https://tbasor.org/Notes on travel, film photography and small home projects.enhttps://tbasor.org/notes/first-snow-almaty/https://tbasor.org/notes/first-snow-almaty/Wed, 28 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0500The first snow on the mountains changes everything about the afternoon light. Around four o'clock the whole valley turns the colour of weak tea, and the shadows of the poplars stretch across the road like piano keys.https://tbasor.org/notes/media-server-rebuild/https://tbasor.org/notes/media-server-rebuild/Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0500For years the family photo archive lived on three external drives and one very old laptop. This summer I finally moved everything to a small Linux box with two mirrored disks.https://tbasor.org/notes/slow-week-bali/https://tbasor.org/notes/slow-week-bali/Thu, 02 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0500It rained almost every afternoon, which turned out to be the best thing about the trip. With nothing to rush to, I read three books, walked to the morning market every day and learned the names of exactly four kinds of banana.https://tbasor.org/notes/darkroom-on-a-budget/https://tbasor.org/notes/darkroom-on-a-budget/Tue, 19 May 2026 09:00:00 +0500You don't need a dedicated room to develop film at home. You need a light-tight tank, a changing bag, three bottles, a thermometer you trust and a kitchen you are allowed to make slightly messy.https://tbasor.org/notes/charyn-canyon/https://tbasor.org/notes/charyn-canyon/Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0500Three hours of steppe each way, and worth every kilometre. The Valley of Castles is exactly as dramatic as the postcards, but what I'll remember is the silence at the bottom of the canyon, broken only by the river and one very curious lizard.https://tbasor.org/notes/notes-on-backups/https://tbasor.org/notes/notes-on-backups/Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:00:00 +0500Every few months someone I know loses photos to a dead phone or a stolen laptop. My advice is always the same three boring rules.