Newsletter: week of 8/11

A few weeks ago, while editing my RX1R III video, I fell down a rabbit hole.

away she goesssss

My argument in the video is that, as its own standalone brand, Sony lacks deep roots in the still photography space. So, to prove this, I set out to contrast its legacy with that of Hasselblad's.

And what better way to do that than with space...

Hasselblad and NASA began collaborating in 1962, but it was the July 1969 Apollo 11 mission that solidified Hasselblad's place in history. That was when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first set foot on the moon, with two silver Hasselblad Data Camera (HDC) fitted with Zeiss Biogon 60mm ƒ/5.6 lenses.

To shed as much weight as possible, these Hasselblad 500Cs had all their leather removed, along with their auxiliary shutters, reflex mirrors, and viewfinders. Plus, a new film magazine was designed to accommodate 70 exposures instead of the standard 12.

And the photos, all shot blind, are stunning. (you can view and download them, along with many other missions' photos, here)

Once the mission was over, the cameras were hoisted up to the lunar lander using a line, where the film magazines were removed, then both cameras, along with their lenses, were left behind on the Moon to meet the narrow weight margins for a successful return. From Apollo 11 to the final Apollo 17 mission, a total of twelve camera bodies and lenses were left behind on the lunar surface.

So damn cool.

And with that, here is everything else I have been consuming.

📖 Things I Read:

I talked to Sam Altman about the GPT-5 launch fiasco
For those who may have missed it, when OpenAI launched its latest model, GPT-5, it took GPT-4o offline, resulting in backlash from users who had become accustomed to using it. I personally know a few people who view ChatGPT as a companion, a therapist - they talk to it every day and heavily rely on it for connection. They also happen to be my least techy friends, which I find ironic. But I truly worried for them when I heard the news. Check in on your AI-loving friends.

Modern Love in miniature (reader-submitted stories of no more than 100 words)
tiny reads to restore your faith in humanity

Forget Ray-Ban Meta — HTC just unveiled Vive Eagle smart glasses that look like a stylish AI breakthrough
Prediction: 2026 is going to be a hell of a year for smart glasses.

📺 Things I watched:

KOLD - Make PLAY part of your Creative Process
stunnin' edit, solid message

The WEIRD LENS Behind Ed Sheeran’s ULTRA VIRAL Video
With each passing week, I grow closer to renting (or, dare I say, buying) a fisheye.

How Brooklyn's Revamped Waterfront is Changing NYC
If you are coming to NYC anytime soon, or, better yet, if you live here, give this a watch. I learned so much! (and realized I should take more tours in my own city)

Proposing to my partner in life
I'm working with Jonas on my rebrand, so I went down the rabbit hole that is his content and found this gem <3

🎶 Things I listened to:

"This is a top 20 song of all time for me". That's something I often say to my partner, Hannah, when a song that I love comes on the radio. She will tell you that I say that to every song, but I don't!!! (although I will admit that I have said that about more than 20 songs 👀)

So, here are five of my top 20 songs, or maybe I should start saying 50...

Obongjayar - I Wish It Was Me (Live)
I had the privilege of seeing Obongjayar (10/10 would recommend) at Newport Folk Fest, where I learned that he wrote this song about his younger brother, who is featured in the above video. My sister later said, "Of course you like it, you're a younger sibling". Smh. This song is also covered by Fred again.. which I would put in my top 100 songs of all time. ;)

Bob Seger - Night Moves
This is 100% my favorite song to blast in the car when I'm driving my upstate roads alone, on the way home from a great hike, windows down, sun getting low.

Jim Croce - Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)
I first heard this in Joey Soloway's Transparent, and it has been in the rotation ever since.

Elton John - My Father's Gun
I'm a huge Elton fan, and although this is one of his early, country music-inspired songs that doesn't quite match everything that would come later, it's one of my favorites. Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters is a close second, with Your Song and Madman Across The Water tied for third.

Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
I never saw this live, but I had a friend tell me that during the bridge, when they would sing "please cut the lights", everything would go dark. I now imagine that for myself every time I listen ahah.

That's all I have for this week. I had a lot of fun writing this one! I hope ya liked it/learned something new!

As always, I appreciate you! Have a great weekend, bud.
-Becca