into the topic of AI. But weren’t all “Tron” characters (‘Programs’) always AI-enabled?

Good Characters Matter More than Special Effects
I don’t know if “Tron: Ares” is a good film. I do know the trailers are not compelling. And that’s usually not a positive sign for a movie (but not always).

Strong science fiction flicks are always character driven. Sure, the special effects are important, but they’re never enough to carry a film. And besides, the special effects displayed in the “Tron: Ares” trailers only feel like incremental updates to “Tron: Legacy.”

Maybe the producers feel nobody will remember. So why not rinse and repeat?

That’s fine, as long as there’s a stated story that will draw the audience. And interesting characters. Unfortunately, the trailers just focus on the special effects and pounding music.

Is Being Tron-Adjacent Enough?
Yes, I’m disappointed that this “Tron” will be mostly ‘Tron-less.’ At best, it will be ‘Tron-adjacent.’

Sure, one could praise this effort to narratively break from the mothership and forge ahead in a different direction, but still in the same universe. But I can’t help feel a sense of loss that so much has been jettisoned from the core of this franchise.

No, I shouldn’t prejudge “Tron: Ares.” I should watch it first and then offer an informed opinion. And I intend to (even if the reviews are scathing).

And of course, this type of movie is best seen on the big screen (IMAX). There are so few films being released in theaters these days. So, why not?

But as we approach the release of this new “Tron” flick, this ‘User’ wants to feel more excited.

Game over? Well see…

September 21, 2025

Consider these Factors When Asking Friends to Take Photos at Your Big Party

Over the years, I’ve occasionally been asked by family and friends to take photos during their celebration event. I’m not a professional photographer, but yes, I’ve got a decent camera that can shoot RAW, and I’ve been known to snap a good picture or two.

I’ve also leaned on friends to take photos during similar moments. Who hasn’t done this? (Today’s phones take great photos.)

Besides, it’s expensive to hire a professional photographer. When literally everyone at your party has a camera, why would you need to bring in a pro?

Well, sometimes you don’t. But it’s also important to recognize the flip side of the equation.

If you’re going to stick with a volunteer camera crew solution, here are the critical variables you should not leave to chance.

There Can Be Only One Official Camera
You may not have a hired photographer. But for a variety of reasons, which I’ll get into, someone in your crowd must serve the same ‘alpha’ camera role.

That doesn’t mean your other friends still can’t snap photos for you. In fact, that’s likely going to happen regardless.

Spray and Pray
Here’s the problem. When everyone has a shared responsibility. Nobody has individual responsibility. And that can create major gaps in your photographic coverage.

As a result, even with hundreds or thousands of photos taken, you may still not get the ones you really want.

Group Portraits and Your Paparazzi
When more than one photographer is there to capture your group portrait shots, nobody in that group will know exactly which camera to look at and when.

Even if you have an ‘organizer’ trying to direct everyone’s attention, it’s never going to be perfect. There are already too many distractions.

And that will almost certainly guarantee many of those portraits (or worse) will be useless, because someone is looking off camera.

Remember, one ‘alpha’ camera. That’s all you really need in that moment.

Go let your paparazzi eat more hor d’oeuvres.

Dimly Lit Rooms and Blur
Yes, today’s cameras are amazing. Even the ones crammed into our phones. But they can’t handle every situation, especially in low light when there’s a lot of motion.

People like to dance and move around at parties. And when the lights are turned down to enhance the party mood, the people in those photos are likely to look blurry. You need some serious ‘glass’ to freeze the action in low light. (I sadly need to remind myself of that limitation every so often.)

So sometimes, you require a flash in the room as the solve. But to avoid annoying everyone, only the ‘alpha’ camera should have the flash.

Conversely, if you want better photos from your volunteer team, turn up the room’s lighting a bit more. (Everyone will thank you.)

Where Does the Buck Stop?
As I’ve mentioned, with multiple volunteer photographers, you still may not catch all the highlights. Moments happen quickly. If you miss them, there’s no second chance.

You don’t need every moment. Just the few that matter most. And again, one volunteer with the ‘alpha’ camera must own the responsibility to get you those for you.

Yes, that may inevitably take a little time away from that guest’s ‘partying’ enjoyment. Both of you should have this understanding, and it doesn’t have to be a problem. (I’ve greatly enjoyed owning this responsibility.)

But when absolutely everyone is enjoying cake, nobody is snapping photos.

How to Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
Sure, lots of volunteer photographers will get a variety of interesting shots your ‘alpha’ photographer will inevitably miss. And that’s why there’s nothing wrong with all your other friends taking photos too.

It doesn’t have to be an either/or situation.

But it does need to be both.

Don’t Play the Odds
I learned this lesson the hard way at my own wedding. We didn’t hire a professional photographer and instead asked a few friends to help out. (And I really appreciated their support.)

We received many hundreds of photos. But honestly, a lot of them were unusable for the all the reasons I’ve discussed. And those few key moments that mattered most?

Well, happily, yes… someone captured them successfully. But if you were to review the totality of all our pictures, you would also conclude the odds only narrowly favored us that day. It could have gone much differently.

Lessons from Experience
The presence of many cameras in a room will democratize the responsibility of photographing your event. That’s the problem.

Ultimate responsibility needs to fall to one single source of photograph truth. And that person needs to know it.

This doesn’t mean you always have to pay for a professional photographer. (Though it’s a good way to get the job done right.) But yes, there has to be someone in your crowd who effectively is playing the same role.

And of course, it’s lovely to receive everyone’s else’s photos as well. (There will be some great ones.)

This two-step strategy will go a long way to ensure success.

You’ll maximize the opportunity that comes with having dozens of cameras snapping away, while also preventing the disorganization that can develop without having an appointed ‘alpha’ camera in place.

A little planning can make all the difference.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: