When Free Isn't a Deal

My recent Lomo Diana Purchase came with a 'free' telephoto lens.  However, there was  viewfinder adaptor, but no viewfinder.  I contacted them and was told that's how it is.......No wonder they are giving them away!

So How am I supposed to frame my image?  I guess I could attach one of my Mamiya viewfinders, but that just seems wrong!  When Free Really Isn't a Deal.........

New Camera Family Member.....

OK, I'm hooked on Diana Cameras.  I've added the Diana F+ and to lenses:  telephoto and fisheye.

Took a test drive this past weekend with the Fish Eye lens and Ilford Delta 400

The Eclipse On Film

As Recorded on Film.  And yes, the digital images turned out better mostly because these all seem a bit over exposed and maybe out of focus.  The lens was hard to work with (my fault for not practicing enough).

But I was also focused on Enjoying the Natural Event, which is permanently burned in my memory.  All the sites, the sounds, sharing with the people around me.  Very Moving and Emotional.  Here are my film images in sequence:

 

 

 

Click Here to start the experience from the Beginning.
This is 52 Rolls Week #33.

52 Rolls Week #21

Wrapping up the Moab Photo Symposium this week, and on 52 Rolls.  But I will be showing some experiments here  (example below) that are not posted on 52 Rolls.  Need to keep some variety, right?

So we'll start with a comprehensive wide to telephoto test at the Famous 'Balanced Rock' of Arches:

50 mm lens

80 mm lens (normal lens)

150 mm lens

210 mm lens

Featured on 52 Rolls

As I had mentioned before, I rarely carry the 210 with me.  But I think my work at the Symposium justifies carrying it, especially when I don't know how close I'll be able to get to the subject.

52 Rolls Week #20

Here taking a new perspective by trying different telephoto ranges, 150 mm vs. 210 mm with the Mamiya 7:

Do you have a preference?  Be assured I will probably crop out the sky when I print these.

Check out the other shots from this location @ the 52 Rolls Site.

Saturdays Online: A Final Perspective

On a clear day I have a good view of Mt Meeker and Longs Peak from the park near my home.  I'm always trying to get the 'perfect' shot from this location:

Here the Mamiya 7 with the 150mm lens. But I remembered that ages ago I had purchased a 210mm lens, and never really used it.  So I took it out to get a closer view:

of course, it would have been nice to have a few clouds.  But here we either have too many clouds or none.  You can see a wisp of cloud starting to form in the upper right corner.

Now for a further test I should taken the Mamiya 645 with its 210mm lens and my 2X teleconverter.  So we will revisit this scene again soon.

And Now for a totally different kind of perspective as Large Format Photographer Mat Marrash talks about why he loves large format, and especially what he has learned from the process.

Saturdays Online: Some Thoughts on Legacy

For me there are two aspects of Legacy:

1. Who are we as artist and who cares?
2. What happens to the work of those who never become famous?

We can contemplate the first item ad nauseum.  And some people spend a lot of time on that.  But from time to time I actually wonder, WHAT will happen to all of my negatives and prints when I am gone?

I have two cases in point:

First, the recent death of one of my Photo Friends Richard Knepp.  Whose website for now still persists, probably until the domain name expires, etc.  But for now His Legacy is still visible.  He was fairly well known amongst the practitioners and followers of old school Monterey style View Camera Photography.  One of those continuing the Legacy of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston.

Another case, someone without reputation, and totally unknown: Vivian Maier, whose work went unprinted until discovered by....several photographers/collectors in Chicago.  She was a nanny who took street photos around Chicago on her days off.  Who knew?

Most of us, if we are lucky, may be "rediscovered" after our passing by interested collectors.  Or our photographs, if printed, may turn up on some future version of "Forgotten Old Photos".  Sorry "digital and never printed types", your work will not be around for anyone to rediscover.

And, Oh Yes:  HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

So I leave you with those thoughts near the summit of Pikes Peak:

Butterfly Pavilion #4