Month: July 2024

Remainders: Week of 27 July 2024

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On US95 south from Tonopah, Nevada, there is a stretch of the highway along which grow some Joshua Trees. On our way home we paused for a break and for a few images. Shot with Bronica S2A and Nikkor-P 75mm f/2.8 at f/8 on Kodak Gold 200.

Another week, how many remainders?

  • I need a new holster. This one might do.
  • I am in lust of the Voigtländer lenses. I have three samples in my inventory and they are all excellent.
  • I was looking for the option key modifiers for foreign accents (like the ä in Voigtländer). I found one here.
  • Tatiana Hopper has a list of visually striking TV series. She recommends these for photographers because of the emphasis on presentation (as well as story).
  • Gavin Seim presented a review/comparison of Lightroom and DXO Photolab. He thinks that LRC is still superior but that PhotoLab has a lot to offer without the subscription.
  • Robin Whalley presents a DXO Photolab color tips that opened my eyes to capabilities of the software I did not know. It also means I need training with the tools.
  • It is time for me to take and pass my FAA Part 107 exam and earn my UAV Commercial Pilot certificate. I want to legally use my drone to make aerial images of projects.
  • Some years ago I discovered Afro Celt Sound System. I recently was looking to fill my collection of this music (I like it) and discovered that one of the founders, Simon Emmerson died.
  • The produces many books on tactical subjects. ‘Nuff said…
  • Fujirumors is always a good place to check on what is going on with the Fujifilm ecosystem.
  • There are a few online stores that I check for photographic-related items. KEH is one of them. They are very good.
  • Knife Steel Nerds. Yeah, it’s a thing. There is also a YouTube channel.

Thunderstorm Over Piñon Hills

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From the same roll as the previous image, this shot southeast over Carson City and the Piñon Hills to the east of Carson City was made with the Nikon F2as and a Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 on Ilford XP2 at about f/8. No post processing.

This is another capture from the roll of 35mm Ilford XP2 I finished up on the hills between Carson City and Washoe Valley. The Girl and I drove up the steep trail on the east side of this hill, which gives a lovely view of both Washoe Lake and Carson City. An afternoon pop-up thundershower was brewing to the southeast.

I wanted to finish up the roll in the Nikon F2as and the Bronica, so I spent a half-hour walking the hilltop with Sera (keeping a sharp ear out for snakes) and making some images. This frame looks like I used a red filter to add some contrast to the sky and the exposure seems just about right. I see some detail in the cloud tops and plenty in the valley below.

It was a good day. The breeze atop the hill was a little stiff and gusty, pretty typical for a Nevada afternoon. But it also was cooling so I did not mind.

The rocks were a little rough on The Girl’s feet. So I put her back in the rig.

Life is good. I am grateful.

Sera On Watch

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Sera after I put her back in the rig. Shot with Nikon F2as and a Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 on Ilford XP2 with exposure data unrecorded. No post processing was applied.

Five rolls of negatives were returned to me this week. I spent a few minutes looking through them, after reviewing the scans. I came away with a few notes, but need to formalize them.

There are a few good frames in the set. It is probably about my average hit rate. I would like to move that hit rate up, but that is probably another story.

A number of frames were significantly underexposed, both the Pentax 645Nii and the Nikon F2as. These were generally frames that had a lot of sky in them and I think it biased the in-camera meter. I would get a better result if I opened up the aperture a stop or two. (Note taken…)

I missed focus on a few frames. The take away is to be very careful when focusing, particularly the Bronica. I have a bright screen to put in the Bronica and need to get that done before I take it out again. It will help.

I replaced the screen in the Pentax with one that has a split-image/microprism cell in the center of the frame. This is going to improve my ability to focus the camera.

I need a light table and loupe for review of my negatives. I think there is a light table buried in the garage (in a box) somewhere. However, the technology has changed (for the better) since I bought it, so I will buy a new one. The LED lamps are so much better than the micro-fluorescent tubes of my original.

In the meantime, I made the capture with my F2as and a Nikkor 35mm f/1.4, probably using a filter (not recorded) and I did not record the exposure. The film was Ilford XP2. It is a good frame.

We were on the hills between Carson City and Washoe Valley. I have a few more good frames from that outing.

It was a good day. Life is good.

Lucas Test Shots

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Lucas shot with Nikon D800e and Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 wide open.

Lucas serves as a test subject for many of my lens testing exercises. I have been playing around with my Nikon D800E and a Voigtländer 90mm f/2.8 APO Skopar. I want to see how the lens renders the subject and the out of focus areas. The 90mm does not focus very close, maybe about 2 feet plus (about 0.8 meters). It is quite sharp wide open and the backgrounds look lovely.

