DISPATCH: Keith Dotson’s photography newsletter is now available
February 2, 2026: Welcome! It’s been a cold 2026 so far, even here in the South! See what Teena and I have been up to. This newsletter is for you, our friends and most loyal supporters. Thank you for being here!
In this edition:
Business News
– Canson Infinity Baryta Prestige II
– Photosnack Sunday Edition Feature
– Hotel Phoenix Grand Opening in Atlanta
– Work Tentatively Chosen to Appear in a PBS Documentary
That Old Stone Wall Was Older Than I Thought!
A few years ago, I posted a video where Teena and I traveled to a farm in Kentucky to document a historic old stone wall. The owner of the land said he assumed it was 200 years old — possibly a boundary fence. But last month I heard from an expert who thinks it’s much older and more than likely made by Native Americans for ceremonial purposes!
Exhibition Review: Paul McCartney “Eyes of the Storm” in Nashville
This exhibition of black and white and color photographs by former Beatle Paul shows what it was like to be a member of the world’s most famous rock and roll band as they exploded onto the world stage.
I Finally Got Some Morning Fog (Featuring Hasselblad 907X with CFV 100C)
I’ve been waiting for some morning fog to get out and use the Hasselblad digital back. And we finally one morning we got some! Since I knew the conditions wouldn’t hold for long, I set it up in its fully digital configuration because I wouldn’t have time to use the old 500CM manual body and vintage lenses.
Olympus OM-1n 35mm Camera Circa 1979
Teena gave me this beautiful Olympus OM-1n, probably from 1979, late last year. I haven’t used it yet but I plan to shoot photos with it soon. . . including possibly using the old roll of CVS branded Picture Place film, which Google says probably expired in 2003-2004.
Photo Finish: Sixth-Plate Tintype with Four Brothers in Derby Hats
We wrap up this edition of the newsletter with a look at a sixth-plate tintype from my collection of antique photos. It’s a portrait of four young men in derby hats (also called bowler hats in the UK.) Unfortunately I don’t know who these men were, or where this was made, nor the photographer.
I’m estimating this portrait to be dated between 1890 and 1905. It shows four handsome young men — who look to me to probably have been brothers, all very well dressed and wearing their overcoats. The original heyday of tintype photography was in the 1860s and 1870s — but of course the practice of making tintypes continued down through the generations and tintypes are still being made today.
I asked AI to examine this photo, and while I agree with some of its conclusions, it also mis-identified some details about their garments, and didn’t recognize the print as a tintype
Serious expressions were common in tintypes, partly due to long exposure times, but these guys look particularly stern — maybe even sinister — although I’m sure they were perfectly nice guys. I feel like a great novel could be written about these four men just based on this photo.
Links and Sources
Daniel Pezzoni
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czIIAHOdl0I
Native American Ritual Stone Construction Virginia, Part One
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCZoYjIvass
PhotoSnack Sunday Edition
https://www.photosnack.email/p/keith-dotson-f01