Tag: Canon 55mm f/1.2

Good News

ruminator
The Girl sleeping on her mat on our sofa. She is healing. Shot with the Sony A7Sii and a Canon 55mm f/1.2 SSC FD at f/2, post processing to a Tri-X 400 Film Simulation.

The ongoing story of The Girl’s second encounter with Jacob-No-Shoulders continues. After a turn for the worse last weekend, which likely caused me the loss of several years of life expectancy, she is being treated with an antihistamine and steroid. The cause was a reaction to the antivenin administered to counter the effects of the rattlesnake bite she got ten-days ago now.

That was after a few days home from hospital from the initial treatment. She was improving until she was not. That prompted two more visits to the clinic to identify and treat the problem.

Yesterday was the third day after her retreatment for the symptoms that developed. From what I can determine, the serum sickness that resulted from her body’s reaction to the antivenin is not life threatening. However, the symptoms were dramatic and concerning (for me). I feared that I was losing my Girl and was unprepared for that.

Yesterday morning she seemed a little more interactive, giving me a bit more energetic wag when I greeted her after rising. I carried on with my morning routine, making my coffee, going through my morning ablutions, and giving her the prescribed medications and her food.

I left to take the 4Runner to the Toyota House for service around 1000h. She was sleeping on her mat under my worktable. I got the rig checked-in and then walked home, looking for an image on the way. After attending to some work, a call came from the dealership that my rig was ready to be picked up.

I gathered up my things to walk back and retrieve the rig. As I was about to step out the door, she walked into the living room and asked to along. She did not know where I was going, but she wanted to be part of the going.

So, I picked up her leash, affixed it to her collar, and out the door we went. Although not particularly energetic, she was more her normal self — sniffing at most every blade of grass, marking territory, and finally eliminating (which I policed up).

The Sun was a little warm on us, so she panted a bit. But it was only a mile to the shop and I had water in the rig if she needed it.

After clearing my bill, we found the rig and loaded up. After sitting in the Sun for however long, it was hot inside… the kind of hot that emanates from the rig’s body. It needed fuel anyway, so we headed to the Shell station to refuel and run it through the wash bay.

The wash really cooled off the rig and also The Girl (although the air conditioner helped). We headed back to the house and indoors so I could finish my day.

She was tired (of course) and retired to her mat. However, my heart was lifted because she is more herself now. She is not yet 100 percent, but she is on the mend. I am encouraged and grateful. I gave a little thanks to God for looking after us.

Life is good.

NB: Yes, it is 11 September. I remember. I will not forget. I will not forgive.

On Pens and Lenses

ruminator
My journal and a vintage Esterbrook J Series in the demi size. Shot with the Sony A7Sii and a lovely Canon 55mm f/1.2 S.S.C. vintage lens, SOOC.

I write with a fountain pen most every day. In fact, I think I write with a fountain pen every day.

This year I returned to using an analog (paper) bullet journal from using a digital notebook (SuperNote). Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but in the end I enjoy the analog experience much more than the digital. So, despite the convenience of an unending supply of pages, I returned to my paper bullet journal.

I have been thinking about downsizing my possessions. Over the last year, this is a topic that was recurrent in my thoughts. (This was written as I laugh out loud looking at the additions to my camera, lens, and radio collections!) But, in the end, I want to reduce the load to include only those things I use often enough to justify a place in my life.

There are clearly cameras, lenses, radios, books, and so forth that fall on the used often enough list. There are also clearly such things that are not on said list.

As we move into the fall, I expect my workload to reduce somewhat. The field work will definitely fall off and work will turn to the desktop. But I also think I will have time to use the light tent I bought to photograph and offer for sale items from my shelves that do not pass the used enough muster.

A good (as in simple) place for me to start is with my collections of fountain pens and vintage glass. There are a good number of vintage pens in my collection that I am not going to use to any significant degree. Similarly, there are a number of lenses.

I think I should make it a fun project to try these things on paper and camera and use that exercise to filter out the unwanted. I certainly have enough items from each class that fall onto the used often enough list.

It is time to let them go.

A problem is figuring out how/where to sell the books. I used Half.com for years to sell books. But, eBay decided to kill the service. I remain unconvinced that eBay is the better platform to sell books.

My buddy loaned me a lovely Canon FD 55mm f/1.2 SSC lens to play with. The capture above was made with this lens affixed to my Sony A7Sii camera. The aperture was wide open (f/1.2) or thereabouts. The depth of field is razor thin. I should get out my Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 and shoot some comparison shots. I think the Canon might be a smidge better wide open.

I no longer have a Canon film body. I considered finding a nice Canon F1, which was a suitable object of lust when I was a young photographer. But then I might go off down the vintage Canon glass rabbit hole.

I think that, however, might be a topic for another entry in my weblog.

The Girl is doing better. I am grateful. Life is good.