Some Favorites from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2015 - Featuring Peru

Here is a selection of my favorite images from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2015. Peru was the featured country.

 

I shot all of these with my newly re-sealed Nikon FM2 and Nikkor AIS 35mm f1.4 lens on Agfa APX400 film.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Nikkor 35mm f1.4 AIS for Environmental Portraiture - Folklife Festival

In the middle of my film scanning efforts, this image just jumped out at me.

 

Traditional Peru in Washington, DC, by Reed A. George

Nikon FM2, Nikkor 35mm f1.4 AIS Lens, Agfa APX400 Film

 

I feel that this image includes just enough of the surroundings to give the subject context, yet still emphasizes her beautiful face and expression. So this is why many photographers prefer the 35mm focal length for environmental portraiture! I also think that the Agfa film, with its relatively low native contrast and considerable grain, gives the image a slightly vintage feel.

 

I've got more scanning to do, but am sure that I will assemble a few of these images from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival into a small collection.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Smithsonian Folklife Festival - Featuring Peru - Shot with Nikon FM2 and Nikkor 35mm f1.4 AIS Lens

I just replaced the seals on my Nikon FM2. My latest roll of film showed evidence of a minor light leak. That's all fixed up now. It took about an hour to get all the old seal residue off and install the new ones, but it was well worth the effort.

 

To test it, I mounted my new Nikkor 35mm f1.4 AIS lens, loaded a roll of Agfa APX400 film (thanks again, Dennis!), met my friend Charlie, and headed into DC. We attended the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which featured Peru this year. Here are a few of the first pics I've scanned.

 

 

I just got the lens from another friend, Alain, a short time back. I haven't used it a lot. I think I like it.

 

I will be posting more from this event as I get them scanned.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

Nature Photography - It's More Than Just Finding the Animals

 

I've been working on my nature photography this spring, and have been enjoying my new Nikkor 200-400mm f4 VR lens in the process. While I'm now quite comfortable with the lens, and very impressed with the image quality it produces, I haven't really nailed any nature shots that make me super proud yet.

Here's an example of what the lens can do:

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, Nikkor 200-400mm f4 AFS VR Lens

This is a perfectly acceptable photo of a bald eagle, in a technical sense, but it sure doesn't tell much of a story. Really, I just found the animal, and got a decent shot of him. Then it was over.

 

Here's a shot below that I made some time back, of a much less exotic animal, with less exotic optics, but with more of a story. I love how the toad's singing, exhibited by the extended throat, and more importantly, by the standing waves in the water surrounding it, tell you more than "This is a toad." I aspire to finding more stories like this.

 

Eastern American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus), by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3, 14-140mm Zoom Lens

The reason I'm thinking about this is that I read an interesting story about Frans Lanting, famed National Geographic nature photographer, on the Smithsonian website. (Click Here) to read that post. Lanting is a very interesting person, and the TED talk video embedded in the story tells a lot about how he feels about his work.

 

I've seen a lot of his night photography, where he sets up remote camera traps for elusive species. I see these as mainly challenges to find the animal and document it. However, he has other images, some of which he describes in the blog piece, that really tell much bigger stories. Read about the hunters reflected in the zebra's eye, and the African bullfrog, with approaching clouds above. Interesting stuff.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

More Rolleiflex Images from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival - Celebrating Kenya

Yesterday, I shared a couple of images from the China side of this year's Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Today, Kenya.

 

All of these were shot with my Rolleiflex T twin lens reflex (TLR) camera and Kodak Portra 160 film.

Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2014 - Kenya

 

It was a very bright, contrasty sunny day, as you can see in the second image. So, getting under the tent coverings helped to diffuse the light quite a bit, leading to better overall images. That said, it made getting a natural looking background more challenging.

 

In any case, people did seem to like being photographed with an old TLR camera. I've had this camera for several years. I used it quite a lot when I first bought it, less so recently. I've still got it in my bag, and plan to shoot more with it in the near future.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2014 - With Rolleiflex T

Two of my photography buddies have taken a (re)new(ed) interest in shooting Rolleiflexes. Both of them now sport Rolleiflex f2.8 cameras, while I shoot a Rolleiflex T f3.5 model.