It is a very good lens and I need to take it out on walk.

Lucas shot with a Nikon D800E and a Voigtlander 50mm f/1.4 Nokton at f/2.8.

This frame was shot with a Voigtländer 58mm f/1.4 Nokton at f/2.8. It will focus quite a lot closer than the 90mm. It is also quite sharp wide open and has excellent out of focus character. Again, this lens will want to go with me on a walk.

One thing I like about the Voigtländer lenses is that they have a chip that provides data to the camera body. So exposure and distance information is available to the camera and stored in the image file. These lenses will also work on my Nikon film bodies.

Lucas Test Shot

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This capture of Lucas the Spider (one of my favorite plushies) was done with the Nikon D800E and a Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 Skopar at f/8. I did some light processing with DXO Photolab 7.

This little Lucas the Spider plushie is a favorite test subject for lenses. If I shoot at night, then I have some light sources in the background and I can get a sense for how the out of focus areas are represented by the lens.

I shot this with my Nikon D800E (ancient at this time) and a Voigtlander 90mm f/2.8 APO-Skopar lens I bought earlier this year. I really prefer legacy glass to modern glass for the older lenses’ character, including their flaws. They often render more interesting images in everything from color, to sharpness (or lack thereof), to background blur (bokeh in photo parlance). Their optical imperfections produce interesting effects that I often like.

The Voigtlander lenses are proving quite interesting and have a modern adaptation. They have a microchip interface to the digital cameras (my Nikons) that enables the camera’s CPU to read the lens settings and incorporate that data into exposure control and fill in the EXIF data in the image file.

I like the Voigtlander lenses enough that I think I will add to my collection of them. I suspect they will become commonly used on my Nikon film bodies.

Remainders: 20 July 2024

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It is summer and even at 7,000ft she gets hot. Shot with Fujifilm X-E4 and Voigtlander 27mm f/2 Ultron at f/4 and SOOC.

Another week, another set of remainders links.

  • David duChemin is an author and photographer I have followed for years. I find his presentations artful and articulate and recommend him.
  • Alain Laboile is a French photographer who has a limited subject — his family. duChemin mentioned him in his webinar last Sunday when responding to someone who asked the question “What if you cannot travel except with your family/to see family?”. David’s response was to look at the work of Laboile. I have to find one or more of Laboile’s books.
  • I do not remember if I posted this, but Covert Instruments is the outlet for the Lock Picking Lawyer. The ability to pick a lock is not about criminal activity so much as it is a preparedness skill.
  • You might remember John Schneider from Dukes of Hazard. He is still busy.
  • This ham (no call sign) describes using a Get-A-Grip large suction cup to mount a Chameleon MPAS Micro for portable ops.
  • I am such a sucker for tool rolls.

Daily Image: Lichen and Stob 18 July 2024

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A bit of lichen and the stob of a branch. Shot with Fufifilm X-T5 and Voigtlander 27mm f/2 at f/4.

I am enjoying the little Voigtlander 27mm f/2 Ultron for the Fuji X-Mount cameras quite a lot lately. I decided to take a break from the legacy glass and the Sony A7Sii and shoot my Fujifilm cameras a bit.

I like the Voigtlander 27mm for a number of reasons. It has a chip and so communicates its settings to the camera. That means that the EXIF data is populated and the camera can use the information to adjust exposure as needed. Yes, it adjusts exposure without these data, but with them the camera can do more.

Do not ask me how. It is magic.

That said, the Ultron optical formula does not produce the clinically (near) perfect images of computer designed glass. The images from the Voigtlander have some character to them. They are not always perfect at the edges and corners. They have interesting bokeh (out of focus areas). They produce good colors and are plenty sharp enough.

I have been playing with images of the lichen that grows on the Ponderosa Pines in the national forest. I should probably back off the exposure in the subject image just a bit as the stob seems almost blown out. But I like the image anyway and it was slightly adjusted in DXO PhotoLab 7.

The Girl and I enjoyed the hike yesterday. It was a good day. Life is good.

Daily Image: Ponderosa Cone 17 July 2024

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A Ponderosa Pine cone, shot with Fujifilm X-E4 with Voigtlander 27mm f/2 Ultron at F/4, SOOC.

After carrying the Sony A7Sii and three Carl Zeiss Jena manual focus lenses for several days, I decided to carry the Fujifilm X-E4, the Voigtlander 27mm f/2 manual focus lens (a pancake), and the new-to-me Lensbaby 56mm f1/2 Velvet along on walkies.

