An Introduction

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Greetings and welcome to Variable Focus. Here you will find news, commentary and examples concerning photography. As the name implies, however, a variable focus can include more. Reviews of books about photography, discussion of cinematography, even full-blown movie and book reviews--all are within bounds. Reader submissions are welcome and encouraged (more about that will follow below). What falls outside the boundaries? Probably those limits will be determined by your benevolent editor as they are tested. The subject of still photography, whether traditional or contemporary, is the starting point, but any discussion of what's good in the visual, performing or literary arts will be at home here.

How to contribute. Whether it's a news item, a link to another site, a brief article, a detailed essay, or a digital photograph, if you think it might be of interest, we (the editor and various assisting elves) would like to see if it has a place at Variable Focus. Please be aware, however, that this blog is a moderated forum. If you'd like to originate a post, send it to the encoded address: abcdefg@hotmail.com. Of course, that address, as it appears in the previous sentence, is a fake to ward off automated spam bots. In place of "abcdefg," substitute the words "jim_natale" and your email containing your submission will be on its way. (Note the underscore between jim and natale.) Be sure to put Variable Focus in the subject line so that your material is reviewed promptly.

In the works: Observations on photojournalism as art.