 

Together, we all went to check out the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, whose focus in 2014 was on the countries of Kenya and China.

 

(Click Here) to read about the festival.

 

One of the events in the China program was flower, drum, lantern dancing. I captured these images of one of the group's leaders, who I believe is named Yue Ying (I can't seem to confirm that).

 

 

Flower Drum Lantern Dancer, by Reed A. George

Rolleiflex T f3.5 Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) Camera, Kodak Portra 160 Color Print Film

 

I used my Rolleinar 1 closeup lenses on the T for these shots. Actually, I could have done them without the need for the Rolleinar, as I was at the long limit of focus with them installed. That said, I like how they reduce the depth of field for portraits like this. So, no harm done.

 

It was fun getting the old TLR out again. You'll be seeing more TLR images in the near future, including some from the Kenya portion of the festival.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

What to do on the 5th of July? Smithsonian Folkways Festival.

Image Source: http://startstudioarts.si.edu/2014/07/the-smithsonian-folkways-festival.html

 

Well, as I write this, it's the 4th of July, Independence Day here in the USA. I have time to get out and do some photography tomorrow, but where to go? What to do?

 

While it's not easy to get into Washington DC this weekend, I think I'll explore the Smithsonian Folkways Festival. An annual event, this year's festival is focused on Kenya and China.

 

(Click Here) to read the post on the S+Art blog that got me motivated to fight the crowd tomorrow.

 

I think I'll probably be able to find parking tomorrow if I get into town early enough. Unfortunately, the festival doesn't really start until 11:00AM, when the worst light of the day will be out. But, I'll just get in there early and make the best of the morning light before things get going.

 

Now to decide how and what I want to photograph. I'm sure that the performers will be a great attraction. Maybe I'll shoot Leica. Or, there's that new 35mm f2.8 pre-AI Nikkor that I recently got a deal on and haven't tried yet... Maybe I'll put that on my F2.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Skeletons From The Closet - February Results - Super Ricohflex in Dramatic Light

As you may have seen, I've been exploring strong directional light here and there. I took the February SFTC camera, the Super Ricohflex, to DC for a day of wandering around the Smithsonian museums in DC. I found some wonderful light inside the lobby of the Smithsonian castle. I just sat and waited until people walked into that light. Here are some of the results.

Into the Light #1, by Reed A. George

Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

The design of the Ricohflex TLR allowed me to sit in the same position, looking down into my camera, rather than pointing it at face level at my subjects. At one point, someone came up behind me and asked if I was "filming." I assumed he meant videotaping, and replied that no, I wasn't. I suppose in fact that I was filming.

 

Into the Light #2, by Reed A. George

Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

I love the profile of the guy's face peaking out from the darkness at right.

 

Into the Light #3, by Reed A. George

Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

The Super Ricohflex has a relatively dim finder, as the viewing lens is f3.5. I had to prefocus, then just wait for someone to walk into the light.

 

Here's one from the entrance of the Natural History Museum. The dark interior contrasted nicely with the backlight coming from the bright daylight outside.

 

"That's One Big Elephant," by Reed A. George

Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

I'll finish the post up with a couple of other shots from DC.

 

Street View, DC, by Reed A. George

Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

I recently wrote about artist Ai Weiwei's exhibit at the Hirshhorn in DC. While I shot mostly with my M9 (see my recent Whole Lotta Leica post), I did make this shot with the Ricohflex:

 

Ai Weiwei's Zodiac, by Reed A. George

Super Ricohflex Twin Lens Reflex, Kodak Tmax 400 Film

 

I have one more roll of film from the Super Ricohflex to finish up and get processed. I've already moved onto shooting March's SFTC camera, the Zeiss Ikonta folder, but need to finish up the roll in the Ricohflex.

 

So, you'll be seeing a few more from the Ricohflex in the weeks to come.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com