The Voigtlander is a known good performer on my Fuji cameras. It is small, light, and very good optically. It does not have the clinical performance of most modern lenses, but is a throwback to an earlier age with the Ultron optical formula. It is quite sharp in mid-frame and sharp enough at the edges, even wide open. The out of focus areas are generally lovely, with some fun bokeh when there are background highlights.

I have a few keepers from that walk even though we did not walk slowly and putter like we sometimes do. The capture above was at the end of the hike when I noticed this pine cone in the light and shadow of the surrounding Ponderosa Pines in front of the 4Runner. I played with the image a little bit although I did not move the cone.

The Girl was tired after the hike, so she laid on the ground with her water bowl captured between her front paws, enjoying the cool DG and the shade. I made the capture and we loaded up and headed home for the day.

It was good hike. I felt good. I came away with a few nice photographs. The Girl chased chipmunks. I am grateful for all these things.

Life is good.

Daily Image: The Trail 16 July 2024

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The trail The Girl and I walk almost daily this time of year. Shot with Sony A7Sii and a Carl Zeiss Jena 50mm f/1.8 Pancolar. Light post processing with DXO PhotoLab 7.

At this time of year, The Girl and I walk mostly in the national forest. We get above 7,000 ft, where it is a little cooler. We gain the shade of the Ponderosa Pines. There is generally little other traffic on this trail, although we sometimes meet another hiker.

The climb does me good. The chipmunks provide much entertainment for The Girl. It is a bit more than a mile out to our common turn-around point. There we pause for a couple of minutes. I give her anywhere from a half to a full liter of water. I drink a little for myself. We take a breath.

Then I put the pack back on (and usually a small camera bag) and we head back to the rig.

I keep a sharp eye out for other traffic as I do not want a negative encounter for The Girl. I have also seen a bear (very briefly) once. There was a coyote that I saw several times last summer who did not appear to be afraid. (Not a good thing for him!) Fortunately, I was able to wrangle The Girl and never threw more than a few 3/8″ steel shot (with a sling shot) to scare him off.

I really love this trail. If we get out early enough, it is still cool and she does not overheat. If I wait too late, then the sun warms her and with the exercise she is too hot.

On this particular morning, we were out a little early and the light was still good. I made the capture a dozen meters from out turn around point because i like the interaction of the light on the trees and the curl of the trail in the midground.

We had a great hike. I am grateful for the beauty of the place where I live. Life is good.

Daily Image: Lichen 14 July 2024

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Shot with the Sony A7Sii and (I think) a Carl Zeiss Jena 35mm f/2.4, probably about f/5.6. The RAW file was post processed with DXO Photolab7 using an Ektachrome 64 film simulation.

I just finished David duChemin’s All Questions Answered webinar a few minutes ago. I had a huge collection of questions sent in by his followers and students and winnowed down the list to maybe a dozen questions.

I found his answers to the questions of interest, but it was his excursions on tangents generated by the questions that I enjoyed even more. It was an hour and a half of listening to him brain dump his thoughts and feelings about the craft and he is articulate. So, it was an easy listen.

I cannot recall if I have any of his books. If not, I will need to rectify that. I am signed up for one of his courses and need to get after that as well. I will learn something, I am sure.

One of the questions was something like “What do you photograph for?” He had an articulate answer for the question (it makes him feel alive) and then enumerated a list of other reasons photographers have for spending the time, effort, and money making photographs. It was a good list.

He also spent time talking about finding the subject/genre that lights a fire in you. Ask the question “What am I passionate about?” Then go chase that.

The rhetorical question “What if I can only travel with my family?” was asked, and he shared Alain Laboile’s craft, which is he only photographs his family1. As with all art, one just has to find a way to make it work within the structure of one’s life.

I have written any number of times — I make photographs because it is one of the things that feeds my soul. There is a focus and joy that comes from noticing something as I move through my daily life and then taking a few minutes to explore it with a camera.

The header image is an example. Sera and I were hiking the trail in the national forest. She was hunting chipmunks. I was looking for the interplay of light, shadow, and texture in the world around me. This particular bit of lichen on a branch caught my eye. There is plenty of light and shadow. There is a muted set of colors, punctuated by the bright light green of the lichen. There is a randomness in the fall of the pine needles. Then there is the branch at a diagonal through the frame.

These things caught my eye2. It is one of several images made of similar subjects that day. Sera happily hunted while I paused to make the images. Then we were off on the trail again, both of us on the lookout for our prey.

Life is short. If there is something that would make you happy, go do that. Make sure it gets done. Because, one day, it will be too late.

I remain grateful. Life is good.

1Note to self: Buy one of Laboile’s books and study the images.
2With a nod and an homage to Wife, who said this to me many times.