DMC-365 - Exploring the Interface Between Equipment and Creativity in Photography: rural

Showing posts with label rural. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Dusk at the Old Homestead - Outside El Reno, Oklahoma

Nikon Df, Nikkor 35-70mm f2.8 Lens at 35mm

iso 1600, f4, 1/30 sec.

I made my trip to Oklahoma with only one lens on the Nikon Df. I must say that I found it slightly limiting, but also liberating. No decisions to make, no fumbling to change lenses.

I made this shot right after sundown. I couldn't find the right spot for my tripod, as I was shooting from the roadside, and there was a fence in the way. So, I cranked the Df up to 1600 (no problem at all for this camera), leaned on a fencepost, and shot.

Can you imagine the stories this old place could tell?

DMC-365.blogspot.com

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Merlin the Dog, Mamiya Universal

Merlin the Dog, by Reed A. George

Mamiya Universal Press Camera, Mamiya Sekor 100mm f3.5 Lens

Kodak TMax 100 Film

There's a great little store in Waterford, Virginia, one of very few in the town. I've shot here a few times before, including some of my favorite pictures of my daughter a few years back, drinking a Coke and hanging out on this same porch. This day, it was Merlin the Dog.

One shot, no automation. I really like shooting the Mamiya Universal Press (MUP) camera.

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Saturday, July 20, 2013

Skeletons From The Closet - First Results From The Konica I Rangefinder (July's Camera)

(Click Here) to read about July's SFTC camera, the Konica I 35mm rangefinder from ~1950.

I took the Konica along with me to shoot an outdoor concert on a Saturday evening. An earlier post shared my color images from that evening, taken with the Leica M9 and WLL lens for July - the Summitar 5cm f2 collapsible.

As I mentioned in the SFTC introductory post this month, the Konica still had an unexposed roll of Kodak C41 black and white film in it, which had been in there for years. Well, the film was at least still sensitive to light. Here are some results.

The Hot Seats, Warrenton, VA, by Reed A. George

Konica I Rangefinder Camera

The show started at 7:30PM, as the sun was starting to go down. From a heat standpoint, this was great. From a lighting standpoint, with an f3.5 lens on the Konica, it meant challenge. I did underexpose quite a few shots, but some are okay.

I was crouched down in the front of the audience shooting the band when I looked up and saw these two kids.

Concertgoers, by Reed A. George

Konica I Rangefinder Camera

I think the skinned knee really adds to the picture below. Reminds me of being a rough-and-tumble kid myself.

Skinned Knee, by Reed A. George

Konica I Rangefinder Camera

The Hot Seats, Warrenton, VA, by Reed A. George

Konica I Rangefinder Camera

More to come from the Konica I this month!

DMC-365.blogspot.com

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Some Whole Lotta Leica Results - Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens on the Leica M9

I have been shooting quite a lot this month, but not particularly a lot with my monthly feature equipment. One reason is that I got a Leica M3 DS (film camera) that has my interest. Another is that both my WLL lens for this month, the Summaron, and my Skeletons From The Closet camera, the Autocord, are both f3.5 lenses. That's somewhat limiting for me, as I'm used to shooting at least f2 lenses.

(Click Here) to read about the Summaron.

I have posted a few results from the Summaron already this month - (Click Here) and (Click Here) to see them.

Here are some new ones:

Sibling Rivalry?, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 200, f6.7, 1/30 sec.

The shot above is probably my favorite from the Summaron this month.

I never did get into the city to do any street photography with the Summaron this month. I did spend some time in the countryside.

Barn, Harpers Ferry, WV, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 200, f13, 1/125 sec.

Meadow Sunrise, Manassas, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 160, f5.7, 1/60 sec.

Sunbeam, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 160, f4, 1/60 sec.

Here's a family snapshot to wrap things up.

Kitchen Fun, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summaron 3.5cm f3.5 LTM Lens

iso 1250, f3.5, 1/25 sec.

My conclusions about this lens are: 1) it's tiny, 2) it is capable of very nice images, especially in the way it renders color, 3) the f3.5 aperture is limiting to me. I have always enjoyed the images I've made with this lens on film. I shared some of those in the lens introduction post (first link above).

I think the correct use for this lens is on a screwmount Leica (Barnack) camera. The size fits well with the screwmount cameras, the 35mm focal length and small maximum aperture lend it to use where shallow depth of field is not necessary (or to put it another way, where you need depth of field to allow quick focus setting). I think I'll mount it on my Leica IIIC and take it street shooting soon. I know it's great for that.

I don't want to give the wrong impression about this lens. If someone asked, I would recommend that they try it. It does some things very well. On the other hand, I I would not suggest that anyone select it as their only lens.

For June, I've selected the Zeiss Sonnar C 50mm f1.5 lens to mate up with my M9. There can be no excuses about a slow lens this month.

DMC-365.blogspot.com

Monday, September 17, 2012

Sequence of Thoughts - In Pictures - Small Town Saturday Morning

Small Town Saturday Morning

It's Saturday, Labor Day Weekend, in Charlestown, West Virginia, USA. What's going on this morning?